The worst thing we can do is put off things that keep our off-road rides safe and reliable, but it does happen.
With the spring riding season upon us riders will either wait until their ATV or side-x-side breaks or choose to perform some preventative maintenance to keep their ride on the trail.
For many, maintenance is the ugly part of the ATV owner’s life, but it doesn’t have to be a dreaded chore if you just stay on top of a few simple things.
One particular task I recommend before you store your ATV for any period of time – even if its just a couple of weeks – is to drain the fuel in the carb.
Begin by turning the fuel petcock off and then start the ATV to allow the machine to run out of gas. This gets the fuel out of the carb and prevents the fuel from varnishing the inside of the carburetor.
I recommend draining the gas tank as well, but its not absolutely necessary unless you know your ride is going to be out of commission for a while.
Varnishing occurs when the remaining fuel in the carb begins to break down and forms a thin layer of funk on the small jets and pin holes in the fuel system, which will most definitely prevent your ride from running its best.
Once this happens there will be moments of panic and maybe even a few more of sheer desperation with the end result being a pricey trip to the dealership to have a mechanic clean your carb professionally.
The last thing you want to do is spend money on something to reverse a simple maintenance task you could have made time for.
Dealers everywhere are waiting and might even be betting on your arrival at their shops, but if you want more money for food and gas, a bit of prevention will take you a long way.
