4 Tips For Learning to Ride Your ATV

Hitting the road or trails in your new ATV is certainly exciting, and it can be easy to want to rush out and get going. To make sure that you remain safe and get the most out of your riding experience, though, there are a few ways you'll want to prepare yourself before you get started with any real riding. To learn more, come see us in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and we also serve Tulsa and Edmond, Oklahoma.

1. Get to Know Your ATV

Before you hop on your vehicle and start trusting it with your safety, it's always wise to get to know it first. A good way to start is by going over the owner's manual, as you'll want to have an understanding of how all of the parts work and where every key component is located. Take the time to sit on it, and get a feel for where everything is from the point of view you'll have when riding. 

2. Get the Posture Right

Riding ATVs properly and safely requires a certain type of posture that you'll want to become comfortable with. You'll want to have your head and eyes up and looking forward and keep your shoulders relaxed. Your elbows should be bent and slightly away from your body, and you'll want to have both hands on the handlebars, grasping them firmly. Keep your feet on the footrests with your toes pointing forward, and tuck your knees inward. 

3. Practice the Basics

It won't be the most fun, but before you hit the trail, you should practice by driving forward in a straight line in an open area. This will give you the opportunity to master safely accelerating and braking. Once you've got that down, start adding easy turns to your practice area, until you feel comfortable with them as well.

4. Learn to Navigate Inclines

When you're out on your ATV off-roading and riding trails, there are certainly going to be some hills and other inclines, so you'll need to know how to manage them safely and properly. To do so, shift your vehicle into a lower gear and gain some speed, and when you're going up, either shift your body slightly forward or stand up, as this will add more weight to the front wheels. This should let you achieve and maintain the momentum to get you up the incline.

Remember, once you know how to operate your ATV safely and effectively, you'll be able to go enjoy the real riding as often as you want. For more info, come see us at Maxey's Motorsports in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, also serving Tulsa and Edmond.