Getting into the fall riding season I have been inundated with requests for how to keep an ATV alive for another season.
The big question on everyoneÂ’s mind being: Should I make huge repairs and spend countless dollars on a machine that may only make it through another year of riding? Or should I just sell it and buy a new machine?
Here is my take on the subject of reviving and older machine and the value I see in it. In this day and time when finances are better suited for things like food and rent itÂ’s hard for me to just give up on a machine that only needs minor repairs or seasonal maintenance. Some think itÂ’s just throwing money away to invest year-to-year, but if I spend $300-$400 each season to keep a good machine running then I think itÂ’s well worth the cost.
On the other hand, if there are major repairs such as frame damage or something safety related IÂ’d be hard pressed to spend the cash on it. If you grenade the engine it could cost you as much as a new ATV just to fix it.
I recently had a friend tell me about an older Honda ATV with a counter balance issue in the motor that had detonated inside the cases. After a spending $500 to repair it, the transmission failed only a few rides later.
This was the ownerÂ’s first and favorite ATV, but after realizing he could get an updated version for what it would cost to repair this one he simply hauled the machine to the salvage yard and left it.
If your machine needs basic maintenance and still gets the job done IÂ’d say just hang onto it. If you have money exploding out of your bank account and just have to have the latest and greatest thing on the trails, then just get your butt down to your local dealership and do it.
