Ask the Editors: Aftermarket Power Steering?
Good news and bad news John. The good is electronic power steering kits from the aftermarket are already being offered for around $700 from manufacturers like SuperATV. They have a wide (and ever expanding) selection on older makes and models and if you can’t find one for your particular ATV, they offer universal power steering kits that can be adapted for use from anything from a mower to a dune buggy (and of course an ATV).
The bad news is users report very mixed results and the manufacturers themselves frown upon the idea entirely. The reason? There is more involved in proper power steering system than the mechanical bits themselves including speed and RPM sensors that work in tandem to control the sensitivity of the steering assist. In short, the system should be most active in low RPM steering situations and less touchy as speeds/ RPM increase so as to avoid pitching you off the machine with a touch of the handlebar in a wide-open situation.
However, it seems rock crawling riders have had decent success using aftermarket setups primarily for low speed situations where bump steer and deflection felt through the steering assembly were major factors prior to installing EPS. This is one of those modifications that you’re going to want to research thoroughly before committing but at least the option does exist should your decide the pros outweigh the cons.
