When we started Project Foreman we
knew that one of the areas that we'd have to address was tires. The
manufacturers of ATV's try to provide a general-use tire that's a
jack-of-all-trades and master of none. What you end up is a tire
that's ok, but not really good at anything such as being a good mud
tire or one that works well in the snow. After getting stuck a lot
with the stock tires and using a winch more often than we cared
for, we knew the stock tires weren't enough to do what we wanted
and needed to accomplish. We use the Foreman for trail maintenance
all summer; the smooth winter snow trails are creek beds and mud
holes all summer. We needed a change.
Enter
ITP. We talked with ITP and told them what we'd be doing with our
machine. They suggested that we try a set of there 6-ply 589 mud
and snow tires. We also thought we would go for a larger set of
tires for more ground clearance since we had installed AD Bovin's
ETS suspension kit and gained some extra fender clearance. We chose
27x9x12 for the front and 27x11x12 for the back. We also went
chrome.
One of the biggest reasons we
selected the 589 M/S was weight. Even though we are talking about a
very aggressive, oversized, mud and snow tire, they're up to 12
pounds per tire lighter than the competition. That translates to 48
pound savings overall. That's 48 more pounds of more 'stuff' you'll
be able to carry. More importantly, that's 48 pounds of less stress
on your machine.
When the tires showed up
at the Snowmobile-Online 'Barn' in upstate New York, we knew
instantly the days of getting stuck were over. These tires are huge
with extremely aggressive lugs. Ours were ordered with chrome rims
and they were gorgeous. Big rubber and super looking chrome - we
couldn't wait to get them on the machine. What a difference they
make in the appearance of the ATV. Sometimes stock just wont
do.
The 589 M/S wheel kit made a
tremendous improvement in the looks of our Foreman 450.
Click picture for larger
image
After some pictures and a quick coat of wax to get
the fingerprints off, we headed to the muddiest and roughest trail
we could find in an area known as Glasgow Pond, near Caroga Lake in
New York. This is where a group of ATVers has their annual 'Mud
Run' in the spring. (A spectacle worth the trip to NY and one we
hope to bring a few factory ATVs to in the future) We've ridden
this run a few times and usually wimped out of the bigger mud and
water holes or we got winched out, mainly because of the stock
tires. We headed directly to some of nastiest mud holes. To our
amazement, we went through them without any trouble at all! We went
through holes that we'd never try before and just coasted through
them. After what we accomplished at Caroga Lake, we felt none of
the regular trails we groomed would ever give us trouble
again.
The tires do have an extremely
aggressive lug pattern. The lugs are 1 1/8" deep and they will
throw the mud. The 2-stage lug is self-cleaning and made all the
difference. Don't let the loved ones follow to closely. J The
traction is just unbelievable however. You'll be amazed where you
can go and how many buddies you'll be tugging out of slop on the
trails. Even with the deep lugs, the tires didn't roll in the
corners as much as we expected. They handled as well if not better
than the stock rubber. The stiff sidewalls no doubt helped. The
most impressive trait of the tires is their ability to provide an
extremely smooth ride on the pavement and hard packed trails. No
other tires was able to match their capability and comfort.
We wanted a good tire for the snow also, but the
2001 season was light on snow. However, during the course of the
winter, these AT589's worked just as well in the snow. The deep
lugs on the tires work like paddles and throw the snow. When
plowing with the tires, the traction was always there. We didn't
get stuck with these tires all winter long.
The chrome wheels by the way are
a must if your adding tires. The combination is just stunning. No
matter where we go, they get comments. Don't even think twice about
the wheels. Just order them. You will not be sorry.
If you were looking for a very aggressive tire for
your machine, no matter what you ride, the ITP 589 M/S would make a
great choice. They'll get you where you want to go with confidence.
Instead of being winched or pulled out by your friends, you will be
the one saving the day. You'll be doing the ragging instead of
being ragged on.
You can see the day and night
difference in the aggressiveness of the tread pattern.
Click picture for larger
image
You can really see the
difference in tire size and the improved appearance gained by the
wheel kit.
Click picture for larger
image
IMPORTANT UPDATE 2/7/05 -
Originally when this article ran in August of 2002, it included
some pictures of the tires in use in the Glasgow area. Editors of
Off-Road.com received an email February 7, 2005 indicating that
road riding such as was done to test the tires at that time is no
longer permitted for ATVs. Please read and understand how important
following these closures is to maintaining the few remaining legal
riding areas we have:
"I am the manager of New York State Forest
Preserve lands, including the Ferris Lake Wild Forest. This is the
area where Glasgow Road, near Caroga Lake, is
located.
Please note and inform your viewers, that the
activity depicted in the pictures is illegal if it is
located on State lands. The roads are now blocked, and
enforcement is active. The cost of the repair of the damage to
miles of these former roads, now designated as snowmobile trails,
will be substantial. Because of the advertisement of the kind of
ATV activity that has such damaging effects to natural
resources, environmental groups have been effective in assuring
that opportunities for ATV riding on public lands will be
minimized."
Richard Fenton, Supervising Forester
NYSDEC
Division of Lands and Forests
P.O. Box 1316, 701 S. Main Street
Northville, NY 12134
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