Beginners ATV guide Part II

As we mentioned before in "part I"of our beginner guide we want to make sure that ultimately you choose what you are comfortable with. This second and final part of the “beginners ATV guide” we are going to discuss features that are sometimes assumed by the veterans of ATV riding.

1. 4x2 and 4x4. Of course most may know the difference between the two. However, understanding how different ATV brands function between the two. Some ATV’s don’t offer 4x4 (see part I for some examples) Some only offer full time 4x4. So the question for beginners could be “Do I need 4x4?” Or “Do I need both?” Our preference is to not have a utility ATV without the option of 4x4. Why? Most people eventually will need the 4x4, whether they are using it in the snow/mud or trying to get out of a tight spot we think it’s safe that you will never say you wished you never had it.

2. Automatic vs. Manual. This topic is more of what’s comfortable. You may think, as a beginner, that automatic is the way to go, and we would probably agree with you. However there are some that would prefer having the manual ability. Some reasons one may want a manual ATV rather than an automatic ATV could be a manual offers more control on your throttle and output of the machine. Another reason for manual may be that the control for going up and down hills. The reality is that most ATV’s offer a solution regardless of transmission. As a beginner however not having to worry about a manual shift of gears is one less thing to have to think of when riding.

3. CC’s: 450 what?? As a beginner sometimes understanding the size of an ATV is spoken in terms of “cc’s” or a number like 400 EX, or 350 SE. The reference to “cc” is the cubic centimeters of the engines’ cylinder(s). To put it in laymen’s terms the “cc” will reflect usually the ATV’s power in the consumer’s mind. As for how it pertains to choosing an ATV the rule of thumb “the higher the number the more powerful” is pretty safe to use. The easiest thing to do is when you get serious about purchasing one, is talk to different people with different size ATVs and ask how or where they ride and if it is enough power.

4. Luxury Items. We call these luxury items because we would consider them after market items, that usually, are better to buy afterward or they aren’t offered with all ATV’s brands. Luxury items would include: GPS, Hand warmers, Winch, storage containers etc... Most dealers will offer you one if not all for an extra price and some will actually come installed on the ATV. Understand that most luxury items can be installed at a later date, some may cost you a little more but our experience is if you can’t find it cheaper most likely it will be better quality.
That puts us to the end of our Part II. Let us know through the comments if we missed something or if you have questions on other topics.

Have fun riding and be safe.