Quad bikes are in effect four wheeled motorcycle's in that the rider sits astride it and controls it with handle bars, the fact that they have four wheels instead of two is probably the only real difference for a motorcycle comparison.  They are also known as ATV's All Terrain Vehicles or ATC's All Terrain Cycles.

The ATV is generally used for off road leisure activities  but in the UK and some other Countries these quad bikes are ridden on public roads, as they are road legal. They are generally equipped with engine sizes anywhere from 50cc up to 1000cc and although they are typically four wheeled vehicles they can also be found with three and six wheeled versions.

It was in 1985 that Suzuki first introduced the ATV with the four wheel drive LT250R. It was in production for seven years during which it underwent several changes. From 1985 to 1986 a liquid cooled 2 stroke engine with 5 speed manual gearbox and long reach suspension was incorporated and from 1987 to 1992 a 6 speed gearbox was fitted.

The other Japanese manufacturing giant 'Honda' came out with the Four-Trax TR250R which was another four wheel drive ATV as seen below.  Its quite a nice looking quad and one that I wouldn't mind having a go on myself !

Kawasaki then produced the Tecate-4 250 whilst Yamaha not wanting to be left behind came out with the Banshee 350 in 1987. All were four wheel drive as this now seamed to be the trend of Quad bikes to come.

The Banshee 350 had a twin cylinder liquid cooled  2 stroke engine that was based on their RD350LC motorcycle engine.  The Banshee gained popularity with the sand dune riders due to its greater power output but due to strict EPA engine emission values in 2006 the Banshee 350 became unavailable as it failed to keep the emissions to the new accepted levels.

Below is the Banshee 350 which was Yamaha's first ATV

Smaller powered ATVs also became popular and below is seen the  modern LLA70 Quad Bike, its a 70cc 4 stroke single cylinder air cooled engine with fully automatic clutch.  This ATV produces about 3.50 Horse Power @ 8500rpm.

These little ATV's are becoming more and more popular in the UK as they are becoming big sellers as more and more people fancy having a go on one and an ATV like this one retails reasonably for about £390 in the UK.

This little 50cc ATV seen below is suitable for beginners and under 16 year olds to learn to get to grips with riding an ATV.  A 50cc engine is powerful enough to get the ATV over most types of terrain and relatively steep hills but hasn't got the power to go racing off at high speeds.

There are many different varieties of ATV on the market and its up the the buyer or rather the buyers wallet as to which one to go  after. 

The more powerful machines of 500cc and upwards are the ones that most adult riders go for as these quads can reach 70 to 90 mph on flat straight roads.  With safety aspects always at the fore front of any motorized activity its best to wear a helmet if riding a quad bike and don't forget that they can travel as fast a family car and there is no provision for a seat belt.

For fun riding on private or disused land at moderate speeds though the Quad bike can be great fun to ride, they have great traction and are highly maneuverable, being able to turn very tight corners and climb quite steep hills and embankments.  They can wade through a few feet of water or mud with ease and so its a good idea to wear waterproofs or other protective wear.

Quad Bike racing is now competitive in many levels including, Motor Cross, Sand Dune and Beach Racing  Grass, Ice and Dirt Speedway, Grand Prix Road Racing, Enduro Racing, Hill Climb Events and even Drag Racing quarter mile with highly tuned up engines.  The list goes on and on where the versatility of a quad bike is only limited by the event organizers imagination.

ATV's come in a variety of bright colors and different styles to suit most people interested in taking up riding one for a hobby or even as a practical and economical run-about.

The fun element of riding an ATV is pretty high and buying one purely for fun time pursuits is one of the best ways to spend you hard earned bucks that I can think of, next to buying a new Motorcycle that is !

On a final and more serious note: ATV's can be potentially very dangerous machines to ride and some form of training is advised before going out on one.  I do not really want to mention the danger aspect but feel that its only fair to do so, to warn you, my viewers of the potential dangers.

These ATV's can have a tendency to quite easily flip over when climbing up a hill or steep slope, this is due to the fact that the centre of gravity with rider is very high on them.

As I write I have to say with sadness that a 12 year old boy named Sam Wyles was killed last Sunday 12th October 2008 on his parents land in Corsham, Wiltshire in the UK when the Quad bike he was riding up an embankment flipped over on top of him and killed him.  The Quad bike that killed him weighed about 900Lbs, they are not lightweight vehicles and with one of them rolling over onto you then serious injury or death can result.

Rock star from Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne was almost killed on a quad bike a few years ago and a few other notable people have had accidents on them as well.

Japanese ATV manufacturers apply safety labels on all of their quads and support ATV training but this has not yet been proven to reduce the amount of accidents and fatalities.

Statistics in the USA for 2005 alone show that there was 137,000 injuries reported and over 700 deaths associated with quad bike accidents. 44,000 out of the total number injured were under 16 year olds and also accounted for 150 of the deaths.

These ATV's may look harmless enough, and represent a great fun all terrain utility vehicle, and if ridden with all due care and attention, I would say that they are worth every dollar and are as safe as the person riding it.  

So even though I have created a web page on these vehicles and advocate the fun element, please ride with care as I would hate to have put the idea into someone's head to go out and buy an ATV only for them to get injured or killed later.

So Please Ride Safe, and have fun, but do get yourself on an ATV training and safety course before either purchasing an ATV for yourself or your cherished youngster.  This snippet could save a life !