ATV Trails; how bad are they?

[woods]

Growing up Dad always brought us on trips with the sleds. I hate snowmobiling but would like to try to do the ATVs to get the family out.

Have the current 700 Twin Sportsman, kiddo is growing out of his electric ride, and wife would like to get into something.

Was going to look at some used Touring ATVs for kiddo and I while the wife rides the 700 Twin.

My buddy says no way. The trails are absolutely nuts with the SXS slamming sideways at 70+. Says no way he'd put his family at risk like that. Are they really that bad on public trail systems?

 

[Weasel]

Here yes they are that bad. I'm always on edge riding my dirk bike on ATV trails and even on the general gravel roads.

Lots of RG's when they get behind the wheel. In the Jeep I'm not so worried as there is more mass.

 

[woods]

When I was still in Alaska I took off work on a Tuesday so I could hit the public trails by myself on my YZ250 and not be bothered by traffic. I hit a Polaris 6x6 head on going about 30 and split my face open in a few places, fucked up my knee and my wrist, and got knocked out. Had to get stitches and I still can't do pushups without my wrist being in pain, that was in September of 19. What a SxS was doing on a trail that was basically wide single track, I have no idea. I had to limp my bike back with bent bars 4 miles back to my truck, get some guys to load it for me, then drive to the ER. That day sucked and I miss riding. I don't think my wrist could handle it anymore, but maybe one day.

I had a couple other close encounters on this trail system. One a little girl maybe 12 or so ripped around a corner and almost hit me and flipped her little quad on top of herself and I had to lift it off her. Another one was a girl about the same age rounding a hill with her dad on his quad behind her, narrow miss on that one.

Be extremely careful in woods trails with blind turns, but out in the wide open areas you're good. SxS's are scary with how they haul ass everywhere and it would be like getting hit by a car.

Public trails are awesome, but be careful. Teach the little ones how to ride and brake and look out for others so they don't get hurt. Weekends and holidays like july 4th and memorial day will always be insane. Go during the week if you can swing it

And for the love of god make your daughter wear a helmet, chest protector, and riding boots. You and the wife should too. If I didn't have a helmet on I would be dead, if I didnt have knee/shin guards my knee would've exploded, and without boots I would've probably snapped my ankle or shin. The old couple that hit me said I was all tangled up like a pretzel in my bike

oof. This is this shit I hate reading about.

My boy wouldn't be riding alone on the major trails on his own. On our property its really wooded so he'd be romping there. Few local places have sandpits and whatnot to mess around on. That sort of thing. On the major public places, he'd be with me on a touring setup. Wife on the 700 Twin. I just don't want to endanger them too much. There's always danger in everything, but people make it sound like this is freaking scary.

But yea, you're one of dozens of people telling me about the SxS's. I guess it really is that bad. Just sucks because I really want to take the family out and do stuff. I freaking love tearing it up on my property on my Sportsman. Kiddo would run laps all day long on his if it didn't die every 20m.

In the same vein, I called a handful of powersports places. None had any in stock. All sold out. I guess there's used, but the prices there are above the new ones.

Everything sucks right now.

 

[BUCKLAND]

2009 was the last time I had a VASA permit in Vermont. Rode Woodford, Fairlee and Brownington with my wife or friends. We were more about going cruising or technical, hold my beer, betcha can't make it up that riding. Didn't see anyone out of control on the trails.

My boy will be old enough to legally ride his atv and snowmobile in VT next year so we might look into joining Jack Pines Pirates in Readsboro. We ride at home alot, but it would be nice to change it up. I would take point, my son behind me and my wife behind him.

 

[Roc Doc]

It used to be you had to build a rockcrawler, or a dune buggy, but as we all know any mouthbreather with a credit card can go buy a 100mph SxS, there's something about the learning curve when you're building it that you don't get with an outright purchase. Reminds me of when the Japanese started making really high power street bikes like the Yamaha V-Max or GSXR's, the salvage yards were full of those things all wadded up with 100-200 miles on the odo. Some Asian tourists sky'd a RZR out at Dumont a while back and they figure they had over 70' of air under 'em before the crash, just drove full send over a blind razorback. Darwin and all that.

 

[FrankenToy]

I used to ride a trail system here in CO called Rampart Range. Originally it was listed as a single track, less than 40" trail system specifically intended for dirt bikes only. It was a hoot. Then CO mandated OHV fees. To get more OHV fees almost every mile of the trail has been widened, flattened and basically made into a ball bearing covered sidewalk to accommodate every fat doucher who thinks they should sit at the cool kids table now. Trail system is now clogged with SxS' and quads operated by those who don't pay attention or sightseeing or are drunk or high. This year is the first year in over 30 years I didn't ride there. Typically, I would ride on a Wednesday and I would see MAYBE one other rider until the last few years when it became more like a seniors mall walk (I like to go as fast as I can). It may more dangerous but I never had any real issues (expect the unexpected) it's just not worth the drive time anymore.

 

[Ebs]

I try to stick to the tight single track trails on my dirt bike. They're more fun anyway, but no 4 wheeled traffic is a big part of it too.

I'm on a big state oriented facebook motorcycle trail rider group page. I have to resist being critical of the guys who ride around with chainsaws and clear every log across the trail and talk of grooming the trails flat as a good thing. Heaven forbid if it doesn't feel like a highway when you go off-roading.

 

[IowaOffRoad]

Every time I read something somewhere about how the trails are going to shit everywhere I read the same things. Full-sizes are ruining the jeep trails. SxS's are ruining the quad trails, SxS's are ruining the Jeep trails, ATV's are ruining the hiking, New J-whatevers are ruining the OHV trails...

The thru line is dumb-ass human beings. SxS' are a problem because it's too easy to aquire one and get to the fun places with no knowledge or skill. Same with the new J-whatevs. Probably be the same with the new Bronco. The reason why all are a menace is they are bigger, faster, more powerful than the rigs they are sharing the trail with, and the owners didn't have to pay their dues to get something like that, usually. There are great folks driving the new stuff, there are douche nozzles that run the old/small stuff.

To OP: Join a club that has policies against hooliganism. Go on runs with said club. You will surround yourself with people doing it right and that may offer a form of protection. Safety in numbers. I've noticed it also shames the shit-bags a little.

To everyone else: We need to reach out to the trail-tards, even if they are mouthy and dumb. Eventually, they will get everything closed for us and we'll have less options in the future for OUR good, clean, hooliganism

 

[Chicken Corners]

I used to ride a trail system here in CO called Rampart Range. Originally it was listed as a single track, less than 40" trail system specifically intended for dirt bikes only. It was a hoot. Then CO mandated OHV fees. To get more OHV fees almost every mile of the trail has been widened, flattened and basically made into a ball bearing covered sidewalk to accommodate every fat doucher who thinks they should sit at the cool kids table now. Trail system is now clogged with SxS' and quads operated by those who don't pay attention or sightseeing or are drunk or high. This year is the first year in over 30 years I didn't ride there. Typically, I would ride on a Wednesday and I would see MAYBE one other rider until the last few years when it became more like a seniors mall walk (I like to go as fast as I can). It may more dangerous but I never had any real issues (expect the unexpected) it's just not worth the drive time anymore.

That’s a shame, I road there in the mid 80s. Loved it.

 

[TrikeKid]

I've only had one had one head on collision in the 10-12 years I rode public land regularly, and it wasn't anything to do with anyone being careless, we met in the middle of a blind corner. If you ride like there might be some dipshit hauling ass at you around the next corner you'll be fine, keep your headlight(s) on and wear your gear. All powersports come with some risk, gotta decide what your'e comfortable with.

At this rate, with how big/fast just the utility quads have gotten I have zero interest in taking my kid and his 50 out where I rode when I was first starting out, especially with the huge boom in bike/quad ownership last year. I hope I never meet one of those 50" wide "trail legal" SxS's in a bad way too, 1500 pounds as wide as the trail might as well be a fucking truck if it hits someone on a bike. I just got another bike to get back in the woods, so I can't speak to current conditions other than that I'll be doing as I always have and only touching quad trails to get to the singletrack.