When it comes to engine break-in, rumors, rituals and horror stories abound. There is no denying that this is a particularly critical moment in the life-cycle of any engine on account of the fact that wear rates are at their absolute highest. Years ago when machining processes weren’t quite as refined as they are today […] More »

Dear ATVC: When going to buy a new piston for my ATV, I was told that I had to make sure the letter on the piston matched the letter on the cylinder. Is this true? Why would the manufacturers do this? Though it’s not commonly done on modern 4-stroke engines, the letter matching game was […] More »

Dear ATVC: Back in the two-stroke days, I used to freshen up the top end of my quad with regular frequency but quite frankly, the complexity and cost of a modern four-stroke engine intimidates me. Is there any way to know when I’m due for fresh rings without actually tearing down my top end?   […] More »