Safety

1. I will be a good sports person. I recognize that many people will judge all ATV owners by my actions. I will use my influence with other ATV owners to promote responsible conduct.
   
   
2. I will maintain clean trails and use areas. I will work to safeguard clean and pure streams and lakes. I will ensure my ATV use has the lowest possible impact on the environment. I will safeguard living trees, shrubs, and other natural features.
   
   
3. I will respect other people’s property and rights.
   
   
4. I will lend a helping hand when I see someone in distress.
   
   
5. I will make my vehicle and myself available to assist in emergency situations.
   
   
6. I will recognize the rights of other user groups.
   
   
7. I will energetically strive to bring other recreation participants to recognize and respect my rights as an ATV er by explaining my needs and, at the same time, listening to their needs.
   
   
8. I will learn and obey all federal, provincial, and municipal rules regulating the operation of ATV’s in areas where I use my vehicle. I will inform public officials, as required, when using public lands.
   
   
9. I will not harass wildlife, and will become aware of protected or sensitive areas.
   
   
10. I will use marked trails, and areas open to ATV’s. I will not travel where prohibited.
    
    
11. I will not ride under the influence of non prescription drugs or alcohol.
    
    
12. I will always wear required safety equipment while operating my ATV.

Size does matter. Younger children are too small to properly control a large ATV and can be seriously injured or even killed in ATV accidents. Adult-sized ATV's are powerful machines that should not be operated by anyone younger than sixteen.  Children should take an approved rider training course and wear the proper clothing & protective gear including helmet, gloves, knee & elbow pads and a chest protector, and only ride while supervised by an adult.  Don’t overload your vehicle with items OR people.

Insurance

You may not realize it but, in most provinces, because an ATV is a motorized vehicle, you must have third-party liability insurance to operate one off your own property.  Not only is it the law, it is also good sense.  This also applies to children size ATV's.  Although many people may believe that their ATV is covered under their homeowner's insurance this is almost always not the case.  If you are unsure, call your insurance company and find out.  It makes sense to be covered in case of an accident. It also makes sense to avoid a possible fine, which can be quite hefty, for operating a motor vehicle without insurance.

______________________

Steve's ATV Tech-Tips

Battery Dead?  Need A Boost?

Lots of people are leery of using the truck or car battery to boost an ATV.  It Should not be a problem once you understand where the problems begin.
 
The donor vehicle must not be running, shut off the engine and put keys in you pocket to avoid any current spikes.

If the donor vehicle is running, then the alternator is online, and when it senses the dead battery of the quad, its going to increase out put voltage.

ATV's have a zener diode, which is rated at 15 volts. Anytime it senses more than 15 volts, it shunts the excess to ground, through a heat sink. Lots of trucks and cars are capable of much more than 15 volts.  It doesn't take long, and the zener gives out, and then because its sealed in the regulator unit, the whole regulator is junk. Its totally avoidable, by just making sure the donor vehicle is not running, while boosting.

It doesn't matter if the donor battery is 900 cca, because 12 volts is 12 volts.  The internal resistance of the starter motor, determines the current draw.  Just because a battery can deliver up to 900 amps, doesn't mean it will.  The only time it will deliver that kind of amperage is if there is a dead short. As long as there is resistance in the circuit, then ohms law will rule how much amps will flow.

Ohms law is current(amps) equal to the voltage divided by the resistance. I=E/R
Because the battery has about 12.6 volts, in a non running circuit, and the resistance is fixed, and for the most part, doesn't vary (heat will change the resistance), in a normal starting circuit, the 12.6 volts is divided by the 3 or so ohms resistance of the starter. This produces a current draw of 4.2 amps. Doesn't matter what the max rating on the battery is, the starter will only pull 4.2 amps, (assuming the only problem with the quad is a dead battery).
If the brushes are shot in the motor, the resistance can be much lower, which will allow more current. If you suspect the starter is damaged, do not boost, get he starter repaired or replaced.
 For example, if the brushes wear, and the resistance goes to .5 ohms, the current draw will be 25 amps.

What happens when 16 volts is being used? Well using the first example, 16 volts divided by the 3 ohms produces a current of 5.3 amps, which is a 25% increase over what should be flowing.  This creates allot more heat, then the circuit is supposed to handle, and can damage things.

Basically, its safe, to boost your ATV using a car battery as long as the cars engine is not running, and assuming nothing else is wrong with your ATV but is a dead battery.  Always confirm that the charging system is performing properly.
 
Remember that you ATV's charging system is not meant to be a battery charger, it is designed to maintain a battery charge. Always replace a defective battery ASAP to avoid any charging system concerns.

If you drowned your ATV, chances are you got water in the engine. What to do depends on where the water is and how much is in there.

• Water in cylinder.
• Water in the cylinder will prevent the engine from running, and can prevent it from turning, this is a hydraulic lock. It can also bend valves or the connecting rod it you try to crank it too hard or if water got in fast while the motor was turning fast. If the motor will not turn, remove the spark plug or possibly see if you can turn the engine backwards by hand and water may exit exhaust port. If the motor will turn, just crank it with the starter motor and the water will blow out the spark plug hole. Try to make it run.
  
  
• Water in crankcase.
•  Not A Good Thing. Do not run the engine if a lot of water is in the crankcase. Oil will look like chocolate milk and Oil level will be high. If only a little is in the crankcase, running the motor will cause it to boil out. Detergents are designed to trap water anyway, so a little water is no big deal but remember Leaving water in the oil can cause bearings to rust and destroy the motor and transmission. So, change the oil with cheap oil (change filter too). Run it or 10 or 15 minutes. Check the new oil for milkiness. Repeat if necessary. If the ATV is an auto shift (like a foreman), do not use automotive oil since it will glaze the shifting clutch and make it slip. Always check your owners manual to confirm the proper oil to use. Do not forget to check the front and rear differentials for water in them also.
  
  
• Water in belt drive.
•  Drain if possible. If you do not have a drain, run it at high RPM's in neutral. Running in neutral will help dry the belt. Push the ATV while in low range to help it start to move so that it slips as little as possible. Hop on and ride it without stopping to cause the normal belt heat to dry it out. Driving it fast will help. Do not drive it slow if the belt slips.

Towing

This is just little advice for beginners. There is more to know about towing than I can give you here. Some of you may know more than I do.

Q: Should I upgrade my midsize SUV to a full size truck with a diesel?

A: I have towed an aluminum flatbed trailer with 3 quads with Ford Explorers (4.0 V6 and 5.0 v8), and a Jeep liberty (3.7 V6). They did extremely well, mainly because the trailer was aluminum and was not very heavy. However, the bigger the tow vehicle the better it will handle a heavy trailer with a high tongue load, and the better it will handle trailer motion on highway bridges etc. A diesel will have more torque for towing fast without downshifting. A diesel will get better gas mileage. If you are trying to save money, get the gas truck because you have to drive a lot of miles to recover the cost of the more expensive diesel truck. If you got the dough, get the diesel. Additionally, 6 speed automatics are usually much better for towing than four speed automatics.

Q: Can I tow an ATV with a small car?

A: Yes, I have towed a single quad on a very small aluminum trailer using a Ford Focus rated for 1000lb towing capacity. It towed exceptionally well on the highway and it was fairly good in city, but wasn't much good in the dirt where ground clearance was needed in rutted parking lots. A car and even most small SUV's do not have the frame and rear suspension strength to tow a trailer with a lot of tongue weight.

Q: Do I need a transmission cooler?

A: Yes. If you tow a large trailer with a vehicle that has an auto transmission, you need a cooler to prevent transmission fluid breakdown. Fluid breakdown is the leading cause of reduced transmission service life decrease in towing vehicles. If you have a full size truck with a towing package you may already have one. You can install these yourself or go to the dealer to do it.

Q: My truck downshifts a lot.

A: The more torque the engine has, the less downshifting. High horsepower doesn't mean anything for towing, torque at the highway RPM is what you need. Downshifting is irritating to the driver, but it can also wear the transmission out prematurely. A manual transmission can sometimes be nice for highway towing, since you can control things better. A higher ratio rear axle can help make a tow vehicle tow better. However, it is wise to disable the overdrive on the truck to prevent excessive downshifting which causes overheating of the transmission. It may use a little more gas, but it will save wear and tear on the transmission. The engine will be fine at a little higher RPM, it won't wear faster. Use a synthetic engine oil if you are towing a heavy load, especially if you have a smaller engine that you are overworking. You should also consider driving a little slower - towing isn't a race.

Q: Should I get a trailer with brakes?

A: Check the laws on this for sure, but I recommend brakes on a trailer hauling 3 or more quads. Electric brakes usually are actuated with a tunable controller in the cab, but you have to adjust the pull when the trailer is loaded versus unloaded. I have used hydraulic brakes a lot and they work really well too. Hydraulic brakes adjust automatically to the load. Hydraulic brakes often have issues with engaging while backing up unless there is an interlock that is activated by the backup light, or someone hops out and puts a lockout pin in the tongue. Take your pick on whether you like the hydraulic or the electric ones (hydraulic is best for boat use). I prefer electric.

Q: My trailer bobs side to side when going fast and it is worse going down hill.

A: It is loaded to heavy to the rear, and/or the springs are too soft, and/or the trailer is too high. Most likely the center of mass of the trailer is too close to the axle (or middle of the axles for tandem). Either move the axles rearward or load it heavier up front. Additionally, weight distribution problems of the tow vehicle or suspension problems of the tow vehicle (bad tie rod, ball joint, front radius arm bushing, front leaf bushing) can cause this as well.

Q: Do I need a spare tire on my trailer?

A: Yes. Unless you feel comfortable leaving your quads in the trailer at the side of the road while you go get the tire fixed. If you use exotic tire sizes on you trailer, don't even think about waltzing into walmart on sunday to get the tire fixed. Grease your wheel bearings too, even if they do not need it, just to make sure that they are ok.

Q: What about air drag?

A: Rear expanded metal ramps need to be removed from your trailer for highway travel. They are a hugh power drag. If you think your truck is tough enough to pull it, you may be right, but you are still wasting a ton of gas. Aerodynamics of the tow vehicle and and the load play a part of whether the drag is high or not. Also, in my experience with towing things using a small to medium V6, I have found that loading the quads sideways makes them a bit harder to tow than loading them single file.

Remember have fun and drive responsibly

Steve