Anyone ever go on a night ride? Next summer, me and some friends are probably gonna go camping and have considered doing a night trail ride for something new. Aside from obviously having headlights in working order, what other precautions should be addressed for night riding? Are there any regulations against riding trails at night, this would be on forest service land. Sorry if this sounds dumb, but my 400EX is the first offroad toy I've owned that has lights so have never done this before and just seems like something that would be fun and exciting to do. I would prefer to go out on a full moon just so everything isn't completely pitch black and can see things around me. I just want to hear your experiences and tips, I looked for a similar topic to this but couldn't find it. If I did somehow miss it, just point me in the right direction.

Thanks for the input and safe, happy riding to all!

 

I've done my share of night riding and I don't like it nearly as much as daytime when you can see more details of the trail. Whatever else you do make sure you wear clear goggles and not tinted. I found that out the hard way when I unexpectedly was out after dark. I can't think of anything else right now.

 

Had some good times on night rides. Been at places that shut down the trails at dusk, so it's best to ask someone who is in charge of the trails to be sure of the rules.

Strap a good flashlight somewhere and make sure everyone wears a bright/light colored shirt or jacket. In the event someone does go off a trail, both will help locate that person.

 

I love riding at night. You might encounter more wildlife on the trail at night. Its fun to hit the trail before sundown and ride to the early morning hours. I used to know a group of riders that celebrated New Year's Eve on the trail.

 

Riding at night can be a blast. Hills look steeper and obstacles seem much more intense. When riding at night I like to be in areas I know because its easy to get lost if you dont have a gps. One thing you cant do is go blasting over hill tops. When you cant see whats on the other side you have to use caution.

 

Night riding can be a blast but be very careful...I wear my SPOT when riding just to play it safe.
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Night riding is completely different than riding during the day. We ride at Wayne National Forest in Ohio and they allow 24 hour riding. However, we also frequently go to Hatfield McCoy in WV and their trails close at dusk. As was said above, check your riding spot's rules. A couple things to consider: slow down...you won't be able so see stuff nearly as well as during the day; ride trails you are familiar with...the trails are a completely different ride when it is dark, you lose many of your landmarks that you know the trail by; make sure someone has a good functioning flashlight and or a 12v light just in case. You will actually be surprised how well atv lights do and the darker it is, the better they do.

 

Ok, thanks everyone!

 

What's a SPOT?

 

It's a tracking satellite device that you wear and people can track you where you are at all times good safety measure.
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