ATV Mudding Essentials

Now that the dry months are coming to an end, it’s time to rev up the ATV for a different kind of thrill: mudding. It’s hard to explain to people that don’t already love this pastime, but there’s nothing quite like getting your hands, feet, and maybe even teeth dirty and powering through mud trails and wet terrain. However, if you’re thinking you can simply hop on your ATV and try your hand at mudding, you might want to roll that idea back a bit. Mudding requires some specific gear and upgrades if you want to continue to enjoy for a while yet and not have to worry about major repairs or replacing your four wheeler altogether. 

Cycles of Jacksonville has provided some tips for preparing for your first mudding ride to help get you started, but if you need more help, or if you need help with upgrades, stop by our location in Jacksonville, Florida, near Orlando and St. Augustine and we’ll help you with all your powersport needs.

Proper Gear

The right gear starts with safety. Make sure you’re wearing the right helmet that properly covers all parts of your head. It might be easy to assume that landing in mud won’t hurt, and maybe this would be true if it was just mud, but don’t forget that the other debris you’d normally find on the trails is still probably buried under the surface. Just because you can’t see a big rock, doesn’t mean it isn’t there, so you need to take all the same safety precautions that you normally would when out in your ATV. 

Your helmet will need to be crash test certified to ensure it’s actually going to protect you, and we recommend a full face helmet, like a motocross helmet, to protect all parts of your head, not just the crown. You’ll also want to wear durable clothing that covers all parts of your body, including long sleeves and pants. Make sure you wear gloves, protective eye gear (if your helmet doesn’t come with a face shield), and sturdy boots.

Snorkel Kits

Once you’ve protected yourself, you’ll want to protect your four wheeler. The biggest threat while mudding is that moisture is going to get into exhaust pipe or find some other way to your engine. At times, you might even find half of your ATV or more completely submerged. If water gets into your exhaust system and engine, it could kill the machine. This is why it’s important to invest in snorkel kits. These often come with extended air intakes, extended CVT inlets, and outlet exhausts that ensure the parts of your ATV that need to stay dry, will stay dry. 

Mud Tires

Some of the more helpful ATV upgrades will include mud tires. Standard tires aren’t going to give you the kind of traction you’ll need on mud trails, whereas mud tires tend to be bigger so you won’t sink as fast. They also come with generously spaced lugs to keep you afloat. The reason you’ll want mud tires and not just generally big tires is that they provide you with the right balance of mudding specific features as well as good tires for drier trails, so you won’t be struggling at any point. 

Mudguard Kits

Mudguard kits are a lot like mud flaps for your ATV and will be particularly helpful if you have if you’re traveling with a group. They’re plastic fender extensions that help reduce spray and even provide your machine a little more protection.

Hopefully this gets you started, but if you’re new to mudding, then you might still have some questions or reservations on how to prepare. For all your mudding or powersport needs, stop by Cycles of Jacksonville. We’ll help you with upgrades and even help you find the right four wheeler to make mudding easier and more exciting. We welcome all patrons from Jacksonville, Orlando, and St. Augustine, FL, so stop by today!