How to Make Your ATV Faster
So, you want more speed on the ATV you already own? You can have it! This post will tell you how to make your ATV faster.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE MOVING TO MORE SPEED
Are upgrades safe?
Yes, people upgrade their ATVs all the time.
More speed will be harder on your ATV, so you'll want to be sure to do excellent maintenance on your machine.
You also need to make sure you are following all the recommendations for the particular upgrade. If you make a change to your ATV, it will likely impact weight, performance, and more. To ensure your upgrade is safe, take all of this into consideration and follow every step to do it right, including any re-jets or additional installs required.
Is your ATV under warranty?
If your ATV is under warranty, upgrades will probably void it. Look into your warranty and the upgrade you want. If there is a conflict, you may decide you want the upgrade more than the warranty. You can also wait until the warranty runs out to make your upgrades.
Will anyone else be using your ATV?
If you share the ATV with a minor or someone much less skilled than you, making your ATV faster may be dangerous for them.
If you aren't allowing a child to use your ATV, but they might get a bit crazy and jump on, take that into consideration when deciding which upgrades to make and take extra precautions to ensure they can't get on it.
Are you prepared?
With more speed comes greater chances for accidents. Upgrade to more speed wisely and make sure to drive smarter when you're going faster.
THE UPGRADES TO MAKE YOUR ATV FASTER
Adjust the throttle limiter screw
The simplest, cheapest thing that you can do right now is to adjust the throttle limiter screw.
Near the right side of your handebars wh ere your throttle is, there is a very visible screw in the governor that is partially unscrewed. It's called the throttle limiter because it controls how much gas flows to the engine.
Many people will screw it in tighter on ATVs for kids or for shared ATVs. If you loosen it, you can give your engine more gas and increase your speed. You can loosen it all the way for maximum speed.
To do it, loosen the lock-nut on the screw, adjust the screw, and tighten the lock-nut.
Maintain and upgrade the air filter
First, make sure you're cleaning your air filter regularly. A dirty air filter reduces your speed, keeping you from enjoying what your machine should already be providing.
You can upgrade your air filter to a lifetime replacement filter designed for increased airflow and more speed. Most people go with the K&N Replacement Air Filter.
Up the octane
The next time you fill up your ATV, choose fuel without ethanol and with a higher octane level. Higher octane fuel is also gentler on your fuel system.
You can also add an octane booster to the fuel. Boostane Professional Octane Booster is a popular choice. Some people add it to the fuel in the gas tank and then rock back and forth on the ATV to mix the booster in, but adding the booster to the gas in a gas can and then filling the tank is a more precise method.
Optimize your tires
Tire pressure impacts your speed. If you're driving in snow or sand, you need lower tire pressure to achieve speed. For all other terrain, you want higher tire pressure for more speed. 5 psi is a good general number for everything but snow and sand, but the exact number depends on your machine and your terrain.
Tire weight is also a factor. Aluminum weighs less than steel, so you can choose aluminum wheels to increase your speed. Performance tires may also be a great investment. Remember that small tires increase your acceleration while larger tires require more effort to accelerate but achieve higher top speeds.
Upgrade the exhaust
When the exhaust lets more air out, more air can be moved in, increasing your speed. Adding a high flow air intake system at the same time is ideal.
You can replace the entire exhaust system for maximum benefit or choose a slip-on exhaust for a cheaper and easier boost.
Change the gear ratio
Gear ratio refers to the size of the front and rear sprockets. When the rear sprocket is larger, you get increased acceleration and decreased top speed. This is called "gearing down." When the front sprocket is larger, you get increased top speed and decreased acceleration. This is called, "gearing up." You can choose which meets your speed goals.
Up the CC of your engine with a big bore kit
Big bore kits are the most complicated but also the most powerful upgrades to increase speed. Most big bore kits replace the piston and cylinder and increase both the acceleration and the top speed. Nice!
