The Disadvantages of Adsense

As adsense becomes the most popular publisher program for Price per Click advertising, flaws and disadvantages still exist. Since its inception advertisers have chosen to advertise in search because they felt that visitors would be less targeted. This is a genuine concern and one that makes perfect sense. If you are visiting a website, and notice an advert then the chances are you are not particularly concentrating on its content.

Adsense has also become so popular that people can distinguish them from other adverts. Therefore people may choose to ignore them without even paying them a thought. This has been a hot topic discussed by Bloggers and one that could contain a lot of truth. Many have blamed Google for this, and their decision to include text that says “ads by Google” beneath the advert.

Many publishers also fail to ever gain the revenues they anticipated when starting the program. Those only gaining 30 – 40 visitors a day to their website would be unlikely to earn even one dollar a day. Many advertisers talk of rates such as 1.5%- 5% for traffic to click conversion, whilst only gaining around $0.10 per click. The maths doesn’t work out great, but you can hardly blame advertisers or Google if you are not bringing enough traffic. The key is to bring targeted traffic to your website that are likely to click on adverts, however it is said that it may be easier on other programs which allow figures such as 75% share of advertising revenues for publishers.

Another disadvantage in adsense is that it has almost become tacky. Its appearance on websites that generally appear to be designed in a DIY fashion has lead people to associate them inextricably. This can only be tackled through adsense evolving to be more attractive to the bigger brands, whilst those who currently use adsense are restricted.

Google Adsense also has to tackle the issue of click fraud which is anticipated to count for over 15% of click through rate in content. This has meant that advertiser’s who have been particularly affected, have moved away to other programs or have restricted their advertising to search.

This has meant that there is less competition in content and therefore smaller revenues for publishers. Publisher’s who previously had high yielding ads, are now having to alter their content to ensure they get any adverts at all. This has largely been the fault of the publishers themselves however the issue is one that; if not addressed could bring adsense to its knees.

Google Adsense also has the disadvantage of not paying enough for their search program. Other similar programs pay higher rates, and if publishers decide to go elsewhere then problems will occur for advertisers and publishers alike. Although Google fail to pay enough for search another major problem with Adsense is that it does not have a powerful database of graphic adverts. Many advertisers prefer showing graphically drive advertisements, however this has yet to materialise. As several other programs exist for PPC graphic distribution problems could occur.

Whilst this may not be a problem for all publishers, many complain that the adverts within their site do not change, so their repeat visitors fail to see fresh adverts so therefore fail to visit them. This is a problem which could be addressed through making adverts rotate. However if adverts rotate then how will that be linked with advertisers paying a rate per click? These are all problems which Google has to address to ensure that Adsense remains the market leader.

Adwords on the other hand also has major advantages, and remains the best in the market. It’s CPC rates can be chosen by the advertisers so that even when they feel that they are not getting the results they expect they can lower their prices whilst still using the service.

Whilst many issues remain with adsense the program still remains the most popular amongst publishers, whilst Google Adwords remains the most popular amongst advertisers; with a database of over 140,000 Adwords will remain on top for the time to come.

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The Advantages of Adsense For Search

Adsense for search provides publishers with the opportunity to provide a search tool through their website. The search tool provides results which contain adwords adverts, and therefore publishers can generate revenues.

The effectiveness of this tool for publishers comes in its functionality for website visitors. Those who have browsed resources on a website may return to Google to complete a search. If this resource is contained within a website they are currently on, then they are likely to use the publisher’s website for search, and therefore the publisher can receive returns.

Publishers often claim that having a search tool within their website is a good way to generate Adsense revenues without the concern of diminishing their brand. In the way that a company who sells a product would not want a rival provider having an adsense advert within their website, they will not feel that this disadvantage is relevant. The advantages of adsense for search also lies in the space that it occupies on screen. The results are displayed on a separate page, so publishers do not feel that they are sacrificing space where Adsense would previously appear.

The tool may also lead to visitors selecting the given website as their homepage. If the website contains relevant resources, and still has the functionality associated with Google then the website has broader general appeal. Those who are visiting the website for the first time, and realising it will not satisfy their needs may still use the websites search function.

Adsense publishers often state that they receive less per Click Through with Search. Although this is the case surfers are more likely to be targeted towards adverts than with Google Adsense. If a visitor has have changed the item or topic they wish to search for, and isn’t compelled by the adverts; they can still find what they are looking for as the publisher earns a percentage.

It is also a good tool as publishers can allow their site to be searched using the same technology. Therefore surfers are more likely to also find the resources within the publisher’s website that they require.

Google has a lesser database of advertisers for Adsense through the selectiveness of advertisers. The search toolbar provides results which include advertisers that do not want to appear in Adsense for content.

Google for search is also used by large market leading websites where this is rare with adsense. Companies who provide a service or sell a product are more regularly opting to incorporate the search toolbar into their website whilst not feeling that it depreciates their brand.

In fact; many businesses actually feel as though their brand is strengthened through it’s alignment with the Google logo. Other’s who choose not to use the Google logo, may benefit from the customers assumption that the search technology used belongs to the website they are on, and therefore further benefits are reaped by the publisher.

As adsense is plagued with click fraud, the same is less likely to happen with search. Click Fraud would require the person or persons committing the crime to follow realistic searches, and to avoid any suspicious behaviour. This could be particularly hard, and with less revenue per click those committing click fraud are likely to stay away from search all together.

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Text v Graphic on Adsense

Google Adsense provides advertisers and publishers with the opportunity to place adverts in both text and graphic format.

As advertisers decide to put adsense into their website over banner advertising, the question still remains. Which is the best for advertisers and which is the best for publishers?

On one hand advertisers may feel that image adverts are more responsive yet less likely to stimulate a sale. On the other hand text adverts may convert more, whilst being less visible to the consumer.

Text based adverts are considered the least intrusive of the two formats. However does that mean that Graphic advertising is better? Consumers are used to graphic advertising from signing into free email accounts, and from using other web based services. Through being used to graphic advertising they have almost programmed their selves to ignore it. Through the adverts being untargeted, the consumer is used to brand advertising which they feel is generally less purposeful. This may cause the consumer to ignore the graphic advert from the assumption that it will be the same.

Text adverts are not forced upon surfers. Through being less obvious some people will not see them at all, however those who do see them, and read them are significantly more likely to click on them. This is for a number of reasons, but the first is that they provide more information. Generally, someone who is reading text on a page is not going to be fully satisfied by what they read, and if they check adsense adverts they will most likely read something which will further supplement whatever their intention is next. With an image advert, it is far more of a gamble for the surfer.

Graphic advertising is often paid per impression. This is because the advertiser may be trying to promote their brand, instead of promoting a specifically useful service. They therefore are assumed to have worse conversion rates, and with this text adverts are in the consumers eyes more effective. However, if the text contained within an advert was placed in graphic format, which would be the most effective? Well firstly it can assumed that the surfer will be more likely to view it, however if their were multiple image adverts appearing next to each other they may feel overwhelmed.

Graphic adverts are also harder to regulate. Let’s consider Google allowing adverts to be changed frequently and without regulation. The advertiser could claim affiliation from the website they are advertising on, and contain keywords such as “ipod” which cannot be contained within a text advert. Although more regulation and quality control could be in place, a pornographic image for example could be made to appear in an advertiser’s adverts unknowingly.

Text adverts also have a broader market appeal, as advertisers don’t generally have the in house resources to create an image advert, but do have the in house resources to write a text advert. This could mean that a wider array of advertisers find text advertising accessible, through text adverts being less burden on the advertiser, and being easy to change.

Text adverts are also cheaper for the advertiser to create, where as a graphically designed advert may cost in excess of $200. Through removing this fixed cost advertisers may be willing to allot a higher rate to advertising itself; thus benefiting the advertiser and the publisher.

Text advertising appears to be the preference of the advertiser. They pay a CTR (click through rate) and only receive targeted traffic. This removes risks from businesses that previously had to worry that adverts were not only seen, but clicked on and stimulating sales. As CPC (Cost Per Click) is more relevant to text adverts, advertisers are able to gain exposure without needing a high click through rate to be effective.

The big brands are willing to advertise in both formats however the broad market appeal of text inevitably makes it the winner. As flash websites disappear with image adverts, it is becoming clear that text and information is the preference of the website users.

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Success on Adsense – 5 Quick Tips

As you use Google's AdSense for more and more time you begin to learn from the mistakes of the past, and you slowly begin to realize which of your actions kept your site from reaching its full potential.

But an important part to making a mistake is telling people about it and teaching them how to avoid making the same mistake. So this is a list of the top five mistakes people using AdSense make.

You should read them well, and see if any of them is applicable to your contents. If it is, you must stop and attempt to fix such errors as quickly as possible.

The first major no-no that everyone seems to be hitting at one point or another has to do with breaking the rules. Google's AdSense is a great program but it relies on you respecting a few set rules.

The most important thing is not to create "artificial clicks" through any means possible. Never click your own links, never ask your friends or close ones to click the links and never, by any means have your content encouraging the visitors to click the links. You run the risk of being permanently banned, and that will definitely damage your revenue.

Failing to comply with Google's terms could have your AdSense account suspended. And this is why this rule is by all means the most important one of all. It's because this is the difference between life or death.

The second thing users get wrong a lot of time is having a bad color palette for ads. Many times this happens because the publishers aren't knowledgeable enough to change default color palettes.

Others just can't seem to spend enough time in changing those defaults. Having bad ads that stand out is sure to push people away from clicking; whilst having something which is clearly visible yet distinctive will.

Third, of course, the position of the ads is probably the key element you should get right if you want to maximize your profits with AdSense. This is noted in a lot of places on the web and Google talks about this as well. Google can provide you with statistics which illustrate what positions work particularly well on your website.

Fourthly, banner ads are also a very bad idea if you're using AdSense. 480x60 type ads are a sure way to drive many people away as most Internet surfers have developed a natural resistance to such means of advertising.

And last, but clearly not least, is not taking care of the site running the ads. Because ultimately it doesn't matter how cool the site is itself. If it doesn't have updated contents and a lot of daily visitors it will probably never earn you any serious AdSense revenues.

So these are the most important five things people get wrong while using the AdSense program. But of course if you don't like this means of expressing the issues, here are the top five things you should do to ensure your AdSense ads are constantly bringing in that revenue.

Never break Google's policy. Don't make visitors create "artificial clicks" on your website regardless of the person doing so or the reason. Make sure your ads have the right colors that blend in with your site, and make sure they're positioned in the right places to attract as many customers as possible. Always try to avoid using banner-like (480x60) adds unless you really know what you're doing and constantly keep your site fresh and up to date.

So with that in mind you should be raising your AdSense revenues in no time.

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SEO for Adsense

If you've been using Google's AdSense on your pages you obviously feel the need to somehow generate even more traffic for your website, which in turn would translate to more AdSense click and a higher income.

But who do you do this? Well, the major way you'll get visitors to see your website (other then using AdWords, which is encouraged as well) is to use some techniques to have search engines send more and more users towards your page, by ranking high in search results for your topics of interest.

Believe it or not this is a technique, better known as search-engine optimization or simply SEO. So here are a bunch of tips that come handy under every amateur or professional optimizer's belt.

The first thing you need to take care of is the actual source code and layout of your page. This has to be kept as simple as possible. The problem comes when AdSense and the search engines themselves begin to have troubles in extracting the most relevant keywords on your site because of a too complex layout.

Secondly, try to have each one of your pages target only one specific topic. This way it is a lot easier for them to get indexed properly and for the AdSense ads to be consistent with the content of the site itself.

Also, try not to include too many hyperlinks in your page as well. This also means you should try not to use too many AdSense ads on your page either.

If there are certain keywords you wish to target, make sure the word you wish to target is present in the title, in the first paragraphs as well as in the name of the file. While you're at it you might want to ensure the word springs up in the page's last paragraphs.

And of course, it's very important for your content to have original and compelling content. How do you do this? Well the easiest way to do it is to find something you're really passionate about. That way, providing you give it a lot of effort you're bound to have a great page quite fast.

If the content you use in your site is in the public domain (which is highly discouraged) make sure that you at least give it an original title, and add an opening and a closing paragraph of your own.

This takes a little while, but if, after waiting, you still can't find your page near the top, you should try rewriting your title and your first and last paragraphs. It doesn't take much, often just changing a few words will give you the right results.

And of, course there's the use of keyword tools that may aid you in finding some good keywords to include on your page that will drive visitors to your site more and more.

So those are about the basic techniques in search engine optimization. You can find a lot of computer tools to aid you in doing this, and of course, Google is a great place to search for this.

In the end, you'll find that SEO is a complex topic, and entire books have been written on the topic as well. You might find that you have a lot of optimization you need to do in order to get more and more visitors to your site and clicking those precious AdSense banners.

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Positioning of Adverts

After using AdSense for a while you must have begun to ask yourself if there's anything you could do to improve your AdSense based earnings. But before you go on experimenting with this and that setup you have to realize a couple of things about positioning.

The first thing you should know is that there is no universal position that is guaranteed to improve your earnings. That being said, the part above about experimenting is meant to be taken literally. You have to try as many setups as you can to find the solution with the greatest benefit.

But, of course certain places usually work better then others. Of course, Google recognizes this and they publish a "heat map" of how much revenue ads placed in certain portions of the page can bring you. Experimenting is often the best way you can find, what suits the sub conscious mind of your audience.

Generally the most profitable ads are placed within the main content, generally right above it. But this is by no means a rule and there are some exceptions to it. One known exception is having a news site or something similar to a new site.

If this is your case, you will often find that you generate more earnings by placing your ads at the bottom of the content, right before comments begin. This is because as users finish reading a story, they have a short moment where they're looking for something more to do. And your AdSense ads can offer them that something.

Also, placing ads to the left side of your page seems to work better almost all the time. Of course, this is logical because text is generally written from left to right (unless you come from certain countries where it's the other way around).

People will finish a sentence and return their eyes to the left position, which means they have a higher chance of spotting your ads.

Also, there's a bit more to this then just having ads visually in the right place. If you have more then one ad you have to worry about where they're located in the code as well. And there's a very good reason for this concern.

AdSense fills the ads in the order it finds them in the source. That means that if the first add you have in the code isn't the one generating the highest revenue, you may soon start to lose money, rather then earn more.

This is because if AdSense doesn't have anymore ads it will supplement your space with public service ads or just leave it blank altogether. That means that, if you're unlucky, you could end up with your most profitable locations not having any good ads at all. To supplement your revenues

There are other issues with how many ads you should place in your site. The problem is that if you have too many, rather then generate more income, you'll have a lower click through rate, as visitors tend not to follow ads from the places where these come in excess.

You have to constantly keep track of how the users interact with your site. Keep an eye out for where the visitors will be looking at your site most. This is generally the place where you want to use your first ads. Also try not to place ads in annoying positions as that can guarantee a lower click through rate.

Of course, you always need to have ads that blend in with your content and generally don't make the visitor's presence on your site an unpleasant one. The key is providing an enjoyable experience for your visitor, whilst generating revenues from their exploration.

And again, ultimately the best revenue will be earned through a lot of experimentation. Be sure to use AdSense's channels feature and be on the look out for how certain ads in your pages are doing whilst altering the positions to better supplement your earnings.

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How Much Money Will I earn Through Adsense?

If you're looking at Google's AdSense program you're surely asking yourself how much you could make from such a program, and you probably think you can't make as much as you can from traditional advertising schemes.

Google, of course, keeps a great deal of secrecy regarding how much AdWords advertisers pay per each click directed to their site and the same applies for how much AdSense banner holders make from their websites.

While there's nothing official, rumors circulate around the Internet concerning the amount of cash a website can earn by using AdSense. And many people (illegally) disclose how much they have been making with AdSense. There are stories of people raising over one thousand dollars per month using AdSense.

There are also stories of people exceeding $100,000.00 per month but it's a bit hard to believe such stories. The truth to the matter is that if you have a small website and you just want it to support itself, and don't wish to reach your pocket for its maintenance costs you can probably do this with AdSense.

AdSense is also very good for people who host a lot of pages. Even if the said pages don't generate a lot of traffic individually, every click counts and you can earn up with a lot of money by doing this. And that just goes to prove that sometimes quantity matters nearly as much as quality.

There's no telling how much money you're going to make by using Google's AdSense but you can sort of tell for yourself, before actually starting, by taking a few things into consideration.

First, is the amount of visits you get every day. While there's no way to estimate precisely on this, you can generally make a safe assumption that if you have a lot of clicks per day you'll be making good money.

Also, this depends on what exactly your site is about. If your site is about anything popular (music, sex, whatever) you're bound to get a lot of banner clicks. These have a coefficient associated with them, called the CTR (click through ratio).

Basically, what it translates to is that if a large proportion of your site's visitors click the ads you'll be making more money. And the best way to do this is to have some popular content in your site, ensuring the links direct users towards popular items as well.

Then of course, there's the position and number of ads on your website. While you don't want to overdo it, having many links will undoubtedly generate more income for you as a webmaster. Do not however believe, that if you just add a lot of ads in an important portion of your site, visitors could always just skip them (and be assured that many do just that).

There's something between an art and a science to positioning your ads. People generally look in certain places and never look in others, and knowing this a website author and/or webmaster can do a great deal of things to increase his earnings with AdSense.

All in all, the amount of money you make with AdSense depends on many factors. But if you have a site with interesting contents and/or many pages, and if you see a constantly large amount of traffic every day, you can bet you'll be making a lot of money with AdSense.

Even if you aren't in the above categories, AdSense is still worth using because there's very little hassle in setting it up, and many times it can help financially support the site, whilst being a nice bonus to get through the post at the end of the month.

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Why Some People Dislike ATV Riding in Nature Areas

There has always been great debate between motor sport activists who want to enjoy riding their machines in the outdoors and other nature lovers who claim that off-road motor vehicles harm the environment and ruin the area for anyone who wants to enjoy the outdoors in other ways. The argument can be made that motorcycle and ATV riders have as much right to use state lands as anyone else, but most other outdoor activities don’t interfere with riding the way riding can interfere with hiking, hunting, fishing, bird watching, or even the balance of nature and maintaining consistent flood plains. Although there may always be a conflict, understanding what other nature lovers do and how your riding affects them will help keep ATV riding in current areas, and possibly help it spread to even more areas.

The number one justification for banning ATV riding in certain areas is the detrimental affect it can have on the environment. Although ATVs smoke, are noisy, and help redistribute the mud on a piece of property, these factors have little affect on the environment. However, ATV riding, if done improperly or carelessly can damage waterways and have very noticeable effects on the local environment. The biggest and most likely risk is damage done to vegetation on the banks of waterways and nearby areas. Because those plants hold the riverbank together, if the plants are killed by riding over them, the soil in that area can be easily washed away, changing the flow of the river and oftentimes causing flooding. This kind of flooding causes damage to bottomlands, which is usually very fertile and a hotspot for deer, turkey, wild mushrooms, a plethora of wild birds, and many other things that other nature lovers seek out. In addition, increased erosion along rivers and streams cause fine sediment to fill the water, making it difficult for creatures like tadpoles and crawdads to grow and develop, which hurts the ecosystem, as well as the fish population and fishing opportunities. Most state laws do permit you to cross a river or stream on an ATV, but the most damage comes from riding up and down waterways because so much sediment is stirred up in the water.

Other than not damaging waterways and floodplains, there are several other things you can do to ensure that your riding doesn’t interfere with other activities that go on alongside the trail. For the most part, you should be fine as long as you keep your riding on the trail. It is when you stray from the trail that you will bump into people who don’t appreciate motor sports as much as you, and you may, in some cases, ruin their entire day. If you ride in areas that permit hunting, you should take a minute or two to find out what animals are in season so you know what else is going on in the woods. Many hunters complain of ATV riders driving by their hunting spots to see if they’re having any luck. Although most hunters don’t mind chatting it up, keep in mind that many hunters look forward to bagging a big deer or turkey for months, and an ATV off the trail is often enough to disrupt an animal’s normal patterns and keep hunters from seeing anything. It would be the same as if you were looking forward to a riding an area, only to turn your back for a second and have a hunter ruin your trip by slashing your tires. Your day, as well as weeks or months of planning and anticipation, would be destroyed in a few short seconds. The same can be true of bird watchers, hikers, and people fishing in streams and ponds where you ride. Although you may not realize it, an ATV is a noticeable presence in the woods, and not one that all creatures, including humans, appreciate.

Although there can be some conflict between motor sports lovers and other outdoor enthusiasts, a little respect can go a long way. Also keep in mind that many people who hunt, fish, hike, etc, also ride or have ridden ATV’s and vice versa. Many hunters will use ATV trails to cover ground quickly and get into areas that are usually undisturbed and catch their prey unsuspecting. Most hunters realize that deer and turkey do get used to the sight and sound of ATVs on trails. However, when you leave the trail with your ATV, you are disturbing the wildlife and possibly flood plains, which give other nature lovers and lawmakers a solid reason to restrict ATV riding to certain designated areas.

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What Makes a Good ATV Trail?

There are thousands of ATV trails throughout North America (and more are being charted every day), but how do you judge whether you’ve found a good one or not? Here, we’ll examine a few of the elements that you need to look for when deciding where to take your four-wheeled “baby” for your next pleasure cruise.

Generally, if you’re someone who is familiar with four-wheeling, you’ll want an ATV trail that has some length to it. Otherwise, you could risk becoming bored when you just go in circles in the same field. ATV trails can be a few to a hundred miles long; start small and gradually build up your endurance. If you’re a beginner, ask a more experienced ATV operator to show you the ropes; heading out on your own is a dicey proposition and not recommended.

You want an ATV trail that matches your ability, or it won’t be much fun. Thus, if you’re a novice, don’t start your four-wheeling hobby in an extremely mountainous region or one that requires a great deal of ATV riding know-how. Similarly, if you’re someone who has a great deal of ATV operation experience, you should find a suitable trail or you’ll be overcome by ennui an hour into your excursion.

One of the greatest aspects of ATV riding is enjoying the natural surroundings, so be certain that your next trail ride is one that includes some amazing views or which allows you to soak in the beauty of the area. Remember you don’t have to be a photographer, an artist or a poet to be moved by a snaking stream or a radiant sunrise.

Not sure if a trail or area is open to ATV travelers? Then stop before gunning your motor and don’t ride on any trail or in any region until you have been given the “okay” by either the property owner or a legal authority. Far too many four-wheeling enthusiasts have given the sport a bad name by ripping through private property or tearing up national parks. There are plenty of legal ATV trails out there; make sure the one you choose is on the up-and-up or you could be hammered with a heavy fine.

The last thing you want is to get lost during an ATV trail ride. Riding without the proper gear while outside in the elements can be uncomfortable, scary, and deadly in some situations. Therefore, if you’re unfamiliar with your ATV trail, make sure you obtain a map of the region so you can stay aware of your bearings. Even if you never need to glance at the map, it’s still better to have it than to end up wondering, “Where the heck am I?” while a dark night approaches.

Finally, one of the most important elements of a great ATV trail is that it is one you want to share with friends and other riders. You will know you’ve found an awesome path when you can’t wait to get on your blog and start bragging about your recent excursion to other four-wheeling adventurers. After all, when you’ve found something that’s really exciting, it’s up to you to share the news with your friends all over the world.

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What ATV Trail Best Suits Your Personality?

“I’ve found the best ATV trail! You have to try it!” How many times have you heard that statement from one of your ATV-loving friends and then rushed out to have a terrific ATV riding excursion, only to find that you’re not all that enthralled by a trail that another four-wheeling enthusiast has deemed “awesome”?

Since you are an individual with a definite personality and not a robot without preferences, what leaves you breathless in terms of an ATV trail might not raise the pulse or even eyebrow of another ATV rider and vice versa. Hence, we’ve put together the following guide to help you figure out the perfect ATV trail for you.

If you’re someone who likes speed and want to feel the wind rushing past you, then you’ll probably like an ATV trail that’s flat and fast.

Flat and fast trails are best described as terrain that allows you to gun your ATV’s motor and quickly get from one point to the next. Your best bet is to find a low-lying area, as mountainous regions rarely have long stretches that include no twists or turns. ATV trails in the middle states of America lend themselves to this kind of speedy ATV riding, as they are notoriously level and have an attractive, earthy quality.

If you’re a four-wheel rider who loves the thrill of wicked turns, then you should consider an ATV trail that’s twisting and wild.

You can hoot and holler along an ATV path that winds its way through a wooded area or along a stream bed. Do your best to avoid extremely rocky areas as they can be dangerous, but don’t be afraid of taking on some of the smaller hills and roaring your ATV around some of the more adventurous terrain.

If you’re an enthusiast who loves steep climbing followed by hair-raising descents, you might enjoy an ATV trail that’s up and down.

Head to the mountains, my friend! In the mountains, you will find exactly what you’re searching for in terms of rollercoaster-like ATV adventures! Not only will you be able to test your ATV’s moxie on some serious grades, but you’ll also be able to whiz down scenic mountainsides. Remember to keep your speed in check, though; up and down terrain is only safe when you keep a cool head and a conservative pace.

If you’re a laid-back person who just enjoys a little bit of everything, why not try an ATV trail that’s a pleasure potpourri?

The “pleasure potpourri” is ideal for the ATV trail rider who can’t make up his or her mind as to what the “perfect” excursion might be. And, best of all, these types of hodgepodge ATV journeys can be found almost anywhere in the country. In fact, you might just find all the necessary elements of a mixture of hills, valleys, vistas, and gravel paths within a few miles of your own home.

No matter what your personality type, you can rest assured that there is an ATV trail out there for you and never be afraid to go outside your preferred style. Even if you’re a hard-and-fast “pleasure potpourri” four-wheeling lady or gent, you just might discover that you actually harbor a secret love of “twisting and wild” ATV paths. You’ll never know until you try, so get out there and start exploring!

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Ways to Beef-up Your ATV

With new ATV’s coming out every year, a quad that is king of the mountain one year may fall back to the middle of the pack the next year. And, of course, the more you ride and get comfortable with your ATV, the braver you are going to get and eventually reach a point when you have perfected the art of riding and run into a mud pit you can’t cross or notice that some other quads can get the jump on you. Many people simply trade their quad when this happens, but there are a lot of things you can do to your quad to get even more power or custom tune your ATV to suit the terrain in your area or your riding style.

One of the easiest ways to tailor your quad to local riding conditions is to simply change your how you grip the ground. There is a large variety of tires on the market that are made for extreme mudding, sand, and all out speed over any terrain. The most obvious factor you can change about your tires is the tread pattern. Mud tires will typically have a deep, well-spaced tread with a lot of surface area, which allows it to push against slippery mud. Although tread pattern comes into play when playing in the mud, so does sidewall strength and tire thickness. A mud tire with a thicker sidewall will give you more consistent performance when you’re axle deep in sludge. Many people find that lighter rims also give them a slight edge in the mud. Like mud, getting through sand is made much easier with tread that can push and grab a lot of sand. However, if you’re trying to get faster, especially through the corners, you might benefit from a knobby open-patterned tire that is designed to grip trails without deep mud pits. You can also get tires to make the ride a little softer or give you a firmer grip, but the tires only affect how you grip the trail. Sometimes it’s necessary add some muscle to your quad to get the performance you’re looking for.

Although there were once many people who would change sprockets to get more low-end power or top-end speed out of their quads, most of today’s quads have balanced gearing based on weight, engine power, and what it was designed to do. Many riders find that tinkering with sprockets don’t change their quad’s performance characteristics as much as they’d like, and instead turn to performance modifications to squeeze more power from their ride. Although you can go deep into your engine and change cams and other parts that will make your engine even more stout, you can get noticeable results from more affordable and less complicated modifications.

The easiest way to get more power from your quad is by adjusting the airflow through your engine. Simply changing the intake on your quad will give you an increase in power because you force more oxygen into the combustion chamber. Switching to a less restrictive exhaust will get more power to your wheels since the engine doesn’t have to work as hard to breathe. Headers are another bolt-on modification that will let your engine work more efficiently and add power to your quad.

One popular modification that makes it possible to take on really deep mud holes is a snorkel kit and exhaust extension. A risk you run when diving into mud is that you will suck some mud through your intake, or it will enter your engine through your exhaust. Getting mud or water in your engine will shut it down in a hurry and may require a trip to the shop to get all the water out of your engine. A snorkel kit may be necessary to get through some mud holes you encounter when riding.

Regardless of what kind of quad you ride, with the horde of new ATV’s that come out year after year, sooner or later it will fall to the middle of the pack. The good news is that aftermarket parts are also getting better all the time, which allows you to custom tune your quad without breaking the bank.

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Using Courtesy While Driving an ATV

Since its introduction to the public in the 1970's, those who ride All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) have had to deal with a number of issues regarding their behavior. Some of these issues deal with safety, while others deal with rider's behavior towards sharing trails and those whose land they trespass on. Many drivers irresponsibly disregard laws that prohibit the use of ATVs in certain areas. Because of this, hundreds of trails have been designated as safe and legal places for ATV riders to use. As with all forms of vehicular travel, there are a number of rules, both implied and legislated, which have been developed to ensure the safety of those who drive ATVs.  

Regardless of why someone is using a trail, it is important to remember that all trail users are responsible for watching and listening for others. This should result in those who use trails actively looking and listening for others, as opposed to merely reacting when someone or something comes their way. This approach will go a long way towards preventing the accidents and misunderstandings that can take place on the trails.  

It is generally accepted that traveling on the right side of the trail removes indecision about the proper side on which to pass. If you need to pass on the left for one reason or another, always ask for and get permission before you do so. Make sure that you are able to slow down significantly and use caution at all curves and junctions. While riding an ATV is not the time that you want to experience a surprise! Surprises are never safe - regardless of what type of vehicle you happen to be riding!  

If you should encounter a horse while you are riding your ATV, always yield to the horse and rider. Go out of your way to make sure that the horse has seen and heard you. In addition, you will want to give the horse adequate room to pass you on the trail. Remember that motorized recreation vehicles, such as ATVs, can usually be heard coming, and the horse rider may be well out of the way. If not, be courteous, and shut off your motor. Then allow the rider to get a safe distance beyond you before you start it back up again. If you happen to notice that a horse is becoming edgy, nervous, or agitated, always turn off your engine. Then ask the rider what you can do to make the situation better for him and the horse.   

Unfortunately, the great majority of responsible riders have had their reputation negatively affected by those who do not follow the rules of the trails and who do not take the necessary time to be courteous. Simple courtesy and respect for others and their property will discourage riders of ATVs from riding on non-designated trails, or from using other's private land without permission. This type of responsible thinking will also prevent riders from driving their ATV under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A number of accidents happen each year because of this unfortunate behavior.  

If you are planning riding your ATV on a trail designed for ATV use, keep in mind that there is always a good chance that you may encounter someone who is using the trail for a purpose other than the driving of ATVs. In these situations, it is best to give others the respect that you desire from them. Be active in your effort to hear and see other who is on your trails. When you do encounter them, always yield.

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Tips for Taking Jumps and Sharp Turns on Your ATV

You may notice that some ATV riders can make certain obstacles and jumps look like child’s play while others make them look dangerous and impassable. Although superior equipment may be partially responsible, experience and familiarity with your quad is what separates the men from the boys. Riding time is the best way to get better, but there are a few techniques, like making you quad pivot around a corner or taking a jump, that can make riding a lot more fun.

If you want to take a corner quickly without losing much speed, depending on your ATV’s setup and capabilities, you may be able to conquer the turn by making your quad pivot around it. Although this technique works best with light, powerful sport quads, it can be used with utility ATV’s as well. Enter the corner wide and fast instead of slowing down or coasting through. When you get to a point in the corner that you hit a spot where you can turn your quad in the direction you want to go, turn your wheels in that direction, hit the front brake hard, and open the throttle. When done properly, this will momentarily cause your rear tires to lose traction and spin your back end around. When you have turned your quad far enough, simply release the brake and keep on the gas. You may fishtail as you finish this maneuver, but steering into the skid will keep you going where you want to go. The result is your quad turning quickly around an obstacle without losing much speed. Making your back wheels lose traction and spin you sideways is the key to this maneuver, so you may get better results if you lean forward and take some weight off the back wheels. This technique is easier accomplished on quads with stiff suspension, low center of gravity, and lots of power on demand. The lack of these characteristics will make this maneuver more dangerous and difficult to do properly, but it can be done if your front brakes can slow you down and you can get your back wheels to break loose.

The key to doing jumps on an ATV is technique and respect for your ride. When done properly, most jumps are relatively safe, but if you bite off more than you can chew, you will get hurt. With this said, easy does it when it comes to learning to get your wheels off the ground. No two jumps are exactly the same, but there is a simple technique for getting air without kissing the handlebars when you land. The length and steepness of the jump will play a large role in how fast you want to be going when you hit a jump, but be conservative on the first couple passes and that will tell you what kind of jump you’re dealing with. Sometimes a jump will have a lip on it that will do unexpected things to your quad, so be prepared. On your first pass, you will want to approach the end of your ramp(whatever it may be) with enough speed that you feel you would get a little bit of lift if you just held the throttle steady all the way through. However, just before you reach the end of the ramp, let off the gas momentarily, but then quickly give it as much gas as possible. This accomplishes two things: first, the burst of power right before you leave the ground launches you into the air; second, it causes your front end to shoot up into the air, much like doing a wheelie. By entering a jump with this posture, your back tires should hit the ground first, ensuring that you and your quad don’t do a swan dive into the ground. When you are airborne, let off of the throttle so that your quad doesn’t over rev while to wheels can spin freely. After your first successful pass, you will know a lot about that particular ramp and what your ATV is likely to do when you jump it. Using this information, you can get an idea of the best speed to hit the ramp at and how much throttle to give it before you leave the ground. For many ramps, especially those that are short and have a sharp angle (like the edges of dried out ponds), first gear may be plenty of speed and power, and if the ramp is too steep, trying your approach in second gear could be painful.

Anytime you ride an ATV you should exercise caution, especially when riding in a new area or trying new techniques. Modern ATVs are extremely powerful and can get out of control quickly if you do not respect their power. When trying any new techniques, take it easy and master it at low speeds. Although something may look simple, every quad handles differently and will react to obstacles and maneuvers differently. Trying to do things that are beyond your skills or your ATV’s handling capabilities can be disastrous and keep you from riding again for a very long time.

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The Great Western Trail: A Utopia for ATV Trail Riding

The American West was founded on dreams and the pioneer spirit. “Go West young man!” was the battle cry of thousands of individuals looking for adventure and a fresh start. In time, the way west had been criss-crossed by dozens of trails and passages to reach the Pacific Coast. In time, those trails would become a means for commerce as well as leisure travel and the means of transportation would be as varied as the people that used the trails.

The same spirit lives on today in the American West. People sitting around campfires still have dreams and the drive to see them happen. One such group of people is the founders of the Great Western Trail. The GWT isn’t a route for a modern day cattle drive, the Great Western Trail is an idea in the making for a multi-purpose outdoor vehicle trail that runs from Canada to Mexico. The trail won’t just be for ATV and dirt bikes, the goal is to make the GWT available to hikers, horseback riders, skiers, snowmobilers and many other outdoor enthusiasts.

Putting together a trail of this magnitude is going to take a lot of work and forethought. You can imagine all the precautions and planning that needs to be in place for these motorized and non-motorized trails to work together. Overall the “trail” will most likely be a collection of trails running parallel to one another. You can’t have a horse and an ATV running on the same trail without some obvious safety issues. There are also some areas that motorized vehicles will not be allowed to go, but a horse or a hiker would.

The GWT started back in 1985 and so far there are several hundred miles in Utah and Arizona. Like the Eastern and Western railroads of the old west, the goal is to have both the Northern and Southern sections of the trail meet in the middle, completing a way from Canada to Mexico. Portions of the route are already created and when the whole trail is finished it will cover a total of 4,455 miles through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Much of this route is mapped out over some of the most beautiful scenery the United States has to offer. The landscape of the American West is gorgeous enough from a car or the back of a motorcycle, but riding through miles of Arizona desert or the stunning Utah rock formations on an ATV can be downright spectacular.

The builders of the GWT hope to utilize trails and roads already existing along the route. By doing this it cuts down on any new construction that needs to be done. The Great Western Trail is also making use of much of the public lands along the way, especially the land deep in the center of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. The trail will also utilize a few National Forests such as Bitterroot and Salmon National Forests and a portion that follows the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail. Still other sections of the trail will wind along the western portion of Yellowstone National Park.

Eventually when the trail is finished, you will be able to spend a week or so riding the trail and have the ATV trail riding experience of a lifetime.

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