It had to happen sometime, we had a crash. me and my 11 year old son and two of my riding buddies went down to the big Windrock ATV club spring ride in TN. We rode all day Friday with no problems, and had a great time. Sat. we were riding and hooked up with a couple of local guys that offered to show us a trail that we were looking for. It was trail 21 which is rated difficult. We had ridden some other difficult rated trails both Friday and earlier that day. So we took off at a pretty good pace, the 2 locals, myself, my son and the 2 buddies. We were just about trough the trail when we came upon the big hill at the end with the rock ledge. This was no problem for the first local who made it up just fine. The the second guy started up and got to the ledge and it came up on him. I was about 30 feet behind him and my son about 30 feet behind me and so on. When it came up he baled off the side and the quad turned and flipped. I locked my brake and took off after my son telling him to get off the quad. I turned around once and seen the 2 quads tumbling down the hill after me and really close. My son baled off of his quad just in time as they hit his and took it with them. These quads were rolling and flipping down the hill in a big pile of dust. They stopped up against a tree with the 250 Cat on bottom upside down and mine tangled in with the other guys on top. NO ONE WAS HURT THANK GOD!
We got the quads untangled and pushed to a flat spot. They came trough rather well. The 250 had the racks bent down to the tires with the plastic, but with a little creative prying with a couple of sticks it was looking pretty decent. Min on the other hand must have caught the other right in the front rack and bumper. It bent the rack back into the plastic and pushed it all out of whack. Busted the speedometer and center headlight, bent the handle bars, busted one mounting tab off of the front left mudflap or mud guard. The rear rack got bent slightly. The left cvboot guard got bent back into the boot. The left tie rod is bent and the inner end is real loose.
His quad a loaner 450ES it busted the speedometer cluster, headlight, bent the racks and bumpers and some of the plastic.
I was a little up set when they told me that his quad was a loaner and this was his first time riding a quad! He had no business on a trail like that on his first day. The local guy leading kept saying that it was a difficult rated trail and when you are out there riding that things can happen. This is true but I don't think it would remove him from all liability. I told him that if it had been me or my son that had tore someones quad up that I would offer to pay for the repairs without hesitation.
We had ridden several difficult trails and my son had no problems at all. He is a very good rider and has been riding since he was 5. This is the first crash he has seen up close like this. I had always told him to just jump off and don't worry about the quad, they can be fixed.
What do you guys think? I have the guys name and address he has mine too. I'm not the suing type that just isn't my style so that is out of the question. But do you think that it is fair to expect repairs out of him. I know that if roles were reversed he would have the money in his pocket as I type this. I have full coverage with a $500 deductible so I will not turn it in. I'm looking at about $400-$500 for the both of them in parts and I will do the work myself.

 

mudcat
Glad to hear everyone is ok. I do think the guy should pay the damages, whither it’s his insurance (if it was a rented quad there should be insurance) or right out of his pocket. A first timer on a loaner quad is a bad mix, but to add in a difficult trail is even worse. The most important thing is that you and your son are alive and kicking. Hope everything works out.

 

Glad no-one was hurt. I guess you learned a valuable COMMON sense leason! You don't start into a dificult or dangerous section until the guy ahead clears it!

 

sxr6, I don't think mudcat knew that these guys were not experienced, since they did offer to "show them the trail". I would have assumed that they have gone through it before as well.

As for "You don't start into a dificult or dangerous section until the guy ahead clears it!", he was doing just that; waiting at the bottom of the hill.

Mudcat, glad to hear that you and your son are ok. I want to get my son into the sport as well, but I have to find a CAT for him as well.

 

I think you're wrong powercat. Mudcat said he was 30ft behind the local and his son was 30ft behind him. If the son was that far away from the hill, no way the other 2 quads would roll that far. They must have been on the slope behind the local. Like sxr6 stated...on a tough hill stay back until it's cleared by the rider in front of you.

Glad everyone is ok. I would see if there were insurance on the locals loaner. If there was then you should be able to go through his insurance...if not then you most likely will have to class it as a good lesson.

Good luck.

 

Absolotely agree with sxr6 common sence plus the fact your out with your boy!I told my boy today about bailin the bike can be fixed.I'll show him this post.It gets scary freakin fast.Live and learn.How much to get your bike fixed?

 

Well I got a call and the check is in the mail from the guys insurance, he filed the claim saturday after it happened. It is good to know that there are still some good people in the world. This guy could have just as well never called me again. I'm not the suing type and would have just marked it up as a lesson. I guess the due unto others as you would have done to you works. The two Cats estimate was $533.55 for both. The Honda was a little over $1800.

The hills in TN. are very long, this hill was probably close to 1/4 mile long, with varying degrees of difficulty. When we came around the curve going up the hill the lead guy had just cleared the ledge with no problem at all. There was really no where to be out of the way unless we would have been out of sight. The hill wasn't that difficult, and we thought we were riding with experienced riders. Yes from now on I will stay back as far as possible. But we all know hind sight is 20/20. On the hills around here you can see all the way from top to bottom but down there it is a different story. However I will be back as soon as possible. They have a great place to ride down there.

 

Hey Mudcat, you selling those chrome wheels you got posted on you picture site?

 

Yes the wheels are a guy that I know and they are for sale. They fit a Cat with ACT suspension and are ITP 12x7, he said he wanted $100 for them. I have considered buying them but they are heavy. If you want them just let me know.

 

Hey Mudcat,

Glad to hear you and your son were not hurt. We live and ride in Western Kentucky/Southern Illinois area. Where in Tennessee is the Windrock riding area? Is there a website or other place to look up information?

Thanks for any information!

KYParrothead