PSI question

[stabmasterarson]

Hey, I got a stock 05 raptor 350, with the tires at 6 psi. I was doing some pretty steep trail climbing with some buddies on 4x4s, and I was slipping a bit. I want to lower the psi to 3 for better traction.

Does the lower PSI higher traction setup affect speed and handling any? or is it just better for all conditions.

thanx, I'm a newb, this is my first ride.

 

[DeathShadow]

All tires are dif as far as what PSI they "should" be run at. Stock tires tend to have a lot of sidewall give so bringing them to real low PSI may actually end up taking the tire off the beed. Pretty much you want to find the PSI for the tire that makes the treads nice and flat on the ground - not bubbley; this improves traction and all around stability. I run my Holeshot HDs at about 3PSI and they are rock hard but nice and flat.

 

[stabmasterarson]

Thanx for the tip! I'm gonna use the stock tires for a while,to get the money's worth from them, but I hear they suck, I haven't ridden enough to know what sucks or doesn't.... I notice everyone recommending using a 20" rear tire. I ride with buddies on 4x4 atvs, and they have a hell of a lot more clearance than me.

Is it bad to use a 22" or 23" rear? Does it help with more steep/technical terrain? It seems there's a lot of that around here.
Is the 20" better for speed and handling?

this board is great, i'm learning lots here... ;D

 

[DeathShadow]

The 20" tires are MUCH better for speed and handling; the 20" tires will lower the height of the quad a little bit and anything lower to the ground is more stable. Also get the 20x11x9 tires - the difference in rear tires alone in this size will amaze you, you feel the handling/cornering difference immediately. The 20" HDs also do not lower the quad as much as you think they may; they are fairly close to the size of a 22" tire and VERY tuff (6 ply) with lots of side bite. If I had to start from scratch all over again my first investment would be a nice diesel swingarm skidplate and a set of 20x11x9 tires; they make that much of a difference and they rip!!