Conquer the Mud
Some ATVs are setup for pushing through deep mud. Whether the ATV was manufactured that way or aftermarket parts were added for mud riding, the technique for getting to the other side of the mud pit remains the same.
Your biggest risk when crossing obstacles like mud is getting stuck. Because of this risk, speed is your friend. However, you can hit a mud hole too quickly. Hitting the mud with speed usually gives you the momentum you need to slide over the mud hole and out the other side. Speed can help you over a mud hole even if your tires won’t grip much.
So that your ATV has something it can griponto you may want to try and keep at least one tire on solid terrain. This is done by straddling the ruts and staying on the high ground, or by leaving one tire out of the mud. You should use caution when leaving a tire out of the mud because if the mud hole is too deep, you may tip your ATV over.
Some riders stand up on the pegs when entering a mud pit so that they can be ready to respond to the uneven terrain. If you choose to stand up keep in mind that you will meet a lot of resistance when you hit the mud. This can cause you to come to a near-stop very abruptly. If you are standing when this happens, you might go for a dive in the mud.
If you are going to stand up when going through the mud, you need to make sure you are comfortable and balanced enough to be prepared for unseen rocks and roots in the mud. You should also be prepared for the possibility of a nose dive, or the ATV suddenly catching traction with the throttle wide open.
A mistake that many beginning riders make is giving their ATV too much gas once they start to lose traction. Once the mud starts to fly, more gas is not always the best solution. Flying mud means that your tires aren’t gripping anything solid. When your tires stop gripping, give the ATV less throttle so that your tires will start spinning a little slower. This will cause them to grab onto something that they would just grind against with more throttle. This is especially helpful if you come to a complete stop in the mud.
When you get your ATV moving again remember to take it easy. Too much gas may cause you to start slinging mud. While more wheel speed usually doesn’t mean more traction, some wheel spin may be necessary to get you out of some spots after coming to a complete stop. It is best to start out at a low speed and gradually increase it until you start moving.
Keep in mind when you get into the mud that the tires with the most weight over them will be the most likely to get traction. If your ATV is two wheel drive, you will want to keep some of your weight over the back axle. This will drive those rear tires through the slippery mud on the surface and down to something they can grab. Shifting your weight from side to side can also be helpful to make at least one of your tires get the traction it needs to pull you out of the mud.
Four wheel drive makes it easier to get out of mud holes that give two wheel drive ATVs a lot of trouble. However, four wheel drive is by no means an end-all solution for deep mud. There are some mud pits that may be entirely too deep for a stock setup. These deep mud holes require a snorkel kit and exhaust extension to ensure that your engine doesn’t suck in a bunch of mud and debris. For mud this extreme, four wheel drive is a necessity. A good set of aftermarket tires that have a more aggressive pattern will also help pull you out of the more extreme mud holes.
Keep in mind that no matter what kind of ATV you take through the mud, you may only have one shot at getting through it without getting a tow. The more you know about the particular mud hole, the better. An experienced rider can tell a lot about a mud pit by its looks and how soft the rest of the trail is. Just remember that a hole you can get through one day may swallow your ATV after a good rain. Mud holes can also change drastically after other people have ridden through them.
Keeping your cool and knowing several different ways that you can try to get your tires to grip instead of slip is the key to conquering mud.
