Finding the Best ATV, Bar None!
ATVCamper 07.02.12
When looking to get your first ATV, everybody wants the best ATV available. But what is the best ATV? Well, other than a custom machine built specifically for your weight, height, body type and style of riding, you are left with choosing from several different brands, models and sizes. So let me save you some time and tell you about the best ATV, bar none!
This is a very bold statement and you will hear and read it a lot and most of the time it is based mostly on opinion and not fact. But to determine the best ATV for you, your choice may depend on several factors:
- Your type of riding
- Peer pressure
- Dealer support
First off, you need to determine what type of riding are you going to be doing. A sport quad works great in sand, open trails and woods. But if you are going to be riding in snow, mud and steep rocky terrain you might want to consider a 4×4 utility ATV.
Next, what are the people you plan on riding with using? Are they pleased with their machines? If you end up buying something different then what your friends are riding be prepared to face some ridicule and dissension in the group, even though you may have a good ATV. Every little problem you have with it will be amplified by them.
The last thing to consider is dealer support for your new ATV. This is probably the most important factor in helping you make your decision, especially if you are new to ATVs. Having the ability to get quality service and parts is critical to owning your first ATV. A good dealer can have a major influence on the ATV of choice in their market.
An example of the dealer’s influence was when I first started riding dirt bikes. The only dealer in the area at the time was a Honda dealer, so pretty much everyone rode Hondas. But when you bought a motorcycle from this dealer you had to re-jet the carburetor in order for it to run right at the Colorado altitude. The Honda dealer was more than happy to perform this service for an extra fee, but their workmanship was sub-par to say the least and most of the time they had to order the parts from the factory.
Soon a Yamaha dealer opened up about a mile from the old Honda dealer. When you bought a new Yamaha from this dealer it came with the proper jetting for the altitude and their service and parts department was top notch. Soon after, everyone was riding Yamahas and the only ones still riding Hondas preformed their own service and maintenance.
So what is the best ATV, bar none? You will find the best ATV is a personal choice. There are many good ATVs on the market these days. I ride with several different people riding several different machines. They all go everywhere I go and I go everywhere they go. At the end of the day everyone seems to have a good time.
Now I’ve become accustomed to the way my ATV rides and handles. So when I ride a different brand of machine it feels different and sometimes uncomfortable. It is not because the other machine is of poorer quality, it is because I am not used to it. I am sure that if I was to ride a different machine as long as I have ridden my current machine I would become just as accustomed to handling it.
We all learn the idiosyncrasies of the ATV we own. The longer we ride, the more accustomed we get to an ATV, eventually to the point that we master it. At that point other brands of ATVs feel different, strange and uncomfortable.
So for me to say my brand of ATV is the best is unfair and unjustified. Every brand of ATV has its quirks, it’s learning how to ride with those quirks that makes us better riders. Which leads to the true question: Not what is the best ATV, but who is the better rider?
This article originally appeared on http://www.campingatv.com/.
I have been camping for over 40 years and started ATV camping in 2000. ATV camping enables access to some unique back country campsites. I have become very knowledgeable on ATVs and combined with my camping knowledge I started the ATV Camping Blog writing about ATVs, camping, hunting and UTVs.
