ATVS have vey powerfull engines with very short wheel bases.  Riders need to have a good understanding of their machine and ride only ATVS that are approved for their own ages and body weights.

Nearly one third of all yearly ATV injuries are from children under the age of 16.  Many of these reported accidents were from children operating ATVS that were not rated for there age .

Some major reasons for accidents were, no helmet, excessive speed, and riding on a paved road, and excessive speed.

Children who are operating ATVS should take proper safety training and always be supervised by an adult.  In today’s busy world it is very easy to turn your child loose on their ATV.  Make sure that your child has the proper ATV accessories for safety.  Their helmets should be DOT Approved.

Other safety factors that should be followed are no tandem riding, no operating  ATVS under the use of alcohol or drugs.

You should be familiar with your owners manual prior to operating your ATV.  You should always do a pre inspection to the machine prior to riding. 

Never ride on trails or terrain that is above your skill level.  Never ride your ATV alone.  If an accident should occur you need to have assistance getting help and administering first aid. 

Always have a riding plan.  Never take off on a ride without letting someone know your time of departure and when you plan on returning.  If you have a cell phone, place it in a dry bag and either stow it in a storage compartment in your ATV or place it in a zippered garment.

Unnecessary accidents can be avoided by following good safety guide lines, riding  on trails that fit your experience level, no improper riding techniques, and never ride alone.  Never let children ride their ATVS un supervised.

Following some simple safety rules along with good training will greatly reduce your risk of accident.

Please check your state laws regarding rider education and liscencing.

There are five major trails available to ride on.  Each trail has a different skill levels, riding terrain and local accomodations.  You can view the different trail information at Explore The Trails.

You can bring your own ATVS and atv accessories, or there are outfitters available that will provide rental machines, lodging, and tours.

You can pick from several different ways to visit the Hatfield and McCoy Trails.  There are Bed and Breakfasts available, hotels and motel, or if you really like roughing it there are different camp sites available.

You must obtain a permit before you are allowed to use the trails.  The permit must be located on your helmet below your goggles.  You will want to make sure your ATV accessories are all accountable for and in good working order before you set out on some of these remote trails.

There are many special rules and regulations regarding the size of your ATV or UTV.  Some trails do not allow UTVS on them so you are going to want to do some planning before you start your riding.

You can get more information at the Visitor Center located at the Little Coal River Trail System.  The Visitor Center was completed in 2008 and is 20 miles South Of Charleston West Virginia.

If you are looking for an exciting vacation this year you may want to start planning a trip to The Hatfield and McCoy Trails.  If your wife or girlfriend needs a new bikini for the trip you may want to visit  Skimpy Little Bikinis. So if your board of going to the beach every summer pack up your ATVS and head to Almost Heaven, West Virginia.

Imagine trying to cross a creek bed or a trail after several days of rain and you get half way through and your ATV comes to a screeching halt.  What are you going to do?  Try to dig it our yourself, or better yet try to push it if you have had an engine stall.  Maybe your halfway up a hill and you accidentally go off the trail.  If you have a winch you can either pull yourself the rest of the way up or let yourself back down.

If your ATV does not have a winch installed from the factory you can easily add an after market winch.  Some important things to consider when purchasing a winch are the size and weight of your ATV, and what other uses you might have for your winch. 

There are many different uses for a winch other than the obvious one.  You may want to pull that trophy buck out of the woods which is at the bottom of a valley or deep in the back country.  Maybe you are going to plow snow with your ATV and you will be using the winch to operate the snow plow.  Perhaps you have a stubborn fence post or tree stump that needs removed.

Whatever your use make sure that you get a winch that has enough pulling power for the weight of your ATV and the utility jobs that you will be performing.  ATV winches range in pulling power from fifteen hundred pounds up to four thousand pounds.  If you are getting an after market winch you may want to consider letting a professional install your winch.  Improper installations can cause permanent damage to your ATV.  Considering the investment you have in your ATV paying for a proper installation may be a very good investment.

Make sure that your ATV  battery is sufficiently sized to the winch that you are installing.  To small of a battery can cause damage to the winch motor and couse premature battery life. 

Other ATV accessories you can add on to your winch are a fairlead.  This piece of equipment will guide your winch cable and protect and guide your winch cable as it is wrapped on the spool.  You can also add a winch kit to your equipment.  This kit will allow you to attach a pulley to an anchor point and give you more pulling power.

Don’t get stuck in a bad situation.  Add a winch to your ATV and never stay stuck again.

Some good resources for ATV winches are Warn Winches, and Gorilla Winches

If you are going to be using your ATV for work you will probably want to purchase some type of utility model. These ATVS are always four stroke motors. Most will have either an automatic or semi automatic transmission.

Utility ATVS are equipped with storage racks,skid plates, trailer hitches, and winches.

There are many ATV accessories that you can add to get work around the farm done. You can haul trailers, plow snow, or add a mower to the back to mow the pasture.

Most utility ATVS will have a drive shaft instead of a chain and sprocket. They will have low range transmissions with reverse and electric start. You may want to consider an ATV with an optional pull start in case your battery ever goes dead.

How about four wheel drive? In very snowy climates four wheel drive is probably a neccessity. If you live in a very hilly terrain or in an area with a lot of mud, four wheel drive may be an option seriously worth considering.

If speed is what you are after you will be looking at the sport or race quads. These machines are much lighter than utility quads and quite a bit faster. There are no utulity racks on sport quads. They have very powerfull two or four stroke engines that can reach speeds in excess of seventy to eighty miles per hour. Sport quads have big suspension capable of taking on the big air jumps and giving the rider a soft landing.

No matter what type of ATV you are looking at you should have a budget in mind. Atv prices can start at around three thousand dollars and reach up to over eight thousand dollars.

Don’t go buy the first ATV you see at a dealer. Really think about where you will be riding and what you main use is going to be.

Think safety first and always wear a helmet and protective clothing.

Have fun on the trails and be safe!!

The ATV market has gotten so big that suppliers such as Summit Racing Equipment and JC Witney are carrying ATV tires, parts and accessories at competitive prices.  A quick search on eBay for ATV tires resulted in 1643 search results.  With competition this big suppliers have no choice but to sell products at very attractive pricing.

Many ATV accessories are needed necessities for long weekend adventures.  Spare gasoline containers, special hitches for trailers, winches for that occasional emergency situation where you thought the hill wasn’t that steep or the mud wasn’t that deep.

Lets not forget all the safety gear required for a safe outing.  Helmets are a must for safe ATV riding, as well as gloves, goggles ,boots, chest protectors, and neck braces.

UTVS have also become quite popular in recent years. UTVS are a cross between an ATV and a small pickup truck.  There are many advantages of running a UTV.  You can carry more people and gear on a UTV.  If you are a fair weather fan you can put on a full enclosure, including a heater and air conditioner.  Some units are equipped with dump beds to automatically dump your firewood, dirt, hay, or whatever else you might be hauling that day.

One disadvantage of the extra size of the UTV is that you may not be allowed on public riding trails.  Access on the public trail system is limited to 50 inches.  Of course private land has no restrictions, so unless you ride on designated public land this may not be an issue when considering a UTV over an ATV.

No matter what type of unit you may be running or considering to purchase, half the fun is adding on all the goodies to make your outdoor riding experience safe and fun.

So do yourself a favor and get a cup of coffee, set down at the computer and start searching for those great deals waiting to be found on the Internet.  Watch for coupons offered by vendors or free shipping on orders over a certain dollar amount.

No matter how you equip your ATV or UTV be safe on the trails and respect the great outdoors.