P500 P5 Stock Tires

[cras108er]

I keep hearing folks say the stock tires on the P5 are crap. Excuse my ignorance, but what’s wrong with them specifically. What am I gaining by going with going bigger? TIA

 

[Admin]

 

[70Bones]

They're not crap. Not the best, but wear them until they wear out, no problem. There are some good reasons to upgrade, but not imperative: for every 2 inches bigger you go, you gain 1 more inch of clearance under the buggy, that is important from time to time; people upgrade tires to match the terrain they travel in most, like mud or rocks or roads; and some people call the originals crap because they are trying to justify to their wife that they needed those new $800 tires...

 

[NTCPrezJB]

crap because they are trying to justify to their wife

I think there is a lot of truth in that. ^^^

I've heard a lot of people say the extra sidewall height also improves the ride plushness.

As I've said on here before, I will run mine until they need to be replaced. I will choose a different tire though when the time comes to replace them.

 

[Montecresto]

I keep hearing folks say the stock tires on the P5 are crap. Excuse my ignorance, but what’s wrong with them specifically. What am I gaining by going with going bigger? TIA

Wear your stockers out, then upgrade to 8 ply tires a couple inches taller for an inch gain in height, and go wider in width because the stock machine is already tippy. IMO

 

[865Pioneer500]

My opinion is they are too small for the machine. Ground clearance becomes an issue with them compared to something a bit taller.

 

[SILVER_ALERT]

I usually try to avoid mud and snow, so no comment on that. They have served me well on the hard and soft dirt, rutted trails, gravel and rock that I am usually on. I will probably upgrade when they wear out to something with a little softer ride.

 

[Montecresto]

I usually try to avoid mud and snow, so no comment on that. They have served me well on the hard and soft dirt, rutted trails, gravel and rock that I am usually on. I will probably upgrade when they wear out to something with a little softer ride.

Good point, that was one thing about the 8-ply’s, with the stiffer side wall there’s a bit of a compromise in the ‘softness’ of the ride.

 

[Akfishbum]

Main reason I upgraded was ground clearance and the country I ride in. I do a mix of rocky slopes, mud holes, and tundra/floating bogs. I wanted to get ground clearance and a wider tire for more floatation across soft vegetative mats and bogs. The less you break through the less you get stuck.

 

[cras108er]

Main reason I upgraded was ground clearance and the country I ride in. I do a mix of rocky slopes, mud holes, and tundra/floating bogs. I wanted to get ground clearance and a wider tire for more floatation across soft vegetative mats and bogs. The less you break through the less you get stuck.

What part of Alaska are you riding? I’m in southcentral. Are you talking about the typical spots around here: Petersville, Eureka, Hatcher Pass, etc.

 

[100Acre]

I keep hearing folks say the stock tires on the P5 are crap. Excuse my ignorance, but what’s wrong with them specifically. What am I gaining by going with going bigger? TIA

welcome to the forum by the way

 

[RoadGator916]

I think there is a benefit to the ground clearance by going to the larger tire but I think the look of the machine improves greatly when you widen the stance and put a tire on that looks more appropriate for the machine, in my opinion. By widening the stance it also will make the machine more stable. I had a Yamaha Kodiak before my P5 and the stock tires on an ATV are larger then the P5, which is a slightly larger machine. There is also a wide variety of tread pattern that may be better suited for whatever you use your machine for. For me I wanted a little more ground clearance and a better look that is why I went with aftermarket wheels and larger tires.

 

[SouthwestORV]

I will answer from my perspective: I have no complaint with the performance of the stock tires. I've got 530 miles on my 2018 P500 now in all types of terrain, from Sand Dunes to low desert to high desert, sharp rocks, silt, hard pack, asphalt, mud, gravel, snow, you name it I've done it. The tires work well, FOR THEIR SIZE. It's my belief that they are your lightest option which saves horsepower, and perhaps even the softest option because they are so thin/compliant. But here are the reasons I got new "SunF Power II" 26-inch tires in the mail yesterday:
1. I think the stock tires look silly on the machine, because they look too small. I think the P500 looks TONS better with larger tires. However, looks are subject, so that's just my opinion.
2. When I rode Bulldog Canyon AZ with my dad several weeks ago, we rode a trail that is beautifully suited to the P500, but it drug bottom on rocks about every 30 seconds for 6 hours straight. It's like most of the time it ALMOST cleared, but not quite. I run my suspension at its softest setting, and my tires at 9-10psi, so with two adult men the clearance is affected. I'm hoping that with an additional inch of clearance I will miss MOST of those rocks next time we hit that trail.
3. I have noticed that my factory speedometer is a little off, telling me that I'm traveling faster than I really am. I hope that with 26" tires it will be more accurate, and when it says I'm going 35 mph, I'm actually traveling 35mph, not 32mph.
4. I don't have anything to back this up, but I believe many of these 6-ply aftermarket tires will be a tad more resilient in the harshest trail conditions. I spend a lot of time in very rural and secluded areas, so I want the added peace of mind of MORE durable tires. That being said, the stockers have not failed me.
Those are a few reasons.

 

[cras108er]

welcome to the forum by the way

Thanks. You guys have been extremely helpful already!

 

[HUCK]

I searched often for 26s while I was wearing out my stock ones . Found a set of new take offs for 200.00 so I picked them up and had them ready to go on when needed . They ride a little better and give a little more ground clearance . I think I got 1200 miles out of the stockers ..






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[ShotgunClay]

Most of my use is on dirt and gravel roads around a ranch, with some lightweight off road use. I think I've banged the skid plates less than 5 times. Even after 2000 miles, the stock tires did a good job in the snow, of which we had plenty this year. The mud after the snow melted was bad, but none of the vehicles can plow through it without the occasional involuntary 180. Once the originals go, I'm going to get larger tires and spacers for improving the ride. Based on how much tread is left, I figure the stock ones are good for close to 3K how I use them.