The invention of ATVs or All-Terrain Vehicles has contributed a lot to the transportation industry and even to Agriculture here in the USA. These vehicles can travel over almost any kind of terrain or surface and was designed to accommodate up to two or 3 riders. The features are almost the same as the regular motorcycle but has anywhere from three to six wheels attached to it.
The rider sits on and runs the vehicle like a motorcycle and the extra wheels give more stability at slower speeds. Most of the time it is set with three or four wheels, six-wheel models exist for specialized conditions. Engine sizes of ATVs currently for sale in the United States, ranges from 49 to 1000 cc.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) definition of an ATV is a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control. Even though it has smaller size, as the name implies, this vehicle can run a wide variety of terrain compared to other vehicles. ATVs are street-legal in most countries but not all.
It is not legal in some parts of Australia, the United States and Canada. Most of the time, ATVs are associated to some issues about trespassing. The ANSI explains that an ATV is intended for use by a single operator or driver.
The ATV consists of two major models, the utility-type and the sports-type. Of the two types, the utility vehicle is the most common. These are the ones that we usually see on the streets or in the fields. The utility-type has made a heavy impact in the field of agriculture and is widely used there.
Now farmers can survey their land in no time with the use the ATV. Another good thing about it is the shallow footprint into the soil. They can now cover more land in less time. It is also used to cross some places that may not be accessible to most other vehicles or even by foot.
The utility-type machines are usually a good bit larger than the sports type. The sports racing-type ATVs are very popular among hobbyists. These types of machines are mostly used for recreation or fun. Just like regular cars, you can also tune the parts for maximum performance.
They are setup to be lightweight, high power, with good suspension and low center of gravity. This type is considerably smaller in order to improve the performance for racing competition.
Competition for these machines are motocross, wood racing, desert racing, hill climbing, ice racing, speedway, Tourist Trophy, flat track, drag racing and many more.
There were some serious safety issues regarding the usage of ATVs. Most of the safety issues were with the 3-wheel ATVs, thus causing all manufacturers to switch to 4-wheeled models in the late 80s, with 3-wheel models ceasing production in 1987.
Because of rules that were agreed upon between the major manufacturers and the Consumer Product Safety Commission as an outcome of legal battles over safety issues among consumer groups, the manufacturers and CPSC.
The lighter weight of the 3-wheel models made them popular with some expert riders. Cornering is more challenging than with 4-wheeled ATVs because leaning into the turn is even more important. Operators may roll over if extra care is not practiced.
The front end of 3-wheelers has a single wheel, making it lighter, and flipping backwards is a quite possible, especially when climbing hills. Rollovers can also occur when traveling down a very steep incline.
The consent decrees ended in 1997, allowing manufacturers to once again, make and market 3-wheel models, though these models are rarely marketed or seen today. Recently the CPSC has succeeded in finally banning three wheeled ATV’s with attachments to the Congressional bill HR4040.
Many believe this is in response to Chinese manufacturers trying to import three wheeled ATV’s. The Japanese manufacturers also approved this legislation as they have been held responsible for years to provide ATV Safety training and to apply special labels and safety equipment to their ATVs.
Many people believe that we have not seen the best years of the ATVs. Because of the continuous development in technology, we can expect more improvements in terms of ATV production. There are so many things that we need to know about ATVs. If you are interested you could check for additional information here.