Mud Riding With Your ATV

Mud Riding With Your ATV
By Chris Station

Mud riding may be one of the most challenging kinds of riding on an ATV, and it sure can be a lot of fun. Even so, there is more to mud riding than going out there and giving it lots of gas. Now you might think that mud riding doesn't require a lot of finesse, but there is a certain technique you have to use if you don't want to constantly just get mired down in mud.

Some kinds of ATVs are better for getting through deep mud than others. Speed is required although you don't want to hit a mud hole too quickly. If the mud hole isn't too extended you may just be able to give it lots of gas and hope that your momentum will slide you through. Where the hole is deeper or longer you can try to keep one tire on solid ground so your ATV can get some traction. Or if the mud hole is narrow enough, you can even try to straddle the rut or at least keep one side out of the mud at all times. But if the rut is too deep your quad may become unbalanced and dump over.

Some riders like to stand on the pegs when going into a mud hole so they can respond more quickly to the uneven terrain. The danger in this is that if your quad gets stuck in the mud abruptly, you may get tossed over the handlebars.

You will probably be more in control if you are balanced and comfortable. For some riders this might be standing, for others sitting or crouching just above the seat. Remember, you may hit tree roots or rocks that are hidden in that mud pit, or your quad may go from almost a complete standstill in the mud to suddenly getting traction while you have the throttle wide open. You want to be able to be in control in any situation.

An almost automatic reaction is to rev the motor once the quad starts to lose traction. When the mud is flying and you aren't getting traction, giving it more gas is usually not the best way to get going again. The more stuck you are the more this applies. Try twisting the throttle slowly to gradually add power so your wheels can get traction by gripping rather than by spinning faster. You can actually dig yourself in deeper if you spin your wheels too much, too quickly.

When you get into deep mud, try to shift your body to put extra weight where you are more likely to get some traction. For two wheel drive quads it works best to keep more weight on the back end as well as to shift your weight from side to side so at least one tire will be able to grab. As you might expect four wheel drive quads are a lot better in mud. Outfitting your ATV with tires with a deeper tread will also help when mud riding whether your quad has four wheel drive or just two wheel drive.

Of course to be able to do any mud riding you'll need to be able to transport your ATV to the trail or track. Check out this website at http://www.aluminumloadingramp.org to have a look at the best ATV loading ramps on the market.

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