Quad Riders & Destructive Attitudes

[SlideWays]

Ok, I'm going to go way out on a limb here.

I live in the Pacific Northwest in Washington State and it sure seems to me that the majority of the quad riders out here have a very destructive attitude when they ride. I see evidence of off trail riding at our local ORV park, I can understand the occasional off trail excursion due to on-coming riders or a bobble while heading down the trail, but I can't understand the deep ruts that go for several hundred yards parallel to the existing trail.

An event this weekend really had me shaking my head. I work for a local municipality as the water system superintendent, the water source are wells located on 55 acres of restricted land. I have spent the last several weeks grading ground and installing pipes to improve the drainage in the watershed, I completed the work this past Friday. Today I drove up to the work site and found that someone on a quad had been thru the area over the weekend and had destroyed the majority of my work.

They made their way around a locked gate by driving thru the brush, had dug deep ruts in the soft ground around the well heads, tore out most of the drain pipes I had installed, rutted up the access road and shoulders by doing donuts, and tore the crap out of a lagoon drainage field. It's going to take me several more weeks and a lot of money to repair the damage that these bozos did.

I don't want to paint the quad community all the same color, and I d*mn sure know that there are knuckleheads that ride motorcycles that don't care what they damage, but it sure seems to me that the majority of the quad riders have this destructive attitude and blatant disregard for other people and their property.

Anyone else see this type of attitude with quad riders in your areas?

Ok, I'm done ranting now and will prepare to open myself up for potshots.

Slideways

[gwcrim]

At one of my local riding areas, there are a couple of what I call "playgrounds'.  These are places where there is a nice area around a creek with some hill climbs and mud holes, etc.  One of them always seems to be littered with beer cans.  I don't know about anyone else, but I have never seen anyone on a dirtbike carry a six pack into the woods to drink nor have I never seen any deer or coyotes at the carry out store buying Busch Lite.  (Who drinks that piss water anyway?)

Sure, there is a guy who comes by to pick up and recycle but Jesus H. Christ, take your fuggin empties home with you!  Oh yeah.... ever wonder who the morons are that are life flighted out of the woods?  Wouldn't be a drunk on a kwad would it?

[oic0]

I think it is just that quads are easier to ride and easier to ride drunk. They have more mass market appeal and get more ordinary people who have no passion for the sport. They are just out for fun. Not to say there aren't good quad riders, it would be ignorant to say that. Its just they have some "extra" people beyond what dirtbikes have. Those extras who are in it because of how easily accessible it is are just selfish idiots (just like the general population IMO).

[iamsofaking]

Ok, I'll be potshot number one.
I would never have a quad in my garage, but this rant is almost verbatim the kind of stuff that the Birkenstock crowd say about us.

[hughes]

I think it is just that quads are easier to ride and easier to ride drunk. They have more mass market appeal and get more ordinary people who have no passion for the sport. They are just out for fun. Not to say there aren't good quad riders, it would be ignorant to say that. Its just they have some "extra" people beyond what dirtbikes have. Those extras who are in it because of how easily accessible it is are just selfish idiots (just like the general population IMO).

I agree with you. A few bad seeds mess it up for all others.

[jfabmotorsports.com]

Let me sum this up for everyone. I can do this objectfuly because I dont have kids of my own. I do have kids that came with the wife.
   You are 20 something with a brand new 3 year old cramping your style so you decide to get "it" one of those cute little quads. The idea is that "MOM",who doesnt ride anymore...after the "I DO's, can watch the little bugger ride around the parking area while you go ride. Good idea except MOM doesnt care if "it" runs into a hubcap or two or maybe scratches a little paint off SOMEONE ELSES vehicle. After all her kid is having the time of there life. This goes on a few years untill NASCAR dounuts are perfected between the parked cars. Now the kid is all grown up, 14 maybe 15, mom is no longer even at the riding area. The kid has a girlfriend or at least something to show the world. He now has a meaner and badder quad because YOU are keeping up with the Jones and the Jones would never make there kid learn to ride a motorcycle, after all you cant text while riding a motorcycle, and we all know that they need a phone of there own. OOOPS I got side tracked...new topic completely.
   I could go on forever. In my opinion it is not the quad, 3wheeler or the motorcycle. It is the total lack of respect, disipline and parenting that is being offered to the kids of today. I am willing to bet that most of you young dads out there have watched your little kid drag his fingers down a parked car at Wal Mart and said nothing or thought nothing of it and I know the mothers dont. If you are 30 or less, your dad didnt care. Dont blame yourself you were raised that way. Your Grandpa would have broken your little fingers off.

[azracer19]

I cant disagree with any of that ! only to add maybe the younger ones need to follow by example from those of us who respect our riding areas,bodies and other peoples propeties. There was always a code with offroaders, I seee that is gone also

[ktm250f74]

I hate when you have a good singletrack trail that you couldnt fit a quad down then the next time you go to ride the trees have been ran down 4 foot wide and theres all kind of mud holes that will swallow a bike when your haulin a** down the trail you used to know

[SlideWays]

Ok, I'll be potshot number one.
I would never have a quad in my garage, but this rant is almost verbatim the kind of stuff that the Birkenstock crowd say about us.

Bingo iamsofaking!!

I am educated on the difference between motorcycle tracks and quad tracks, but the average birkenstock wearing, granola crunching, tree-hugging individual doesn't and so lumps us all together. Just a couple of bad apples (dirt riders & quads) can have a very detrimental effect, this is the type of thing that gives us all a blackeye.

At least this happened on a controlled tract of land, had this happened on public land the outcry from the birky-babies would have been horrendous.

[KX5Zuki]

Hey, I am a quad rider, a KFX450, the KX5Zuki and a R1 Banshee, I am not disagreeing with any of the statments, just here to back up the responsible riders in our scene, but yes, I have noticed more bad seeds on quads. But when I was in high school, quads were "un cool" so of corse I had, still have, my KX125, KX500, and a now stripped CR500. It was easier to take a bike out and literally destroy farmers fields, hiking trails, etc, you could get outta there on a bike easier than on a quad.

Well, aside from the pic I posted of me on my quad with no helmet, I dont do any of the irresponsible riding any more, nor do I associate with any of them from school any more. I keep my riding to the public riding areas, mostly just Sand Mtn. and do my part to keep that area cleaned up so we can continue to ride.

There you go, thats a quad riders thoughts on the subject, it sucks to have to be grouped with "them" but thats just the nature of the beast.

[Danger4u2]

I'm a quad rider also, 08' KXF450R.  I keep to the trail.

[k5abuser]

well i love my quads and i know how to respect other peoples land and rights to ride there. i think it all started when parents quit spanking thier kids . heck i could use a spanking ever now and then , any single women looking for a fast guy thats been a baaaaad boyyy. well its 4 am and i am tired by the way my little zx9r ninja just spanked some busa a zx10 and a few gsx 1000r in the corners tonite , also on the flat straight roads .

[k5abuser]

but no asphalt or animals were harmed in the quest for the challenge of who was the fastest tonite. close !

[jfabmotorsports.com]

  .....any single women looking for a fast guy thats been a baaaaad boyyy.  

  I have not found that advertisment to work well with women.      

[Uzi9mm]

Anyone ever head out to a track or riding area and find that the quad guys have been diggin ruts across the berms and trenches in the faces of the jumps?