Owning an ATV is fun, and there isn't much more fun than riding your ATV out on the trails and by-ways with your friends. However, like any machine, an ATV must be maintained and this must be done on a regular basis.
First of all, read your owner's manual. It's not rocket science and most ATVs are designed closely alike as far as mechanical structure, but there are certain nuances to every maker you must know in order to maintain your ATV in the best way possible.
Make yourself a maintenance schedule you can adhere to. No point in making a schedule you can't keep. If you can only give your ATV a good going over once a month. Do it. Simple as that.
A good rule of thumb for doing some light maintenance on your ATV is to simply look it over and eyeball your ATV's exterior. Look for cracks and other wear. Check your tires and make sure they have good tread. You want to make sure you always have a good grip on the ground when you ride.
Next look at your drive chain and make sure it's moving smoothly. Drive chains do wear down with use and need to be adjusted on occasion. Check your battery and clean any corrosion off the cable connections. Make sure your spark plugs are in working order and then look over your brakes. Is your braking system showing any wear? Address it if it is, you definitely don't want to be tooling along in your ATV and realize your brakes aren't grabbing.
Tighten any screws or bolts on your ATV. This is one maintenance item many people over look but losing that one little bolt or screw because it vibrated loose, can turn into a many hundreds of dollars problem that could have been prevented.
A good maintenance schedule for your ATV will give your machine years of extra life and insure a safe ride everytime for you!
