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CapitalPress.com
October 6, 2017
Cycle Country
Edward Maldonado of Cycle Country shows a customer the Honda Rancher Camo edition. The Salem,
Ore., business serves ATV users from all walks of life.
Tune-ups, maintenance
keep ATVs in tip-top shape
By BRENNA WIEGAND
For the Capital Press
WSG17/101
Not long after the
thrill-seekers embraced the first
all-terrain vehicles 40 years
ago, the ag industry began
catching on to their potential
for use on the farm or ranch.
Now they are indispensable
workhorses that tend to stay
in action all year. With their
ability to get through areas not
accessible to pickup trucks and
perform some of the duties of
tractors, ATVs have sped their
way onto all types of farms,
ranches, ornamental nurseries
and orchards.
ATVs also provide a new
sense of freedom to individu-
als with limited physical mo-
bility, enabling them to access
all areas of the farm and in-
creasing their involvement in
the operation.
ATVs are commonly used to
inspect crops, livestock, fences,
irrigation lines and touch base
with work crews. They are
also used to fertilize and apply
chemicals, herd livestock, mow
and transport materials.
“They’re used for just about
everything, from checking the
mail to pulling the drag chain
to feeding the herd,” Edward
Maldonado of Cycle Country
said. “Unlike tractors, com-
bines and other large equip-
ment requiring winterization,
ATVs, side-by-sides and utility
machines tend to get used all
year.”
Cycle Country in Salem,
Ore., is a Honda dealer.
These and the other ATVs
are so useful and reliable they
are often overlooked when it
comes to preventive mainte-
nance.
“While they’re still going,
there doesn’t seem to be an
issue, but they still need regu-
lar maintenance and services,”
Maldonado said.
Cycle Country service
manager Steven Coen said
while many farm operations
perform their own mainte-
nance or bring them in for pe-
riodic tune-ups, there’s a ten-
dency to run them until they
break down.
“We see an influx of ma-
chines during the spraying
season,” Coen said. “They’ve
been causing problems but
owners haven’t wanted to bring
them in, both because they rely
on them for daily work and be-
cause of the perceived expense
associated with servicing at
the dealer. More often than
not, most agricultural clients
are pleasantly surprised at the
final total, and are always ex-
cited to have a great function-
ing machine after having been
through service.”
Coen finds his agricul-
tural clients down-to-earth,
easy-going and great at using
their rigs to their full potential.
“ATVs are an easier way
for some of the farmers to
maintain their fields without
spending $90,000 to $100,000
on a tractor that often has more
restrictions and a higher ex-
pense per use,” Coen said.
Monitoring the systems of
the farm’s ATV protects that
investment and reduces the
risk of injury and the poten-
tial of getting stranded. These
include the throttle, brakes,
lights, oil and fuel, drive train,
chassis as well as tires — but
only to a point.
“They all want bald tires so
they don’t tear up their fields,”
Coen said. “When they come
in and we recommend new
tires they usually say no.”