When you start riding you think that a wheelie is just a wheelie. But then as you spend more time on your ATV and get more adept at tricks you realize that ATV wheelies are not all created equally.
There are all kinds of tricks you can do with your ATV. Way to many too list! But wheelies are one of the most popular so that’s where we going to spend our time. Stick around and learn how to pull the perfect wheelie.
One small reminder. Wheelies are “dangerous” and should only be tried when you are completely comfortable with your ATV and your riding skills. Always wear the proper safety gear at all time.
Okay it’s time to get setup. You can perform a wheelie on a stock Quad but a sport quad is preferred.
1. Tire Pressure
Lower tire pressure has several added benefits for doing tricks. Lower tire pressure lets your tires squish when your weight is placed over them. When you lower the tire pressure you need to be sure it is tracking straight, especially for your wheelie stunt. Tracking straight doesn’t mean that the tire pressure will be the same in the two tires.
Decreasing your tire pressure will also increase your balance for your wheelie. Lower air pressure means when you do your wheelie the pressure will cause a small flat spot and this will be beneficial to the performance of your wheelie.
2. Sprockets
If you have a sport quad you don’t need to worry about messing with the sprockets. This will only become an issue if your machine isn’t geared adequately for the stunts you plan to perform.
3. Chain Adjustment
Adjust the chain to factory specs and if it’s loose you will have to throttle compensate when doing your wheelie. Better to adjust then have to do this.
4. Throttle
Check to ensure it is not sticking and is smooth. Adjust as needed.
5. Clutch
Each clutch is different and each rider’s style is different so adjust it so that you are comfortable. What type of clutch grab you prefer is personal so set it as such. And don’t believe what you’ve heard about wheelies wrecking your clutch. It’s not true!
6. Wheelie Bar
The wheelie bar is on the back of your quad. This bar is really important. If you mess up when doing your wheelie it’s what will save your butt. There’s no adjustments here you just need to give it a quick check and make sure it’s not damaged or doesn’t have any weak points. Replace if needed.
7. Modifications
There are really no needed modifications other than personal preferences like different handlebars or a pipe.
8. Posture
There are different positions for the body when you are doing a wheelie.
The sit down is the standard form with the rider sitting on the seat, feet on the pegs, and hands on the controls. This is a good position reducing stress on your arms and legs. It can be a difficult position for beginners because you feel like your more of an angle than you are and you tend to let off the throttle.
Standup is just what it says. Your feet are on the pegs and your hands are on the controls. You get an excellent view of what’s a head of you with this position but it can make gear shifting and braking a little tricky.
Split is a name used when the two previous methods are combined and used. It gives you the best of both worlds within the two positions.
Now that you’ve got the basics you can start experimenting and playing. It won’t be long before you’ve got ATV wheelies mastered.
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Donovan has been a SUV owner for the past 10 years. He’s an active outdoors person who loves to go off roading in his ATV. He has owned and operated countless ATVs over the years and shares his riding techniques as well as model reviews on his site. To find out more visit the ATV reviews website. |
Filed under ATV Guide by on Feb 9th, 2008. Comment. 
Like many parents, I’ve always had trouble getting my adolescent son to do work around the house. I’m really big on my yard and all the outdoor work that comes with it. I do a lot of gardening, a lot of shoveling, and even more trimming and loading. For years, it was nearly impossible to get my son to help with any of this, and I finally stopped asking for any assistance at all.
A couple years ago, the family up and moved to Colorado. And not just any part of Colorado … the Rocky Mountains. We found a nice house with a great yard in a small community called Evergreen, about 25 miles west of Denver in the foothills of the Rockies. To our surprise, the house came with a little bonus: A big wooden shed on the property containing an old ATV and a bunch of accessories to go along with it.
After arriving in late November, we found ourselves settled right in time for the winter’s first big snowstorm. And boy, did it ever come down. After three days of constant blizzard conditions and over five total feet of snow, we found ourselves trapped behind 200 yards of snow-packed driveway. The thought of attempting to shovel that huge area was overwhelming, until I recalled seeing a snow plow fitting for the old ATV in the shed. Hoping this might do the trick, I tracked out to the shed to see if I could put it together.
With a couple calls to the manufacturer of the ATV (Kawasaki), and the manufacturer of the snow plow (WARN), I was set up and ready to go. Curiously, I only made it to the edge of the garage before my teenage son was running at me with wide eyes and a never-before-seen look of interest in household chores. Amazingly, the kid begged me to shovel the driveway, a task he had always faked a cold to get out of.
In just two hours, the ATV had plowed the entire 200 yards of driveway, and my son ran in as excited as if he had just spent the time on his snowboard. For the remainder of the winter season, his eyes lit up each and every time the snow fell, and we never spent more than a couple hours snowed in. During those great hours, my wife and I would simply warm up a pot of hot cocoa and watch the amazing transformation taking place from the warmth of the house.
When spring came around and it was time to get started on my tree trimming and garden duties, I found a similar interest in these outdoor chores. I would trim the branches, and my son would load them into the ATV plow and transport them to the edge of the property. He then spent a week straight digging up dirt and proportioning areas of land for my grand gardening plans. In a fraction of the time it had taken in previous years, I had a great garden, thanks mostly to the help of my son and his new favorite toy.
In the past two years, I haven’t shoveled a bit of snow in the winter. For the past two summers, I haven’t put a bit of work into my garden. Yet I still have the best looking yard and garden on the block, and my son did it all with an old ATV and utility plow. And anytime the neighbors come to ask me how I got my son to be so helpful around the yard, I simply point at that old ATV and say “Get one of those and you’ll see for yourself.”
Ryan Heath is the owner of 4 Wheel Online and one of the greatest gardens in Colorado. Unfortunately, his doctor has recommended cutting down on the hot cocoa in the winter due to rising cholesterol levels. If you would like help in purchasing an ATV plow to help in your household chores, feel free to call him toll free at 1-800-811-0335, or visit the website at http://www.4wheelonline.com/
http://www.4wheelonline.com/?ATV_Snow_Plows.
Filed under ATV Guide by on Feb 6th, 2008. Comment.
Having and using and ATV can have numerous reasons. The majority of ATV owners just want to have a recreational off-road type of vehicle so they can hit the trails with friends or family.
Then there is the other segment of owners who want to use their ATV as a vehicle for work to travel around their ranch or farm, hauling loads and possibly to move snow. The other class of owners who, though in the minority, are just as avid in their use of their ATV are the competitors in the sport of ATV.
ATV riders have the option of picking from several types of ATV races. So the question arises; when do you need to go out and get those special ATV tires? You will find a vast assortment of types of tires. Each type of tire meets the requirements of both the terrain they are riding on as well as the rider.
ATV Uses
If you plan to use your ATV on the same terrain all of the time, and if there is not a lot of climate change in your area, you may be able to continue using the stock ATV tires. However, if you plan to use your ATV on different types of terrains – flat land and hills – and in several types of weather conditions, you can take advantage of the various types of tires to make your machine more adaptable.
Finding the right tires can improve the comfort and safety of your ride. How do you decide when to buy ATV mud tires? Well, you’ll definitely need them if you plan to ride in mud. Deciding on ATV mud tires means deciding on the proper type of tread. ATV mud tires have deeper treads designed to grip and hold. If you want to speed along a fairly hard, flat surface, the tread of ATV mud tires can be a hindrance. When buying new tires for you ATV, make sure that you get the right width for your rims. Tires that are too narrow for the rims will come off.
You can choose between a round tire and a flat tire. A flat tire has more contact with the road. A round tire can cause the ATV to roll with hard cornering. You can also choose between a tall tire and a short tire. You will need to assess your driving style and your preferred terrain to make this choice.
You have the option of picking from a tire that is relatively flat to a tire that is more round in shape. More tread contact with the road is provided by the flat style tire. An ATV will have more of a tendency to roll with a round tire as compared to a flat one.
You have the option to select from a tire that is short or a tire that is tall. In order to make the proper selection you will need to figure what type of driving style you have and your preferred terrain that you drive on to make the right choice.
With a taller type of tire your get additional ground clearance as well as a ride that is softer. A shorter tire furnishes a greater degree of stability for those hard cornering area as well as higher speeds overall. Lastly, you have to decide on the tread itself. If you looking to stay with a single set of tires, select a tread that is meant for conditions that are general.
If you want to ride in many, very different types of terrains – and if you have the budget to indulge – then a variety of tires may be your choice. Available types of tires include trail tires, sand tires and, of course, the ATV mud tires.
Filed under Uncategorized by on Feb 5th, 2008. Comment.