Cheap Ways To Make Your ATV Faster

Even if you don’t have a wallet full of cash, it doesn’t make you can’t make your ATV go faster. Here are some cheap ways to pick up speed.

Don’t you just hate it when you feel the need for speed, but your wallet laughs at you when you open it? Of course, you could always just go ahead and spend all kinds of money on your ATV and hop it up, but then you might not have enough left over for some other things, like gas, the truck payment, food… you know, minor stuff. Luckily there are some cheap but good ways to make your ATV faster that are much more affordable than you might think.

Air

We all know the basics of how a combustion engine works. Gas mixes with air and then explodes inside the engine, producing energy. One of the quickest ways to increase the power of your engine is to increase the airflow. Engines need to breathe to have combustion. If you increase the airflow – the oxygen – you’re going to have a better running engine and more power. A less restrictive air filter can add a few horsepower, and make your engine pull harder and quicker than before. ATV manufacturers use air filters that hold up well and produce good power, but they also have to meet certain emission standards. A high-flow filter still meets those standards, but will let the motor get more air.

Exhaust

Going along with the idea of letting the engine breathe easier, adding an exhaust system can make a big bump in power. For a couple hundred bucks you can swap out at least part of your machine’s restrictive factory exhaust system and gain some decent power. Plus, it’ll sound pretty cool. Factory systems have to meet sound restrictions too, you know.

Programmer

Another cheap way to make your ATV faster is by getting a programmer and tweaking the electronic systems on your ATV. A programmer lets you make adjustments as to how the fuel injection system and mapping works, giving you access to power your machine has, but never gets to realize. The best thing is you can easily return to stock settings when you need to. Programmers plug into your machine’s electronic systems and can have you going in minutes.

Tires

Another cheap way to find some extra speed with your ATV is through the tires. What? How can tires make you faster? There are a couple of ways tires can do this. For one, if you swap in tires that weigh less, you’re reducing the rolling resistance, letting your machine accelerate a little harder. Plus, going to a different size tire alters the gearing your ATV came stock with. A taller tire cuts down on acceleration, but can add a little top-end speed. The opposite goes for a shorter tire. You’ll lose a tiny bit of top speed, but you’ll accelerate faster.

Practice

Honestly, and I can say this with all certainty, the best cheap way to make your ATV faster is to practice your riding skills. Find a challenging section of trail and ride it over and over again, to build up those skills. You’ll find that you will go faster the more you do this, and those skills will transfer to other parts of the trail. If you can, get a GoPro and film yourself, so you can see what you’re doing and get tips on how to improve. That’s why motocross guys always film themselves riding. Nothing beats experience.