I don't have any experience with Suzukis, but you have a nice looking machine and, from the conditions you describe and the speeds you are doing, I think you will find that you have WAAY more power and speed then you will need or use...but that isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as you use common sense when riding. The tires are probably way more aggressive than what you need, again from the conditions you describe...but since the tires and lift kit are what came on the ATV then you simply adjust your riding accordingly, knowing that you have excess power, ride height, and traction for the conditions you describe.

Although this may sound counter-intuitive, there are times in more extreme riding conditions where extra power/ speed are what you need to get you through a difficult section of trail safely.

The key to riding is using good judgement and knowing when to approach a difficult stretch of trail at lower power settings and speeds and when to apply power and speed to get you through it.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
I have a UTV with a enclosed cab. A Polaris Ranger 900 with plenty power and Rip Saw mud tires. It's very easy to get over confident driving it sitting in a enclosed cab like that.

I had zero experience when I got this UTV. I just took things easy and relied on my common sense to tell me when a situation could get hairy and to use caution. The machine surprised me with it's capabilities and still does at times.

After awhile you will learn what the capabilities are of the machine and if you exceed them you will also find that out. Wife and I just took a beautiful fall ride of about 30 miles round trip yesterday. Some of it was gravel county roads and some of it was on logging roads through the forest. We are not extreme riders by any means and stick to known roads and trails.

The first time I rode with a friend in his Polaris 700 Ranger side-by-side I made the mistake of thinking we were going to ride in a "golf cart". Just a few sections of difficult trails climbing UP 30"+ sections of rock and going cross slopes on some extreme grades made an impression on me. It may not have been as fast as my Sportsman, and I may have had a slight advantage in width, turning radius, and manuvering across tall rocks or deep ravines, but the Ranger is a BEAST of a UTV...and I assume that's even more true of the 900.

That quad is built for mudding. The over sized tires and the radiator on the front rack are the obvious giveaways. There are some very interesting videos on YouTube of guy riding their quads through mud bogs. Grab a beer and enjoy.

If you are not going to go mudding, I would change the tires out to something not as aggressive. Kenda Bearclaws or Maxxis Bighorns are good options.

ATVs are a lot of fun so enjoy you new ride.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
My comment on a lift kit ruining the 4wheeler comes from experience. Not a fan of them at all for all around ATVs.
Learn to ride it and you’ll be better off without one.
Here is a concrete drainage ledge the same height as the top of my tires and am able to clear it with ease.

Key is learning not only what you are capable of but what your 4wheeler is capable of.

If you don’t or get cocky you’ll end up like this.

Luckily he did not get hurt trying to do an incline side by sides barely could get. Almost crushed a buddy at the bottom of the hill as it bounced over him on his 4wheeler.
Sure did suck dragging it out of the woods. Guys first ride on that particular machine.

That's my take as well. Although there are some extreme conditions where a lift can be helpful, most general use ATVs used in a variety of trail conditions that come stock with @ 10-13" of clearance are more than capable if the rider simply learns to ride them...this ride height offers the best compromise between obstacle clearance and ride-height C.o.G.

Sorry about your friend's ride but glad no one was hurt.

That's a serious ATV you have there Frayed (lift, aggressive tires, winch, etc.) and looks to be in really nice condition congratulations!
Just use common sense on it *especially* with a passenger on the back, the extra lift gives it more clearance to get over stuff but at the expense of being a bit easier to tip over, or even wheelie over backwards going up a steep incline.

I've used a 350 Suzuki for 20+ years to get deer and elk out and to haul rocks, dirt, grass, etc , on a small cart I tow behind it.

Took me a few minutes, but I recall investigating probably a dozen INJURY ATV accidents with 4 of them fatals. The common thread with the accidents; inexperience and speed far too fast to be appropriate. Or a combination of both.

Should You use yours to haul a weed sprayer on the rear rack...be VERY careful. That extra weight, up so high makes them very tippy, especially on side hills. A friend was killed doing just that.

I'd suggest lowering Yoour ATV. Unless the added clearance is useful for you.

They are fun and can be VERY useful on a rural property. Best of luck with yoour new toy.

quote:

I was hoping to bring some cut wood up from my property on the rear rack. Is the issue for that just the wheelie/tipping issue? I won't be doing slopes if so. I was kinda bummed out about the radiator being moved on top. I may put it back to the original location as I won't be riding much in mud or anything that will clog it.

Borrow an ATV trailer for hauling wood unless you want to make 17 trips.

You’ll be fine riding. You’re not a dumbass and you’re not 15 so just get used to it and have fun.
You will find out quickly that a death grip on the handlebars is NOT needed and just wears you out.

SC sorry about the loss of your nephew. Curious how fast was he going. What type of atv was he on? The Banshee, raptor, etc type are a whole different animal

I am with BlackLX. I see no need to lift an atv.
Yes the cog is changed and it will be more prone to overturn on uneven ground.

All machines aren’t created equal, so get to know the machine. I’ve jumped off five foot banks with my Yamaha Grizzly and stuck the landing fine, but that is a machine that has a very sporty, independent suspension. It also goes up hills so steep that it feels difficult to hold on because they have a low COG (stock). However, I’ve ridden Honda’s that feel more like a farm truck than a sport ride.

My best advice is to get to know your machine. I, too, have known people who were killed. Sometimes, you only get to make a mistake once. Stay safe, and never ride without a helmet.

If you go any distance at all into a remote area or where there is no cell service, a serious survival kit is a must. You can be far away from help real quick on any ATV, SxS or snowmobile.

Carry heavy stuff on the front.
Stand up and lean as far forward as possible when going up steep inclines.

Buddy of mine threw 100lbs on the back and had one roll over on him.
Don't ride alone. Have check in times with somebody.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
SC sorry about the loss of your nephew. Curious how fast was he going. What type of atv was he on? The Banshee, raptor, etc type are a whole different animal

I am with BlackLX. I see no need to lift an atv.
Yes the cog is changed and it will be more prone to overturn on uneven ground.

It was a 250cc Honda 4x4. He had it going pretty good through the ditch, hit the culvert, went airborne and landed on the right front wheel. It immediately dug in and fliped over and just stopped inverted.

Get yourself some regular tires for sure. You’ll have better traction on slopes for sure still need to be careful with the added height.
Ask your buddy what lift kit he used. Spacer style kit is easily reversible and if he went with a fancy coil over kit it very well might be adjustable.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Get yourself some regular tires for sure. You’ll have better traction on slopes for sure still need to be careful with the added height.
Ask your buddy what lift kit he used. Spacer style kit is easily reversible and if he went with a fancy coil over kit it very well might be adjustable.

It’s a highlifter 2” lift kit with 1.5” spacers. I’ll see how this does for now since I don’t have cash to buy more wheels. Part of what makes me nervous on slopes is that it seems to take a lot of throttle to get moving. That’s probably somewhat because of the tires. So it’s difficult to go slow and steady. I will be fine once I find it make a better path. I’m pretty sure my fear is stopping me way before the ATV capability is. That’s a good thing.

I have a 2007 Suzuki King Quad 700 that I bought used to snow plow our long steep driveway.

It has a 2in lift and larger tires (came that way from seller).

It is a very capable machine with lots of power. Always wear your gear and learn different trail techniques (i.e. weight shifting). Extra care is definitely needed in off camber situations.

Be careful on that thing. I am afraid of them. When I was a teen a friend killed himself and broke his mothers back going up a hill and having the thing roll over on both of them. I have not gotten on one since, even though I know that the accident was caused by too much weight on it on too steep of an incline.

I'd be careful going up hills and make sure your weight distribution is correct.

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
Get yourself some regular tires for sure. You’ll have better traction on slopes for sure still need to be careful with the added height.
Ask your buddy what lift kit he used. Spacer style kit is easily reversible and if he went with a fancy coil over kit it very well might be adjustable.

It’s a highlifter 2” lift kit with 1.5” spacers. I’ll see how this does for now since I don’t have cash to buy more wheels. Part of what makes me nervous on slopes is that it seems to take a lot of throttle to get moving. That’s probably somewhat because of the tires. So it’s difficult to go slow and steady. I will be fine once I find it make a better path. I’m pretty sure my fear is stopping me way before the ATV capability is. That’s a good thing.

You can put a standard ATV tire (granted slightly oversized) on those wheels Walmart will mount them for $5 a tire and you should be able to sell those tires to recoup a large amount of the new tires.
You’ll be a lot more stable with better traction even keeping the lift. Sounds like you are running typical trails of dirt, rocks, leaves, sticks, and branches you’ll notice a big difference loosing the mud tires.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881: When I was a teen a friend killed himself and broke his mothers back going up a hill and having the thing roll over on both of them. I have not gotten on one since, even though I know that the accident was caused by too much weight on it on too steep of an incline.

Sorry about your friend. That would definitely spook anyone.

That's a very common scenario and why I suggested never carrying a passenger on the back. They are dang stable at normal loading and speeds, but all bets are off if you cantilever a couple hundred pounds behind the rear axle or drive them too fast.

Don't forget to spend lots of money on accessories!! There's plenty out there to add on to your machine but it looks like it came with a good amount already installed like the winch and LED light bar.

You can do a lot with these machines. I use mine to plow snow. Here my advice is to buy the best plow you can afford if you plan to plow with it. Hydraulic plows are nice if you can afford them.
I use mine to put the dock in and pull it out of the lake. I use it to back my smoker, pontoon into tight spaces.

I'm renting a disc plow to pull behind it to disc up my 2 acres at the lake that I mow because it's very rough and uneven and a pain to mow. Then I will drag a rake after that to level it out some. Waiting for it to stop raining for a couple days before I can do that.

Point is these are very versatile and capable machines and yours has plenty power to do most anything. They make virtually any attachment for them as to what you can put on a full size farm tractor.

We have a stock Honda ATV. We use it around our home for all sorts of chores. Things like pulling a small wagon, dragging a de-thatcher, pulling an aerator and spraying with a 30 gallon tank. Before I bought a tractor, I used it for plowing snow with a 5' blade.

I am very careful when that tank is on the back as I know I have about 275# of weight that could flip me backwards on an incline. I watched my daughter in law flip the ATV on a downward curve. Luckily she was only bruised.

There is no way on this planet that I would want mine raised with either a lift kit or oversized tires - let alone both. Be very careful.

Mike