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What’s the first thing that people do after they buy a Honda Forman 500? They start looking for ways to improve it, of course!
One of the best mods you can do to a Honda Foreman 500 is getting bigger and more aggressive tires.
Not only will bigger tires help you gain more traction in deep mud, but they will also add half an inch more ground clearance for every inch of tire that you add.
But what are the biggest tires that you can put on a Honda Foreman 500 before they start rubbing? Can bigger tires cause problems and damage your ATV’s gearbox?
Biggest Tires on a Stock Honda Foreman 500
The biggest tires that you can fit on a stock Honda Foreman 500 are 27″ – any more than that and you’re going to start having issues with tire rub, power loss, and increased drivetrain wear.
As for width – you shouldn’t face any issues when running wider tires, as the height is where they will start rubbing first.
A lot of TRX500 owners go with the stock 9″ skinny front and 12″ wide rear combo. This gives you the best maneuverability and traction on mud, sand, and other loose terrains.
The Best Big Tires for a Stock Honda Foreman 500?
In order to minimize potential power loss from running bigger tires, we recommend going with tires that aren’t overly aggressive and don’t come with huge lugs.
One of the best tires you can get for a stock Honda Foreman 500 is the ITP Mud Lite – it’s available in both 26″ and 27″ sizes, and in a variety of widths.
The Mud Lite is an all-terrain tire, so it’ll perform well on a variety of surfaces and it’s probably the most popular choice for the Foreman 500. These tires aren’t overly aggressive and they are very lightweight, hence the name, therefore they will minimize the strain on the ring gear and the pinion.
Another great option is the Maxxis Bighorn – it’s available in 26″, 27″, and 28″ sizes, and also in various widths.
The Bighorn is also an all-terrain tire, but it’s a bit more smooth and more comfortable when compared to the Mud Lite. The Bighorns do great on all surfaces and they are very durable due to their 6-ply design.
For more recommendations, check out our top 5 list of the best tires for the Honda Foreman 500.
How to Put Even Bigger Tires on a Honda Foreman 500
If 27″ tires are not enough for you, then you can certainly go with 28″ or even bigger tires, but you will have to make some modifications in order to do so.
The 28″ tires will very likely rub on the plastic fenders if you don’t have a lift kit on your Foreman 500. Some people go with the invasive option of trimming the plastic with a knife, but you can also use a heat gun to soften the plastic and mold it away from the tires.
If you’re planning on running even bigger tires, then we recommend that you go with a 2″ or 3″ lift kit. This will give you the clearance that you need in order to avoid any rubbing.
One thing to keep in mind with spacer lift kits is that they will change the angle of the CV axle joints. This can cause problems down the road as the CV axle joints will wear out much sooner since they’re now spinning at an awkward angle.
Because of that, we recommend buying a portal gear lift kit if possible – this will not only give you the clearance that you need, but it will also keep the CV axle joints at factory specifications and reduce the gearing, therefore prolonging the life of your drivetrain and minimizing power loss from big tires.
Will Bigger Tires Damage My Honda Foreman 500’s Gearbox?
If you’re running tires up to 27″ then they shouldn’t cause any damage to your Foreman’s gearbox.
However, if you’re planning on running 28″ or bigger tires then they might cause some problems and at the very least rob your engine of power.
You see, the bigger the tires, the more torque is required to turn them. This puts a strain on the ring gear and pinion, and if you’re running big tires without a lift kit then you’re also putting extra strain on the CV axle joints.

If you can, we recommend getting a portal gear lift – this will keep the CV axle joints at factory specifications and also reduce the gearing, which will help.
But if you’re on a budget and can’t afford portal gears, then you can get away with a gear reduction kit. This will reduce the size of your front and rear sprockets, therefore reducing the amount of torque required to turn the bigger tires.
If your Honda Foreman 500 is bogging down with 27″ tires, then a 14% gear reduction should fix that, but if you’ve got 28″ then you might want a 25% gear reduction.
For 29″ and 30″, you should be fine with a 35% gear reduction, but 32″ tires require a massive 50-69% gear reduction.
As you can see, running big tires on a Foreman 500 without making any modifications is asking for trouble.
We recommend that you either get a lift kit or a portal gear lift, and if you can’t afford either of those then you should at least get a gear reduction kit.
Also Read: The Biggest Tires on Honda Pioneer 700?
Conclusion
The biggest tires that you can fit on a stock Honda Foreman 500 are 27″ – and if you want to go with 28″ or bigger, then you will have to make some modifications.
We recommend getting a lift kit or a portal gear lift – and if you can’t afford either of those then you should at least get a gear reduction kit.
Whichever route you decide to go, just make sure that you don’t end up causing any damage to your Foreman 500.

Nick Kowalski is a diesel mechanic by trade, but his passion lies in motorcycles.
He’s been riding them since he was just a wee lad, and he loves restoring old Japanese street bikes and ATVs in his spare time.
Nick is an adrenaline junkie at heart, and he loves nothing more than hitting the open road on his motorcycle.