15 Interesting Facts About ATVs

1. Off road vehicles were first made available in the early 1960s.

2. Some of the first ATVs were 6-wheeled as opposed to the more common 4-wheeleers of today.

3. Originally brake lights were not required on ATVs; it was not until 1998 that they were made a requirement.

4. At slow speeds, an ATVs rear wheels will move in the opposite direction of the front wheels. Thus making it easier for parking and maneuvering.

5. It is illegal to operate ATVs with snorkels for deep-water crossings in Minnesota.

6. The first modern 4-wheeled ATV was released by Suzuki in 1983.

7. The ignition kill switch on ATVS is set by industry standards to be on the left side of the handlebars, but on the right side for snowmobiles.

8. In 1986 Honda released the FourTrax TRX350 4×4 that ushered in the era of popular four-wheel drive ATVs.

9. By the early 90’s people began to realize that ATVs make great work vehicles, and they began to show up on farms and orchards alike.

10. The Honda Rubicon was the first production ATV with built-in GPS.

11. In Israel, ATVs are referred to as “Polaris'” Similarly to how people in the United States call all types of lip balm “Chapstick,” and all types of cotton swaps “Q-Tips.”

12. Honda made the first three-wheeled ATVs in 1970, which were famously portrayed in the James Bond movie, “Diamonds Are Forever”.

13. Engine size on ATVs has little to do with trail damage, but this is what many Natural Resources Departments limit with a view to reducing trail damage.

14. The two largest ATV battery manufacturers, Yuasa and DEKA, have their main United States facilities only 20 miles apart in Pennsylvania.

15. Nearly every youth ATV sold in the US is made in Taiwan or China regardless of brand name.