2001 honda foreman 450 question

thanks for the quick reply 350 honha man so you have the mud lite xls thats what I was thinking initially but I have been told they are a rough ride on hard packed trails? is this true thats why I was leaning towards bear claws and I hear the life of bear claws are insane.

I run 27" Super Lights which are virtually identical to the Mud Lite Xl. Do a lot of top speed running on woods roads and find they ride and handle excellent. They seem like they are going to be rough when you first start rolling but they very quickly smooth out as you pick up speed. They are supposed to wear better than Mud Lites..... Time will tell!

Ran 25" Bear Claws and found them to be a good choice also, except for the shallower tread. I think the 27" Bear Claws with the deeper tread would also be a good choice, especially for slower riding, as they seem to have a larger contact patch on the ground. The Super Light or Mud Lites seem to ride on the center lugs at speed on hard ground which makes the bike very responsive and track really good IMO.

One last thing. Check out the 27's before you buy. Nothing worse than second guessing your purchase after you put them on.

yeah i will definitly take alook at the 27s the tires on the bike rite now are stock 25s and are quite warn down it is a stock 2001 foreman 450 the bike can it handle the 27' bear claws with out problems or any rubbing?

re tire question

i also have a 450s 2001 12700 kms go with the mud lites xl 26 inch tires i had 26 bear claws and put 9000 kms on them before i put the new mud lites on over 3000 km ago. the lites have little wear showing after 3000 km. the claws had noticable wear after 3000 kms. the lites drive much better, give better hight. ihave owned both tires and when these wear out i will be replacing them with new lites for sure. also when buying tires call century saw and marine in new glasgow they sell 4 26inch tires for around 315.00 taxs in out the door.

thanks islander yeah i heard about century marine almost bought some tires there I live down in halifax. Do you have any picts of those tires the bears or mudlitres on your bike?

Should handle the 27's fine. I had to trim the rear fenders on mine and the front will touch if I land hard on the front axle but the old 400's don't have much room under the fenders. I'm sure that someone with a bike like yours will let you know for sure that 27's would be no problem.

Im not even sure if I need the 27s really but you say that the bear claws get bigger tread when you go with the 27s so I dont know which I should do then. i probably only need 26s cuz that would be up one size from what is already on there so yeah. but I am liking the idea of the extra tread im going to be using the bike for bear hunting and there is a few muddy spots in the trail

26" XLs are ideal on hard pack. easy to steer. dont wobble at higher speeds.

great set up.
what part of nova scotia are you in?

tyres on a 450

ive had the 27"bearclaws on my 450 since last summer,theres plenty of contact with the road and they handle the lower pressures real well.they did catch the rear fenders a bit but the lift kit sorted that problem out.the extra clearance from the tyres is money well spent.but you cant beat personal preferance.good luck

Not sure if the deeper tread on the Bear Claws start at 26 or 27 inches but I saw the 27's at a local dealer and the tread was impressive. Well worth the effort to track down a set to see for yourself.
Never hooked a moose lic this year so I won't know for sure but I'm betting the extra ground clearance of the bigger tires will make some difference in crawling thru the cut overs when hunting. And for mud deeper tread is ALWAYS better.

I would imagine that the only thing worse than getting stuck on the way in to a bear stand is getting stuck after dark on the way out after iritating 600 lbs of teeth, claws and muscle.

now I have a big decision on my hands i will have to take a look at the extra big bear claws and mudlites i am going to get in touch with cenbtury saw and marine for sure. since it is a stock bike what would you guys recommend me doing to it in the beginning as in upgrades and stuff along those lines. Im not trying to become a mud bike driver just for hunting and stuff. like to hear your suggestions.

I use mine for much the same things. Love the mud and water but don't really get to play in it all that much. I have tried to mod my bike to be a dependable work and trail machine.
My most useful mods have been:
1. Love the wheels and tires
2. HL springs for the extra weight
3. Upgraded lighting (100/80w center, 2x55w lower, reverse and brake light)
4. Front and Rear winches
5. Front and Rear storage/tool boxes and gun mount
6. Rear mounted cooler
7. Full length skid plate
8. 424

Snorkles are fun to make, look cool,don't hurt reliability and great to have as a "just in case mod".

I'm sure you wouldnt have any trouble with the 26 or 27" tires. I spin 26's all day long and as soon as I buy new wheels I'll throw the 27's on and letterrip!

I run 27x10x12 and 27x12x12 on my 2004 Honda 450S. I have over 1000 miles on them and they barely show any wear yet and I run them hard. They are awesome on trails and do pretty good in the mud.

I have the Mud Lites and have yet to be stuck. I also have the Moose floorboards and love them. One of the smarter mods I have done. They attach to the motor mounts so you know their solid. And i've never had a problem with shifting or brake use (comes with break extender). Good Luck

thanks for all the quick repliues guys. the bike already has a winch on it and im replacing the tires because the stocks are very worn. im also leaning towards the bear claws. not that i have something against the mudlites I actually have the regular not xls onb my lil suzuki 250 and they work great but it would be nice to have something different. i am very interested in the moose floor boards also does anyone have a close up pict of them on their foreman?

also one more question about if i were to put the 27" bear claws how much would it cost to put on a bit of a lift and is it a big job?

A lift kit is a very easy install and you should be able to pick one up for less than $100.00. A lot of guys on here run the Perfex Long travel suspension kit and seem to really like the softer ride. It would give you approx 3/4 to 1 " of lift.

You could try the tires first and the add the lift if needed. The increased ground clearance has made a world of difference on my bike.

hello once again after thinkin hard i think I'm going to go with the bear claws and more than likely get that lift kit too while im at it. might as well. while Im getting those I'll get the moose floor boards

is there anything else I should be thinking about if i do end up putting the 27s on the pick to increase the performance of the bike?