If I was training a newbie to ride an ATV down a secondary road, what would I tell him or her? Here are some points that come to my mind:

1. Adhere to all traffic laws just like you were driving a car.
2. Ride with your lights on for improved visibility.
3. Signal all turns.
4. Wear a helmet
5. Wear eye protection
6. Ride defensively. Other vehicles may not see you.
7. Use that mirror. Pull over when safe to do so if you are holding up traffic.
8. Ride on the right half of the traffic lane unles preparing to make a left turn.

What other items should be included in a driver's ed class for street riding?

David

 

Add to number 1: Laws vary state to state, county to county, town to town. Make sure you learn the laws of the area you'll use secondary roads as connectors or for traveling.

 

Very good point Mr. Moose. Certainly speed limits change frequently on the same highway. In Minnesota you can not pass a left turning vehicle ahead of you by using a right turn only lane, or by using a paved shoulder. In Colorado it is a violation with fine if you get stuck and hold up traffic in a snow storm on major mountain highways. You have to have chains or "snow tires". Trucks must "chain up" if the sign says so. Helmet laws vary from state to state. Currently in Colorado a community can elect to designate ATV routes in their towns. In Utah, communities can elect NOT to allow ATVs on their streets.

The list of variations is very long for sure.

David

 

Besides your local laws one of the major factors in ATV accidents is speed! Keep in mind that our aggressive off road tires do not grip well on pavement and are easily rolled if a tight turn is made. In some states that allow secondary road travel require a speed of 25mph or less. For a novice rider I would definitely enforce a low speed.

 

You are exactly right Kymco450: Standard issue ATV tires are designed to grip rough and loose terrain. They have 7 psi in them. They are not good on hard surfaces. If I'm blessed with a Colorado license plate on my Outlander, I plan on mounting a set of tires designed for hard surfaces. I might suggest tires similar to Jeep or pickup "off road" tires that have both aggressive tread patterns and strong sidewalls. I see them all the time on Jeeps around here. Irregardless of street legal ATV riding, I will likely purchase this type of tire when my current ones wear out. They make sense to me and my type of riding.

The 6 hours of street riding I've done around here has been at 25 mph plus or minus. My Outlander seems easy to control, has good brakes, and has good engine braking down hills. The posted speed limit is 25 mph in this rural residential area. I often see no cars on my 30 minute rides. I do not stress the tires in anyway at these slow speeds, but they would get pretty mushy at higher speeds.

Riding an ATV on the street is certainly possible. Riding an ATV on the street is certainly different than other motor vehicles. We humans can learn it.

David

 

My ATV seems to wander around when I drive it on the road. At slow trail speeds I don't notice it at all but on the road it gets worse as I speed up and then it gets better again for some unknown reason. At those medium speeds on the roads it's all over the place.

 

You might check your alignment in the front and also be sure the front is aligned with the rear. I had a wander issue when I first bought all of my atv/utv but a simple alignment took most of the wander out. Some mfgrs recommend a slight toe out but I have always found a slight toe in to be more stable. While I do not recommend or condone my own UTV after a good alignment has no wander and tracks straight as an arrow on pavement all the way up to its 50mph max speed. I get very nervous at this speed due to the soft side walls of the offroad tires, any sharp turn could be disastrous! However my point is the good alignment makes a world of difference on pavement.

 

I get a bit of a vibration at anything above 50 mph on pavement. Most likely due to the tires I have, which are not meant for use on pavement. I only ride on pavement for a short distance to connect from one trail to another on one section where i ride where I go about 1/4 of a mile. The Brute will top out at around 65 mph I have read but 56 is the fastest I've ever had it up to and only for a short distance. If I wanted to run fast on harder packed trails for any distance, I'd probably get a different set of less aggressive tires. I actually still have the stock wheels and tires I had on my Grizzly 660 but they won't fit the Brute Force. I almost got rid of them about a month ago but couldn't make a deal. I may eventually get a different machine they will fit so they just sit for now.

 

I haven't checked my alignment lately but it was toed out like I think Polaris recommended. I never tried running it with toe in. If I rode it on paved roads more often I think I would try it.