How To Destroy Your ATV in Six Easy Steps

How To Destroy Your ATV in Six Easy Steps

June 30, 2021 | How To | By: Honda Parts Direct

A rider catching air as they jump am ATV over a dirt mound in the middle of a trailYes, your Honda® ATV is tough. Yes, your Honda ATV is durable. 

Yes, you still need to treat it right to get the best out of it. We may be in the parts business, but we actually want you to maintain your quad properly so every part of it lasts a long, long, time. 

Here’s a list of what NOT to do in terms of the care and feeding of your beloved Honda ATV, from the team at Honda Parts Direct in Palestine, Texas. We ship worldwide and offer free pickup to folks who live nearby in places like Dallas and Houston. After catching up on some tips below, pick up some OEM parts and accessories if you have some overdue maintenance you need to do.

1. Don’t Clean the Air Filter

Engines need air to run, and if they are sucking in gritty dirt particles, your engine will wear down. ATV riding is often a big ol’ dust fest, so clean your air filter regularly, and replace it as needed. This is an easy and cheap part to replace, so there’s no excuse for neglecting this one!

2. Don’t Change the Oil

The more you ride and the rougher you ride, the more chance your oil is contaminated with water, dirt, and debris. Change the oil as often as the manual tells you to. In many cases, this works out to about once per year, but if you ride often, change it more frequently. It’s a great idea to change it before you store your rig for winter, and after riding through deep water or mud. This is another task that’s cheap and easy to DIY (do it yourself) so don’t skimp!

3. Never Check or Tighten Your Bolts

There are lots of bolts that keep your quad together, and you need to check them periodically so the wheels don’t fall off. All the bouncing and jouncing of off-roading can loosen bolts, and the looser they are, the greater the chance that parts and components will flex, crack and be otherwise damaged. Skid plate bolts, wheel hubs, lug nuts, axle nuts, pivot bolts, sprocket bolts -- make it part of your routine to check and tighten everything when you’re doing other maintenance. 

4. Don’t Wash Your Quad

Caked on mud and crud can promote corrosion, so clean it regularly, especially after those big mud parties. Pay special attention to the undercarriage and other hard-to-see, hard-to-access spots.

5. Let the Radiator Get Clogged

A clogged radiator is an excellent shortcut to an overheated engine. Have you been riding through the mud, dirt, or sand? Of course you have, that’s why you’ve got an ATV, right? Well, your radiator is guaranteed to be collecting some sedimentary souvenirs, so wash your radiator. Here’s a rule of thumb: When you hose down a dirty radiator, the water splashes back at you. Keep cleaning until the water flows through instead of splashing back. 

6. Let the Fuel Go Bad

If you don’t ride your quad for a few months, the gas in the tank will start to break down and go bad. Bad fuel will clog the lines and cause poor performance at best, and engine damage at worst. 

Folks, these are simple tasks that don’t take a lot of time, tools, or expertise. Make them part of your riding routine and be that garage or driveway grease monkey whose ATV purrs like a kitten, performs well for years, and commands the highest resale value. We’ve got your parts here at Honda Parts Direct and we’ll ship them anywhere you need them or come pick them up here in Palestine, Texas, about halfway between Dallas and Houston.