Next time you hear about a great riding spot, you might want
to ask a few questions before you pack up to go ride there. Although all ATV’s are designed for fun, they
aren’t all set up for having fun on the same terrain, and a trail that is great
for some people might be a complete bore or be impassable for others.
Twenty years ago most ATV’s were fairly similar. Three wheels were a lot more common than
four, and they all had a utilitarian feel to them. Today there is a huge variety of ATV’s that
are specifically designed to meet the needs of nearly any rider. Most ATV’s have become very specialized and
are designed for mud, rocks, work, or just plain speed. However, because ATV’s
are so specialized, certain trails are much more suited to different types of
ATV’s. ATV’s fall into two categories,
sport and utility, and each type of ATV performs extremely well in a certain
conditions.
For rock crawling and other extremely rough terrain, a large
four wheel drive utility quad is the best, but skid plates are highly
recommended. Four wheel drive is crucial
for rock crawls since it’s not uncommon to get a front or back wheel off the
ground in order to get from one rock to another. Although it is possible to prod a two wheel
drive sport bike over some crazy rocks, you’d better take the right line through
the rocks the first time since most sport bikes don’t have a reverse. The suspension setups in sport bikes also
make them much more difficult to get across big rocks; this is because the
suspension is much more rigid, and many of them lack independent
suspension. In many utility quads, it
seems like the tires reach down and grab the rocks.
When it comes to mud pits, the utility quads, especially
those with four wheel drive are right at home.
The extra weight of these monsters, along with locking differentials,
let the tires sling anything out of the way that it can’t grab onto. Sport bikes can be plenty of fun in the mud,
but they are not the first choice for deep mud holes. Anytime you are crossing mud, speed is your
friend, especially if you’re on a sport bike designed for speed and
acceleration, not the low end torque need to push through a wall of mud and
water. However, stopping any quad in the
middle of a mud pit, four wheel drive or not, can mean getting out the tow
cable or winch.
Another unexpected trail obstacle that can mean trouble is
sand, especially the type of sand that is found close to creek beds. Typically you can get some decent traction on
dunes, but unpacked sand is a problem for most quads, unless handled
properly. In loose sand, a sport bike
has the advantage over heavy utility quad.
A sport bike’s light weight allows it to keep moving over sand, while
most utility bikes are designed to dig deeper into terrain to get
traction. Regardless of what kind of
quad you have, speed is the best way to overcome sand without getting
stuck.
The biggest issue that comes up when talking about great
riding trails is what makes that trail great.
Some people will say that mostly level trails with a few hills and
ditches are great riding; they just want to get away from everything and enjoy
the great outdoors for a few hours.
Although there are many people that enjoy this type of ATV ride, it just
won’t cut it if you’re in the mood to sling some mud, catch some air, or crawl
up bluffs. Whatever kind of riding you
enjoy, you might be very disappointed if you unload at a spot and find that the
terrain brings out your quad’s weaknesses instead of its strengths.
