Tips for Proper ATV Maintenance

ATV maintenance provides a wild ride.

Around 13.27 million North Americans have access to ATVs.

It doesn’t matter if you are looking for a Yamaha Kodiak for sale or another manufacturer as your first ATV or second; the reality is most ATV owners don’t know how to do ATV maintenance.

That’s why their rides aren’t much to write home about.

ATV Maintenance That Keeps You Off-Road

When riding an ATV, it’s all about being off-road. Some riders like to think of off-road riding as a way of life.

ATV maintenance means riders can

handle rough trails
ride in ATV parks
go camping
go on hunting trips
ride across designated creeks
ride on designated iced-over waters
race.

There’s a lot of fun and even money in all of the above activities.

There’s also money and help with hard labour when using an ATV for practical purposes including

logging
transporting materials
mounting
spreading seed
raking
weeding
mowing
snow plowing.

But you can’t have any fun or make any money or get any help if you don’t keep a quad primed for riding.

Well, it’s time to prime with these tips.

ATV Maintenance Tips That Keep You Off-Road

Follow these tips for the best ride and the most help with hard tasks.

Bring her Home, Let Her Rest

You read that right. Sure, we understand that you’re ready to start your engine.

But there’s no need to ride hard right off the bat. A good machine needs time to warm-up.

In the ATV world, warming-up over time is called following the break-in procedure. The time varies slightly depending on the model and manufacturer.

To break-in an ATV, you start with less stress and throttle, gradually increasing both over time. Doing so preserves the engine.

The break-in procedure time can be broken up into chunks rather than done all at once.

This also allows first-time owners to learn how to operate their new ATV. Even if they’ve ridden other ATVs, they have yet to learn the new one.

Go slow to go hard.

Schedule Regular Check-Ups

An ATV owner should think of his or her ATV as a car made for travelling off the beaten path.

All cars require regular check-ups. Well, all ATVs do, too.

Make a habit of taking in an ATV for a tune-up from a reputable ATV master technician so that he or she can

check the oil
change the oil
check the tires
check the brake fluid
look at the brake pads
look over the brake shoes
check the spark plugs.

Ignoring regular ATV maintenance check-ups means the ATV can break down while the driver is riding it.

Even worse, it can cause an accident that causes severe injury or death.

Even a not-so-serious injury is terrible, especially when it happens out in the middle of nowhere.

Injuries and repairs cost money. Lawyers cost money. You never know who all can be become involved when an accident happens.

And speaking of accidents, get a grip.

Get a Grip

Don’t forget to check the grips on the handlebars. The grip affects how a driver controls the ATV.

Secure the grips with glue. Check the grips before each ride. Carry glue with you.

Once an ATV runs well and provides a good grip, keep it looking good.

Rub-a-Dub-Dub Your ATV

A clean ATV means more than owning an ATV that shines. It means that all the places that can’t be seen get to shine, too.

Always clean the ATV top, sides, and undercarriage. Do so often.

Yeah, ATVs are indeed made for rough rides, but keeping them looking rough hurts the engine.

Load the ATV on-ramps to clean it if needed. Scrub until the quad gleams all over.

After the clean-up, it’s time for the tighten-up.

Keep the Bolts Tight to Run Right

Bolts aren’t just for decoration. They serve a vital function. When they go lose or fall off, it’s a sign that of improper ATV care.

Drivers need to tighten the

axel nuts
lug bolts
pivot bolts bolts
skid plate bolts
wheel hubs

regularly.

Not doing so risks losing important parts like wheels. Imagine how tough a driver looks when the wheel falls because of inadequate ATV maintenance.

Sort of spoils the whole image, doesn’t it?

And if parts fall off of an ATV, then the driver’s up the creek without a paddle.

You know, the creek the driver shouldn’t be submerging the ATV in.

Don’t Treat Your ATV Like a Midget Submarine

ATV is made for riding in designated water areas.

That said, they aren’t meant to be fully submerged in water. If an ATV goes underwater like that, chances are it will stop running because water ruins the engine.

If a driver chooses to ignore warnings about not submerging an ATV in water, he or she might find themselves in the middle of a creek, desperately trying to get a cell phone signal to Google info on restarting a water-logged quad.

Yep, that doesn’t look tough.

A driver should never try to restart a water-logged ATV.

Instead, a driver should do the following:

Get the quad to dry land.
Tip the quad back to drain out the water.
Pull out the spark plug.
Crank over the spark plug to get water out of the cylinder.
Pull the air filter out of the airbox then try to dry it.
Do not ride it anymore. The ATV needs to rest at home or a garage.

Here’s another tip: If the ATV features a belt-driven transmission, the plug at the bottom of the belt can be pulled to release water. This should only be done once the ATV is back on its wheels.

Once the ATV is home, it’s time to

change the oil
clean the air filter
clean out the carburetor
regrease the parts that need it, like zirks.

WD-40 works wonders in this situation. WD stands for “water displacement.” It gets rid of the water. Keep it on hand.

Now, about that mud…

Stay in Low Gear on the Mud Run

A lot of riders think that ATVs are made for not only the water but the mud.

They feel mud won’t cause any problems because they’re driving the ultimate outdoor vehicles.

They feel that since they’re driving the tank of outdoor sporting, mud is akin to motor oil.

Submarines, tanks…we’re sensing a strong theme here for sure!

All kidding aside, an ATV is tough enough for mud. But a driver needs to know how to handle mud.

Sticky mud poses a particularly sticky situation. If driving through it, switching into a low gear low is the only way to go.

Due to the excitement of the situation, a need to push harder, or panic, drivers might forget this.

As long as drivers switch into low gear when in sticky mud, everything should be fine.

Planning to shout out reminders about the gear is one way to avoid disaster.

Planning is a significant component of fun on an ATV because it’s a substantial component of prevention.

Prevention Goes a Long Way

All of these tips consist of one key element: prevention.

Drivers need to plan ahead.

Prevention includes keeping items like glue on hand in a tiny toolbox.

It also means investing in a professional.

Unless a driver has undergone master training to work on ATVs and has the space to do so, a professional makes all the difference.

That brings us right back to the first tip: Getting scheduled check-ups.

Hire a Professional

ATV riders like to think of themselves as proud individualists.

We agree.

But despite that fighting spirit, ATV riders must

work
go to school
care for families
take care of life.

Many of them don’t have time to become experts in the care of ATVs.

It’s the same with car owners.

To enjoy a car and do essential maintenance on it, car owners can learn a few pointers. That saves them money and time. Most of them aren’t qualified mechanics, though.

It’s the same with ATV maintenance.

To enjoy and maintain a quad, drivers need to learn the basics. After that, they need a trusted professional quad service like Westshore Marine and Leisure.

Contact Westshore Marine and Leisure

Westshore Marine and Leisure services quads and other outdoor vehicles, like snowmobiles.

Our team can install a complete snorkel kit that saves muddy water lovers money in the long run.

We know what to look for to keep weekend warriors riding all weekend long.

Anyone who uses their ATV for racing or other work can depend on our expertise.

All of our technicians receive top-of-the-line training and continued education.

We know how to work with all types of ATVs, including Argo Amphibious ATVs.

We even do Warranty Services, which means leading brands such as Argo, Evinrude/BRP, Polaris, and Yamaha back our services 100%.

But we handle more than service appointments.

Anyone who is in the mood for a new quad or another outdoor vehicle should stop by our showroom.

It’s easy to schedule a service appointment or call us.

We’re waiting to help all ATV drivers, so contact us today!