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By Ajmboy
I saw this article on Motosport and thought it was pretty good. Anyone add anything?
You might think hopping on-board an ATV and going for a spin is just as easy as taking your regular 4-wheel car for a ride around the block. After all, both have four wheels. How hard could it be?
In many respects, you're right. Some adventure riders choose quads over their two-wheeled counterparts of the dirt because there's less chance of crashing and it's easier to learn. ATVs also offer more manageability for younger riders to get acquainted with outdoor riding than a dirt bike.
However, beginner riders on ATVs tend to make the same mistakes that result in crashes, roll overs and injury that could be avoided with some instruction and know-how. If you're looking at a fun family outing by renting ATVs or want to get into the sport take advantage of the following points and avoid the same mistakes so many other first time ATV riders make that end their day early or before they barely get started.
1. Nerf Bars
Get Nerf bars. These are not soft cushy add-ons that are cousins to the football you use during backyard football games. In many respects, Nerf bars are gigantic foot pegs. Don't bother with traditional foot pegs because you'll constantly slip off and because of the "I feel safe factor" that comes with riding a quad you'll also have a tendency to let your feet drag when riding. That's a recipe for getting one or both of your feet caught in the back tire resulting in serious injury. Nerf bars allow you to stabilize your feet and get maximum control over the ATV
Rest your feet easy on Nerf bars
2. Rolling Over
Believe it or not, it's fairly easy to roll an ATV over. And you don't want to be on the bottom of that sandwich.
The most common way of ending underneath a quad is looping out. That's done by hitting the gas and having little to no experience with the power of an ATV. The front spikes up like an out of control stallion, throws you onto your back like a bucking bronco and then pins you like a UFC Champ.
The second way is when you're having a bit too much fun sliding around in mud or other slick conditions, the tires finally do what they're designed to do and grip the ground but the rest of the bike, with you on it, keeps going.
Finally, those who think they've found their bearings take aim for a steep slope and try to conquer it only to end up upside down or in their attempt to arch alongside said steep hill, tumble over the side.
3. False Sense of Security
This goes somewhat hand-in-hand with the roll over capability that many riders fail to appreciate therefore they also neglect wearing proper protective equipment. Don't think wearing jeans, t-shirt and sneakers is adequate protection when riding a 4-wheeled machine powered by a gas engine that doesn't have seatbelts. You need a helmet, goggles, gloves and riding boots at a minimum. Once you start ripping it on the track or trails add a chest protector, neck brace, knee brace, etc.
4. Throttle Control
Everybody wants to skip the kiddie stage and get right into hair-raising speed when it comes to riding ATVs. OK, most everybody. But for those who do so many put on the cloak of invincibility and think a quad is merely a mini car that finally enables them to release all sorts of pent up childhood inhibitions.
So they jab their thumb into the throttle with the expectation of a controlled roller coaster ride. Instead, they loop out and end up underneath the quad or manage to stay seated only to careen off course and introduce their 4x4 to a large tree. ATVs normally have a thumb throttle and most have an automatic clutch so the clutch is one less thing to worry about. So go slow and figure out how much "thumb" is too much and get used to the speed and power an ATV delivers before really going for a ride. Oh, one more thing, learn to take your thumb off the throttle!
It's not to hard to loop out on an ATV
5. Loading the ATV
Never, ever ride an ATV up a ramp into the back of a pick-up. If you want to know why just go to YouTube. If you want to know how to load an ATV check out this fine piece of quality information on How to Load a Motorcycle, Dirt Bike or ATV into a Truck.
The bottom line to riding an ATV the first time is treat it like you would anything that comes with a modicum of danger. Careless behavior endangers you and others but with common sense and a willingness to learn you'll enjoy of lifetime of riding quads.
For additional information on riding and/or maintaining ATVs see:
10 Quick Safety Tips for ATV Trail Riding Tips for New ATV Owners Choosing the Best ATV for Beginners 10 Things That Alter Your ATV Performance Written By: AndrewT
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By josephnbl91
My four wheeler when i first got it seemed like it was very slow when i first got it and it had no throttle response so i replaced the belt and cleaned all of the rollers thinking that would solve the problem from what i read on the forums. well it turned out that it wasnt. so i went to the next thing i took out the injector to check it out and i seen that there was a tiny bit of debree in it so i cleaned it and it seemed to improve a little bit. but still did not solve the problem. i later found out how to find the trouble codes out from the lcd screen using a paper clip on the diagnostic port and it showed the code which stood for no codes C00. i also forgot to mention that the throttle position censor is working perfect. before i started all of this the four wheeler ran just not to its potential. after my friend and i did the trouble code test the bike wouldnt even start anymore and the injector would spray for a few seconds for the start up then it stops and the fuel injection light comes on and blinks. the four wheeler wouldnt start anymore. i took it over to the local shop and they hooked it up to the computer to see if there was any codes and it still showed it was free of codes. they hooked it up to the fuel pressure gauge and we found that it was making 22 pounds and it should be making around 43. i then bought a new fuel pump and put it in. it now starts and runs for a few seconds and then it stalls out and the fuel injection light comes on again. which then leads me to think it is the ecu now but i want to be sure before i invest around $500 more into it. any opinions on whether or not anyone thinks this is the problem or if they have had a similar problem before would be really appreciated. sorry for writing a novel and not spelling very well. also i forgot to put the year in the title it is a 2007
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By Buick350X
Exploiting a loop hole in the law, turn 4 wheeler into rev trike
for a long while I have been trying to get a real 4 wheeler street legal.
the problem is with the state laws, if it has 4 wheels, its a car and has mega more rules.
If it only has 3 wheels, its a trike and can be made from cobbled junk parts held together with duct tape and they will plate it
I wonder if anyone would have insight on changing a 4 wheeler over to a single rear wheel?
[ I can't afford some $40-60,000 canam or super bike modded into a car, rev trike kit ]
I want something I can truly ride year round on and off road. Ive rode enough old Honda 3 wheelers that I know I do not want a traditional motorcycle trike. So the single wheel has to go out back.
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By Freezeman
I came across an odd temporary fix for a 1985 yamaha 80 ATV. It has no spark, yet if I warm the CDI unit up a bit with a heat gun or hair dryer then it fires right up and runs fine until shut off then it returns to no spark until warmed up again. Partzilla shows $217 for a new CDI
It's sort of nuts how I found out the fix to warm it up. My old shop TV requires my heat gun warm up around the transformer area every day before it will turn on too.
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