How to Properly Take Care of Your ATV by Billy Whitmire

Your ATV is an investment, and if you want it to last it must be treated as one. If you do your machine will give you many years of enjoyable and safe operation. The time, and effort needed to care for your ATV is not extensive, but only needs to be performed regularly.

Here are some tasks that need to be done in order to properly care for you ATV:

-Completely Clean Regularly
-Operate within Specifications
-Perform Routine Maintenance
-Properly Prepare for Storage

Completely Clean Regularly

One of the easiest ways to accelerate wear and tear on an ATV is to allow mud, sand, and dirt to remain on the vehicle for an extended period of time. These elements can corrode parts, flake paint, and promote rust. In just a short period of time, dirt and sand that is not cleaned can become very difficult to remove. If these elements are allowed to stay on the machine they will promote corrosion too. By completely cleaning the machine regularly, you will prevent the damage these elements can produce.

The simple act of completely cleaning your ATV regularly by removing all sand, mud, and dirt can prevent eventual damage.

Operate within Specifications

Every ATV has specifications in which it is designed to operate safely, and efficiently. When an operator exceeds these specifications they risk damaging the ATV. Operating outside specifications can mean pulling too much weight, operating at too high accelerations, or forcing the vehicle to operate under conditions it was not designed. Operating your ATV outside of design specifications is the sure road to increased repairs and replacement expenses.

Operating an ATV within design specifications will promote long-life, reduced repair bills, and provide safe enjoyment for years to come.

Perform Routine Maintenance

An ATV is a machine that must have routine maintenance performed to promote effective operation. This includes lubricating moving parts, oil changes, and the replacement of worn or defective parts. It is very easy to neglect these routine maintenance tasks until the vehicle requires a major repair. Failure to lubricate parts will lead to breakage, failure to change oil regularly will produce engine wear, and failure to replace worn or defective parts can create a safety hazard.

By simply performing routine maintenance, the ATV operator will save a great deal of money on repairs, and replacements.

Properly Prepare for Storage

It is very easy at the end of the riding season to just push the ATV into the corner of the garage, and let it sit there till next season. Doing this can cause a lot of damage to the engine, fuel system, and chassis. A few simple steps to prepare an ATV for storage can help to eliminate unnecessary repair bills, and extend the life of the vehicle. These include draining fuel from lines or tank, changing oil/filters, and removing all dirt from the vehicle. The time invested preparing your ATV for storage is worth its weight in gold.

A couple of hours spent properly preparing an ATV for storage at the end of the riding season, can save a great deal of money for the vehicle owner.