Heading out on your ATV is fun and exciting, but if you are not going to be around for a while, it is wise for you to store your four-wheeler to prevent damage to it. Below, we will go over some tips to help you prep your four-wheeler for storage while you bundle up for the winter or head out on a long vacation.
- Always Clean Your Four-Wheeler
Do NOT put your four-wheeler into storage without first cleaning it. You want to give it a thorough cleaning from top to bottom to ensure you remove all mud and dirt from it.
After you have wash, rinsed, and dried the ATV off, you should apply a lubricant to all of the parts that need to be greased and then apply a special protectant spray to the plastic parts. This spray will help prevent any cracks or other damage.
One thing to keep in mind is when you dry off your ATV, make sure it is thoroughly dry, as water left on any of the metal parts can cause rust.
- Take the Battery Out
It is important to store your ATV without the battery in it. First and foremost, if you store your ATV during the winter, the cold weather can damage the battery. You should keep it in your home while you are gone.
ATV batteries do not hold a charge for very long, so it is likely if you kept the battery in it, it would not start anyways. It is best to simply remove it before storing the four-wheeler.
- Handling Fuel in Your ATV
There are a couple of different methods to handle the fuel in your ATV. First, if your four-wheeler has a plastic tank, you should drain all of the fuel from it before you store it. The fuel is likely to go bad if you plan to let the ATV sit for a while. When draining the fuel, make sure to bleed the fuel lines as well.
If you have a metal gas tank on your ATV, you should leave the gas in the tank, but add fuel stabilizer to it until the tank is full. Before you leave the four-wheeler in storage, run the ATV to allow the fuel stabilizer to evenly distribute.
- Add Air to the Tires
To avoid flat spots or cracks in the tires, always inflate them to their recommended psi. You should always lift the ATV’s tires off of the ground using concrete blocks or plywood. If you plan to be gone for a while, you can remove the tires completely and store them; however, you will still need to inflate them properly.
If you are going to be storing your ATV in your storage unit, the above tips will help you properly store it. In addition to the tips above, you should consider placing a fabric cover over your ATV to help keep dust and moisture away from your four-wheeler.
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