atv

Enter Our ATV Photo Contest to Win a BowTech Diamond Outlaw Bow!

Dave_Maccar — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:48:34 -0500

Four-wheel drive trucks, ATVs and snowmobiles have become the modern-day packhorse for hunters. To pay tribute to the machines that get us into the wild and back again, we’re hosting an off-road photo contest. The winner gets a new BowTech Diamond Outlaw valued at $549.

Enter by uploading a photo of your best hunting and/or fishing off-road vehicle. We want deer in the back of pickups, quads decked out in camo, and sleds hauling ice shanties. If it has to do with hunting and fishing and involves and off-road vehicles, we want to see it!

Get creative, enter our contest and win this bow. Submissions will be accepted until Feb. 29.

Click here to enter the contest!

Click here for the official contest rules.

Canol Trail ATV Adventure: Sunk!

Sarah Smith — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 11:54:47 -0500

Turning around is never easy.

The day after we called off the rest of the trip, we ferried our quads over the manageable braid in the Twitya. We winched the quads up that same dug-out hillside and started down the same trail that took us two previous weeks to cover.

The following day, after stopping in to see Stan Simpson and the gang at Ram Head Outfitters, we were at the Ekwi River.

We had crossed it on the way in, but now it was deeper and faster from the rain. The water was clear, too, deceivingly clear, as I soon found out. Mike was walking out of a patch of spruce, shovel in hand, all the camera gear on his quad. I was at the crossing, my bike running. “I’m going for it,” I said.

I drove in without worry, but the deep water and strong current quickly floated the quad. I was turned right around, pointed down river, my quad an unstable boat. I tried to turn out of it, up a bank that was way too steep, and the current grabbed the quad and rolled it. The engine cut out and the cold water hit me with a shock. I swam out of the machine’s way as the current forced it down river.

I looked over and saw Mike swimming toward me. He grabbed a length of rope, tied it to the swamped quad, and anchored it to a willow stump. The quad secured, Mike and I cut the ropes that tied my gear and gas down and threw our bags and fuel up on the bank. I don’t know how I did it, but I managed to right the quad from its side.

We crossed back to Mike’s quad, un-spooled the winch and attached a carabineer. I crossed back, dove under the water, under the quad, and attached the biner to my hitch.

When Mike started the winch the quad wanted to roll over with the current. I jumped onto the hood to stabilize it and soon we had it to shore. There the discouragement only compounded: we had apparently lost the Allen key to drain the oil; the oil filter wrench was the wrong size. Our tools lacked in every respect.

Beaten, but not broken, we planned to tow the quads back to Stan’s place in the morning.

That night we walked our food extra far from the tent. Just before I sunk the quad, 200 yards up the trail, Mike spotted three yearling grizzlies -- he nearly hit them, running the quad fast in the open country. The last thing we needed now was Mama Bear nosing around.

Canol Trail ATV Adventure: A Busted Winch, Broken Trailer and Fine Backcountry Meal

Sarah Smith — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:03:06 -0500

High in the Mackenzie Mountains, we spent two nights in the same camp. It was a hard, but necessary, decision to make.

We had been on this adventure less than a few hours when I wrecked my winch. Winding it in without tension quickly formed a bird’s nest of heavy steel cable. Our trailers were also looking a little worse for the wear. Rated to 2,000 pounds, I figured they could take all Canol could throw at them. I was sorely mistaken. Only a few days in and the rubber bins were bending, the axel welds were coming apart and the dump truck-like release in the hitch was completely broken.

We’d need two days at the same camp just to manage these repairs.

Fixing the winch took the better part of the day. I snapped a cheap P.O.S. wrench in the process and almost had to abandon the whole job. I found a workaround and learned a lesson about trying to save money on tools. These tools--or the lack of them--after all, could make or break the trip.

Burning up so much time, we gave the trailers less attention. We shifted some weight, made a few adjustments at the hitch and hoped for the best.

High in this mountain country vegetation was sparse. We passed dwarf willows, which seemed a favorite hideout for ptarmigan and ground squirrel. The upland birds out of season, we settled on the ground dwellers. More than once we stopped the quads, loaded the shotgun, and stalked off into the bush in search of a better dinner.

Funny enough, that old oil pipe that litters the side of the Canol Trail is what made the meal. Two squirrels, scared by the noise of our ATVs, raced into the pipe for cover. I turned to Mike: “Time for an old fashion smoke out!”

In a few minutes I had a small fire burning on one end. Mike camped out on the other with the 12-gauge. We ate those squirrels pan-fried and spit-roasted. It felt like some kind of reward for fixing all our busted and broken gear.

Canol Trail ATV Adventure: High Water and Low Morale

Sarah Smith — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:51:32 -0400

by Michael R. Shea

Day two of our quad travel and we crossed over the territorial border, from the Yukon into the Northwest Territories. A wildlife check station marked the political divide—a small cabin, a few squat trailers and dozens of fuel drums scattered in the yard.

It rained on and off since our plane landed in Whitehorse. Summer hasn’t been this wet in years, said Charlie McLaren, our ride to the trailhead. We woke up our first morning in the bush to what sounded like rain. The sky was gray when we crawled outside the tent, but it wasn’t wet. Peeling back the tent fly we found the source of all that pitter-patter: thousands and thousands of mosquitoes stabbing at the nylon.

We’d cross four deep creeks on this day—the water high and swollen from so much rain. Every crossing seemed a chess match. We looked for the shallowest water, the hardest packed earth, that one good line that would keep the tires rolling. Still, some felt like a gamble, an uncomfortable gamble a long way from home.

Jim’s First Mistake: Charlie had warned us about winch tension. As did an editor at Field & Stream. As did the guys at the Polaris dealer in Whitehorse. But somewhere in the mud bog that was Itsi Creek Bridge, or winching up on of the flooded creek banks, tension was lost and the winch was wound in. Planning our line across the last and widest creek of the day, the creek where I buried his tires as seen in the video, Jim tried the winch and it wasn’t going anywhere. Stuck. The steel cable looked like a baitcaster after a few minutes with a 5-year-old. We pulled. We ran the winch motor. We pulled some more. In the end, we just made it worse.

Mike’s First Mistake: At that last and widest creek, Jim gave his whole quad and trailer a onceover. The ball hitch was loose, so he broke out the tools and tightened it. I gave my rig a kick and called it good. I disconnected trailer and raced down the trail back to the check station. Without the awkward trailer, the Polaris was like a new machine. It easily hit 40, broke well, and banked like the best of them. Rolling back to the creek bank, I went to reconnect my trailer. The ball hitch was gone.

A busted winch and a lost hitch, morale hit an all-time low. We rode up and down the trail and up and down the old grown over airstrip where I raced the bike. Believe it or not, we found the big nut that holds ball to hitch fairly quickly. The ball itself was gone.

“We’ll figure out something,” Jim said. “We have that chain.”

“I feel like such a dumbass …” I mumbled.

We turned around, two guys on one quad, resigned to starting the trip with a bonehead move.

“Stop! Stop!” Jim screamed. “There it is!”

He jumped off the quad. There it was: a shiny hunk of metal in the sandy, golden grass.

“Yaaaaaaaaaaah!” we both screamed, and yelled, and celebrated like wild men. There was a victory dance. Then a victory hug that, perhaps, was a little over zealous. My shoulder hit Jim’s chin and he took a good bite out of the side of his tongue.

My first mistake burned up a few hours. Jim’s first mistake, the winch, remained unresolved. We repacked our rigs and headed down the trail, past the old WWII pump house and a graveyard of 1940s Ford Trucks. The water was high, and thankfully, again, so was morale.

ATV Check-Up: How to Make Sure Your Quad is Running Healthy in 10 Minutes

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:49:54 -0400

ATV Safety Tips

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:24:36 -0400

Trailer Tips for a New ATV Owner

Dave_Maccar — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 15:12:49 -0400

10 Minute Tuneup

fieldandstream-admin — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:48:04 -0400

You’re dressed, have your helmet in your hand, and you’re ready to hit the trails for some fun with your friends. But wait, is your ATV as ready to go as you are? Here’s a quick 10-minute tuneup to make sure your machine is good to go!

1. Tire Pressure

Make sure first that there is actually air in your tires…it’s important, trust us. If you’re riding on a hard-packed trail, then put the recommended air pressure in the tires. If you’re riding on sand or in mud, feel free to let some of the air out and run your tires a little flat. That way they’ll have a bigger footprint on the ground, giving you more traction. Oh, and always have a flat repair kit with you. Always. Seriously, don’t leave home without it.

2. Top Off Oil, Coolant, and Gasoline

Peek inside your gas tank to make sure it’s filled up before you hit the trails. We’ve yet to find a fuel station in the middle of the woods. Also, make sure the engine oil is topped off and the coolant, as well. That way, you don’t have to worry about this stuff when you’re having a good time.

3. Cable Check

Check that the throttle cable and brake cable are snug, not damaged, and aren’t catching on anything when you twist the handlebars from left to right. If they are binding, find the source of the problem before you hit the trails. There’s nothing worse than the throttle cable getting stuck when you’re heading for a tree!

4. Brake Check

Check that the brakes work, both foot and lever. If we need to explain to you why this is important, maybe you shouldn’t be in charge of a moving vehicle.

5. Air Filter Check

Make sure your air filter is free from dirt and debris. One of our staff members opened their airbox to find that a small rodent decided to make a little nest in it. That will definitely affect how your ATV performs. If it’s dirty, clean it. If it’s clean, get out there and ride!

6. Chain Check

If you have a chain-driven ATV, make sure the chain is properly lubed (you can use chain lube or WD-40) and isn’t rusted or catching on anything. If you have a belt-driven ATV, check that the belt is in good shape, hasn’t slipped off its seat, and isn’t cracked or damaged.

7. Wheel Lug check

Wheels on tight? It’s kind of important. Check the lugs.

8. Start It Up

Does your quad start? If it doesn’t, you’ve got some work to do before you’re going anywhere on that trail. If it does…well, stop reading this and get out there!

Synthetic vs. Conventional Oil

fieldandstream-admin — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:44:11 -0400

Are you using the right oil in your ATV?

Oil is often an afterthought for most ATVers, but it can actually make or break your machine. Obviously you wouldn’t run your quad without oil in it (because you wouldn’t make it too far), but should you use synthetic oil, or will conventional oil do the trick?

The basic breakdown is this: Synthetic oils are designed to withstand higher engine temperatures, reduce friction on engine parts, and resist thermal breakdown. Synthetic oils, because they are engineered, are made up of uniformly sized molecules, unlike conventional oil, because it comes from naturally occurring crude oil, which is made up of a collection of varied molecules (and the smaller molecules can evaporate when the engine gets hot). But, synthetic oil can also cost up to three times as much as conventional motor oil. Conventional oils do all of that to a much lesser degree and may contain trace amounts of contaminants. There are arguments for and against each type of oil, but the real catch is cost. If you are willing to pay more for synthetic oil, then your quad is probably better off with it than with conventional oil. But if you are like most ATVers, conventional oil works fine and fits nicely into your budget.

Synthetic Oil

Pros: Fewer contaminants, doesn’t break down or evaporate as easily, works well in extreme hot or cold weather

Cons: Costs up to three times as much as conventional oil, should be used at the beginning of an ATV engine’s life (not on an old engine).

Conventional Oil

Pros: Easy to find, easy on the wallet, gets the job done.

Cons: Contains contaminants, more prone to viscosity breakdown.

As always, you can leave your opinion at the bottom to let us know which side of the great oil debate you fall on.

Goo We Can't Live Without!

fieldandstream-admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:01:51 -0400

Here is a list of the gooey, greasy, lubey stuff we love and use all the time. From sprays to tubs to tubes, these are the things that no ATV garage should be without. What secret weapons do you have in your garage? Let us know what your favorite is!

WD-40

Sprayed liberally on the undercarriage of your machine before a ride, it prevents mud and debris from building up all over your frame rails and under your fenders. Once you’re done riding, give your machine a good cleaning and then spray it down again for yet another one of its good uses: to prevent rust (this works well if you’re riding in snow, too). After washing your quad, use WD-40 liberally to any levers and other metal-to-metal points to help prevent rust and premature wear. Just don’t spray the brake discs and rotors or the seat. We even use the stuff to lube cables by spraying it into the cable housing. It’s also good for lubing chains, because it’s non-sticky and won’t attract dirt.

Lime-A-Way

If you’ve got a raw steel exhaust pipe (or any other part), you know how hard it is to keep clean. Our trick is to use Lime-A-Way to remove rust residue without having to spend hours scrubbing. First apply it with a scouring pad and then follow up with a rag. Be sure to wash all residue away with water after teh rust is removed, and then coat the pipe with WD-40.

Loctite

Any time you are replacing components on your ATV, be sure to spread a little Loctite on the threads of the bolts. This will help keep them from vibrating loose over time. We use it for bolts we want to keep put, but Loctite has different strengths for different uses. Blue Loctite is medium strength and is great for nuts and bolts that you adjust regularly (and you can remove them with handtools after applying blue Loctite). The red Loctite is high strength and good for nuts, bolts, and studs that are prone to loosening (and you may need heat to remove these after applying red Loctite). Green Loctite is extreme strength and is good for nuts and bolts you don’t want to come loose ever again. But, if you do need to remove them, you may eed special tools and heat (so use this stuff carefully!).

Bel-Ray Waterproof Grease

This grease does it all! It keeps water out while lubricating and protecting bears and grease seals. It’s compatible with the other greases you may have used in the past, and it even improves the performance of the old grease. We use it all the time, and we always have a tub in our workshop.

Glass Cleaner

Use it to wet down large graphics and slide them into place. If you’ve ever tried top put a graphics kit on your quad, you know how quickly the graphics take hold. By using glass cleaner as a lubricant, spray the sticky side of the graphics and easily slide them into place before they take hold. When they’re in the right place, squeegee the excess glass cleaner from underneath the graphics with an old credit card.

Pam Cooking Spray

We use this stuff when we’re heading to the mud pits. We spray the underside of the fenders with it, which keeps the mud from sticking. When we’re done mudding, we wash away the mud easily thanks to Pam (plus it smells buttery and delicious).