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How to Care for and Maintain an ATV

By | Regina Thomas

Just like any other valuable investment you’ve made in your life, you want to ensure that your ATV gets proper care and maintenance. However, with all the miles of rough terrain, you’ll be covering and all the mud and dirt your ATV will be powering through, how do you ensure that it stays in the best shape possible?

The following are some ways in which you can care for and maintain an ATV:

Follow the break-in procedure

Most of the time, when ATVs come out of the assembly point, they’re never allowed enough time to let all the parts lubricate or even loosen up. They’re usually stuffed inside a delivery truck in which they travel for hundreds of miles until they arrive at the dealer’s shop. Even though you might be excited and ready to start your ATV’s engine, it’s best to give your machine time to rest and warm up.

In the ATV world, this is what is referred to as following the break-in procedure. In most cases, this period will vary depending on the model of the ATV or the manufacturer. During this break-in period, you need to avoid exceeding half-throttle. The best way to go about it is to start with less stress and throttle and then gradually increase them over time.

Change the oil

It’s very important to note that if you don’t regularly change your ATV’s oil, it might not run as properly as you want. Always remember that the quality of oil you use on your ATV plays an important role in its performance and overall lifespan. Since your ATV’s engine is much smaller compared to that of your car or truck, this means that it is likely to be more sensitive.

Therefore, it’s best to use the manufacturer’s recommended oil weight and type in order to keep the engine running properly. Fortunately, changing your ATV’s oil is much easier compared to a car or truck, and it should be done as frequently as possible. By doing so, you’ll be helping your ATV get rid of any engine impurities, deposits, and residue which are formed from engine use.

Routine wash

It might come as a surprise, but one of the easiest ways you can enhance wear and tear on your ATV is by allowing dirt, mud, and sand to remain on it for an extended period of time. While this might look cool when you have your ATV covered in mud marks, this could end up bringing more harm than good.

This is because mud and dirt usually trap moisture and humidity onto your ATV, which won’t end well, especially if there isn’t an anticorrosive treatment or basically a thick layer of paint protecting it. After a while, these elements will end up corroding your ATV and promoting rust. Additionally, sand and dirt can easily affect your ATV’s performance if they end up penetrating the air filter.

When the air filters are blocked, there won’t be proper air circulation inside the engine, which will increase your fuel consumption. To avoid all these problems, you need to ensure that you give your ATV a good wash after every ride.

Inspect the boots, pivot points, and bearings

As part of caring for and maintaining your ATV, you need to take a moment to inspect the rubber boots that usually protect the drive shaft as well as an air intake. Remember, it can be quite disastrous and costly if one of these parts falls off while you’re riding around. Additionally, while you’re inspecting your ATV, ensure that you take time to grease the pivot points as well as the bearings.

It might seem like little work, but it will save you a lot down the line. If you realize that your wheel bearings have gone bad, the best solution is to replace them altogether. If you’re looking for professionals to inspect your gear for you, you can always find professionals to help with things like maintaining RZR wheel bearings, engines, machinery, and more.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of whether you use your ATV for fun or as part of your hunting toolkit, you need to ensure that you take proper care of it. By looking after the above details, you’ll be able to enhance the lifespan and performance of your ATV significantly.

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