Quad-ro-funia!

Quads have been around for years but have only recently taken off in the UK, not only are they big business for the manufacturers but they’re even bigger fun for their owners! Before somebody realised it’d be a good idea to put four wheels and a chassis onto a bike engine trikes became quite popular, sadly three wheels weren’t as stable or as much fun as quads so they disappeared pretty quickly. Due to their ‘go anywhere’ mobility quads are often used by the farming community and armed forces to reach difficult areas, places that an ordinary 4x4 wouldn’t get to, they really are a true A.T.V. It may have taken a while for the rest of us to realise their benefits as a leisure vehicle but thankfully they’re here to stay.

Quads come in all different sizes and capacities from tiny automatic machines suitable for children, up to monster sized geared quads capable of pulling a trailer full of cows up a mountain in a blizzard. They’re often powered by four stroke engines but the top racing quads usually have peaky two stroke engines and are quite easy to tune. If you’ve ridden bikes in the past there’s not too much to learn when trying a quad for the first time, but you’ll probably find that instead of a ‘twist’ throttle there will be a thumb operated throttle instead, it’s easy to get used to so don’t panic! Most quads are also automatic, simply select forward or reverse using the lever on the right hand side of the quad, push the throttle with your thumb and go. The brakes are virtually the same as a bike, right hand lever operates the front brakes and a foot pedal operates the rear. Steering is done through the bars, as you’d expect but you’ll find yourself using opposite lock quite a lot to get around faster. Some of the serious machines have a motorcycle type gearbox instead of an auto transmission but the chances are you’ll be starting out on one of the cheaper machines so don’t worry about having to change gear just yet!

Where can I have a go?

Quad and off road centres are dotted around the UK like spots on an acne riddled teenagers chin, so you’re never too far away from one. Many centres offer a hire and ride trek across their land, usually following (or trying to catch) an experienced guide. Expect to pay around £50 for an hours hire on a 125cc machine, it sounds expensive but its money well spent ‘cos you’ll love it! If you’ve never sat on a quad before these experiences are a fantastic way to suss out what a quad can really do, you’ll find yourself quickly getting used to their strange handling characteristics and you’ll be tackling some impossible looking obstacles and riding across inclines you wouldn’t believe you were capable of within 20 minutes. You’ll be spinning the back end to power slide around corners sideways and powering through thick muddy trenches with ease. Be careful though because you’ll be grinning to yourself like an idiot inside your lid! Getting dirty is all part of the fun and it won’t matter if it’s minus 10 in the middle of January or red hot in summer, you’ll still want to make a splash as you dive head first into a murky stream as you race to keep up with your mates. Check out our listings for your nearest quad centre, you’ll love it.

You may have noticed a few quads out on the road in the last couple of years and providing your machine conforms to the usual rules, i.e. number plate, lights, tax, MOT and insurance plus you’ve got a licence to ride it then it’s quite legal to take it on the road. You don’t even have to wear a helmet on a quad but we’d advise you to, just to be on the safe side and if you’re off road it’s just as important, if not more so. Hitting a jagged rock with the soft fleshy part of your head isn’t advisable; ask Ozzy Osbourne, he almost died after a quad riding accident on his land a few years ago!

Quad sport

After trying quadding there’s a fair chance you’ll be hooked and you might want to get involved in quad racing, quad speedway, quad endures, beach racing… There are plenty of different types of race meetings and classes open to quads, if you prefer to get airborne quad moto-x might be the sport for you and youngsters from the age of six are actively encouraged into the smaller capacity automatic classes. The Quad Racing Association promotes the sport and you’ll find quite a few motocross clubs advertising quad racing at their events. For more info about the sport and the entry requirements visit www.qrauk.com