Important things to think about when looking into buying an ATV!!!!!
Jul 29 '00
So you want to buy an ATV? But the question is where to start and what to look for as well as the ever important question of how much do you want to spend? Well let me tell you by choosing to get involved with this hobby as well as any other hobby involving recreational motor vehicles, you are going to be spending a generous amount of money. I personally am a snowmobile man but can only use them approximately 6 months out of the year, So I have owned my share of ATV's to make up for the off season. And I wish to add my own knowledge to your quest in obtaining an ATV.
The first and most major decision that you have to make is how much money you are willing to spend. A new ATV can go anywhere from $3000 to $8000 depending on what model you purchase and what add-ons you have installed at the time of purchase. Also keep in mind if you don't already have one you will also need to purchase a helmet that can range from $99 to $300. If you are not in fact ready to spend this kind of money than you may want to look into a used machine from the local classifieds etc.
Now that this decision is out of the way and you have made your choice the below information pertains to either new or used machines. The next decision that you have to make is what are you going to use the machine for? Most riders tend to fall into one of the three categories. Those of us who are speed demons and want speed, those who require a machine to do work like haul things or snow plow, and those who want an all around vehicle they can do a little bit of everything with.
I would like to start with the speed freaks out there. First off you have yet another decision in front of you at this time that you will need to decide on. This being the fact of what kind of motor you are going to have in your machine. Typically you can get either a 2 stroke motor or a 4 stroke motor in various sizes. 2 stroke motors tend to have a little more pep and use oil mixed in the gasoline to lubricate the cylinder walls (mostly injected as opposed to premix nowadays). 4 stroke on the other hand does not mix oil in the gas and tend to be slightly less responsive than it's counter part. 2 stroke motors because of the oil mixed in the gas also tend to smoke more than that of a 4 stroke engine and tend to be more responsive with more top end. Typically those interested in racing will more than likely prefer a 2 stroke over a 4 stroke. Now that you have gotten that out of the way you choices are starting to become more limited as you eliminate machines slowly but surely.
The next major concern that you are faced with is what kind of transmission will be in your machine. There are typically 3 transmission types used in present ATV's , Standard , Automatic , and semi - automatic. The standard transmission is operated manually by a clutch lever on the handlebars much like driving a stick shift in a car. You pull in the clutch lever and shift through gears using the foot shifter. For this reason as a beginner you may want to avoid this setup due to stalling and flooding caused by improper use.. An automatic transmission just like in a car you give the machine gas and brake and the rest is done with out your assistance. With a semi - automatic transmission there is no clutch lever to pull all you have to do is let off the gas and shift up or down on the foot shifter. The "clutch" is used by disengaging the throttle or visa versa. The semi - automatic transmission is probably the most common these days. Some semi - automatic transmissions recently come with optional handle bar mounted electronic shifter to eliminate the need to use your foot to shift. After this choice is made you have once again limited the amount of choices you have drastically.
Another concern to you may be how the machine is started!! ATV's typically have three methods of starting them Electric, Kick , and pull start. Electric start allows for the use of a battery and a push button ignition. This is the easiest way to start any machine. Kick start is a lever located on the crank case that as the name implies you have to kick one of three directions depending on the brand front, back or sideways to start the machine. The final option is pull start and this functions much like a push lawn mower you may cut your grass with. Personally if you go with an electric start machine you may want to look for one that has an alternate pull start as well. This insures that if the battery dies on you out in the middle of the woods somewhere that you can still start the machine and not be stuck or have to pop start it.
The next decision you are faced with is 2WD or 4WD? The possibilities and options between 2WD and 4WD are virtually equal. However the 2WD model are obviously much cheaper than those in the 4WD category. Another aspect involved in the 4WD machines is that they tend to be a much larger machine in size than that of it's 2WD counterparts. 4WD machines tend to be a more work oriented machine. Someone interested in plowing the driveway during the winter, hunting , making long hauls carting something , or those intending to do severe mud bogging or hill climbing would benefit form this type of machine. The 4WD is nice to have but by no means a necessity. Opting for 4WD drive also is a safe bet that you will not have the fastest machine out there so don't plan on doing much racing. However a 4WD machine will be less prone to getting stuck in certain situations than its 2WD counterpart. But by no means does 4WD mean that the machine is invincible either.
Most any ATV is capable of doing what ever the other is except in matters of speed. Just cause your buddy on the Polaris Sportsman 4x4 is bogging through the mud and going through streams, does not mean that you cannot just cause you have a 2WD model. In most cases he may be able to do this much easier than you, but with altered riding habits your machine most likely will be able to do almost everything that the 4x4 can. Again it is just a matter of which machine does what better. On the other side of that story your 2 stroke race machine is going to fly by any 4x4 on straight away and may in most cases also beat the 4x4 from the line. Once again brining up the most important point of all, you need to decide what you primarily want to use the machine for.
You may be partial to one particular brand of ATV due to the fact your friend has one or what have you. This also limits your choices rather quickly. But as you can see there are so many choices out there that without limiting them you could be deciding what to do for months. Typical manufactures of ATV's include Yamaha , Suzuki , Honda , Polaris , Kawasaki , Arctic cat, and recently Bombardier(1998). The choices seem to be endless but trust me they come to there end quick. Check around , read reviews , and talk to people who own them. And please no matter what go to a dealer and check the machine out before making a decision. Everyone has different taste and just cause I prefer a 2 stroke race machine does not mean that you will. Compare different makes and models to find out what suits you the best and please, give it the same time and thought that you would put into buying a new car as this too is an investment.
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