Honda Foreman 500 PS 4x4 Mudder Project
Crafting together great mudworthy quads has become an obsession here at ATV Rider Magazine. After rethinking some ideas about the most commonly built quads, we decided an example should be set for the affordable mild-mannered mudbugs. Locating mods that are in a manageable price range for any quad rider to purchase and bolt on with ease was our goal. We found that most mud connoisseurs want to be able to ride comfortably while on the trails, yet still want the capability to plunge deep into bogs while exiting without disaster. Creating an affordable machine that could do both isn't hard, and if you can control your ego, it doesn't require exuberant amounts of cash either. But you might have to pass up on some of the bling.
Starting with a fantastic Honda Foreman 500 PS 4x4 as our platform, we started constructing our budget mudder. The Honda Foreman has electronic power steering and that gives this build a great beginning. Having power steering gives flexibility in tire size because it will take little to no effort to turn the heavy lugs. Having the Honda name on board gives us reliability through reputation. Luckily, the Honda Foreman is an air-cooled machine with a vented transmission, so there's no need to worry about snorkeling a CVT box, which keeps even more cash in your pocket. The only items we had to snorkel were the front and rear transmission vent lines, carburetor vent lines and, of course, the airbox. Those are the only weak spots that could get us in trouble in the deep stuff.
Even though we kept a very good price point for each product on the build, we felt it worthy to splurge a bit on our wheels and tires. ITP has long been a stout force in the ATV wheel market. With new innovative designs and quality craftsmanship, we decided to use the SS212 for our wheel of choice. The looks of this wheel just captured our attention, and we know that this is a great conversation starter on the trail. Not only is the wheel cutting-edge, but it also gives our Foreman a proud and quite distinct appearance. This was great since we would not have much bling for this build as our budget would not allow it.
Next, we had to pick the right tire for propelling us through the sludge. Having found such a great-looking and tough wheel from ITP, it was no surprise that we could get an awesome tire selection from these guys as well. We chose to run ITP's 27-inch Mud Lite XTR tires because of the tire's serious mud-capable lug pattern and its light weight so that our mild-mannered 500cc motor could churn them with ease. This tire has shown us that it is capable of handling the muck and wears like a champ on the average utility quad, so we should get many great days on the trail with them before they will need replacing. The six-ply rating also tells us the Mud Lite XTRs will remain tough and reliable on those rocky sharp-edged trails. We installed a 27x9-R12 on the front and a 27x11-R12 on the rear. That's a serious amount of rubber to cram into the fenders of our Foreman. But that didn't concern us, as the next modification for our build would give us the clearance we needed.