Fellow ATVers, Everybody dose some stupid things from time to time, and gets away with it. I thought that it might make an interesting topic. I thought of this, because today I scared myself to DEATH! I was riding my friends 1999 SP500 by myself today, when I decided to try to climb this really steep HIGH hill. Did I mention that this hill was high? (I would guess 800 feet) As soon as I started up this cliff, I realized that it was a little steeper than I thought. But, did I stop and turn around? NOOOOOOOOOO I did not. What an idiot. I was leaning forward as far as I could, and the front wheels were starting to come off the ground every so often. Now I was concerned. (well duh) The little man incharge of stupid things in my head now woke up. I stopped! Since I had mastered a way to back down a steep hill,(several years ago when I had my Pol 350 4x4s), I now started to do just that. It was so steep that I had to squeeze the brake unbelieveably hard. This was a hill that had no vegatation over 6 inches high. If the quad got sideways, it would roll for about 1/2 a mile. And it was not even mine! Well it took me 45 minutes to do it but I got it down. Well, thats my story, and I am sticking to it. Lets hear yours. Dave

 

Dave,your story brings me back in time to 1987.I had a brand new 87 KQ 4x4.I had recently got out of knee surgury just about two wks prior to this story,so I was still hobbling ALOT.I was crusing along this trail when I came across this swamp.Not knowing the depth,I decided [stupid move] to go right in this thing rather than around it.What a bad choice I made.I became allmost instantly STUCK and buried in that swamp with NOBODY around to help me out.So I hobbled back [about 3 miles] and came across a fellow with a 4x4 P.U and he road me back and pulled me out.Not a real nice move for someone just getting out of knee surgury.But it taught me a valuable lesson.Dont do something stupid on your ATV without the proper help being around,PERIOD.Sure am glad I was young back when that happened. BILL

[This message has been edited by atvbbs (edited 09-25-1999).]

 

My little learning experiance took place about 7 years ago. I was riding my 1984 200s to my friends house, I had a six-pac rack on it and I had 2 atv tires strapped to it. As I was riding I noticed the tires were shifting and the straps were getting loose so I stopped and tightend them down. Well after stopping and doing that 5 times I was rageing mad! So I stopped for the last time, removed the straps and rerouted them and tightend the snott out of them. Now I was on my way and felt very confident out my tie down procedure and I was sure the would stay put. I was crusin about 35-40 mph and I glanced back and noticed they were all loose and about to fall off, I got so mad I grabed the front brake(only had front bakes at that time) and sqeezed with all my might(note I was going 35-40 mph at the time) with out even giving it thought, about the time that the rear of the atc was in the air and I was on the front tire only, a quick thought raced threw my mind, "what the heck am I doing, Im gunna endo!" well needless to say I endo'd and the tires that I was hauling stayed on the rack threw out the whole crash, geez.
I learned a valuable lesson on that day, think beore u mash on the brakes, LOL....Herbert

http://community.webtv.net/murdo77/QuadzillaZone

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Herbert~~99Wolverine & 89LT520



[This message has been edited by herbert c. (edited 09-26-1999).]

 

Lessons learned from steep hill climbs.

Blasting up steep five story coal piles,In second gear wound out.I hit the hill with confidence despite the woops at the bottom and proceaded to climb,one story,two story three story.But by the time I got half way tup the fourth story second gear was being boged out.Do I risk a slam to netural or clutch to first?(Time is running out fast,clutch to first I choose.It didn't matter,In that split second gear change I lost all momentum and promply dug my self in ten feet from the top and stalled.I could see freedom ten feet away five storys up on a sixty degree angle ahhhhhhhhhhhh.


If it wasn't for a trick I was taught some time ago I would hve been doomed.Upon knowing your not going to make it.High rr shift to first dig holes and stall it out.Clamping on the front brake,If you rest their for more than a few seconds your gona make it down.With It stalled in gear and front brakes clamped on so hard you start to worry about the cable snapping.Climb or slither over the front bars with your right hand on the brake.Landing in front of the quad,Grab the grab bar.Now facing the obise slowly release the front brake with a firm grip on the grab bar.If it dosen't move thats good.(your gona make it %90)Switch hands with the grab bar and reach up for the clutch.Slowly pull it in till the quad starts to move then let it back out.Letting the rear tires, stalled in first to be your brakes.Start to slide leaning on grab bar with your feet in front of you digging in.When you stop sliding feather the clutch again.When you feel confident releace the grab bar with left hand,and grab the front brakes and steer slide it down the hill.That wasn't so bad was it?

 

I was in a perade one time with a Polaris 400 sport and I was showing everybody how easy it was to go from forward to rev. so drove along in rev. for a while(A Wee bit to fast) next thing I know I'm fling into the air (Screaming OH S***)and landed pretty hard everybody started laughing and claping(NEVER LET'EM SEE YA IN PAIN) so I up righted the atv and headed about a block before I pulled off the Street and got into the back of a Resque sqad and went to the hospital needless to say I had a sepeated shoulder and couldn't ride for 3 weeks

 

Once i went riding with some freinds and i had just gotton a Jet kit on my 300ex. It wasn't running right and i could tell the carb was starving for air. It took about 3 hours to finish the trail. when i got back to camp i realized that me choke was on. So i turned it off and went riding again. About a holf hour later i was going up a huge hill threw the trees. I got to the very top and ran up a tree. I flipped backward and it landed on my leg. Luckily for me the person riding behind me hit it when it was rolling and prevented it from total destrction (a BIG cliff.) I bent the front end all up and some how snapped off the thumb peice on my throttle. I had to push a little pointy round **** to get back to camp. And it was up hill and muddy with big ruts.

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300ex... The Big Red Machine

 

Here's a good one.

Went out riding on my Bayou 400 with a friend who has a 250yz(don't do this). Well, 20 miles from nowhere, I blow up the motor. I should have known something was up, it was idling very fast and felt hot, plus no fan assist at all. After him driving the bike and pushing the quad with his leg for about 5 miles,(which took about an hour), we finally came upon some other guys who towed me out.

Okay, I say to myself,"Self, you need a faster quad.". So I go out a week later and buy a 400 Scrambler. Great quad, love it!

Okay, 1 week later, same friend and I out for another ride, first tank of gas on the Scrambler. We come to this coal silt and dump site, really cool hill climbs. The biggest one is about 300-400 feet and very steep. So steep that you only go all the way up or...well you only go up. So, I'm all confident with my 2 week old quad and I blast up the hill, no problem. We're sitting there at the bottom and about 4 or 5 guys show up at the top and come sliding down the hill with their brakes locked up and just about causing a rockslide. We're talking about my new quad and they're all interested in how it performs so brainy me shows them by going up the hill again. Now remember how I said they came down. Well, I start going up and about halfway up I realize something is terribly wrong. I'm spinning and sliding and switch to AWD. Go about another 50-75 feet and the front end is bouncing up and down and I land the left front on a big rock and the front just bounces straight up. I jump off and land on my butt and sit with my mouth open as my $5000 dollar, 2 week old quad bounces 5-7 times down the hill. Let me tell you boys and girls, they really BOUNCE! I'm talking 10-20 feet in the air.

I slide down the hill on my butt, because you cannot stand up, and at the bottom find these guys and my buddy with mouths you could park the space shuttle in. And right there next to them was my quad, destroyed. Ripped the a-arms off the frames, 2 tires ripped off the rims, rear rack twisted like a pretzel, plastic in 5 or 6 pieces. They said if they had a camcorder we'd have to split the $10,000 weekly prize and argue over the $100,000 yearly prize.

The only good news was I had it insured and the Insurance company rebuilt the entire thing. New frame, rims, plastic, basically everything but the engine, tranny, and rear axle. I was worried about how it would run, but the shop was good and said basically everything was new and it should be fine. 3 months has passed and I've probably put about 100-150 miles on it and no problems, it runs great.

Lesson: think before you jump.

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Mike...99 Scrambler 400, 94 Kawasaki Bayou 400(newly rebuilt), 99 Impuls 50(Matt's)

 

Pasqualie:

My 2 Dumbest things, recently (there are lots more):

First, I didn't read your topic until this evening. As matter of fact, when I got home, yours was the first topic I looked into, and there was a reason for that.

Second: well, let me say to MDelby, "I've been there and done that, too."

A thought just struck me. If it looks too steep, it probably is! How's that for a brain storm?

 

What a dumb thing to do? Well, guess what? As soon as I get my Suzuki put back together again, I'm trying that hill (almost a cliff) again. Now, if that's not a dumb thing to do, then what is?

[This message has been edited by kclayd (edited 10-05-1999).]

10-22-99: Well, I got my King Quad fixed and took it back to Uwharrie. I looked at that hill again. It was steep, but I was trying to figure out how I was going to top it until I found a broken ATV rack nearby. A thought flashed through my mind, something like, "Don't think so!"

[This message has been edited by kclayd (edited 10-22-1999).]

 

Well back in the 3wheeler days I took the old Big Red machine up a hill that was just a little to steep right at the top to crest it . The front came up I tried to ride it out but to no avail she tips over backwards as I bail off to one side we both go tumbling back down the hill when we finally stop we are both bent up pretty bad me with broke ribs from a stump that I rolled into. The 3 wheeler gets a bent rear rack,gas tank and knotted up handle bars. Got a recording of what I sounded like rolling down the hill if you would like to hear it go to (www.waveguy.com) page down to Homer Simpsons picture and click on the 32doh line thats what I sounded like

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Kevin Gowdy aka Kagey 1999 Polaris Magnum 500