If you’ve done your homework reading through an Axis 500 review or Axis 700 review, you’ll see that while these vehicles make for solid values they don’t come without some drawbacks.
But one of the many positives around both Axis models that helps land them on the list of best cheap side-by-sides is that they come stock with a number of accessories that make them road-ready from the get-go.
Even so, there are a number of aftermarket accessories you can add to both the Axis 500 and Axis 700 in order to increase their capabilities and enhance their appearance.
This guide will highlight the eight best accessories to consider adding to your Axis 500 or Axis 700 UTV.
Front LED Light Bar
Why A Light Bar?
The Axis 500 and 700 come with high and low beam halogen headlights, but you may as well hold up a lighter in front of your vehicle to light the way with the lack of brightness they give off in the dark.
The best fix for this is to add an LED light bar to the front of your vehicle.
Recommended Light Bars
There are two main areas to install a light bar, unless you want to get real creative.
You can go with a full-length 50-inch light bar up on the roof for maximum brightness while out riding, but this will require some creativity as well when mounting it through the roof.
Anything longer than 50 inches is not going to fit up top.
You can go with either the Nilight 50-Inch Curved LED Light Bar, or the Auxbeam 50-Inch Straight LED Light Bar.
You can also opt for mounting a smaller 12 to 15-inch light bar on the front grill or center of the roof, which still gives off plenty of light and makes for an easier install.
The Nilight 15-inch LED Light Bar is about as good as you’ll find for the money, and you’ll be able to bolt it to the front grill or roof of the Axis 500 or 700.
Rear Light Bar/Light Pods
Why Rear Bed Lighting?
If you’re putting on a front light bar, you may want to consider adding some rear bed lighting as well.
Neither of the Axis 500 or 700 offer Reverse lights, so if you drive in the dark some rear lighting will come in handy while backing up.
Not to mention being able to see what’s sneaking up on you from behind if you’re out driving at night.
Most Axis owners will mount two light pods on either side of the rear roof, but you can also mount a single central light bar on the rear roof, or both.
Recommended Rear Lighting
The best set of rear light pods for the money are the Nilight LED Two-Piece Light Pod Combo.
For those who want the light bar and light pods, you can grab the Nilight Light Bar & Double Light Pod Combo.
Rear Windshield
Why A Rear Windshield?
The Axis 500 and Axis 700 both come with a two-piece front windshield installed, which comes in clutch while out riding.
But one of the highest recommended and added accessories is a rear windshield, due to an issue the front windshield is known to cause.
The front windshield forms a vacuum, and when the dust rolls up behind your vehicle as you drive, it gets sucked back into the cab area.
If you drive dusty roads or trails often, you’ll find yourself a dusty mess after long rides.
Installing a rear windshield will help minimize the cab dust and enable you to keep clean while out for a ride.
Recommended Rear Windshields
There are only a couple of rear windshield options for the Axis 500 and 700, both of which are soft-cover and pretty inexpensive.
The QYMoto Rear Windshield & Dust Stopper is the best option as it’s zippable on the sides for opening and closing, easy to install, and fits both the Axis 500 and 700 like a glove.
The Chikia Soft Rear Windshield & Dust Panel is another great option that lacks zippers, is very easy to install and fits both models just as good.
You may need to do some slight tweaking while installing these, but it’s pretty easy to get both fitting tightly around the back to prevent dust from entering and protect you from the elements.
Upgraded Tires
Why Upgrade The Tires?
The 26-inch stock tires on the Axis 500 and Axis 700 provide decent enough traction for some light off-road driving and working, but if you plan to ride somewhat rough terrain often you’re going to want to upgrade.
I’d highly recommend going with bigger and more aggressive tires to ensure you have plenty of traction and stability for any off-road terrain or surface.
These will also slightly increase the Axis 500’s top speed and top speed of the Axis 700.
Recommended Upgraded Tires
The best upgraded tire option out there for the Axis 500 and Axis 700 are the Tusk Terrabite Radial Tires.
They’re not all that expensive, as you can get a set of four for around $600 off Amazon.
The ideal tires are the Tusk Terrabite 27 x 9-14 in front, and the Tusk Terrabite 27 x 11-14 in the rear.
Anything bigger than these and you may run into issues with rubbing and the stock clutching.
With these Tusk Terrabites on your Axis 500, you’ll be able to go just about anywhere without running out of traction.
Rear View Mirror
Why Add A Rear View Mirror?
“You gotta know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em”.
If you don’t take the second part of Kenny Rogers’ advice when it comes to your side mirrors, you’ve probably lost one or two while out trail riding.
Adding a good rear view mirror will give you a view of your rear end when you have to fold in the mirrors, or if you’ve lost one or both.
Recommended Rear View Mirror
The Maverick Advantage Rear View Mirror is a universal fit for UTVs and should easily mount to the front roll bar of the Axis 500 and Axis 700.
It’ll give you a nice, wide view of the rear side of your UTV, even on the tight trails, so you can always see what’s sneaking up on you.
Rear Bed-Mounted Seat
Why An Extra Seat In The Bed?
Both the Axis 500 and Axis 700 are two-seaters, so if you want to haul more than one kid with you you’re out of luck.
But you don’t have to be, as you can mount a rear-facing golf cart style seat in the cargo bed to add room for a couple more riders.
This’ll keep the whole family happy, and these rear seats are both pretty inexpensive and easy to install.
Recommended Rear Bed-Mounted Seat
The Yutrax Universal Mount UTV Jump Seat is the best option for the Axis 500 and Axis 700, as it fits perfectly into the rear beds of either model.
Not only does it install easily, but you can also remove it in less than a minute using the removable pins it installs with to give you access to your full cargo bed when needed.
Seat Belt Blanks
Why Seat Belt Blanks?
One of the commonly complained about problems with the Axis 500 and 700 is that both models come with a seat belt safety feature that restricts them to Limp Mode when the belts aren’t buckled while driving.
This feature is in place with good intentions, but can be very annoying when just out for a slow ridge or doing stop-and-go working tasks.
You can grab a couple of cheap seat belt blanks on Amazon to plug into the belts and trick the seat belt safety feature into thinking they’re engaged constantly.
Recommended Seat Belt Blanks
The Howkun Seat Belt Blanks from Amazon fit perfectly into the belts of the Axis 500 and will override the seat belt safety feature.
If you want to offset the fact that you’re driving a Chinese-made model, you can also buy these patriotic American-flag styled seat belt blanks as well.
Steering Wheel Spinner Knob
This accessory is a little more under-the-radar than most, but you’ll be surprised at how handy it is.
Neither the Axis 500 or Axis 700 come with standard power steering, so you may find that you have to use those arm muscles a little more than you might like when in Low range or 4WD.
Throwing a steering spinner knob on the steering wheel will make a world of difference, enabling you to easily steer with only one hand even when in Low or 4×4.
Final Word
While the Axis 500 and 700 models aren’t going to compete with the models on the list of best UTVs for the money across the industry, they make for good values considering their performance for the price.
But adding any of the above accessories to your Axis UTV will help transform these vehicles into much more well-rounded off-roading machines.
