Helmet Choice

I've heard it said on countless occasions that the cost of your helmet should reflect what's going inside. I disagree! Choosing the ideal helmet isn't done by price or design; it should be determined by the fit. Your helmet should have a snug fit with no free movement while unbuckled. As you move your head up and down and from side to side a helmet that fits correctly will remain in position. No two heads are exactly alike, and there is no one helmet that fits everyone perfectly. Every helmet manufacturer has different characteristics, and a particular brand may provide a better fit for you. Shop wisely and don't let the price tag be the deciding factor when it comes to safety.

Each month we receive an overwhelming amount of technical questions from our readers. Everyone at ATVR including the night janitor carries an extremely heavy workload, so as a last resort we were forced to put Mike Newsom in charge of answering your questions. Mikey is one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall remarks and repulsive attitude that keep him locked away in the garage. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sorc.com. We promise not to let Mikey use your name and embarrass you in front of your buddies.

For a growing number of ATV and UTV enthusiasts, dirt and water have become the key ingredients for the ultimate weekend adventure. While these muddy conditions have the distinct ability to initiate a chain reaction of mechanical chaos, equipment and rider failure can be avoided if proper preparation is performed. We picked the brains of several top mud racers for a few secrets that help propel them through the mud and look good doing it!

Each month we receive an overwhelming mud slide of technical questions from our readers. Everyone at ATVR including the night janitor carries an extremely heavy workload, so as a last resort we were forced to put Mike Newsom in charge of answering your questions. Mikey is one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall remarks and repulsive attitude that keep him locked away in the garage. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sorc.com. We promise not to let Mikey use your name and embarrass you in front of your buddies.

Seemingly simple projects can quickly become a complete nightmare when broken bolts, stripped heads and seized fasteners come into the picture. I know you've undoubtedly experienced this at some point, and when you least expect, it will happen again. Being armed with the knowledge to deal with the situation can save money, reduce downtime and, most importantly, keep your blood pressure in check. Penetrating oil and traditional tools don't always do the trick, and this is when you can count on ATV Rider to point you in the right direction.

Each month we receive an overwhelming flood of technical questions from our readers. Everyone at ATVR including the night janitor carries an extremely heavy workload, so as a last resort we were forced to put Mike Newsom in charge of answering your questions. Mikey is one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall remarks and repulsive attitude that keep him locked away in the garage. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sorc.com. We promise not to let Mikey use your name and embarrass you in front of your buddies.

Eventually in our riding adventures we do wear out certain components on our ATVs. Having staged our "One Bad Mudda" (September '08 issue) in some of the south's deepest bogs, we noticed more and more slipping in the transmission at lower rpm on our Can-Am Outlander 800. This began to get worse until finally the quad couldn't pull its own weight. Stress on the CVT is undeniably huge as this is where the rubber really meets the road before the tires ever turn. Getting the belt in our CVT wet did nothing to help our situation either. With smoke billowing from the awesome Gorilla snorkel kit, we knew it was time to address the problem. Our hope is that this little how-to might help get your machine out of the garage and back on dirt. So here is the short course on changing the CVT belt.

Each month we receive a flood of technical questions from our readers. We've taken away Mike Newsom's Xbox and placed him in charge of answering these questions. Mikey is one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall answers that weird us out. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sorc.com. We promise not to let Mikey use your name and embarrass you in front of your buddies.

When it comes down to becoming creative or calling it quits, we ATV enthusiasts seem to have a unique ability of becoming resourceful and getting back on the trail. Reveal your ride-saving remedies, and we'll be sure to give you credit here in the pages of ATV Rider Magazine. So get them to us! E-mail us at atvrider@sourceinterlink.com or visit our MySpace at
www.myspace.com/atvridermag. Or send snail mail to:

A toolbox or emergency repair kit can't possibly be considered complete without an assortment of zip-ties. These handy fasteners are available in a multitude of sizes and can be had in any color imaginable. I'm guessing that any racer or enthusiast who spends a great amount of time on an ATV can recall multiple instances of a simple zip-tie saving the day. Boyd Simonton of Clarksville, Virginia, wrote ATVR to share the brilliant use of a zip-tie to secure the front brake while ATVs are in transit. This tip had been shared in a previous issue, but it's certainly a tip worth repeating. It also brings about an opportunity to share more clever uses of the zip-tie around the ATVR garage.

Each month we receive an overwhelming amount of technical questions from our readers. Everyone at ATVR including the night janitor carries an extremely heavy workload, so as a last resort we were forced to put Mike Newsom in charge of answering your questions. Mikey is one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall remarks and repulsive attitude that keep him locked away in the garage. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sorc.com. We promise not to let Mikey use your name and embarrass you in front of your buddies.

When it comes down to becoming creative or calling it quits, we ATV enthusiasts seem to have a unique ability of being resourceful and getting back on the trail. Reveal your ride-saving remedies and we'll be sure to give you credit here in the pages of ATV Rider Magazine. So get them to us! E-mail us at atvrider@sourceinterlink.com or visit our myspace at www.myspace.com/atvridermag. Or send snail mail to:

Each month we receive an overwhelming load of technical questions from our readers. We've taken away Mike Newsom's Xbox and placed him in charge of answering these questions. Mikey may be one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall answers that weird us out. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sourceinterlink.com. We promise not to let Mikey use your name and embarrass you in front of your buddies.

While not all of us may race, I'm pretty certain every one of us rides, so properly prepped machinery is just as important for all of us. I'm sure some of this will sound too basic for the mechanically inclined, but not all ATV riders are blessed with those inclinations. Let's face it, we all have that riding buddy who has to muster everything in his mechanical arsenal just to put gas in his/her quad; this article is kind of for them.

What's worse than finding out that a CV boot has torn on your machine while you're deep into a great day of riding? Well, I guess there might be a few things. While rocking out some hard miles on our Arctic Cat Prowler 650 in the backwoods of northern Georgia, we experienced a torn boot which eventually evolved into a destroyed rear axle. This can be a common occurrence, and CV boots need to be inspected on a regular basis. As we have stated in the past, it doesn't take much wear or exposure to the elements to get down into the heart of a constant-velocity joint. Once the rear wheel stopped turning, we knew it was time to replace the axle. And in typical ATV Rider fashion, we documented the action for our readers.

When it comes down to becoming creative or calling it quits, ATV enthusiasts seem to have a unique ability of becoming resourceful and getting back on the trail. Reveal your ride-saving remedies with us, and we'll be sure to give you credit here in the pages of ATV Rider Magazine. So get 'em to us! E-mail us at atvrider@sourceinterlink.com, visit our myspace at www.myspace.com/atvridermagor write to us via snail mail at:

We've added this "Ask Mikey" section into the mag in response to the overwhelming amount of technical questions that we get every day. Mikey is one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall answers that amuse us. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sourceinterlink.com.

What's the first thing we all want to do when our sparkling new quad hits the ground? If you're anything like me, you want to ride it like you stole it. But is that really a good idea? I don't think so, and here are some reasons why.

We've decided to add an "Ask Mikey" section into the mag in response to the overwhelming amount of technical questions that we get every day. Mikey is one of the most talented mechanics we know, but it's his off-the-wall answers that amuse us. If you dare to bear his response, send your questions to atvrider@sourceinterlink.com.

The condition of your air filter directly affects the performance of your ATV. The dirtier the filter, the more it robs horsepower from your motor. Running a dirty filter also greatly increases the risk of sucking dirt and debris into your motor's internals which can cause a number of problems in your fuel-delivery system and greatly increase the wear and tear on your piston rings, cylinder and valves. Once again, this eats away at even more horsepower in the long run. The best practice is to clean your filter often and well. How often? We suggest cleaning your filter after every weekend of riding, and even swapping out a clean filter for every day of riding if the conditions are extremely dusty. If you wait for your filter to look like a dirt clod, it'll be too late. So how do you clean it well? Follow these steps and we'll get your air cleaner well, cleaner.

It's the little things that can make the difference from packing up and heading home or letting the sun set on your back as the day turns to night. If you have any tips that you'd like to share, we'd love to hear from you. Heck, you might even save someone's day. We'll be sure to give you credit for your remedy. So send them our way! E-mail us at atvrider@sourceinterlink.com or via snail mail at:

Before you start, you'll want to make sure you even need to change the oil. Do you have a brand-new Rhino? If so, you should change your oil after the first 20 hours/1 month/200 miles, whichever comes first. This is important in the initial break-in of your motor. After that, the manual says you should drain the oil every 150 hours/6 months/1500 miles. However, most industry professionals will tell you this is way too long and suggest changing the oil every 75 hours/3 months/750 miles and swapping out the filter each time. The problem is that the manufacturer is assuming you're using your Rhino for nice quiet drives on a graded dirt road...yeah right, most of us are barreling through mud holes or screaming up dunes for hours on end. Plus, your Rhino basically has the same motor as a normal ATV but is doing twice the work, hauling around an additional 400 pounds and a passenger. That extra stress needs to be taken into account when deciding how often to change your oil. This also applies to any performance modifications you've made. If you're putting extra horsepower through the engine's internals, you'll want to change the oil more often to help prevent premature failure.

Shielded From The Elements
On a wet day it's a good idea to place foam into voids around the airbox. The foam will prevent excessive amounts of splashing water and debris from reaching the filter and stalling the machine. The last thing anyone wants is to end their day with a swamped quad.

Share your garage or track tips with us and we will be sure to pass them on to the rest of our readers. It may be your savvy solution that saves someone's weekend ride. We all know what it's like to have to pack up and head home early. We'll be sure to give you credit for your remedy here in the pages of ATV Rider. So send them our way! E-mail us at atvrider@sourceinterlink.com or via snail mail at:
ATV Rider Magazine
Attn: Pro Remedies
2570 E. Cerritos Ave.
Anaheim, CA 92806