ATV rock crawling can be one of the most rewarding off-road experiences becuase it’s a true challenge that takes skill, courage and driver confidence. When you conquer a tough climb and look down the hill at your work, you’ll be proud and excited to find more the next rock crawls. Here are some tips for ATV rock crawling.
Believe it or not, just about any ATV will work for ATV rock crawling, and you might in fact be better off on a quad that isn’t a big bore because an easy, smooth application of the throttle just above idle — where small engine excel over some super-powerful ATVs — is more important than horsepower.
Engine braking is also a nice feature to have to help slow the machine on steep downhills (what goes up must come down!). Ground clearance is important, too, so the machine can “crawl” over obstacles without getting hung up on floor boards, skid plates or A-arms that will upset the chassis and could cause the ATV to tip. An ATV with a long wheelbase will work well because they’re less likely to roll backward when facing uphill.
A skilled riding technique is an important tool of ATV rock crawling. You’ll need to be mobile on the machine, using your body as counterweight as you climb and descend obstacles. You might need to put both feet on one running board and lean forward as you crawl up and over a tall rock.
Momentum is key to help a machine crawl over obstacles, too, because trying to climb a 12-inch tall “shelf” from a dead stop is much more taxing on the machine, plus it might not even make it up. Be sure to use low range to help keep the clutches and belt cooler and to reduce wear to those components.
Bring lots of friends when you go ATV rock crawling. Company makes the experience more fun and you’ll need each other to help hold the front end down while you climb a steep grade so you can get over obstacles. Your friends can also take cool pictures.
Crawling rocks is hard work not only for the driver, but for the ATV, too, especially for drive train components like U-joints, drive shafts and drive belts. So let it be known that you might need a friend to tow your quad back to the staging area.
Add Winch
Add “winch” to the list of necessary accessories for ATV rock crawling. They are a key component to safe riding because anchoring the front end to a point at the top of a climb will help prevent the ATV from rolling backward in case the incline gets too steep.
Many rock crawling areas have winch hook points for off-roaders to securely attach their winches. If you ever have a doubt that you can safely climb or descend a challenging hurdle, use a winch.
Much like a winch can help when ATV rock crawling, a strong rope with a hook can offer the same assistance. Hook the rope to the lowest point on the front of the ATV and then throw the other end to a riding buddy at the top of the climb. It only takes a small amount of tension on the rope to hold the nose of the ATV against the ground when climbing a grade.
The rope tip above brings up an important tip to never go ATV rock crawling by yourself. You’ll need friends to help you and your quad make the climbs, and lift and pull your machine when necessary.
But don’t bring just any friend, make sure your riding partners are experienced riders who think first and act second, not to mention they have reliable machines that won’t fail when you’re miles away from the truck.
Aside from all of the help friends can provide, more people to share the experience with makes for more fun and more cameras to capture the moment when you conquer the most-intimidating climb.
Hopefully you always wear a helmet and boots when you ride a quad, but for ATV rock crawling, protective gear is especially important. Rocks are hard, and they always win when they compete against bones, cartilage and skin, so wear a helmet, eye protection, elbow pads, knee pads, over-the-ankle boots, a long-sleeve shirt and long pants. A chest protector to save your upper body from blunt force that could result from a rollover is a MUST, too. Like Honda says, “Stupid Hurts,” so don’t be dumb; wear protective gear when ATV rock crawling.
