This week we're shedding a little light on who was the first to make a four-wheeler and why three-wheelers went extinct in a hurry:

https://atvconnection.com/articles/a...-facts-know-7/

 

I've only seen 2 3-wheel ATVs on the trails. One rolled over for no apparent reason. IIRC there was a curve in the trail but a very gentle one. The other one I guess the guy took a curve too fast. He hit his foot on a tree and rolled the ATV. His foot swelled up and started changing color immediately. He had to take his shoe off before it swelled up too much. I keep thinking that if he was on a 4-wheel ATV he wouldn't have hit his foot, just the Nerf bar or floorboard.

 

Gee the machines seem so small back then. Honda followed Suzuki closely with their 4 wheel machines if I recall correctly.

And I think Honda was the first with the "utility" ATV when they squared off the body work and but some hay bale racks on the machine.

This is a fun thread.

David

 

This week we're talking navigation and those first ATVs to use satellites to get it done:

https://atvconnection.com/articles/a...-facts-know-8/

 

Don't have to go back that far, in 2000 I bought a new praire 300 atv and all anyone said id wow look how big it is !! 625lb and built like a tank. Now compare them to todays atv's, they are even bigger, but less weight so....where are they cutting corners? Never was a fan of the 3 wheelers, never made sense to me having just 3 wheels to ride on rough terrain, doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that won't work well. Thanks to some clear thinking people at Suzuki that didn't last long. I just can't believe how big todays atv's have become, I am short at 5'5" and not sure I could get on some of them !!

 

I don't consider gps a necessity but a great aid on the trails. It's nice to compare it to a map and my gut feeling as to where we are at any given point.

 

Can you plug an ATV with built-in GPS into a computer to update it?

 

jumbofrank: Yep, Garmin and others have website that allow serial number holders to download information to their GPS. I hope to download some Colorado trail system maps so I can actually "navigate" at a fork in the trail; especially when it's getting dark and I'm low on fuel.

My Can Am came with a Garmin Montana 680 GPS with a instrument pod mounting device to keep it charged up. It is a gimmick that helps raise the selling price. But I think it will be handy. I sure used my Magellan when snowmobiling years ago. It told me what trail takes me back where I came from.

David

 

I've updated my Garmin online a couple of times but when I saw the built in GPS like the Honda in the picture I wondered how do you get it in the house to hook up the computer?

 

That setup with the AMPs power cradle is probably the best one I've seen for any off road machine. I had an old Garmin Nuvi 500 for years until it finally gave up last year after the Utah trip. I had a connection right to power on the quad so the batteries never ran out. The problem is that I used to go through at least a couple of the mini-USB connectors each year. The power cradle doesn't have that issue. Much nicer and I'm considering getting one for my Garmin Montana 610t.