[bighanded]

ok...figure I'll be cranking up the flames here..but it really is a question in earnest.

even the cheaper, old bikes had long been way down on my list of things to spend money on...as badly as I wanted an ATV through the years, it was hard to make it a priority.

Finally allowing myself a well worn, used machine (course then I was hooked and one wasn't enough)..but to the point.. I see guys spend some serious $ on shiney new plastic, and then more $ on mods to make them a mudding beast..and then rush out to the nearest hole and bury the bikes up to the headlights..spinning and slinging for hours.

yes, my machines are utility primarily, but also see light trail ride enjoyment and I appreciate when it's rainy season and I come across some nasty thick mud in my way, that I am able to cross through it..but I'm not looking to double back, and spend an hour spinning around in it to the point where I have to get out and slosh through it with the winch cable.


to each his own..and I will admit I have turned the engine off, sat back on the hill and watched the show more than once as other riders bury their pride n joys. I get it to a point..but I'd much rather just ride the thing and be grateful for it's ability to navigate a foot of water in a creek, or some muddy areas on a trail.

I guess part of my bringing this up is to try and better appreciate/understand the urge as I am about to tell some of my family that my bike is no longer to be a mudder rig..it's not really modified for the abuse and I'm not looking to have it in the shop, when I know that the use I ask it to do will let the bike last for many more years... I want my rigs to be available and fun for the whole family, but I will be restricting the abuse of my old 300 from now on...the cheap chinese quads (2 of them)..the boys basically own them now..it's their to maintain..but my remaining first love...is gonna see cleaner days in the last years.

if I'm being overprotective..ya'll educate me... might be my 26 yr old honda is just fine and happy spinning slightly larger/more aggressive treads through foot deep mud..and I'm just being an old fart. (grin)

Ed

 

[shadetree]

i'm with you Ed, I just dont see the need to fix a good atv, spend countless hours and money on them, then turn right around and burry them in mud and lakes ?!..nope..not worth it to me. my numbers in age has gone up, and my numbers in dollars has gone down in the years..lol.

 

[fishfiles]

It's a way of life ------ you got to live it to understand it !

 

[wheeler]

Been there done that! Built my Brute Force up with a BBK, lift, everything including the kitchen sink. Buried it, towed out, broke lots of stuff! Invested 20k sold it for 6k. I love that my Honda is totally capable of getting thru anything I encounter, but prefer to just trail ride! I built it to handle what ever I come across, but will always look for a way around now!! I’m getting older & have lost the appeal. Don’t get me wrong I like yourself LOVE sitting on sidelines watching them go at er & watch Ostacruiser on YouTube all the time! (He actually only lives around 4-5hrs away!)

 

[wheelsquad]

For me, there is no attraction to it. I always look for a way around. And since I need to coordinate help to work on and maintain my atv's, I also avoid it cause mud exponentially increases the need for that.

For others like fishfiles, they just love it and have a blast with it.

And for others, it's just a matter of necessity and they live in a region that requires you to go through it to get from point A to point B. I have a relative who's hunting camp has a section on a 4 mile trip that has no way around a crazy 200 yd mud pit. I'm just glad I don't hunt in an area that requires extreme mudding.

 

[Riverc]

I don't like the mud and water like I did when younger.On our property I have no way around it,have sloughs and a long bottom to go through.Be glad when it dries up this summer.Tired of washing the rancher

 

[Macarena Man]

I see guys spend some serious $ on shiney new plastic, and then more $ on mods to make them a mudding beast . . . then rush out to the nearest hole and bury the bikes up to the headlights . . . spinning and slinging for hours.

Yes, my machines are utility primarily, but also see light trail ride enjoyment . . . to each his own . . . but I'd much rather just ride the thing and be grateful for it's ability to navigate a foot of water in a creek, or some muddy areas on a trail.

If I'm being overprotective, ya'll educate me . . . might be my 26 yr old Honda is just fine and happy spinning slightly larger/more aggressive treads through foot deep mud . . .

Ed

Agree with you Ed . . . why bury your machine in the mudhole when you can ride around it and see that herd of elk, or what's over the next hill . . .
But, as you mention, "to each his own" . . . emphasis on the word 'own'
:smile

 

[mrbb]

well I see things maybe in a different view than most,a s I see HOW you use a atv, as just a personal hobby deal,
lets face it, we al waste money on things we DON"T need or have to to get by, or most of us sure do
so like with any hobby, you get into it and then the hobby starts to grow as your budget allows, you strat to try and see what and where you can go, and test what you BUILT, against either your own self, or against buddy's and so on.
I personally think there are phases we all go thru as we age
when young and dumb, we TEST things more and we do so with (well most of us that ain't born into $$) we start with lower priced things and TRY and make them better pinching corners and saving and then HAVING FUN, to what we THINK at the time is money well spent on FUN
then as MOST of us age, we go down one of two roads
we either start to have extra money to waste and stay with the toys and they just get bigger or more costly
OR we grow out of breaking stuff and wasting money we don;t have to waste on toys, and try and get our money to go farther
hobbies start to change too or they DON"T again!
I know I can never throw stones at the mud and water guys, as I was once young and dumb and wasted a ton of money on toys to play in the mud(raced bog trucks and jeeps and even played with a monster truck for a while traveling all over the USA to waste money and break stuff LOL)
but I grew out of it I guess, or just the budget stopped having that extra money to waste on things,
I do think most folks again like to test themselves and machine , as kids and some again either stay with doing so, or grow out of it
Budget I think is HUGE determination factor as is what all your buddy's(AKA bad influences) have on you too!
and your skills at building / making things, the more creative you like to BUILD things, the longer you toy IMO!
so, I also say to each there own, enjoy what you like only go around once!

 

[fishfiles]

I fly with Peter Pan while jamming to Dep Leppard and never want to grow up and it is better to burn out than fade away --- like the Johova Witness lady that stopped by enlightened me with , she said " I see you must really like to ride 4 wheelers , you have so many , can I ask how old are you ? How many more weekends can you do what you like to do before you can't do it any more ? "

 

[Macarena Man]

--- like the Jehovah Witness lady that stopped by enlightened me with, she said "I see you must really like to ride 4 wheelers, you have so many, can I ask how old are you ? How many more weekends can you do what you like to do before you can't do it any more ? "

When the J-W's come knocking, we often have a pleasant chat . . . .
Did casually mention to them that "if my Rottweiler bites you, you'll probably need a blood transfusion . . .

As mentioned, we're all different, use our toys for different purposes, and enjoy yourself . . . . ride safe!

 

[mac102004]

I ride mud because I can. I like trails too but there isn't much challenge in that, at least not with our trails.

 

[mrbb]

I ride mud because I can. I like trails too but there isn't much challenge in that, at least not with our trails.

HAHA< Mac I was waiting for you to tell us, how you ride mud as you HAVE to LOL
as I am sure with a lot of tundra and like terrain , mud isn't a option to go around some times !

and ALSO< you do know not everyone rides atv's for a CHALLENGE LOL

some of us, HAHA, like to go for a nice easy SLOW ride to relax too!
older farts maybe like me I guess do that anymore
as getting stuck is far from fun for me anymore, too many things hurt and don't work like they used to,
and I also tend to ride alone too, so turns into more work than fun real fast!
challenges are not why I ride anymore, but sure do see others sowing there pats still and enjoy watching them do it!
way more fun for me to watch others get stuck and wreck things anymore than me doing them! and cheaper too LOL

 

[mac102004]

Well, mud can be pretty hard to avoid here off the main trails, but we do have tons of old railbeds converted into nice trails too. I can appreciate a good casual trail ride, but it seems to me like most guys here that do that just drive on their bike to the nearest coffee shop and stand around in the parking lot talking for an hour. I'd just as soon hop in my truck if that's all I was going to do.

But that's the upside of the Can-am, it's setup for mud but it can do trails just as easily. I've found in the past when you setup a Honda for serious mud they become miserable on the trails. Just my observation.

 

[Goober]

mud is all some folks have.
like riding motorcycles where i live if you wait til it’s not rainy or windy you’ll never ride.

Myself, i used to four wheel powerline trails and lived thru my share if hard stucks and breaks. These days i try to stay on the high side of the mud hole lol.

 

[LedFTed]

I ride mud because I can. I like trails too but there isn't much challenge in that, at least not with our trails.

i dont ride mud.. but, i understand it. it's the challenge,.. to get lost for the moment, and get back out.
i still like to explore, without a road map. i have since 16. 30,000, on the car, the first year. course gas was down back then.. lowest was 19 or 17 cents, a gallon. cigarettes, sometimes 23 cents.
in the late 90's, till early 2000's i would still do it from time to time. ride over to indiana, drive till i got lost, then find my way back. course, i done it in KY many times before. i can still get lost somewhat, here. just takes more time. therefor, over the border....

 

[fishfiles]

For me it is a game and it is a sport , and it is about the equipment , using something you built makes it much more satisfying --- also for me it is not about just hitting the holes blind or going thru water , it is remembering where the bad spots are , watching the bike ahead of you, when possibly cause many are chicken chit followers , 90% of the time they want me to go first , cause they don't pay attention , and it is a game of inches , if it were easy with no dangers or challenges I doubt it would be fun

 

[fishfiles]

This is me when I make it thru a bad hole and the Canny behind me gets hung up , LOL

https://www.facebook.com/514684142353657/videos/591041658043776/?t=18

 

[shadetree]

This is me when I make it thru a bad hole and the Canny behind me gets hung up , LOL

https://www.facebook.com/514684142353657/videos/591041658043776/?t=18

lol. don't get me wrong on this topic fish, if folks like you want to head off into the unknown ?, HAVE AT IT !, to each their own is correct on this. shoot, the way I see it, its folks like this that bring me money for fixing their machines !..lol. myself ?, i'd rather fix my own toys once..and be able to ride instead of working on it after every ride, I dont have extra cash to be tossing away after going into stuff that you and others see fun..lol. again..TO EACH THIER OWN .

 

[ATC4ever]

Lol...I love this post
Yea its to each their own really. I have done some mud back when i was young & on a 3 wheeler which is a lot lighter than any 4 wheeler let alone a current 4x4 one. Now it comes down to break downs & $$$, plus someone being there to tow you out. Black mud, like on hydro lines are killer... no bottom :O

 

[wheeler]

@ mrbb VERY WELL SAID!! Post #8