Do You Know the History of the ATV? I Was Surprised

ATVs are becoming popular in the transportation industry today. The acronym ATV stands for All-Terrain Vehicle. As the name suggests, they are intended for off-road use on trails and can take you on adventures far away from home and the road. These types of vehicles are designed for interactive riding. Drivers must be able to shift their weight  freely in all directions, depending on the situation and type of terrain.

 ATVs are more popular for trail riding, hunting, farming and other recreational uses. Some  define them as the modern, mechanized horses that offer a new brand of adventure and the ability to go places that are difficult for even horses.

The most common type of ATV sold is the utility type. These are the traditional type which are widely used on and off the road. The other type, the sports-type, is much more popular to hobbyists. Many use them to race or compete with other ATV owners.

Just like the regular cars, sports-type owners can modify and customize some ATV parts for added performance. Some examples of ATV races and competition are ATV motocross, wood racing, desert racing, hill climbing, ice racing, speedway, Tourist Trophy, flat track, drag racing and many more.

The advent of the modern ATV started as early as the year 1983. The main idea was adopted from its earlier version called the "Quadracycle". The company Royal Enfield started making improvements on the simple versions of non-powered Quadracycles which also resemble  the modern design of quad-bike.

During the 1960s, many manufacturers followed by producing the same off-road vehicles that has the capability of crossing swamps, ponds and also can travel on dry and rough surfaces. The body was made of hard plastic or fiber glass and had six-wheels of which all were driven, and all with low pressure (approx. 3 PSI).

Instead of having the typical motorcycle-type handle bars, they were equipped with steering wheels or a control stick. The production of these vehicles was prominent in America.

It became famous with American and Canadian hunters and for some who enjoyed doing fun trail rides. After several years the Japanese auto manufacturers took over with the development of the ATV and started developing three and four-wheeled versions.

One of the largest innovators of the three and four-wheeled ATVs was Honda. They led the revolution of the modern day design we are now familiar with. The company introduced their first three-wheeled ATV, the ATC90, which was used in several famous hollywood movies, like James Bond: Diamonds are Forever as an example.

 The design of the ATC90 was patterned from earlier versions of the ATVs that had large balloon tires instead of having tires with mechanical suspension. During the early 1980s, mechanical suspension and lower-profile tires for the ATVs was introduced.

Honda again led the innovation by releasing the Honda ATC200E known as Big Red. It was equipped with both suspension and racks making it the first three-wheeled utility ATV. Many companies followed, except Suzuki. Since Honda was able to established their name brand on the industry many competitors had a very difficult time selling their own ATVs.

While Honda was leading in the industry for producing three-wheeled ATVs, Suzuki tried to find their own way into the industry and did so by introducing the development of four-wheeled ATVs by releasing the QuadRunner LT125. 

This was intended as a recreational machine for beginners. Many companies realized that the four-wheeler was starting to get a lot of attention in the market so most of them built their own models to compete in the market, including Honda.

The industry has grown to large proportions, many companies have joined the competition and are developing new features for the machines. The ATVs are really helpful, especially with oil prices going up, we can say that they are highly economical. Many states and countries have regulations concerning the usage of ATVs and hopefully most purchasers will abide by the rules. For more information about ATVs, you could check here.

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