Yamaha ATV Course Manual

Also see for Raptor: Instruction supplement

Contents

Yamaha ATV Course Manual Manual pdf 20 page image

19Riding On HillsChapter 10When riding just about anywhere, you will encounter some type of hills.An ATV can overturn more easily on extremely steep hills than on levelsurfaces or small hills. Being prepared and knowing what to do will helpyou on your journey. Always be sure to check your parking brake beforeriding in hilly areas.Going Up A HillRemember:• Some hills are too steep for your abilities. Use your common sense. Ifthe hill looks too steep, it probably is.• Some hills are just too steep for your ATV regardless of your abilities.• Never ride past the limit of your visibility - if you cannot see what is onor over the crest of a hill, slow down until you have a clear view.• The key to being a good hill rider is to keep your weight uphill at alltimes.Climbing hills improperly could cause loss of control or cause the ATVto overturn. Always follow the proper procedures for your ATV containedin the owner’s manual. When approaching an uphill climb you should:• Keep your feet firmly on the footrests.• Shift the ATV into a lower gear and speed up BEFORE climbing the hillso you can maintain momentum.• When approaching the uphill climb, move way up on the seat and leanforward, or stand and position you torso over the front wheels.• As you are climbing, you may need to shift to a lower gear to preventlugging the engine or stalling. To shift into a lower gear on a hillremember:- Keep your body weight forward as you prepare to shift gears. Forsteeper hills, lean forward as much as possible.- Shift quickly while momentarily releasing the throttle: this will helpkeep the front wheels from lifting.If you do not have enough power to reach the top of the hill, but stillhave forward momentum and enough room to turn around safely:• Keep your weight uphill.• Make a U-turn before you lose speed.• Proceed downhill in a lower gear, keeping your weight to the uphillside.If you are riding uphill and lose all forward momentum:• Keep your weight up hill, and apply the brakes and come to a stop.Never allow the ATV to roll backward.• Apply the parking brake while keeping your weight uphill.• Dismount on the uphill side or to a side if pointed straight uphill, andfollow the procedure described in your owner’s manual.Do not attempt to ride backward down a hill. Should you begin rollingbackward, do not apply the rear brake abruptly. Using the rear brake onlyor abruptly could cause the ATV to roll over backward. If you begin rollingbackward:• Keep your weight uphill, and apply the front brake. If your ATV doesnot have a front brake, follow the procedure described in your owner’smanual.• When you are fully stopped. Apply the rear brake as well. Apply theparking brake, dismount on the uphill side or to a side if pointedstraight uphill, and follow the procedure described in your owner’smanual.• If the ATV continues to roll backward, dismount to the uphill sideimmediately.Getting to the BottomAlways check the terrain carefully before you start down any hill.Choose a path which is as straight downhill as possible with a minimumof obstacles. Shift your weight to the rear and use a low gear. Follow theprocedures described in you owner’s manual for special braking tech-niques for descending.When going downhill:• Shift your weight to the rear (uphill).• Keep speed low.• Use gradual braking.• Use a lower gear.• Look ahead.TraversingWhen you go across a slope rather than directly up or down, it is calledtraversing. Sometimes when a hill is steep it is necessary to climb it ordescend it by traversing.Traversing a slope is tricky. Avoid traversing slopes with excessivelyslippery, rough or loose surfaces.