As much as we may hate ignorant UTV owners the future of offroading is UTVs. Its like snowboarders back in the day except worse. Ten years from now there will still be plenty of people skiing but nearly every vehicle on "our" trails will be a UTV. The question isn't how to get rid them, it's how to bring them in to the fold and make responsible users and tread lightly advocates out of them.
Moab, Utah Trying to Control UTVs
- Thread starter explorerlyon
- Start date
While I don’t disagree with you wanting to bring them into the fold, the same was said about three wheelers and quads to the old Jeepers and buggy guys.
The difference is, the UTV’s have a different purpose and path. They are toys. You can’t road trip them. You can’t be hauling your gear for multiple days and gear from trail to trail. The truck and trailers required leaves them as a day use toy.
Now, we share day use trails of course but places can and need to regulate them from destroying things. We are taking machines that do 80+ mph, have huge amounts of suspension travel and they are marketed to go fast and shred.
Put a bunch behind Jeep’s and they will be bored. Their go fast machines belong in the dunes, desert and open spaces, not a Jeep trail.
They need their own space. I don’t see people giving up their 4x4’s in favor of UTV’s. I’ve owned both and they are different enough you can just separate them and everything would work.
I agree that UTV's are the snowboarders of the 80's. I think the only reason they are forced to go on Jeep trails is because of a lack of access towards more suitable places. The people who like to go fast have the most fun in dunes or in places like Swing Arm City, Utah. If you are a UTV enthusiast in Eastern Colorado, I'm not sure there are too many places where you can go have fun at speed, so they are stuck on Jeep trails. I've had plenty of fun in UTV's at speed in Moab (on Jeep trails), but there were no Jeeps around to make mad. I'm sure I would have pissed a lot of Jeepers off driving a UTV on those trails too fast.
There just really aren't enough spaces for them to have fun, so as they have become more popular, they've run out of space. They end up pissing us all off on slower paced trails. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I hope there is one somewhere.
There just really aren't enough spaces for them to have fun, so as they have become more popular, they've run out of space. They end up pissing us all off on slower paced trails. I'm not sure what the solution is, but I hope there is one somewhere.
You can here in Arizona
I'm always shocked at the amount of UTVs I see down here on the roads including the highways. I'm not saying it would be fun to road trip, but they are very easy to make street legal here in Arizona, at which point they can go anywhere in the state on any road you want. Not sure how other states are.
In some places the SXS aren't allowed on some Jeep trails which has them PISSED and steaming.
I've had both also and as Rubi04 said they both have their place. I'm not sure how to educate them on the do's and don'ts.
I've had both also and as Rubi04 said they both have their place. I'm not sure how to educate them on the do's and don'ts.
They won’t hang on long in the end. The insurance is getting NUTS on UTV’s.
With upper end models topping over 30k before mods, once roll or crash totals them out. I got out right before the rate spikes and my coworker saw his Farmers shoot up to over $300 a month cause they just don’t want to insure them. The cost of the machine and injuries (we are near dunes) has insurance running away from them.
With upper end models topping over 30k before mods, once roll or crash totals them out. I got out right before the rate spikes and my coworker saw his Farmers shoot up to over $300 a month cause they just don’t want to insure them. The cost of the machine and injuries (we are near dunes) has insurance running away from them.
UTVs are big in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Lots of trails for them. Not so many for jeeps. Plus Minnesota is the home of Polaris so they aren’t going anywhere.
You can here in Arizona
I'm always shocked at the amount of UTVs I see down here on the roads including the highways. I'm not saying it would be fun to road trip, but they are very easy to make street legal here in Arizona, at which point they can go anywhere in the state on any road you want. Not sure how other states are.
True and some places in Idaho does as well. Having owned both (a four seater RZR 1000) and many others before, I’m back in a TJ. Just more comfortable and practical.
Only way I can think of educating them is to have them get a permit which requires understanding the local rules. Violate them and you lose the permit. Riding without permit means impound.
As much as I hate rules and regulations, this is about the only way to control the madness.
Yes and I for one DON'T want more government in my or others life. Plus who is going to teach the class? Who is going to pay for the class? And the list goes on. And who is going to enforce this?
I'm not sure I agree with the fact that UTV drivers are hooligans that don't understand basic trail etiquette. I think their machines are built for a different purpose and they are using those machines on trails that aren't meant for them.
I wouldn't want to drive one on a long trip. However, I also wouldn't want to drive a TJ on a long trip, so I guess it's one in the same
If what you say about insurance prices are true, that's enough to make me never want one. My Challenger Hellcat was $150 a month for full coverage and I was constantly complaining about how steep that was compared to our other vehicles. $300 a month is just ridiculous!
They aren’t complaining about them on the trails. It’s city streets and such.
I'm not too familiar with that. I understand Moab is pissed about the noise on the road, but I'm not sure what can be done about that.
My Raptor 700 is under $90/yearI wouldn't want to drive one on a long trip. However, I also wouldn't want to drive a TJ on a long trip, so I guess it's one in the same
If what you say about insurance prices are true, that's enough to make me never want one. My Challenger Hellcat was $150 a month for full coverage and I was constantly complaining about how steep that was compared to our other vehicles. $300 a month is just ridiculous!