50" side by side (ROV) width regulation

WhitehouseLV wrote:
Had a friend on his new XP get a $250 ticket this weekend for being on a 50" trail in the Bighorn Mountains, WY. It was good for all day, so if your gonna get caught, you want to get caught early.

Thats an expensive trail ride. We are debating buying a 50" vs wider at the moment also.

mapguy wrote:
On Uncle Sam's domain there are three trail class for motorized. The MVUM -if adopted, dictates what is open to each category -including roads. Road usage is another full can-o-worms that can not be addressed in an easy post as state regulations and statues dictate how roads can be used for the most part....

1. Motorcycle -two wheels in a line
2. 50" and under
3. over 50"

Motor Vehicle Use Maps (MVUM)

Link http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75uan6BdnZaY6OiooA1tkqlQ!!/dl3/d3/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS9ZQnZ3LzZfMjAwMDAwMDBBODBPSEhWTjJNMDAwMDAwMDA!/?navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=stelprdb5144787&navid=360000000000000&pnavid=null&ss=110104&position=Not%2520Yet%2520Determined.Html&ttype=detail&pname=Idaho%2520Panhandle%2520National%2520Forests-%2520Maps

Had a friend on his new XP get a $250 ticket this weekend for being on a 50" trail in the Bighorn Mountains, WY. It was good for all day, so if your gonna get caught, you want to get caught early.

On Uncle Sam's domain there are three trail class for motorized. The MVUM -if adopted, dictates what is open to each category -including roads. Road usage is another full can-o-worms that can not be addressed in an easy post as state regulations and statues dictate how roads can be used for the most part....

1. Motorcycle -two wheels in a line
2. 50" and under
3. over 50"

2btowed wrote:
I have been debating the 50 vs 60 for awhile.In AZ, most trails are FS roads,however at the present time I can access most with a Ranger.I feel that when the motorized maps are complete more trails will be closed,and the Fun ones will become 50" trails.At the present time I take 2 ATVs and the Ranger,but would like to make life easier with just a single vehicle....Soooo I am gonna wait and see what happens this next year or so before I change anything.My GRizzleys have ESP and are really a blast but the DW has had hand problems for the last year,so it limits the length of our rides.She started on 400ex's so she can RIDE,it is just her hand goes to sleep after a couple hours...so we short ride ATVs and take the Ranger on anything over 3 hours.Till then I,ll be pulling doubles.

For those that don't know there are some California F.S. Forest Service roads you not allowed on not unless your plated there only for designated for motor vehicle use!

Link http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/ohv_maps.shtml

Bakersfield wrote:
Question: DW wants to sell her ATV and purchase a SxS. I am told the larger SxS 60" width are not permitted on ATV trails. What is your experience?

Where do you usually take your ATV to go riding now?

Like posted above there are a few restricted areas, do you ride those areas now?

Big Bear/Arrowhead have a few trails that are limited to 50 wide

Check out this link for more info where to ride: http://www.riderplanet-usa.com/

I have been debating the 50 vs 60 for awhile.In AZ, most trails are FS roads,however at the present time I can access most with a Ranger.I feel that when the motorized maps are complete more trails will be closed,and the Fun ones will become 50" trails.At the present time I take 2 ATVs and the Ranger,but would like to make life easier with just a single vehicle....Soooo I am gonna wait and see what happens this next year or so before I change anything.My GRizzleys have ESP and are really a blast but the DW has had hand problems for the last year,so it limits the length of our rides.She started on 400ex's so she can RIDE,it is just her hand goes to sleep after a couple hours...so we short ride ATVs and take the Ranger on anything over 3 hours.Till then I,ll be pulling doubles.

I bought a 50" RZR LE because it was the only one that had power steering as an early 2012 model, and then quickly replaced all suspension, axles and shocks and added a lift kit. Width is equal to an "S" at 60". The biggest problem of the 50" is no suspension travel and low ground clearance. Factory 50" tires suck, but they are fun to drive on because they have no grip, you're constantly in a drift if your foot is on the gas.

Where we ride, mostly TN and KY, there are literally thousands of miles of OHV trails, none of which have a width restriction. I assume your "Bakersfield" to be in CA, so that may not matter to you if you don't ride in the South.

We went with a 50" just so that we could go anywhere. The suspension is better on the S than the standard 50" but I don't think its a big deal. You can tune the suspension to whatever you need it to be if you want to spend the money. There are some ads you cant do with out. You "need" to add full length skid plates, $3-400, at least 26" tires if the machine did not come with them, a lift kit $300 (stock ground clearance is like driving a Camaro down a goat path). Then of course, windshields, canopy, road worthy adds like horn and so forth. Lastly don't forget to upgrade air filtration system. Factory sucks.......dirt. Like any toy you can throw as much money as you want at these things, but some items "need" to be bought IMHO. Just know that the purchase price is a starting point. I hear rumors that Artic Cat is releasing a 50" machine, it would be nice if there was some completion for this market.

My wife has been driving a Polaris Ranger and has no problems with the width. Only spot is Hungry Valley were a small number of trails are restricted. From time to time she will need to take a different route or trail due to the power of the Ranger but seldom due to width. I would suggest the RZRs or RZRxp over the standard rzr simply for the suspension and the added width makes it more stable. I drive a friends RZRs at jawbone and dove springs and can go 95% of the trails as the quads and just about as fast.
It is actually pretty fun to lock the Ranger in low four wheel drive and creep up hills that the quads stuggle on.