I have had my quad for just over a month now and my situation is funny. Check it out... I live in Winterville,NC. Where I live, there are tons of rad trails literally right behind my house. Let me do a little more explanation. See, even though there are all these killer trails right there (like I can see them riding while sitting on the deck) there is a really large stream (river tributary, very close to the mouth). The walls on this stream are at an un-acheivable angle. Just way to steep. This stream runs on my property right before the trails. Long story short, the only way for me to get to the trails is to ride about a half a mile on my neighborhood road (police officer lives five houses down, doh) then take a turn onto the grass beside the road (45mph road, two lane). Then I have to huck it another half a mile across a feild and through a small ditch (which I look forward to, it's muddy). After that ditch, I have to hug the road (usually with two wheels on the road, the other two still on the grass) until I get to the trail entrance which is only another 100 yards from the muddy ditch. From there, no worries. But, I am concerned that I am going to get pulled by a cop. I haven't yet, but I wear all safety gear just in case (to show some responsibility). The trails follow that tributary of the river for as long as you want to ride with all kinds of break off trails along the way. It is the states land, and not posted, so that is cool. My quad weighs roughly 600 lbs without me on it (add another 200), otherwise I would build a bridge of some kind. It is roughly 20 feet wide so don't know if I would trust any bridge I would build, LOL. No trailer yet, that is in the works, but that can't stop me from riding now. Anyone else take this risk to ride?????

 

14 years ago I used to live on the very edge of town, with deer grazing in my back yard. I now live in the same place, but there are at least a dozen new paved subdivision roads between my house and the edge of town. From the edge of town I can ride for hundreds of miles in the mountains and desert of southern Utah.

You bet I ride my Grizzly, or Rhino, or even my dirt bike from my house to the riding area, and will continue to do so. The good news for me though, is that it is now legal to do so. Our city passed a local ordinance that makes it legal to ride an ATV from your house to a trail, provided you do not pass go, and don't collect $200. Seriously, it is legal to ride directly from your house to a trail, or from the trail to your house, but you cannot ride your ATV to the grocery store, or to a restaurant, or any other "side trip". I ride mine to the car wash anyway, LOL. My wife got stopped by a police officer one time while she was riding her Grizzly 700. She had been to the gas station to fill it up with gas, and the police man stopped her on the way home. She said that she was going directly to a trail, and that she knew it was legal. She did not get a ticket. The next day she called one of the city council members and filed a complaint against the police officer. We haven't been hassled since.

DV

 

Here in WI we can ride the road IF it is a designated ATV route. In some areas the trails are blacktop. If it is not a designated route & get nailed on the road it is a 185$ fine.

I think I would talk to the law or city council to be legal.

 

Yeah, here in NC the law states that you are never allowed to ride on a road/highway of any kind on an ATV. The exception to this is crossing a road to get to a trail. Almost word for word. What the hell, that's a good way to get people with "give an inch take a mile" mentality (me) in trouble. I think I would argue that one long enough for the cop to either put me in kuffs or let me go. I mean the whole trip takes me like five min. And my quad is stock so it just humms, no loudness to aggrevate anyone. How would you interpit that law, am I good, or not good? Gosh, I have just realized how bad my spelling really is.

 

I don't think you'll have any problems unless you do something to cause someone to complain... Keep the route clean... go slow and keep off the road as much as possible...

 

Here when road riding you HAVE to stay on the blacktop so as not to tear roadside up.

 

Id go over to the cops house with a couple of brews and start a conversation, who knows, he may be a fellow rider. That way you can get his interpertation, and input BEFORE theres a pullover. You cant do much negoiating once the lights are flashing. He might inform you , what the local laws are (it varies widely, and even though its illeagl to ride a quad on pavement in MN, some local jurisdictions allow it, like alot of cities north of Duluth allow riding on the pavement in town). He might also tip you off, of when he can look the other way, and which neighbors are probably the first to complain, what specificly they are looking at ( no helmits, tearing up the sod, trespass, speeding, noise and so on).
Basicly youve got to remember, that even though you are alone, your actions are interpretted and extended to ALL of us. trails and riding areas are shut down usually to the unthinking acts of the very few, but all of us suffer the consequences.
Try to get a feel from the cop, as to what you are allowed to do, and he in turn will appreciate the honest effort, and it may allow a little leaway if theres issues later.

 

I'd definitely start working on a bridge.

 

Or a raft.

 

here in pa some of the townships are now letting you ride on their roads.