i just bought a 2001 kodiak and the other day i punched a small stone 1" wide 2.5" long thru the back right tire i was going down a off camber steep hill with wash outs randomlly through it, this caused the atv to slowly slide into the washout and a slow motion roll onto its side scratching up the plastic a liitle. i had to pay $23 to get the tire vulcanized. my first question since i do not have the money for new tires right now, will running alittle more tire pressure 'help prevent' this situation till i can get some money set aside for new tires. i ride in the mountians of south west pa. which mostly consists of loose rocky trails with very few mud holes. also i weigh about 240 and sometimes the atv feels a little to soft does anyone have a suggesstion on the preload setting for the kodiak for the above mentioned type of riding and my weight. last does any one have any special tricks for removing scratches out of the plastic, they are not to deep but annoying just the same since the atv is only 2 weeks old. thank you for any info you can provide me.

 

Wow, I used to call Smithfield home. I lived on Church Street next to the Methodist church (my dad was the minister back around 1979-1983). Anyhow...

You should get a tire plug kit. I've put as many as 4 plugs in a hole to get it sealed. Once sealed, I never lost them. Not sure if it would have worked for you though. Sounds like you might have had a huge hole.

Don't put more air in it than recommended by the factory. Too much air pressure is what can help cause holes to happen. You want the tire to be as flexible as possible without coming off the rim. On the Kodiak, I prefer 5 lbs in the front and 4 lbs in the back.

The most you can do for the shock settings is to turn the pre-load all the way up. It will help some but new shocks is the only thing that is going to solve your problem. The factory shocks aren't designed for people over about 180 lbs - even that is stretching it.

I would say to get used to the scratches since you will get many more. You can buff them out with a car buffer and wax though. Save your money instead of buying a Plastic Renew kit - they are for one time use right before you sell your quad.

Do you know Rob Leckemby? His cousin is Barry Hawk who you must be familiar with living in Smithfield. I used to run around with him in high schoole. Wondered if he is still living in the area.