You may notice that
some ATV riders can make certain obstacles and jumps look like
child’s play while others make them look dangerous and impassable.
Although superior equipment may be partially responsible, experience
and familiarity with your quad is what separates the men from the
boys. Riding time is the best way to get better, but there are a few
techniques, like making you quad pivot around a corner or taking a
jump, that can make riding a lot more fun.
If you want to take a
corner quickly without losing much speed, depending on your ATV’s
setup and capabilities, you may be able to conquer the turn by making
your quad pivot around it. Although this technique works best with
light, powerful sport quads, it can be used with utility ATV’s as
well. Enter the corner wide and fast instead of slowing down or
coasting through. When you get to a point in the corner that you hit
a spot where you can turn your quad in the direction you want to go,
turn your wheels in that direction, hit the front brake hard, and
open the throttle. When done properly, this will momentarily cause
your rear tires to lose traction and spin your back end around. When
you have turned your quad far enough, simply release the brake and
keep on the gas. You may fishtail as you finish this maneuver, but
steering into the skid will keep you going where you want to go. The
result is your quad turning quickly around an obstacle without losing
much speed. Making your back wheels lose traction and spin you
sideways is the key to this maneuver, so you may get better results
if you lean forward and take some weight off the back wheels. This
technique is easier accomplished on quads with stiff suspension, low
center of gravity, and lots of power on demand. The lack of these
characteristics will make this maneuver more dangerous and difficult
to do properly, but it can be done if your front brakes can slow you
down and you can get your back wheels to break loose.
The key to doing jumps
on an ATV is technique and respect for your ride. When done
properly, most jumps are relatively safe, but if you bite off more
than you can chew, you will get hurt. With this said, easy does it
when it comes to learning to get your wheels off the ground. No two
jumps are exactly the same, but there is a simple technique for
getting air without kissing the handlebars when you land. The length
and steepness of the jump will play a large role in how fast you want
to be going when you hit a jump, but be conservative on the first
couple passes and that will tell you what kind of jump you’re
dealing with. Sometimes a jump will have a lip on it that will do
unexpected things to your quad, so be prepared. On your first pass,
you will want to approach the end of your ramp(whatever it may be)
with enough speed that you feel you would get a little bit of lift if
you just held the throttle steady all the way through. However, just
before you reach the end of the ramp, let off the gas momentarily,
but then quickly give it as much gas as possible. This accomplishes
two things: first, the burst of power right before you leave the
ground launches you into the air; second, it causes your front end to
shoot up into the air, much like doing a wheelie. By entering a jump
with this posture, your back tires should hit the ground first,
ensuring that you and your quad don’t do a swan dive into the
ground. When you are airborne, let off of the throttle so that your
quad doesn’t over rev while to wheels can spin freely. After your
first successful pass, you will know a lot about that particular ramp
and what your ATV is likely to do when you jump it. Using this
information, you can get an idea of the best speed to hit the ramp at
and how much throttle to give it before you leave the ground. For
many ramps, especially those that are short and have a sharp angle
(like the edges of dried out ponds), first gear may be plenty of
speed and power, and if the ramp is too steep, trying your approach
in second gear could be painful.
Anytime you ride an ATV
you should exercise caution, especially when riding in a new area or
trying new techniques. Modern ATVs are extremely powerful and can
get out of control quickly if you do not respect their power. When
trying any new techniques, take it easy and master it at low speeds.
Although something may look simple, every quad handles differently
and will react to obstacles and maneuvers differently. Trying to do
things that are beyond your skills or your ATV’s handling
capabilities can be disastrous and keep you from riding again for a
very long time.
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