Look, we know you’re probably not going to try to jump the Grand Canyon, and the odds of you needing to outrun an erupting volcano are pretty slim, but you still have to know how fast an ATV can go.
Being extraordinarily fast is a point of pride, and insane speeds are the ultimate adrenaline rush. So whether you’re getting chased by a bear, chasing down bandits, or just enjoying your weekend trail ride, ATV speed matters most.
But not all four wheelers are created equal. The max speed of ATVs varies depending on engine size, configuration, and a number of other factors. Let’s take a look.
Comparing Top Speed of Various ATV Engine Sizes (Stock)Your engine size is your biggest ATV speed limiter. Smaller engines go slower, bigger engines go faster. Simple right?
Not quite. As you’ll see, every vehicle has a speed limiter installed that artificially limits your ATV’s top speed.
Let’s go through some of the most common engines.
The 110cc ATV’s are designed to be youth models. They’re built for kids 10 and up. As such, their speed is limited to 30 MPH. The engine can theoretically reach higher speeds, but the ECU keeps it from going over 30.
Now we get to the group of engines that don’t hit their speed limiters. Most 450cc engines top out around 55 MPH. That’s plenty fast for a modest engine like this. You won’t hit this speed often either—just on the flat-out straightaways.
A 570cc engine gets another 10 MPH over the 450. If you’re looking for some real nail-biting ATV speed, this will get you there.
Now we’re getting into the blisteringly fast range. These engines do tend to hit their on-board ATV speed limiter of 75 MPH. But when you’re going that fast, it doesn’t really matter. With a max speed this high, you’ll be hitting speeds of 40–50 MPH regularly on trails.
With 700cc of displacement, this ATV can put out a lot of power.
If speed is what you’re after, this quad will give it to you… at least until you hit the built-in rev limiter at around 75 MPH.For the fastest ATV top speed, you need to go with a quad rocking a 1000cc engine. With a limiter raised to 80 MPH, it stands to reason that if you want to go fast, there’s nothing better than a 1000cc ATV.
They jump off the line and get to high cruising speeds in no time at all. That kind of speed and acceleration makes for some hair raising trail rides and gives you the ultimate adrenaline rush.
Is It Possible to Limit the Speed of an ATV?There are many factors that can limit the speed of an ATV. Some of them can be easily controlled by you, others cannot. Whether you want to slow down for a calmer ride or not, these are the ATV speed limiters that you need to look out for.
Weight is the single biggest factor that can slow you down inadvertently. The weight of everything on your ATV from your bumper to your backpack will slow you down.
Take a look at what you bring with you on your ride. When we’re out on remote trails, we regularly pack on 30 to 50 pounds of supplies too. We pack a back with tools and small spare parts. We strap on a cooler filled with drinks, lunch, and snacks. We even keep a big water bottle in our backpack.
Combine that with bulky jackets, boots, and pants if it’s cold out (not to mention a few pounds of our own winter weight), and all of a sudden our ATV speed is much lower than it was before.
Just wait until you get caked with mud too.
A big bumper like this offers excellent protection but can slow you down. You have to consider the tradeoff when adding any weight to your vehicle. Is the protection worth losing a few MPH of your ATV’s top speed? Usually the answer is yes, but if speed is you’re only goal, you might reconsider.It’s fun and practical to load up your machine with better bumpers, mirrors, and protection, but that can weigh you down, too.
Aftermarket bumpers tend to be heavy-duty and just plain heavy. They’re great for keeping your ATV in one piece but will slow you down.
If you go further and add a big lift kit or a windshield, that will slow you down as well.
Bigger tires have a strange effect on your top speed. If you make no other changes, a larger diameter tire will act as a high gear kit.
What that means is technically, a larger tire will increase your ATV top speed. However, the increase in rotating mass and decrease in torque will outweigh any theoretical speed increase you get.
Big tires will slow you down and have a negative impact on acceleration without a gear reduction.
A gear reduction is a great way to slow down your machine and turn some of your engine’s power into torque.
Typically, gear reductions install in your transmission (or are part of GDP Portal Gear Lifts) and they boost torque and power. They also bring your top speed down by a small amount.
Depending on your gear reduction, you might end up lowering your ATV’s top speed by 10–15%.
It’s a win-win if you want to slow your ride a bit.
How to Increase Top ATV SpeedIncreasing your ATV’s top speed is a bit trickier, but there are a few tried and true methods.
The same way that adding weight slows you down, shedding weight can speed you up.
If you’re craving hitting your ATV’s max speed, leave the cooler at home and pack lightly. And when you’re planning upgrades, pay attention to the weight of your bumpers and tires. If you manage to keep your total weight at or below stock, you’ll be flying.
Plus, losing weight is free.
This Sportsman is running stock with no extra weight added. It’ll go just as fast as the manufacturer intended. Installing bigger tires, bumpers, and a cooler can reduce this ATV’s max speed dramatically. If speed is your #1 concern, keep it light!A high gear kit is the opposite of a gear reduction.
Instead of giving you more torque, it reduces torque and boosts speed.
It’s a great way to increase your top ATV speed, but it does make your machine more sensitive to weight. You’ve got to keep it light to burn rubber with a high gear kit.
Larger tires are a no-go with a high gear kit, too. You’d basically have two high gear sets working together and reducing torque so much that you’d only hit your top speed in a salt flat somewhere. Not ideal.
A clutch kit is a great way to eek out extra performance from your ATV’s engine. Clutch kits are designed to optimize your RPM curve so that you’re getting your maximum horsepower for as long as possible as you throttle down. A proper clutch kit can increase your acceleration and top speed.
With a carefully tuned acceleration curve, you’ll have the fastest ATV possible.
Whether you need to make big changes or small, your ATV speed is in your control. Get tweaking, get riding, and see how fast your ATV can go.
Pennsylvania has 908 miles for ATV riding enthusiasts to enjoy. Many designated ATV trails can be found within our state forests.
Designated ATV trails on state forest lands are open from the Friday before Memorial Day through the last full weekend in September.
Some ATV trails reopen for winter use in conjunction with the snowmobile season from the day following the last day of the regular or extended deer season through April 1 -- conditions permitting. Check with the forest district to be sure that winter use is permitted.
Only Class I ATVs (motorized off-highway vehicle, which travels on three or more inflatable tires and has a maximum width of 50 inches and a maximum dry weight of 1200 pounds) may be operated on state forest trails designated for ATV use.
Class II ATVs (motorized off-highway vehicle, which travels on three or more inflatable tires and has a width which exceeds 50 inches or a dry weight which exceeds 1200 pounds) may be operated on state forest land ONLY if the trail is specifically posted open to Class II ATVs of a particular width and weight.
ATV riding is only permitted on designated trails in Pennsylvania state forests. State forest roads, state parks, and state game lands are not open to ATV riding.
DCNR revised its internal policy on ATV trails (PDF) on state forest lands to respond to increasing demands for riding opportunities, local and county government interest in expanding recreational tourism, and legislative action.
Where there was a moratorium on new trail development in the previous policy, the revisions now authorize DCNR to explore new ATV trails and connectors on state forest lands. Other changes include:
DCNR received 857 public comments about the draft ATV policy revisions (PDF) during a public comment in March 2020.
The policy is effective immediately. Implementation will be guided by a set of overarching ATV Management Principles (PDF) developed by DCNR’s Bureau of Forestry.
What You Need While Riding
While riding your ATV, you must carry with you or on the vehicle:
No one under 8 years of age is allowed to operate an ATV on any state-owned property.
Youth ages 8 to 15 must complete a prescribed ATV safety training course and receive an ATV training certificate to ride on lands other than their parents’ or guardian’s property.
Riders ages 8 and 9 are restricted to an engine size of 70cc or less.
This activity or structure is ADA accessible. DCNR allows a person with disabilities to operate an ATV in designated areas of state forest land with an approved letter of authorization from DCNR. Most of these areas are open year-round.
If a person wishes to engage in hunting from his or her ATV, a permit to hunt from a vehicle, as well as a valid hunting license, is needed from the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Many other ATV riding opportunities exist across the state on public lands and local municipalities. Contact the local tourist promotion agency, ATV clubs, dealers or county governments to find out more about your region of interest.
The federally-operated Allegheny National Forest has more than 100 miles of ATV trails.
ATV trail season runs from the Friday before Memorial Day through the last Sunday in September, winter season is from December 20 - April 1. Contact the:
Allegheny National Forest Supervisor’s Office
4 Farm Colony Drive
Warren, PA 16365
(814) 723-5150
ATV permits (PDF) are required for riding the Allegheny National Forest ATV trail system. The annual permit is $35. The following trails are within the Allegheny National Forest:
Marienville ATV/Bike Trail on State Route 66 east of the town of Marienville
Timberline ATV Trail, accessed from State Route 948, north of Ridgway (also connects to the Marienville ATV Trail)
Rocky Gap ATV Trail, accessed from Township Road 3005, southeast of Warren
Willow Creek ATV Trail on the eastern side of the Allegheny Reservoir, just south of the New York State line. Closed during the winter season
Every ATV rider must be an ambassador for this sport.
Please give careful consideration to your effect on the trails, environment, and others when riding. The future of your sport depends on it.
Every effort should be made to minimize the impact of your machine on the trail and surrounding environment. Using skill and common sense you can negotiate various obstacles and riding conditions that have the potential to cause damage.
Remember, areas closed to ATVs and snowmobiles are done so for a reason; please respect these special areas.
The following are some suggestions offered by Tread Lightly!®, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the outdoors and outdoor recreation through responsible practices:
Stay on designated roads and trails or other areas open for use.
Avoid “spooking” livestock and wildlife you encounter.
Cross streams at designated crossings only.
Use existing campsites whenever possible; avoid building fires.
Cross obstacles at an angle, one wheel at a time.
Don’t straddle large rocks.
Avoid mud if you can while remaining on the road or trail.
Turn into ravines or large depressions at about a 45-degree angle.
Straddle ruts, even if they are wider than your vehicle. This will keep your vehicle level.
Lower the tire pressure to where you see a bulge in your tire to give you better traction and provide for a smoother ride.
Avoid riding the brakes and clutch which can lead to brake failure.
Many times ATV riders will come in contact with other user groups sharing the same lands, roadways, or trails. It is important to practice common courtesies when riding your ATV on a trail:
Be considerate of others on the trail and keep to the right
Slow down when passing
Ride only where permitted
Leave gates as you find them
Yield the right of way to bikes, horses, and hikers
Carry out what you carry in
Wave and say “hello” as you pass
Report downed trees and trail maintenance needs to land managers
If you see someone riding irresponsibly, off-trail, or dangerously, try to record the machine’s registration number.
Report the activity to the local authority with jurisdiction over those lands.
Remember, bad behavior by some individuals can harm the reputation of the entire sport.
This journey does not need to be stressful. There are only two tasks. Press the trigger to keep up. And follow the road in order to react in time to a particularly large stone or pit. You need to look ahead for a couple of tens of meters, because the road sometimes disappears under the wheels at a speed of 90 kilometers per hour.
Stones on a gravel road merge into one stream. When you stop and take off your helmet, hills, trees, clouds, the road continues to rush at you and it takes time for the brain to also press the brakes.
Below me is a little bear GRIZZLY. Almost the whole group is wearing bright huge yellow BRPs, but I like my modest dark green baby. I have no complexes about this. Three years ago, I already cycled 2/3 of the route connecting Egvekinot and Pevek, so today I am enrolled in the crew of an expedition on quad bikes. We need to run the track in a week, understand its tourist potential, in order to make tours on ATVs in the future. "From ocean to ocean", so beautifully they will be called. 1700 kilometers of a real adventure across the whole of Chukotka from the shores of the Pacific to the Arctic.
"Everybody's going to the party have a real good time,
Dancing in the desert blowing up the sunshine."
BYOB
On September 23, 2009, six of us left Egvekinot. This time in Chukotka is a borderline state.
Dry frosty autumn can turn into winter in a day. We understand this, so we bring down to Pevek as quickly as possible, planning at least 250 kilometers a day! For quads, this is not enough.
We have an escort car with us: a lengthy Ural with a booth in the back, as well as barrels with half a ton of fuel. The problem with gasoline in Chukotka is a costly shortage. In order for us to be refueled, we even had to sign a paper with the mayor of Egvekinot. What will happen in Pevek is unknown, so we stocked up on gasoline for the return trip. In the event of a breakdown, a couple of ATVs will also fit into the body.
You can comfortably cook and relax in the booth. A buzz, not a trip. No need to stress. Your task is to press the trigger. But, damn it, why did she become so stiff on the second day of the journey! The thumb becomes numb over time and stops working. In order to keep up, I press the gas not with a aching finger, but with my whole palm.
"The road keeps moving clouds,
The clouds become unreal.
"
Highway Song
The brown tundra rushes past with the speed of an ATV underneath you. This is not a journey on foot when you can contemplate and meditate. This is a race. The changing landscape is hypnotizing, the brain freezes, and in order to maintain the drive, the sound of the System Of A Down motor is shouted over the sound of the System Of A Down motor in my player. I downloaded only their albums into the player when I found out the timing of the trip. But the pain of the thumb of the right hand drowns out even the hairy Armenians.
Stops only to pee, take a sip of hot tea, and stretch the bodies stiff from immobility and cold. On the street close to zero, the oncoming flow climbs into any gap under the clothes. To warm up and disperse the blood, you get up at full speed and ride while standing.
Zhenya has fun with a controlled skid. Looking at him, I also try to drive the car skidding. After the yellow ATV in front instantly falls across the road on its side, throwing off the rider, the game of tough boys stops.
"So I felt like the biggest asshole,
Felt like the biggest asshole."
Kill Rock'N'Roll
It's late autumn in Chukotka and there is little water in the rivers, so we rush so fast that for the first night we stop far behind the Valunisty mine. It took us 5 walking days to get here 3 years ago on bikes!
In the morning everything is covered with frost. A fox roams around the camp. Omelet with tomatoes for breakfast! From mi to ra mi! Cocoa, cheese, bread. Kung in the trailer - a buzz. Bring whatever you want, eat like a king in the middle of the tundra, and drink in the evening! Your job is to press the trigger, scaring the bears across the tundra. Trigger. Finger hates her.
Ahead is Soldier's Pass. Probably the weakest spot on the track. Tall, narrow: it will clog with snow and you will not pass. It is easier for light quadrics to cope with the slope or go around sharp stones sticking out on the road, so we leave the steep pass behind without any problems and have lunch at the still working Osinovaya base.
Three years ago, we went from here to the highest peak of Chukotka - Mount Chaantal.
Seryoga is on duty at the base pass. It seems like a normal man, but the longer we talk, the more we understand that the cuckoo has moved out. Or maybe there is such a greyhound. Sometimes aggressive behavior slips, so we don’t linger for a long time and bring down further.
September 24 on the calendar, but there is almost no snow, although the Arctic Circle is far behind. Only the mountains on the horizon turn white brightly, and dark hills rush past us. There are many more rivers in this area, some are already chasing sludge, and in some places freezing begins. We are waiting for URAL. It clears the way for us with a crunch, and shrinks again in the rumble of the rear-view mirrors.
Winter comes unexpectedly when turning into one of the mountain gorges. How they opened the door to another world: everything around becomes white, the clouds descend on the hills, the cold fills the area.
When we finally jumped out of it, it felt like we were in summer.
"There's nothing wrong with me,
There's something wrong with you."
This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm on This Song
Push the trigger, look ahead and don't get distracted. There are 347 kilometers left! The speed drops: on the road there are sections with snow, and even crossings. The finger now not only hurts, but also freezes: after all, we are 500 kilometers to the north.
There are checkpoints on the last stint, and it's psychologically easier to ride. The landscape is also smeared with speed, but at least you know the specific target. The first of them is Gena-Vodomut. A hydrometeorologist who has been living on the Palyavaam River almost non-stop for 23 years (this was in 2009). Some people need to stay in one place to be happy. We move on in search of our own.
The second checkpoint: Bilibino fork, followed by a huge concrete bridge over the Palyavaam River. From here to one of the three cities of Chukotka about 400 kilometers.
The second trans-Chukotka route, which I still have not passed.
Let's move on. I break a wheel. Short respite for replacement. Half an hour later, Max breaks the wheel. What the hell is this. We change, brush aside superstitions and leave Komsomolsky behind. Our third checkpoint. Komsomolsky is a large ghost town, the gold mining center of Chaun-Chukotka. Abandoned houses stand in the middle of a landscape torn apart by bulldozers. Human tragedy. The tragedy of their mother, Nature.
"All of what remains,
Ego brain."
Ego Brain
After Komsomolskoye we will have 120 kilometers of good primer, but you won't be able to accelerate much. Night fell on Chukotka. You fly in unreality, shivering from the cold and holding your eyes to a piece of the road, torn out of pitch darkness by a narrow beam of headlights of a quadric. 120 kilometers of darkness. Nothing around! Only 20 kilometers before Pevek, we fly over the base of the Kupol mine: sparkling Iveks lined up under the lanterns, burning windows in a warm camp just a hundred meters away.
And then again darkness and cosmic cold.
The eye has grasped and does not let go a small blue light on the antenna of the hill, behind which lies the northernmost city of Russia. How unfortunate that he is approaching very slowly. We arrive in Pevek at night.
We were not destined to get to Valkarkay, a weather station near the northernmost cape of Chukotka, where the film “How I Spent This Summer” was filmed, on the only day of rest. For some reason, they did not calculate the fuel and were forced to turn back.
ATVs slowly shifted from wheel to wheel in the middle of a snowy hummocky tundra - this is not a flight along the track and at least some variety before tomorrow's return trip, where I almost died.
"If today I die and can't deny
The poison chosen for tonight, tonight."
Marmalade
September 27 is World Tourism Day. 6 tourist bullets from Pevek flew in the opposite direction. The finger is strong, the road is your home, the saddle has already taken the shape of your ass.
Or vice versa. We spend the night at Gena-Vodomut, easily making 250 kilometers. We could have continued to drive, but the URAL cannot withstand our speed - we have to wait for the escort vehicle, where everything that is necessary for survival lies.
There is a noticeable increase in ice and sludge, and they clog riffles and narrow rivers. From this, the water level in the fords, which we famously skipped a few days ago, rises so much that the headlights of the front quadra are hidden under water at the next crossing. Maybe not, I think. But the Russians only give up when the car stalls in a dark river in the midst of swirling white ice floes. Max rushes to the rescue with an unwound winch, but high water does not give a chance. We are waiting for URAL and pulling both quadrics ashore. "Get the vodka!" Timothy says. I take out the bread to have a bite, and it turns out that he was going to rub himself: he stood in ice water for 20 minutes.
While Max is reviving the quads, the others find a ford upstream.
The movement continues. A sunken quadruple sneezes, and any dumb crossing is first checked with legs shod in high waders.
"Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep
Disorder, disorder, disorder."
Toxicity
Seryoga on Osinovaya is drunk for the fourth day - his birthday. While we are having lunch, we understand that the evening will end in a massacre. We bring down further for the Soldier's pass into the beam. Despite the comfort of the pass-base, the heated bathhouse, and the late evening, no one wants to check guesses.
It soon becomes cozy in the beam: we kindle the stove with the firewood collected along the way. URAL still no and no. Timofey and Max drain the rest of the gasoline into two quadras and drive back to the base. The driver is sleeping. There's a mess in the cockpit. They wake up, but do not beat, refuel, take food and fly back. We cook dinner, and after that we admire the lonely feather of the multi-colored northern lights.
An incredible overnight stay: surrounded by mountains, under the abyss of a black sky with millions of stars.
The Law of Conservation of Energy in Nature always works: we get full for adventures during the day, although they have not ended yet.
"Do you want me to try,
Directing your night."
Highway Song
We are behind schedule: 400 kilometers ahead to Egvekinot, so the trigger is pressed and does not release. Behind the Valunisty mine we stop for lunch and wait for the car, warming ourselves near the fire. But there is no URAL again, and I’m throwing the idea of waiting for the car: it’s already evening, we risk snatching a cold overnight stay if something happened to the long length, and so, if anything, the mine will help out with an overnight stay. Half an hour later, Timofey and Max pour the rest of the gasoline into two quadras, and drive back for 40 minutes until they meet a standing truck! The driver is sleeping. There's a mess in the cockpit. They wake up, but do not beat, refuel, take food, additional canisters of fuel and fly back.
9 pm, we decide to heat up to Egvekinot, although I am against it. Estimated arrival time is 3 am.
In the dark, the speed is reduced to fifty. The wind rises, and sleet suddenly begins to pour from the sky, from which the glass on the helmet is instantly covered with an ice crust. We constantly stop to peel off the crust, but, in the end, almost everyone refuses to pick up and go, exposing our faces to cutting needles.
Speed. Night. Space. White flies fly towards in a narrow beam of headlights, like stars towards an interplanetary ship. The cold seeps under the clothes. I am wrapped up, which my grandmother would envy, but the wind still finds cracks. I'm shivering from the cold and trying not to fall asleep. Timofey sets the group at a ragged pace: it speeds up, then slows down in order to stir up the nervous system.
I wake up, tossing from side to side on a car hopping over stones. There is no familiar wide illumination from the rear ATV. Before me, the tundra, snatched out of the darkness by the headlights of the Grizzly, is shaking, and the canvas of the gravel road is not running.
On the right I notice the outline of a ditch and the light from the ATV. I automatically turn the steering wheel and take off back onto the road. I wake up completely, realizing that I was lucky that all this happened on a flat area, and not in the middle of the mountains. Igor said that only a couple of seconds had passed, he did not even have time to understand why I made such a maneuver. At 4 am we arrive in Egvekinot with a full complement. Even suicides.
"I fell asleep." I tell Timofey, disappointed in myself. “No, you just passed out from the cold and fatigue. It happens!" the captain brings me back to life.
"Dark is the light,
The man you fight."
War
Go to Top
It is generally accepted that an ATV is driven only in mud and off-road.
But there are situations when you need to go on a public road (DOP). For example, to get fishing in the shortest way or to bring building materials from the store. In these cases, it is not illegal to drive the ATV on highways if several conditions are met. Let's take a look at them.
If the deadlines are not met, a fine of 800 rubles is imposed.
for every person. A helmet or a model without chin protection is not suitable for riding an ATV - the helmet must be closed.
An ATV with mud tires can comfortably ride on asphalt at speeds up to 60 km/h. When driving faster, it will consume a lot of fuel, worse control and noise. If you plan to ride on flat pavement often, put all-purpose tires on your ATV. This solution is suitable for residents of holiday villages, around which high-quality roads are laid.
ATV must not be driven on motorways (sign 5.1), roads for cars (sign 5.3), roads where trucks are prohibited (sign 3.4) and tractors (sign 3.5) . Rules regarding markings, speed limits, driving in traffic, stopping and parking for an ATV are the same as for cars.
