I had no idea there were so many idiots out there (that ride double) until this thread came into existance... thank you all for sharing your ignorance with the rest of us.

 

hey alaska,
what's it like to be perfect????must be nice...
NOT!
I dont think that smart-a$$ comment was called for.

 

Must be nice to be totally perfect and not make mistakes.......i wish i knew what it was like...

 

Ha! We've all ridden 2 people!! Even I! hehe, when I first got my Balster, 2 years ago....it was my first ATV. Before that I had ridden dirtbikes so I had lots of experience. Anyways, I just got my Blaster and a friend came over, so we went riding, both on the Blaster. We both were wearing helmets though! So...it had just rained before he came over and there were big puddles everywhere. I had not ever been through a puddle on a 4 wheeler so I thought no big deal. We come around this corner, I see the puddle and decide to gas it, not knowing about hydro-plaining! Anyways we musta hit it in like 4th gear and it sent the Blaster side ways over the puddle. We drifted towards a metal pole in the ground just on the other side of the puddle. We came so close to hittin that pole! my left hand barely hit it just causing small injury to my hand. Other than that it was fun! hehe. peace

 

Well i guess i must tell my story also.....
i have ridden atv's for 15 years over every type of terrain you can imagine. I have ridden with a helmut 2% of the time and have ridden doubles about 80% of the time. no major wrecks, no major injuries, no horror stories to tell.
now you dudley-do-rights be sure and read all the stickers and comply with every detail, you may want to get the book that came with your car and make sure you aren't breaking any rules there also, but please....please....don't lose any sleep or mental anguish over poor idiots like me and i won't lose any sleep over poor idiots like you.....

 

I agree .. when racing or riding on busy interstates I wear a helmet.However stupid some people might find it ..I believe most people wouldn't wear a helmet IF it weren't a law ! Pro TRIALS riders never used to wear helmets and while we're not pros .. most of the time we ride in similar conditions and at same speeds,,slow.
While Harley riders will complain about personal freedoms and comfort ..most slow tech. riders will say helmets restrict visability,defen engine noise so the operator can't hear RPM's or detect wheel spin .
While helmets save lives...they mask sounds of approaching vehicles..limit visability..are hot and heavy on neck muscles .Can ANYBODY truly say wearing helmets enhances your riding experience?
Minn State law requires helmets for all riders under 18 ...also on page 25 ..Because an atv does not provide a foot rest or hand grips for a passenger, the passenger has a high risk of falling or being thrown from the machine.
Minn. state law prohibits a person from opperating an atv with more persons on the vehicle than the vehicle was designed to carry. Generally atv's are not designed to carry passengers.- end quote.
My son got a 80$ ticket today for riding in a ditch ..2 days before it's legal...this law was to protect nesting birds.. however the county had allready MOWED the ditch ..and he was riding double ..He showed the DNR his wife could rest her feet on the floor boards and she could hold on to the rack or his waist and he let it ride!!
Another little known law...Minn. state law..page 28 3rd paragraph...The head light and tail light must be on at all times,if your ATV is equipped with them....
While accidents are sad and often un- avoidable ..many of these rules are inacted without rider feedback..often by lawwakers who want to restrict or curtail our activites all together. Restricting riding times and having SO many obscure rules and regulations...pretty soon we'll need full body armor to ride on the FEW miles of BORING railroad grades ....
Sorry to ramble....BUT 80 dollars !!!
Bill

 

Oh believe me, I don't lose sleep over this. I was only very surprised at how many idiots there really are out on the trails. I am by no means perfect, but I was born with this thing called a brain. Just don't expect someone else to drag your injured a$$es out of the woods because of your own short-sightedness.

If people want to take the chance of injuring themselves and their passenger, with or without a helmet, be my guest. Do not be surprised when we experience another consent decree from big brother because some people are not born with common sense when it comes to riding...

 

alaska,
NEWS FLASH: There are others in the world that have a brain, also. I personally have NEVER let anyone ride double w/me, and dont plan on it. This thread started out by someone making a mistake, posting their almost-tragic results, and then warning the rest of us to stay clear of what happened to them. Then you come along & start calling people idiots. Why? Is reading the post not enough for you? Must you stir up trouble?
If you do not have anything constructive to add, then just dont add anything.

 

They taught us in the ATV safety Institue course 1) Don't ride double 2) If there aren't other ATV tracks on the path than don't chance it. Even so I had the same type of wreck one week after that safety course on a Grizzly minus a passenger. Like Honda says "Stupid Hurts".

 

Alaska: So I'm assuming that you wear a helmet while driving your car also? I mean, there's always the chance you could get in a collision or rollover, so you'd have to be a complete idiot to drive without a helmet. :P

You need to be more open-minded. There are a lot of people that only ride their ATVs at low speeds on easy trails and roads, and the only way they could ever be thrown off their ATV is if someone else ran into them or an act of god. Also, even in something as bad as a slow rollover, a helmet is usually unessecary, because you usually end up on your feet anyways.

Saying EVERYONE needs to wear a helmet while on an ATV is like saying EVERYONE needs a five-point harness and roll-cage in their car.