This is the first year I have used a wheeler for ice fishing and I have two questions:
1. I have my wheeler sitting outside. How do you keep it warm so that it starts on cold mornings?
2. Since I live in a residential area I’m wondering how I can secure my ATV so nobody steals it?
Thank you,
Mike
Not worried about the cold. As for theft. Don’t leave it outside. I lost two in past years. They can drag them easy on to a trailer etc. so best to lock in garage or shed
For easier starting use full synthetic oil. Also keep a battery maintainer on it.
I agree Mr Klein, out of sight out of mind is best for storage.
I don’t have any room in my garage and I don’t have a shed.
I’d keep a trickle charger on the battery when sitting outside if I was you. I do the same thing even when its being stored in my garage to be sure the battery is always fully charged and ready to fire up.
Fuel injected or not?
Battery Tender Jr is a MUST, then i’d chain the frame to the biggest/heaviest thing you have in your yard, come spring time then cement a stake into the ground and chain it to that next year…
Battery Tender Jr is a MUST, then i’d chain the frame to the biggest/heaviest thing you have in your yard, come spring time then cement a stake into the ground and chain it to that next year…
This. I store mine inside, but I have a friend who has a steel stake cemented into his rocks alongside his garage. It’s for chaining the frame to. Chain it and hook it to a tender JR and you should be good. I only have trouble starting my high compression V-twin sport ATV in the winter. A stock ATV shouldn’t be too much of a problem if the battery is good and if it’s got a carb, the choke works.
I say shouldn’t be a problem, but that Sportsman 570 I had would NEVER start in temps below 5 or so since new, even with a new battery.
Pre-primer usually helps with starting in the cold.
$1500 builds a nice 10×12 shed. Definitely battery tender in or out.
Not fuel injected
$1500 builds a nice 10×12 shed. Definitely battery tender in or out.
I have a very small lot. No room for a shed.
Not fuel injected
If it has heated carbs (Honda) or electronic choke (AC and a few others), a battery tender is pretty much a requirement in these temps.
I don’t use mine a lot, but have had out on some really cold mornings fishing tournaments and always started great. I think the biggest factor is the guy who I bought it from had the carbs cleaned/rebuilt before I bought it, so it’s not struggling to start. Also, I use ethanol free gas which I hope also keeps those carbs cleaner and running smoother.
No shed or garage storage would be really tough. I leave the truck outside in the driveway and keep my atv inside the garage when I have it at our townhouse. We’ve been looking for a house for well over a year now and one of my biggest requirements is a big garage or room to build a second one.
Not fuel injected
Then Good Battery, Good Gas, Keep it tuned up.
What about a magnetic block heater?
For security you need to chain it to something if just outside at your house. A tree, the trailer, anything large and convenient. Better than nothing.
If you dont already have one Mills carry’s nice waterproof camo covers. I have been using them for outside storage on multiple machines for many years. Keeps them like new.
For security you need to chain it to something if just outside at your house. A tree, the trailer, anything large and convenient. Better than nothing.
If you dont already have one Mills carry’s nice waterproof camo covers. I have been using them for outside storage on multiple machines for many years. Keeps them like new.
Suzuki, I do have a cover for it. It was at my brother-in-laws and he has pigeons in his shed.
First off, how does it start now? If you just went out there and turned the key?
I keep a carbed Polaris ATV at my hunting propety in a frozen storage shed that is sometimes colder than it is outside and it fires up every time. Some machines are just good winter starters. You might not have any problem at all.
Agree with either a battery tender or a solar battery maintainer and full synthetic oil.
What about a magnetic block heater?
Are you sure your block is iron and there’s a large enough place somewhere where you can stick the heater? Lots of aluminum on these machines, I know my machine has an AL block.
As far as theft prevention, personally, I’d build or have someone build a little “storage cube” for the atv. 4 walls and roof that’s just bigger than the ATV. Look online and you’ll get the idea. This kind of “mini garage” was very common when I lived in the UK because motorcycle theft there is rampant and very few people have car garages or room in them for a motorcycle. They had these little steel slant roof sheds that were just big enough to roll a motorcycle in.
I’d also chain it up, but the biggest thing is that a perp is going to be real hesitent to go messing around to try to steal what they can’t see and therefore don’t know how hard it will be to steal or what the value is. For all they know, it could be Giggles the Clown’s clown car in that little shed. Perps want a sure thing, thye don’t want to risk it if they don’t know what they’re getting.
Grouse
Buy a chain and chain it up to something in the yard. Do what ever you can to make it more difficult to just drag away.
DON’T chain it to the gas meter. Illegal and the piping can be broken pretty easily.
For security I agree with chaining it. With a BIG chain. Thats still not theft proof but will help significantly.
Cold starting is probably not a problem but some are better than others. I have a carbed Grizzly 660 and they are notorious for being hard to start in cold weather. I did an experiment and left mine out overnight when it was -17 this weekend. I did get it to start with a combination of hand pulling and cranking but it wasn’t easy and took a while. I run synthetic oil and that helps. A battery tender would be a good idea. I just changed my spark plug out and that seemed to help some. Main idea is keep it clean and running well is the best you can do.
Something to think about with block heaters etc is if its that cold the trip to the lake will cool your block back off significantly if you have a ways to trailer it. Kinda gotta make sure it is able to start on the lake too. When it’s super cold out I do start it every now and then while fishing to keep the temp up a little and make sure it’s going to get me home.
Tucker
My ATV can be a PITA to start if it sat and its super cold. I always leave the battery tender on it. I have an electronic choke, wish it didn’t, and a primer lever. If it has sat for any period of time I will prime it several times then turn it over and attempt to prime as its cranking. Usually starts OK this way.
For security i guess you could block it up and take the wheels off too if you know you won’t be using it for a while.
Also it seems to help with cold starts to let some heat generate. Rather than steady cranking, crank for a few seconds, let it sit a bit more. Maybe pull the rope a few times. Crank some more.
Depends on your machine. Just gotta learn what it likes.
I have a 99 Honda foreman 450 with a carb. Thing always starts in the cold. Like you, no room and no garage. I have it in my back yard, and bought 2 20ft masterlock python coated cable locks. I loop them through the tires, frame, handlebars, all over. I also took two pails and filled with concrete, and sunk a heavy chain in the middle. I lock one to the front and back of the frame. If a thief wants your quad, they will find a way to get it. All you can do is make it as tough as possible for them.
Try covering your atv with some plywood and maybe an old tarp kind of disguise it a little . i keep mine in me basement
engines are aluminum so a magnetic block heater wont work, I use 0-40 synthetic for winter with a batt tender, starts at -25 below but not -30 : ) mine is carborated.
Tom
Starting in extreme cold is a little easier if u spray some starter fluid on the air filter.
I use a cargo trailer with ramp door great to store ATV in,keeps salt off when towing and I ordered mine with windows on each side and a rv door which I can sit in to ice fishing or hunt.
I use 5-40 synthetic oil. That helps with starting. I might go to 0-40 next year. Battery tender and a stick on block heater. Make sure the heater is far away from plastic! Them things get hot. I may install a manual primer to help start in the super cold. Mine is efi and still has issues after -20.
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