Peer pressure and atv's are a bad combination at the best of times, but when you haven't ridden in more that 2 months and finally get out, it can be downright embarrassing. My story:

Riding with a few new friends on trails with which I was unfamiliar, we came upon a large body of water. One fella in the riding party states that he would like to see what a Prairie could do in a hole like that. I asked him if anything larger than a jeep had ever been stuck in the hole. He said that actually, a 400 ex went through it. Well, I know what a 400 ex capacity for water is, so I was fairly confident in mine and my atv's ability, so off I went. As soon as the water hit the front rack, it washed over me, not unlike the pictures of those amphibious troop transport carriers disembarking on the beaches of Normandy. About half way across, the bottom dropped away, and all I was doing was paddling with my four tires, my atv sinking enough to grab traction and then bobbing again to the surface, only to sink again. I actually made it a few feet before gravity won, and I sunk for the last time and the atv died. All you could see was the handlebars sticking out. I quickly grabbed a tow rope from a guy on a 300 fourtrax and he pulled me out and we tipped it up in it's end to let all of the water drain out of the exhaust, I took out the air filter (which was totally water-logged), and waited for a few minutes. I then put it back again on 4 wheels and pumped the starter a few times in an attempt to see if the cylinders were filled with water. It pumped out what seemed like a gallon out of the rear cylinder (I was watching with the seat removed), I checked the oil to see if I could see any milky white (at which point, I would have requested to be towed back to home base), however no milky substance was found, so I gently cranked over my baby and she came to life almost immediately. I drove her back to home (about 3 miles away) and she ran like a champ all the way back (not that I ran her hard, I never exceeded 20 mph just to try to ensure no damage). Just goes to show you that these things are a lot tougher and can take more than I would ever attempt to dish out again. Turns out that the 400 ex actually went through an entirely different hole (one which was about an 8th as deep.) "oops" said the fello rider...oops indeed!

 

better change your oil

 

glad you made it back

next time take your friends 400ex thru 1st

lol

 

Bing, Too funny LOL!

Shotgun. Thanks for the advise. I usually change all of my fluids after ridinging in water even if it is only a few feet deep, after this, you can be sure of it!

 

Thats why you say "I'll follow you!".

 

Seems to me like you got coned conman LOL[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif[/img]

 

Next time you get in too deep, jump off and it will float higher. You may save it, just jump off and hold the handlebars, so she won't flip over. Change all oils. I would check the ctv and clean if needed.

 

Interesting story indeed. Sounds fun. Next time jump off and float the machine across by pushing it and applying throttle, I have done this with other ATVs and it works well. You may get wet but you quad will still be operational. I never charge into a water hole full tilt, I always creap through and then once I know its not 10 feet deep, lol, I will play in it.

 

ConMan-- I have a friend that I use as a dip-stick on holes such as that! I just tell him, bet you can't get thru THAT hole.......off he goes

 

Yep, no doubt about it, I got conned, but it was still a blast with no harm done. (I changed the fluids and not a drop of water was observed in the oil) Live and learn, or live and don't learn, but live nonetheless!!