Ok All You ATV Experts

[Lawdwaz]

12 hours ago, moog5050 said:

Why cam straps?  They just never seem as secure to me.

I think that just the fact that they are simpler than the ratchet type makes them LESS likely to fail for any reason??  Probably neither type will ever shiet in the hay.............

Heck, I have just as much or more confidence in tying a wheeler (or darn near anything) with a good rope or two. 

[nyslowhand]

9 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

Just a heads up while a group is gathered , check your homeowners policy to make sure you are covered if it gets stolen from your house . I had a dirtbike stolen from me when i was a kid and homeowners didn't cover it . I can't remember the wording but it cleared the insurance company from covering it .

Yeah, IRC most homeowner's &/or theft or property damage types of insurance on your hunting property exclude an ATV. Also (IRC) if your ATV & trailer are connected to your vehicle and anything happens, it goes onto your auto insurance claim. Another little quirk in ATV regulations &/or licensing, is if your ATV is trailered & on a public highway, it is suppose to be licensed. Anyone know if this is correct. Obviously, not every ATV is licensed if it never leaves private property.

[Doc]

I have a question related to the original post, regarding ATV engine size. Has anyone ever been able to get all of the horsepower out of their ATV. What I have found is that the wheels will slip before the engine is ever seriously being over-taxed. So, it makes me wonder if it really makes any sense to buy these ATVs with the huge engines. Is it money well spent or value that will ever be actually realized in performance. My experience involves plowing a 1000' driveway, so I get plenty of hours of real work for the little critters. The Yamaha 400 seems to have more guts than traction but still does the job well for me. I'm Just curious as to what people think about the usefulness of the ever-increasing engine sizes. Do you ever find jobs that can really use the extra power? Perhaps in the area of food plotting you all have found situations where you can get more useful power out of these bigger vehicles.

[G-Man]

13 minutes ago, Doc said:

I have a question related to the original post, regarding ATV engine size. Has anyone ever been able to get all of the horsepower out of their ATV. What I have found is that the wheels will slip before the engine is ever seriously being over-taxed. So, it makes me wonder if it really makes any sense to buy these ATVs with the huge engines. Is it money well spent or value that will ever be actually realized in performance. My experience involves plowing a 1000' driveway, so I get plenty of hours of real work for the little critters. The Yamaha 400 seems to have more guts than traction but still does the job well for me. I'm Just curious as to what people think about the usefulness of the ever-increasing engine sizes. Do you ever find jobs that can really use the extra power? Perhaps in the area of food plotting you all have found situations where you can get more useful power out of these bigger vehicles.

imo big motors are a waste. who cares if you can do 100mph where you gonna do that? yes they are to light and lose traction so all you do is burn rubber off the tires. 400 or 500cc is plenty big enough imo

[moog5050]

49 minutes ago, Doc said:

I have a question related to the original post, regarding ATV engine size. Has anyone ever been able to get all of the horsepower out of their ATV. What I have found is that the wheels will slip before the engine is ever seriously being over-taxed. So, it makes me wonder if it really makes any sense to buy these ATVs with the huge engines. Is it money well spent or value that will ever be actually realized in performance. My experience involves plowing a 1000' driveway, so I get plenty of hours of real work for the little critters. The Yamaha 400 seems to have more guts than traction but still does the job well for me. I'm Just curious as to what people think about the usefulness of the ever-increasing engine sizes. Do you ever find jobs that can really use the extra power? Perhaps in the area of food plotting you all have found situations where you can get more useful power out of these bigger vehicles.

I can tell you already ripping around 2 up on the trails the other night, I will not regret having more power.  Both a Kia and vette will get you to the same place, but a different ride for sure.  

[Adkhunter1590]

I have a question related to the original post, regarding ATV engine size. Has anyone ever been able to get all of the horsepower out of their ATV. What I have found is that the wheels will slip before the engine is ever seriously being over-taxed. So, it makes me wonder if it really makes any sense to buy these ATVs with the huge engines. Is it money well spent or value that will ever be actually realized in performance. My experience involves plowing a 1000' driveway, so I get plenty of hours of real work for the little critters. The Yamaha 400 seems to have more guts than traction but still does the job well for me. I'm Just curious as to what people think about the usefulness of the ever-increasing engine sizes. Do you ever find jobs that can really use the extra power? Perhaps in the area of food plotting you all have found situations where you can get more useful power out of these bigger vehicles.

The big bores weigh quite a bit more but you’ll still get tire spin regardless. Stock tires on almost every machine out there are junk. Low tread depth and thin ply makes them spin like crazy and get holes very easy. Upgrade to some taller tread tires and you’ll gain a lot of traction that’s useful for those big engines. I think the 1000s are a bit much for the type of terrain we have in NY. If you were out West with more open spaces then ya I can see where a 1000 would fit the bill.

My 750 has plenty of power, it will flip you right over backwards if you just stab the throttle. But it makes most of its power down low to mid range which is more useful for work or trail riding. Most 1000s I’ve ridden make more power higher up which serves no purpose for me. All that power is good for some things though. Get a little deeper in the mud than you planned on? That’s alright, whack that throttle and it gets those tires spinning to pull you out. Big tree in the trail? Whack the throttle and lift the front end up and over with ease. I’ve pulled some heavy stuff and the power helps to some degree, but the machine only weighs so much so there’s a limit as to what you can truly pull before losing traction all together.

My 750 had plenty of power to pull a Polaris 1000 sportsman back to the truck🤣.

[WNYBuckHunter]

3 hours ago, Doc said:

I have a question related to the original post, regarding ATV engine size. Has anyone ever been able to get all of the horsepower out of their ATV. What I have found is that the wheels will slip before the engine is ever seriously being over-taxed. So, it makes me wonder if it really makes any sense to buy these ATVs with the huge engines. Is it money well spent or value that will ever be actually realized in performance. My experience involves plowing a 1000' driveway, so I get plenty of hours of real work for the little critters. The Yamaha 400 seems to have more guts than traction but still does the job well for me. I'm Just curious as to what people think about the usefulness of the ever-increasing engine sizes. Do you ever find jobs that can really use the extra power? Perhaps in the area of food plotting you all have found situations where you can get more useful power out of these bigger vehicles.

Mine has a diff lock, engage that and put it in low and you can put all of the power to the ground. Thats how I run it when Im pulling larger implements, like a spring harrow or something like that. Its all about throttle control. Peak torque comes on at relatively low RPMs anyway, so just mashing the gas isnt how you put the full potential power to use.

[Nomad]

16 hours ago, Jeremy K said:

Just a heads up while a group is gathered , check your homeowners policy to make sure you are covered if it gets stolen from your house . I had a dirtbike stolen from me when i was a kid and homeowners didn't cover it . I can't remember the wording but it cleared the insurance company from covering it .

Homerowners , sucks for ancillary Items . I asked about bumping up my jewelry coverage, most I could do  was 5K without an expensive appraisal for,each piece, then coverage still won’t cover damage,or mysterious  disappearance , just the old fire/theft . 

 

[Doc]

29 minutes ago, Stay at home Nomad said:

Homerowners , sucks for ancillary Items . I asked about bumping up my jewelry coverage, most I could do  was 5K without an expensive appraisal for,each piece, then coverage still won’t cover damage,or mysterious  disappearance , just the old fire/theft . 

 

I did check, and I had to get separate insurance. Basically, if the barn burned down and the ATV was inside, it was not covered until I got separate insurance.

[dbHunterNY]

44 minutes ago, Stay at home Nomad said:

Homerowners , sucks for ancillary Items . I asked about bumping up my jewelry coverage, most I could do  was 5K without an expensive appraisal for,each piece, then coverage still won’t cover damage,or mysterious  disappearance , just the old fire/theft . 

 

i bought my wife's wedding ring set out of the country. i had to get an appraisal and it added to the policy separately. cost of an equal replacement here would sink me if i didn't have insurance.

appraisal and added cost of insurance wasn't that bad.

Edited July 13, 2018 by dbHunterNY

[dbHunterNY]

i don't remember a lot of what we have is covered under the farm because it's for farm use.  either that or it isn't covered. i do know that added insurance for my sled was ridiculous and i passed on it.

[moog5050]

If you tow you should have ATV coverage that includes not only damage/theft of your ATV, but property damage and liability.  If it flew off the trailer into traffic (among other things), your auto is not likely providing coverage.  Its worth it for peace of mind.

[Nomad]

1 hour ago, dbHunterNY said:

i bought my wife's wedding ring set out of the country. i had to get an appraisal and it added to the policy separately. cost of an equal replacement here would sink me if i didn't have insurance.

appraisal and added cost of insurance wasn't that bad.

I agree with insurance, you should look at Jewelers Mutual . Most home owners don’t cover , loss ,damage or  mysterious disappearance. In other words your wife spends sometime working outside, in the garden and yard ,later while washing up she notices stone is gone .  Or she removes it before doing the work, only to come inside and can’t find it , theft ? Cat knock it down drain ? How about losing it while say waterskiing. ? Most home owners your sol ,not with Jewelers Mutual . 

Im sure you have the prongs checked every few years , but these things do happen .

Anothervthing to consider is once you file a claim under your homeowners for say a 50K ring, what do,you think will happen to,your policy ?  It’s going to go up at the very least .

OK back to atvs......

Edited July 13, 2018 by Stay at home Nomad

[nyslowhand]

Size does NOT always matter...! Yeah, still talking about ATVs. It's not necessarily about the CCs, it's a combo of engine size, torque produced, tire patterns, what you expect from your ATV and budget restraints. Don't believe there are many ATVs available that will "do it all", for every situation w/o breaking the bank. Kia-esque ATVs have a set functionality determined by the mfger, as do the BWM/Vette-esque models. Choose your poison!?!

[moog5050]

What a joy doing work at the property this morning.   Cleared trails and started some stand work.  No long walks, no hauling in chainsaw and other equipment.  Drive right up, clear or jump in stand and move on.  Got more work done in 2hrs than I often would in 4 or more and I don’t feel it a bit.  Good investment based on first work day using her.   Took ADK suggestion and grabbed a  polar utility cart to tow behind so that I can haul whatever is needed.   Great combo.  

[Adkhunter1590]

What a joy doing work at the property this morning.   Cleared trails and started some stand work.  No long walks, no hauling in chainsaw and other equipment.  Drive right up, clear or jump in stand and move on.  Got more work done in 2hrs than I often would in 4 or more and I don’t feel it a bit.  Good investment based on first work day using her.   Took ADK suggestion and grabbed a  polar utility cart to tow behind so that I can haul whatever is needed.   Great combo.  

I knew you’d like a good trailer! I use mine like crazy with my atv. Makes it much more capable. It’s nice being able to carry a bunch of tools and gear all at one time without running back to the truck multiple times to grab more stuff. Glad your liking your new ride! Keep us updated on how it runs for you.

[nyslowhand]

First time you load a deer onto your new ATV & dump trailer, you'll wonder how you ever did w/o them! As you'll find out (hopefully!) there's a technique to putting a decent sized deer onto a dump cart and getting it latched for transporting. I used to relocate ladder stands with my ATV & trailer/cart. Convenient, fer sure!!!

[fasteddie]

It costs me $12.50 for plates and $75 for ATV insurance each year for my Honda Forman 420 . The only thing that bothers me about the plates is that it is still illegal to run it along the side of the road . 

[nyslowhand]

You should call Czar Andy and demand a refund on the gas tax that supposedly is used to maintain highways that you pay every time you put gas in your ATV. Oops, forgot I also pay that tax when I'm mowing my lawn, fire-up my chainsaw, etc... Thing that irks me is the snowmobiles that seem to be allowed along roads and even crossing them w/o a lot of tickets issued or eyebrows raised. Admire those that play in the cold & snow, but you'll have to admit there seems to be different rules for sleds vs ATVs.

[WNYBuckHunter]

On 7/21/2018 at 9:40 AM, fasteddie said:

It costs me $12.50 for plates and $75 for ATV insurance each year for my Honda Forman 420 . The only thing that bothers me about the plates is that it is still illegal to run it along the side of the road . 

Thats what I love about my side by side. No registration or plates, and I can slap an orange triangle on the back and drive it right down the road like a tractor.

[Steuben Jerry]

20 minutes ago, WNYBuckHunter said:

Thats what I love about my side by side. No registration or plates, and I can slap an orange triangle on the back and drive it right down the road like a tractor.

I did not know that! I thought they'd be handled just like an ATV.

[WNYBuckHunter]

10 minutes ago, Steuben Jerry said:

I did not know that! I thought they'd be handled just like an ATV.

Nope, NY has not classified them as ATVs. It all has to do with how much they weigh.

[moog5050]

As a quick update, I found this tie down system to be extremely sturdy, easy to install, quick on and off and cheap.  I only have a rear wheel set installed and the ATV will not move.  I plan on installing a set for the front as added insurance but I don't think its needed.  Just an FYI for anyone looking.

https://www.amazon.com/Erickson-09160-Wheel-Chock-Tie-Down/dp/B015CJICIK/ref=sr_1_1/145-6611418-4002430?ie=UTF8&qid=1532609155&sr=8-1&keywords=erickson+tie+downs

Edited July 26, 2018 by moog5050

[Moho81]

As a quick update, I found this tie down system to be extremely sturdy, easy to install, quick on and off and cheap.  I only have a rear wheel set installed and the ATV will not move.  I plan on installing a set for the front as added insurance but I don't think its needed.  Just an FYI for anyone looking.
https://www.amazon.com/Erickson-09160-Wheel-Chock-Tie-Down/dp/B015CJICIK/ref=sr_1_1/145-6611418-4002430?ie=UTF8&qid=1532609155&sr=8-1&keywords=erickson+tie+downs

The used landscape trailer I picked up had one of those installed on it. The guy couldn’t say enough good things about it. He only used one and said the zero turn never moved on him. I’m going to reuse it for my ATV just have to reposition it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[moog5050]

11 minutes ago, Moho81 said:

The used landscape trailer I picked up had one of those installed on it. The guy couldn’t say enough good things about it. He only used one and said the zero turn never moved on him. I’m going to reuse it for my ATV just have to reposition it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have taken the trailer in the fields over some bumpy ground.  The straps do not come loose.  Its a great simple system.  I was planning on ordering the mighty tite, but see no reason after using these.  Worth repositioning.