After becoming familiar with your machine comes the fun part, getting out on the trails and practicing. The only way you are going to get better and become experienced with your ATV is by riding it in different situations. Never ride on peoples land without permission from the owner. In the beginning do not get to crazy in your riding style, take it easy and learn the ins and outs of your machine. Always ride with experienced riders, as with any other sport, you will learn from others with more experience. Also no matter how confident you feel on an ATV always ride with someone who is familiar with the trails you will be riding on, in other words never ride alone.

There are not many safety steps that you need to follow, but by recognizing a few basic ones, you will be assured of maximum fun and minimum risk. As with anything that you are starting with it takes a little time and patience to become confident enough to handle higher level endeavors.

It is recommended that you take the time to receive some training on proper riding techniques on your ATV, especially if you are a complete beginner. Once you feel that you are ready to hit the trails, get some practice in on different types of trails including mud, sand and rocks.

Riding ATV’s is a blast and you will quickly find many people to go out with and ride and explore new places. ATV’s are steadily becoming more an more popular with no end in sight. Make your riding fun and safe.

Before hopping on to your brand new ATV it is highly suggested that you consider attending an ATV safety training course. Unlike a motorcycle or car, a license is not needed to operate an ATV. Most people will learn to ride an ATV from friends or family members, while overall this is not a bad idea, there could be some important points especially in the safety area that could be left out.

There are many places that offer ATV safety courses, and it is as simple as inquiring at your local ATV dealer to find them. Something that you want to keep in mind though is that not all safety courses have certified teachers. In 1988 the ATV Safety Institute (ASI) was created to educate ATV riders in the safe operation of their all terrain vehicles. This was put into place in hopes of reducing the amount of accidents that happened on a yearly basis. Since the inception of the ASI we have seen a sharp decrease in the number of recreational ATV accidents, so it seems like ASI was a successful operation.

Many dealers including Honda, Yamaha and Artic Cat will offer you the opportunity to attend a ATV safety course for Free. Even if you don’t personally own an ATV but find yourself riding friends or family members you can still take the course for a small fee. Many courses provide the ATV to learn on, but you might inquire before signing up whether they provide the ATV or you need to bring your own.

The ASI course will provide you all of the basics of riding and operating an ATV, and it only takes about half a day to complete the course. Instructors will give you step by step instructions on how to handle different terrains and different environments. You will learn the best safety equipment and how to start and stop your ATV properly. Later on in the course you will learn how to traverse hills and obstacles on a closed course.

ASI safety courses are offered for practically all ages starting as young as 6 years old on up. Show your family that you care by taking the safety course and ensuring all family members involved in riding ATV’s do so also.

The best place to start but unfortunately the last place in peoples mind is your local dealership. Who better to know about people who are looking to trade their old ATV in for a brand new model, than the Honda or Yamaha dealership. Another use for your local dealership is to shop for a ATV that will fit your style, sit on a few, ask some questions before you come to a decision on the type of ATV you want before looking through your classifieds.

After collecting all of the data that you need to make an informed purchase, you can begin your search. Like I said before start with your dealer, local riding clubs or organizations are also a good place to look for people wanting to get rid of their old machine. Check on the Internet for ATV’s for sale, Craigslist is an invaluable resource. In my honest opinion, I would save classifieds to my last choice.

Once you locate an ATV that you are interested in it is important to do a thorough inspection. A quick visual appearance will give you an idea of how the previous owner treated the ATV. Next you will want to dig deeper and unless you are a experienced mechanic, bring in a professional to check it out mechanically. Check out the undercarriage, and frame to make sure there are no cracks or dents in the frame. Check out the handlebars for any loose play in the steering. Inspect the tires, loose wheels could indicate damaged ball joints or worn wheel bearings.

While you are involved in your mechanical check, inspect the owners manual to see if scheduled maintenance has been performed. You will need to ensure that the owner has a free and clear title, and it is a good idea to have a VIN (vehicle Identification Number) inspection done. Make sure you get a bill of sale to protect both seller and buyer.

Always keep in mind that when buying a used ATV you are buying as is. This means that after the purchase is completed that the old owner is not responsible for any problems that might arise. By doing a detailed inspection of the things that I have mentioned in this article you can be more at ease in your purchasing decisions.