The Right Equipment Can Spark a New Hobby You Love
Few hobbies bring an adrenaline rush quite like riding powersports vehicles. You’re open to the elements, cruising on land or water, as the wind whips by.
The majority of people who own powersports vehicles do so for enjoyment. They’ve found the ideal vehicle that lets them enjoy their leisure time. Indeed, the best way to have fun on a powersports vehicle is to choose one that best suits your preferences, needs, and budget.
Let’s take a look at your powersports vehicle options so you can determine how to go about getting the fun started.
Motorcycles
Everyone is familiar with motorcycles, and if you aren’t, you might be living under a rock. Motorcycles are characterized by its two or three wheels and a body you sit astride. Most motorcycles are street legal, which means people choose to commute with them or use them for daily driving in good weather.
To have the most fun on a motorcycle, you should take a motorcycle driving and safety course, often offered by local police departments or motorcycle dealers. During class, you’ll learn how to operate a motorcycle safely and qualify for a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license. In some states, such a course is required; refer to your state’s laws for more information.
When you purchase a motorcycle of your very own, you’ll want to consider size, horsepower, purpose, and features, so you end up with a bike you love. For example, if you’re a smaller person, you don’t want to select the heaviest, largest touring motorcycle available because you probably won’t be able to hold it up or control it.
Similarly, if you’re looking for a smooth ride for long distances, you don’t want a hardtail bike, which doesn’t provide much in the way of shock absorption. And depending on how you use your motorcycle, you may want to equip it with luggage storage and other special features so you can get the most use out of it.
ATVs
All-terrain vehicles, sometimes called four-wheelers, are designed for off-road riding mostly for pleasure, although they can serve a utility on farms and ranches. ATVs are not designed for driving on pavement, so they’re best suited for someone with access to a lot of land.
Like with motorcycle riding, you’ll want to check your state’s laws about who can legally operate an ATV, as there can be age limitations.
ATVs come in a variety of sizes and powers. They require body strength for maneuverability, so it’s important to select an ATV that is appropriately sized for you and your capabilities. Just like with a motorcycle, a small person will not be able to safely drive a large, heavy ATV.
When it’s time to look for an ATV for sale, be sure to have it looked over by an expert if you’re purchasing it used from an independent third-party. These powersports beasts can take a fair amount of abuse, so you’ll want to be sure that the one you’re considering purchasing is in good condition, despite the miles it’s spent tackling tough terrain.
Snowmobiles
With snowmobiles, it is often function over fun, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your time aboard one of these vehicles! In areas where winter blizzards are frequent and roads become impassable, snowmobiles become the only way to get around. That’s why they’re often used for mountain rescue!
Before choosing your snowmobile, you’ll need to determine how you’ll be using it. There are four basic types of snowmobiles, with plenty of overlap of capabilities, but if you purchase the wrong one, you might be sorry come riding time.
- Trail-riding snowmobiles are designed for smooth rides and handy cornering on groomed trail systems. They’re heavy and designed strictly for on-trail uses.
- Deep-powder snowmobiles bring the power for mountain adventures in deep snow. They’re lightweight and designed to “float” over the snow during aggressive riding.
- Crossover snowmobiles can ride groomed trails and tackle off-trail terrain, too. This is achieved through mid-length tracks that are a happy medium between trail-riding and deep-powder vehicles, plus a balanced rider position.
- Hill-climb snowmobiles have a wider front-end ski stance and stiffer track meant to scale massive hills and perform extreme jumps.
Side-by-Sides
Also called UTVs, side-by-sides are so named because a passenger can sit beside the driver while the UTV is in operation. A two-person four-wheeler, however, requires the passenger to sit directly behind the driver, such is the case with motorcycles.
UTVs, or utility terrain vehicles, are made to get work done, but they can still be a lot of fun to drive. Many people turn them into hunting buggies during deer season, or use them on their property for landscape maintenance and livestock care. UTVs have their place in a variety of applications.
Choosing a side by side for sale is simpler than choosing a vehicle that you must sit astride and control using your body weight. Because they feel and operate more like a regular vehicle, you can choose any size you need to get the job done, or just to have fun.
Which Will You Choose?
Of course there are far less fun vehicles that can be used in place of most of these powersports icons, but why go the boring route when you could spice up your chores or inject some serious horsepower into your hobbies?
The powersports vehicle you choose is totally up to you – but remember that the pros are always there to answer questions you have so you can have fun and stay safe.