15 interesting facts about ATVs

1. ATVs were first marketed in the early 1960s.

2. Some of the early ATVs were 6-wheelers as opposed to today’s more common 4-wheelers.

3. Originally, brake lights were not required on ATVs; it wasn’t until 1998 that they became a requirement.

4. At slow speeds, the rear wheels of an ATV will roll in the opposite direction from the front wheels. Thus facilitating parking and maneuvers.

5. It is illegal to operate ATVs with deep water snorkels in Minnesota.

6. Suzuki launched the first modern 4-wheel ATV in 1983.

7. The ignition off switch on ATVS is set by industry standards to be on the left side of the handlebar, but on the right side for snowmobiles.

8. In 1986, Honda released the FourTrax TRX350 4×4, ushering in the era of popular four-wheel drive ATVs.

9. In the early 1990s, people began to realize that ATVs are excellent work vehicles and they began to appear on farms and orchards alike.

10. The Honda Rubicon was the first production ATV with built-in GPS.

11. In Israel, ATVs are called “Polaris” Similar to how people in the United States call all types of lip balms “Chapstick” and all types of cotton swabs “Q-Tips”.

12. Honda made the first three-wheeled ATVs in 1970, which were portrayed in the famous James Bond movie, “Diamonds Are Forever.”

13. Engine size in ATVs has little to do with road damage, but this is what many Departments of Natural Resources limit in order to reduce road damage.

14. The two largest ATV battery manufacturers, Yuasa and DEKA, have their main facilities in the United States just 20 miles away in Pennsylvania.

15. Almost all youth ATVs sold in the US are made in Taiwan or China, regardless of make.