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Cold-Weather QuaddingJanuary 18/05 Updated November 8/08 Written by Greg Photos by Greg, Dave, The House, and Slime Green Cat 
Last year, I asked an insurance broker about obtaining theft insurance for my quad. He asked me, "Where do you store it in the off-season?" I was confused for a few seconds. What off-season? We ride all year! I soon realized that he meant "winter," as many ATVers put away their quads and either haul out their snowmobiles or go into hibernation.For the rest of us who enjoy riding our quads right through the snow season, there are a number of things we can do to keep our quads in good running condition, and by using certain clothing, apparel and accessories, we can stay comfortable on the trail. Winter MaintenanceThe first order of business is to clean your quad. Go over every inch, and watch for potential trouble such as ripped CV boots, loose screws and bolts, missing rivets, blown light bulbs, etc. This routine maintenance should be done on a regular basis. Plus, a clean quad is easier to work on. Low temperatures reduce the amount of energy a battery has available for starting. Ensure that the battery terminals and cable connectors are clean and free of corrosion; any corrosion causes a resistance in the circuit, which will further reduce the amount of energy available. Check the water level in the battery; add distilled water as necessary to top the cells up. Make sure the top surface of the battery (between the terminals) is clean. If your quad is parked for an extended period, you may wish to keep the battery charged with a battery tender or automatic trickle-charger. 
Change the fluids. Your owner's manual will have the recommended oil viscosity rating for the temperatures you'll be riding in. Generally, lower viscosities are recommended for colder temperatures, but sometimes "oil" is used for more than just lubricating your engine, so check the manual as too low a viscosity can cause problems with clutch assemblies and other systems.If your quad is liquid-cooled, make sure that your coolant is rated for the temperature that you're riding in. You can use an antifreeze coolant tester to tell you the lowest temperature your coolant can reach before it freezes. Check your owner's manual for fluid recommendations; some coolants are not compatible with aluminum engines, and some systems require an additive. If your quad has grease fittings, replace the old grease with grease designed to work at low temperatures. This has the added bonus of flushing out moisture and contaminants that may have accumulated during water crossings. Cold-weather cable lubricant can be applied to brake and throttle cables to help prevent them from sticking. Keep your quad covered when indoor storage is not available. The best cover is one that breathes, or at least allows some air flow. A non-breathing cover can trap moisture beneath it, causing rust to form on exposed and thinly-painted metal surfaces. ClothingNow that your quad is ready for winter riding, are you? Imagine that you're out on a high-altitude trail. The sun has set over an hour ago, the wind has picked up, freezing rain is coming down, and you have a long ride back to the trailhead. Obviously, proper clothing is required. You can start off with a polypropylene thermal undershirt or CoolMax-type T-shirt that wicks moisture away from your skin. I layer my clothing in the following order: • short sleeve shirt • long-sleeve shirt • long-sleeve pull-over • fleece vest (adds an insulating layer to the body while keeping the arms unemcumbered) • waterproof, windproof Gore-Tex shell jacket with a hood I wear the hood under my helmet to keep the rain and wind off the back of my neck. An outer shell made from Gore-Tex (or a similar breathable waterproof material) is extremely desireable; a non-breathable material will trap moisture from sweat, and can leave you just as wet as a shell made from a non-waterproof material. Look for a shell that is guaranteed to keep you dry in any weather. I wear utility-type pants (jeans or military) beneath waterproof, windproof Gore-Tex shell pants. I've actually fallen into a creek with these pants on; I felt the water flowing around the pants, and the jeans I was wearing beneath them stayed totally dry. The pants are made by Arc'Teryx, and they're AWESOME, not only for being waterproof, but also for keeping the wind out. You can also wear long-john-type thermal underwear, but in my area it hasn't been cold enough to warrant it. Leather hiking boots coated with wax or waterproofing spray work okay, but your toes and feet can get cold. Also, snow can get in if you're walking in the deep stuff. Insulated waterproof boots are best; I've tried Sorrels with good results. Thick socks are highly recommended. Wool is better than cotton as it retains less moisture. I picked up a set of waterproof, insulated gloves made by Reima and marketed by Kimpex; they contain DuPont Thermolite inserts and do an excellent job of keeping my hands warm. They have an elastic wind-blocker around the wrist and extended cuffs with a string closure. They have leather on the working surfaces for durability. They even have a plastic edge on the back of one of the fingers for wiping across your goggles. A full-face helmet is also nice. It blocks the wind from hitting your face and stops your nose from feeling like it's about to fall off. When temperatures fall to -25°C and below, exposed skin can freeze quickly, so make sure everything is covered up. Remember, when you're riding, the wind chill will make it feel even colder. AccessoriesOnce you've taken care of your clothing requirements, it's time to consider some useful accessories for your ride. 
By far, the best accessory I've ever added to my quad is heated grips. They keep your hands warm at any temperature, and they will dry your wet gloves if no additional water is introduced. Also highly recommended is a thumb warmer. Some manufacturers offer both the grips and thumb warmer together in a single kit. This is beneficial both for ease of wiring and for running them from a single switch. Heated grips have a high and low setting; try to find grips which do not use an external power-resistor for the "low" setting so that you have one less part to worry about. Because different manufacturers use different thumb throttle styles, the thumb warmer is usually manufacturer-specific. Rather than using the supplied thin-gauge wiring, I recommend using at least 14 gauge wire to allow your grips to heat up much quicker. I suggest wiring a relay into the ignition circuit that shuts off the grips when the engine is off, to prevent your grips from accidentally draining your battery. Wires should be stranded, rather than solid, because stranded wire handles vibrations better. Always solder the electrical connections because crimps tend to fail due to the excessive vibrations and pounding our machines are subjected to. The heated grips I use are manufactured by Symtec. They have a nice feel and they work well. You can also buy foil-type heaters that are installed beneath your stock grips, but I haven't tried them.Update: Symtec makes the Complete Winter Pack, consisting of a 5-level, 2-zone controller for controlling grips and thumbwarmer, and it's awesome. The new kits have a memory feature, so the controller powers up with the last-used settings. I've installed about ten kits so far, with no failures and great results. I wire it slightly differently from the instructions; I use a Bosch or Hella 30A 12v automotive lighting relay with relay socket. I use an ignition-controlled source to activate the relay, and use the relay to power the grips via 14ga wire. Symtec also sells a 4-zone kit, if you wish to use two additional items such as heated vest, seat, socks, or whatever. The kits are also available from Moose; Symtec manufactures the kits for Moose. The next must-have winter accessory is a hand-protector kit. Originally designed to protect your fingers and hands from getting whacked by branches, the hand protectors also keep your hands warmer by flowing the air around them. Machine-specific models are best because they are usually designed to bolt to existing hardware such as brake lever mounts. Warm hands really make a difference when riding; the combination of heated grips and hand-protectors can be the deciding factor in whether to press on or turn around and head for home. I prefer the large, one-piece units made by Moose Utility, rather than the fancier multi-piece units with snap-on /removeable attachments and deflectors, because the one-piece units will withstand more abuse. Owners of utility quads can purchase windshields to reduce wind chill by flowing the air around your body and face. They are available from ATV manufacturers and aftermarket companies. Windshields are machine-specific and can be had with integral side mirrors. While they aren't practical for tight, overgrown forest trails, they can make long runs down logging mainlines more enjoyable. One accessory to consider is a back-up light. Since the days are shorter during the winter, the chances of you riding in the dark are increased. Reversing, turning around, and loading your quad onto your trailer are much easier with a bright light behind you. I bought a pair of small driving lights from Princess Auto, and gave one to a friend as we each only needed a single backup light. They were about $10 each, plus the cost of a waterproof switch and some 14-gauge wire. I've heard about a couple other accessories but have not tried them. The first is a heated vest that plugs into your 12v power outlet. The second is a heated "seat", which is actually a pad that straps on top of your existing seat and plugs into your 12V power outlet. Some people may scoff at all of these things, but I'm out on the trail to enjoy myself and personal comfort definitely makes my trips more enjoyable. Recovery and Survival Gear
If you're out playing in the snow, you WILL get stuck at some point. Always carry a shovel, saw, and tug strap. A winch can be a lifesaver; carry a winch accessory kit consisting of leather gloves, tree saver, snatch block (pulley), and at least two clevises (D-shackles). If you don't have a winch, a good-quality come-along (ratcheting hand-winch) will also work. In this photo, the cheap tow-rope shown came apart on the first yank, but we were also carrying a proper tug strap which worked perfectly. The difference between a tow strap and a tug strap is that a tow strap has hooks on the ends and is not made to "give", while a tug strap has loops on the ends and uses it's "give" to tug out the stuck vehicle.I should probably remind you to take along spare food and water; you never know when you'll be out longer than planned (either through riding further than you realized, or getting lost or stuck. Meal-replacement bars are easy to pack. They keep for a long period, so you can leave them in your quad trunk. Bring matches in a waterproof container, and keep firestarter, such as newspaper in a Zip-Loc bag, in the event that you need to warm up after falling through the ice. In an emergency, gasoline from your jerry can may be used to help get the wood going. Wait a few minutes after pouring the gasoline for it to soak into the wood, otherwise you'll just scorch the surface of the wood and it won't catch. Don't locate your fire under a snow-covered tree; the heat will rise, causing the snow to melt and fall on your fire. RidingYou are finally ready to hit the trail! Most winter riding techniques are best learned through experience, but there are a few things you should know if you've never ventured out onto the snow. When riding on an icy trail, sudden steering movements or the application of too much throttle can cause your rear end to pass your front end. This can result in your quad tipping over. If you do find yourself going into a skid, turn in the direction of the skid. If you are on a slippery, off-camber slide slope, disengage your front locker if you have that option. If both front tires are turning under power, your front end can slide sideways down the hill. If only one tire has power, the other tire will "track", keeping you in a straight line. However, because your rear end is locked, the back half of your quad will still want to slip downhill, so exercise caution. Clearance is your friend. Once you start dragging your diff, A-arms, or skid plate through the snow, forward motion becomes difficult. If the snow gets too high beneath your quad, your skid plate will get high-centered and you will spin your tires uselessly. If you MUST get by, you can try stomping the snow down by walking the trail and packing the snow with your boots. However, there's probably an easier trail somewhere else. The tires you use can make a big difference in how far and how easily you can travel in the snow. Less-agressive OEM-style tires work well in most types of snow, and airing them down a couple of pounds can let you ride on top of the crust with negligible power-robbing tire spin. Aggressive aftermarket tires with deep, open lugs look cool, and work great in slushy, muddly conditions. However, in deep snow they tend to break through the crust and dig down too far, causing you to spin your tires all day. If the trail is icy, tire chains can provide both forward-moving traction as well as stopping and steering. V-bar chains are the best type to get. 
The next point should be common sense. If you do not know if the ice is thick enough to support the weight of you, your quad, and your gear, STAY OFF! Be aware that if the ice gives way while you are venturing out onto it to "test" it, you WILL GO DOWN. Darker patches, discolouration, and standing water can indicate thin ice. Sorry Mike, I'm not picking on you, but this IS the perfect picture.Since it gets dark early during winter months, plan your daytrips accordingly. It is nice to load your quad onto your truck or trailer during daylight. Always carry a flashlight; I recommend a SureFire incandescent or LED light. Although they are expensive, they are extremely durable and use lithium batteries that will not fail in cold weather, unlike alkalines or rechargeables. Before you drive off, walk around your truck and trailer to make sure you didn't accidentally leave something behind. Speaking of batteries failing, I know that many of you carry digital cameras so that you can submit cool photos to Quads.ca. If you have a small camera that you wear on your belt, try to keep it under your clothes to keep the battery warm. Keep spare batteries in an inside pocket to keep them warm as well. My Canon Digital Elph uses lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, and in really cold weather I can only get about 1-5 shots before the battery fails. Part of the problem is that the camera has a stainless steel case; it's very durable but the wind cools it down very quickly. I actually carry six batteries, storing them in a chest-level inside pocket. When a battery dies, it goes back into the inside pocket to warm up. Once the battery warms up again, I can re-use it as it's not really "dead". Finally, know when to turn around! You don't have to prove anything to anyone. It's much more fun riding the trails than digging your quad out of snow, diving into icy water to hook up a winch cable, or paying for broken parts. Winter riding can be very enjoyable if you are properly equipped for it. Ride safe and have fun! |
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