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1. Ease off the throttle as you approach
the obstacle.
2. Turn the handlebar. At the same
time, shift weight and balance as
you swerve. Use the principles of
leaning, weight shifting, and balanc-
ing — shift your body weight and
the passenger’s body weight to the
inside of the turn.
3. Keep your hand off the brake until
the emergency is over and you’re
back in control.
Crossing Obstacles
Crossing obstacles is risky; avoid it if
possible. Riding over logs, rocks, and
ruts means combining all the active rid-
ing skills into one big motion. Your ATV
will respond differently for different
obstacles (logs, ruts, etc.), but these are
general guidelines for overcoming two-
track (both tires contacting the obstacle at
the same time) obstacles:
ATV-0016
ATV-0026
ATV-0027
1. Stop the ATV.
2. Have the passenger dismount.
3. Keep your speed way down; less
than 5 mph (8 km/h).
4. Approach the obstacle head-on.
5. Come up off the seat.
6. Keep your weight on the footrests.
7. Apply a little throttle when the front
tires make contact with the obstacle.
8. Lean forward and release the throttle
when the front tires clear the obsta-
cle.
9. Keep your body loose to absorb any
shock.
10. If the ATV starts tipping, shift your
body weight to keep it in balance.
To clear a single-track (only one tire con-
tacts) obstacle, follow the same rules
except:
1. Use the ATV’s momentum to clear
the obstacle.
2. Don’t pull up on the handlebar.
3. Don’t apply the throttle.
Driving an ATV and a car have some
similarities; however, there are always
exceptions to the rules. Here are a few
situations that require special attention:
• Reversing
• Skidding or Sliding
• Parking on a Hill
• Stalling on a Hill
• Crossing Water
• Crossing Roads
• Stopping the ATV
• Stopping the Engine
Tips
