Riding ATV in seashore

Riding ATV in seashore in a exhilarating experience. With less than 200 feet straight stretch at home, the long beach is a very inviting sight. Boys Anil and Sunil enjoyed it very much. They are able to practice various tricks which was facilitated by long stretch and soft sand.

Someshwara beach is about 50 km from my home. We had loaded ATV into Omni on the previous day and had started early. Finally we reached there at 0930 and quickly unloaded the ATV.

The sinking factor in sand meant constant high throttle that puts tremendous load on the engine. By the time one rider was back another was ready. We could give little time to cool off though it was in my mind. The refueling period was one time when we really switched off the engine.

The engine tuning by a good friend Mohan from kanthila helped a lot today. The running was very smooth with instant starting at first firing. The engine performed extremely well in spite of heavy use or abuse.

Riding in beach at higher speed meant the sand gets sprayed both on us and the machine. It is okay otherwise but I feel sand being dry abrasive material plays havoc on the transmission chain. Sunil took a sharp turn in his last lap and chain jumped the sprocket. The wear and tear in three and half hours session is just noticeable.

Momentum helps considerably in climbing uphill. Failure to climb inclines will induce rear wheels to start digging and within five seconds they will get half submerged. Putting power in opposite direction early will prevent getting submerged and sometimes had to lifted out.

Toppling over in sand means less chance of broken bones. So we could practice correct way of climbing hills by standing over foot pegs and shifting body weight forward. Boys were wearing bermuda shorts and riding without helmets most of the time. Wearing helmets and long pants are always advisable in safety consideration.

We were thinking of leaving at 1.20 PM being both hungry and tired. Then fuse was blown and we couldn’t pinpoint the problem spot quickly. Consulted local mechanic Isubu on the way back with ATV inside Van. I thought it was push button switch or starter solenoid but actually it turned out to be Fuse. This was first time the fuse letting me know its existence.



 

ATV accident kills 84 year old rider

Handling  ATV  looks  deceptively  simple.  Safe  operation  needs   both  strength  and  effort.  A  84 year  old  man  was  killed yesterday    when  his  ATV  toppled over while taking a turn in   America.  

He was attempting to turn right onto a dirt road when he overshot the road and went off the other side, the Police said. ATV tends to be reluctant to turn in hard surface in absence of differential.  So poor judgment of speed and centrifugal force could be the reason.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090604/ARTICLES/906049909?Title=ATV-accident-kills-Potter-Valley-man

Why this ATV blog ?

We are a big   country  full   of passive sportsmen preferring to watch the game whole day. We do not have adventurous spirit nor tradition.

These ATV machines are unlike all the vehicles that we are familiar with. Handling and safety considerations are much different.   There  are lot of  wrong impression about  ATV.  Some even  imagine even this is true  for everybody.

We  have  to  develop  some  instincts  before  we   safely   operate  these  ATVs. Instincts cannot be sharpened overnight. It takes time and effort. So we have to  work with entry level machines till we become proficient. This 110 cc ATV is the best as far as I can see. When you get some experience you will know more than what I do .

Here  is a very  important meaningful  hazard warning  I copied  from  Internet. 

Avoid riding up the hill at an angle or across it, because this is where it all turns to custard so quickly that, despite what fantastic reactions you think you have to jump off in time, chances are you won’t get the time to even think about it. I’ve seen these things rolled and I can tell you that it is very, very dangerous when they do roll!

I have unconfirmed report that a person of Indian origin died in New Zealand last year after the ATV he was riding toppled over him. Lack of instinct could be one of the reasons of this accident and this could be first Indian fatality with ATV.    http://www.odt.co.nz/news/farming/32630/fatal-farm-accidents-bring-safety-plea

A moment’s inattention on farm ATV proves costly   is   a   expensive   lesson  learnt  by  a  New Zealand  farmer.  
 http://www.country-wide.co.nz/article/10470.html

Whatever information I collect  will be shared  with no selfish  motive  involved.  I will be focusing only on small entry level machines and safety aspects here.  Fancy expensive powerful ATVs  inappropriate for us more suited for work in affluent countries will not be found here.

Safe riding practice

This ATV is designed to carry RIDER only. No passengers please, as this alters the handling characteristics dangerously. The long seat is to allow the rider to shift the position as needed during operation. It is not a design for carrying passenger.

Select a large area, plain land to become familiar with your ATV. Make sure this area is free of obstacles and other riders. You should practice the control of brake, throttle gear shifting and turning techniques in the area before trying more difficult terrain.

Adjust the speed limiter to slow engine speed for safe familiarization of the vehicle. ATV is equipped with three forward gears and correct gear can be engaged as experience gathers on.

We mount on the ATV like we mount on the horse, keeping one leg on the footrest. One of the important rules of driving the ATV is never to put your leg down on the ground at any time.

Even if the ATV is about to be toppled over, it was best to stay with it as putting your leg down would result in it potentially being crushed underneath. But your natural instinct is to put your foot down as soon as it begins to topple over. So we need some understanding and unlearn our two wheeler riding technique.

Proper body movement is very important factor for safe turning of ATV and it can be briefly mentioned as follows :

When turning shift the weight slightly forward and support the weight on the outer footrest. Lean the upper body into the direction of the turn, pressing down on the opposite leg

It is important that when you climbing a hill to make sure that your weight is transferred forward on the ATV, which can be accomplished by leaning forward.

Use proper riding skills to avoid vehicle overturns on the hills. Be sure that you can maneuver your ATV well on the flat ground before attempting any incline and the practice riding first on gentle slopes. Try more difficult climbs only after you have learned more skills.

Throttle control is not by twisting the handlebar but pushing a throttle lever with the right thumb. If released the throttle will return to idle automatically ensured by spring action. Before starting the engine, check the throttle lever make sure it is operating smoothly and return to idle position immediately when released.

To achieve maximum traction while riding off road the two rear wheels are mounted solidly on one axle and turn together at same speed. Therefore, unless the wheel on the inside of the turn is allowed to slip or lose some traction, the ATV will resist turning. A special turning technique must be used to allow the ATV to make turns quickly and easily. It is essential that this skill be learned first at low speed.

In mountainous ghat road in Japan I had observed the fresh flowers recently placed in various sharp turns. Later came to know behind the scene story. Japan never had tradition of big motorcycles. So when Japanese manufacturers made big motor cycles for overseas market, the youngsters from rich families got hold of these powerful motorcycles but they lacked the ability to control them. So lot of fatal accidents did happen.

Most ATVs appear deceptively simple to operate Stability is also impaired by: (1) a short wheelbase, (2) a higher and rearward placed center of gravity, and (3) a possible rigid rear axle.

Many accidents keep happening around the world with ATVs and most of them are caused by negligent riding. They behave much different than either two wheelers or four wheelers that we are familiar with and practice and thereby experience is needed for safe operation