Tag: Ask the Editors

Dear ATVC: My quad’s rear shock feels really springy- it still seems to be working but the rear of the machine bounces more than I remember over rough terrain. My friend says it means the shock is blown and needs to be rebuilt. I thought a blown shock wouldn’t work at all. Please help. Sadly […] More »

Dear ATVC: I have a 1987 Suzuki Quadracer 250 that pings every time I crack the throttle. It has a fresh top end but is still stock spec. The only other mods are a pipe and vented airbox lid. Any ideas? Pinging is actually the result of pre-ignition of the fuel in your engine’s top […] More »

Dear ATVC: My buddy says his Yamaha YFZ450R is superior on the track because Yamaha’s engineers pay close attention to center of gravity when designing their quads. Is there any truth to this? Yes and no- Yes Yamaha is known for extensive testing to ensure proper mass centralization as it applies to the handling of […] More »

Dear ATVC: I never understood the benefits of a steering damper but noticed most racers run them. What’s that all about? While ATVs share four-wheels with their automotive cousins, the fact of the matter is our structure of steering is actually closer to how a motorcycle functions than the complex rack & pinion system found […] More »

Dear ATVC: I’m unclear on how putting a higher-pressure radiator cap on my ATV can keep the coolant inside from boiling over. Can you please elaborate on how that’s possible? Absolutely. To begin you must realize that what we consider the boiling point of a fluid is not a constant but rather the temperature at […] More »

Dear ATVC: All the hype about electric motors being the wave of the future has me wondering if it’s possible to swap out the internal combustion engine of an ATV with an electric motor & batteries? I have a 1987 Honda Fourtrax with a blown engine- rather than rebuild it, maybe this would be a […] More »