Tips for First Time ATV Owners
What You Should Know After Buying Your First ATV
The feeling of buying your first ATV is pretty special. You saved up for this pricey recreation investment, brought it home, and now you’re eager to use it. But before you take it out for a spin, you should make sure you understand how to use it and follow some best practices to ensure it lasts a long time. Here’s how to ensure your investment gives back for years to come.
Advice For First-Time ATV Owners
Invest in the Right Accessories (Trailer, Hitch, Etc.)
If you really want to ride safely, it’s important to invest in the right accessories. Depending on your needs, items like a hitch (and a trailer) will give significant added value to your four wheeler experience. Making sure you have the right ones for the particular make of your ATV will prevent any potential for accidents.
READ MORE: ATV Upgrades and Must Have Accessories
Educate Yourself on Proper Maintenance
Maintenance is key to ensuring your vehicle maintains a significant lifespan. If you bought an ATV used, you really want to be educated upfront before purchasing, to make sure it’s in good condition and won’t be in need of repair soon. Just as you would with a regular vehicle, it’s important to understand the ins and outs of proper care to ensure you’re not spending more than you need to in the long run.
READ MORE: Guide to Spring ATV Maintenance
Make Sure You Have the Right Gear
Before you take that very first ride, you need to be wearing the correct gear in order to protect your body from the elements and help reduce the impact of potential accidents. A protective jacket, tough boots that go above the ankle, gloves, goggles, and of course a DOT-certified helmet are essential, and if you want to go the extra mile, consider picking up knee guards and a chest protector as well.
Work On Your Riding Position
While your first inclination will be to ride it like you would a dirt bike because of the handle bars, riding an ATV is very different. You need to maintain both balance and control, and to do that, you don’t just lean into the curve, but you have to lean your body into the opposite side of momentum. When you turn right you’ll feel pushed left, so you have to move your body against that force.
Break It In
The first few times you ride it, you’ll want to take it easy on smoother terrain so you can get the feel of the machine and how it rides, and how you control it. This also allows it to break in a bit so it rides easier on more challenging terrain.
Protect It From Water Damage
It’s important to protect the electrical parts in the ATV from water damage—apply a liberal coating of dielectric grease to all the electrical connections. This will help prevent water from seeping into the connections and wreaking havoc on your machine.
Have a Way To Transport Your ATV
You’ll need a trailer substantial enough to haul not just your ATV itself, but all the gear you also have with it. The tires need to be properly inflated to support the total weight—it’s important to measure first to ensure accuracy.
Practice Riding Different Terrains
The more variety you experience upfront, the faster you’ll adjust to your ATV and the more comfortable you’ll become with it. Practice makes perfect, and your skills will only increase when you know how the machine feels in different elements.
Understand Your Local Bylaws
Depending on where you live, the bylaws on ATV usage might be different. It’s important to ask your dealer for this information and to look it up yourself and make sure you understand the rules before you take that first ride.
Learn the Throttle on Your ATV
Bring an experienced friend along to help coach you on how to properly throttle. Go slowly at first, as you can cause the front end to pop up if you give it too much gas.
Understand How to Properly Shift
Shifting gears can be confusing at first, especially if you’ve never driven a stick shift. Those that have, know that you practice for a long time before you ever drive it on the road, because familiarity is necessary to do it safely. The same applies to an ATV—before you go on any long treks you’ll want to make sure you are completely comfortable shifting.
Ask Your Dealer Lots of Questions
There is no question that is to silly to ask. While you’re there, you have an expert at your disposal to ask literally any question you might have—take advantage of that opportunity and learn everything you can before you take your new ATV home.
At the end of the day, owning your first ATV is an exciting time, and trust us when we say that you’ll never regret making this purchase. Enjoy it, take it slow, and soon enough, you’ll intuitively know how to ride it in any terrain safely, and maintain it so it lasts for years to come.