Quad Safety Checks BEFORE RIDING Always use at least 2 tie-downs when transporting your quad, if your only use one and it snaps, you’ll be sorry. Engine oil, the general rule of thumb is 10/40 in cold and 20/50 in the hot. Set the chain tension as per manufacturer’s instructions - Half to one and a half inches slack. Check tire pressure before every ride and make sure they are all even, quad tires can be a bit leaky, uneven pressure from tire to tire can drastically affect handling. Properly snug all the controls on the handle bars, there’s nothing worse than grabbing a clutch or brake or pushing on the throttle only to have them shift around the handlebars. Don’t over tighten them, you should be able to pound the clutch or brake leaver with your fist and have it rotate. They will be less likely to break in a crash if there is a little give. Check your oil level before and after each ride, this way you can easily gauge if and how much oil your machine is burning. Adjust the handlebars so you’re comfortable, sit on the bike and adjust the bars so your wrists are straight, you don’t want them pitched forwards or backwards. AFTER RIDING Old toothbrushes make good small parts cleaners and detail brushes for small nooks and crannies. Plug the exhaust when pressure washing your bike, if water gets into the exhaust, tip your quad on its rear end for a few minutes to allow water to drain out, then run to the quad warm up and evaporate any remaining water. When pressure washing do not blast directly at the seals (swing arm, axle carrier etc) as all this does is blast the dirt into them. A safe bet is to clean the area with low pressure wash and brush. After washing your bike, always lubricate the chain by spraying WD40 over it, completely cover the chain well, ensuring you roll the bike back and forward to get to the areas where the chain is hidden. WD40 is cheap, non-sticky, and won’t attract the dirt, if you prefer you can purchase specialist chain lubricant to do this, however, favourable results have been found using WD40. Do this after a ride while the chain is warm as the lubricant will penetrate better. If your quad is equipped with drum brakes and you ride in deep mud often (enough to bury the brake housing in mud) disassemble the brakes and clean them after every ride, it may sound like a lot of work but it will make the brakes last a lot longer. Inspect your quads shocks after every ride, if the seals show any sign of oil release, get them service/maintained as soon as possible. Swing arm bolts need grease, they have a tendency to lock up solid if they aren’t properly lubricated, this can also happen if you pressure wash your machine all the time, remove the swing arm bolt regularly and lubricate it with lithium based soap grease. After washing your quad inspect the headlights to make sure no moisture is built up inside the housings, If there is disassemble it and dry it out and reseal the housing with waterproof silicon sealant. After you wash your quad, dry it off, inspect all the fasteners and levers and ride the bike for a short while to dry it out. Apply wd40 to all the pivots, levers and the exhaust pipe to prevent rust and premature wear. If you plan on storing your quad for a long period of time; i.e. winter months, always drain the fuel from the tank and carburettor boats completely.