It’s easy to make sure your ATV is secured properly, and it’s worth the little time and effort it takes to keep your quad safe. The main goal here is to deter thieves and vandals. It won’t cost that much and won’t take up that much of your time, so you have no excuse not to secure your ATV, right?

The best thing you can do is have your ATV’s stored in an garage, preferably with an alarm system. But, not everyone has that luxury. Here are a few tips to help you keep your ATV safe and secured.

Security Tips For ATV

• Have your engine/chassis number written down and stored in a safe place. If your ATV is stolen you need to be able to prove it is yours if the police ever do pick it up. A good thing to have for this is a title or bill of sale or something. Having the engine/chassis number written down somewhere is better than nothing though.
• Get your ATV’s insured. This can save you money if something ever does happen. You might be disappointed if you simply rely on the police to get your property back for you. If you don’t want to pay for insurance, make sure it’s almost impossible to steal your ATV.
• Keep the ATV stored in a garage or secured shed. Keep the shed or garage closed and locked to deter thieves. If someone can get to the ATV, someone can steal it.
• Have a chain and lock setup in your garage or shed for the ATV. Even if someone gets in, they will still have to somehow break the chain to get your quad. This is one of the best deterrents, just make sure it is chained to something that cant be easily broken or sawed through. I use the Trimax Cable found here on Amazon because its easy to slide through the ATV and hard to brake.
• Use a ground anchor if possible. Using good quality chains, locks, and a ground anchor can even save you money on the insurance bill. Check with your insurer which chains and locks they approve. And a good ground anchor, properly mounted, is almost impossible to rip out of a garage floor.

Precautions To Take

• Get a dog. Ok, I know not everyone is going to get a dog to watch over their ATV. But, if you were looking for an excuse to get a pup, now you have one. Having a dog in the house reduces theft and break-ins.
• Avoid starting your ATV for the fun of it. Yea I like how they sound too. But, starting up your ATV lets the whole neighbor hood know you have nice toy.
• Avoid washing and displaying your ATV in your front yard in plain sight. Yea it feels cool, and people like to show off their toys. But, this is like starting it up and revving the engine all the time, you’re just letting everyone know you have an ATV ripe for the picking.
• Be careful allowing people to test ride your ATV. Of course friends and family are ok. I’m talking about strangers, mostly when your trying to sell your ATV. There have been plenty of cases where someone went for a test ride and never came back. Make sure they leave their own vehicle or something behind when they go for a test ride.
• Keep your bike in view at all times at the track. This goes for race meets or busy trails as well. There are people out there who see a lone ATV as an opportunity and could jump on your quad and take off.

Other Methods

There are things you can do to add to the security of your ATV. One thing I’ve noticed people do is put a lock on the throttle of the ATV. This will prevent the quad from getting fuel and allowing someone the ride off with it. A good option is this BigPantha Grip Throttle Lock found here on Amazon. This won’t stop anyone from simply loading it into a truck and driving off though, so still use chains and a lock if you can.

You could also get a wheel lock. It’s like those boots they put on your car if park illegally. They will prevent someone from riding off with your ATV. But again, they won’t prevent someone from loading it into a truck and taking the wheel off later. I recommend the Wheel Lock Tire Clamp By Zone Tech found here on Amazon.

If you use a chain or cable and lock. Make sure you run the chain or cable through the frame of the ATV. Don’t chain it to something that can be easily taken off.

A lot of ATV security is common sense. You just have to take the time and energy to make sure your ATV is secure. It’s worth the little effort to avoid a huge headache, and missed riding time. Don’t let these thieves steal your quad.

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