# Atv'ing In P N W



## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

so last year at my dad's USFS camp in N. Idaho we had the opportunity to ride ATV's. Rick is hooked. I am too, but my arms keep me from being able to go like the others. Such is life. So now we are in the market for 4WD 350cc for Rick just in case you might know of one that needs a home  . Also, suggestions where to camp/ride in PNW?


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## Y Guy's Wife (Jul 28, 2004)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> so last year at my dad's USFS camp in N. Idaho we had the opportunity to ride ATV's. Rick is hooked. I am too, but my arms keep me from being able to go like the others. Such is life. So now we are in the market for 4WD 350cc for Rick just in case you might know of one that needs a home  . Also, suggestions where to camp/ride in PNW?


We ride a lot at Morrow County OHV park outside of Heppner. www.morrowcountyparks.org. We've also been up past Ukiah around Lehman Hot Springs and of course the Oregon Sand Dunes in the spring. Also, a 350 seems a tad bit small for Rick. He needs more power!!!


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Y Guy said:


> so last year at my dad's USFS camp in N. Idaho we had the opportunity to ride ATV's. Rick is hooked. I am too, but my arms keep me from being able to go like the others. Such is life. So now we are in the market for 4WD 350cc for Rick just in case you might know of one that needs a home  . Also, suggestions where to camp/ride in PNW?


We ride a lot at Morrow County OHV park outside of Heppner. www.morrowcountyparks.org. We've also been up past Ukiah around Lehman Hot Springs and of course the Oregon Sand Dunes in the spring. Also, a 350 seems a tad bit small for Rick. He needs more power!!!
[/quote]

thanks! we will look for bigger! We loved riding the USFS trails and old logging roads and current logging roads in the woods. It was beautiful up there!Wow! our friend born and raised there so knew all the secret places! Haha!


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Keep an eye on CraigsList, often find some good deals of people trying to get out of the ATV payments fast. I agree with Sandi, the 350 might be a bit small for Rick. Both Sandi and I ride Polaris Sportsman 500s, more power would be fun a few times but mostly the 500 does everything I want it to do. There are some major differences in how the various ATV companies tackle 4wheel drive. Again for the most part when he's new at it he won't notice but if he sticks with it may drive him crazy. There are a bunch of review sites to look over. I like the Polaris line but if I were shopping again I'd look long and hard at the Suzuki KingQuad too. If buying new I'd be inclined to go with at Fuel Injected ATV. Are you going to get one too or do you plan to ride double up? If you are, make sure you get a true double up ATV - the rules for double up are coming and I would expect that only true double up AVTs will be allowed soon. John & Heather down at the Polaris store are two great people, they know their stuff and are not high pressure, they may also have some used ones too.

Morrow is a good place if he's getting into it, all trails are clearly marked and they rate each trail on the difficulty. I know we'll probably be heading that way again over Memorial Weekend... at least I hope we are, that's that last time we were riding in 2010


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Y-Guy said:


> Keep an eye on CraigsList, often find some good deals of people trying to get out of the ATV payments fast. I agree with Sandi, the 350 might be a bit small for Rick. Both Sandi and I ride Polaris Sportsman 500s, more power would be fun a few times but mostly the 500 does everything I want it to do. There are some major differences in how the various ATV companies tackle 4wheel drive. Again for the most part when he's new at it he won't notice but if he sticks with it may drive him crazy. There are a bunch of review sites to look over. I like the Polaris line but if I were shopping again I'd look long and hard at the Suzuki KingQuad too. If buying new I'd be inclined to go with at Fuel Injected ATV. Are you going to get one too or do you plan to ride double up? If you are, make sure you get a true double up ATV - the rules for double up are coming and I would expect that only true double up AVTs will be allowed soon. John & Heather down at the Polaris store are two great people, they know their stuff and are not high pressure, they may also have some used ones too.
> 
> Morrow is a good place if he's getting into it, all trails are clearly marked and they rate each trail on the difficulty. I know we'll probably be heading that way again over Memorial Weekend... at least I hope we are, that's that last time we were riding in 2010


Stopped at Polaris and talked with Jason I think was his name. Sat on and fell in love with a 550 that we can ride 2 up and the passenger sits higher. Very cool , very comfy but the price tag was more than I want to pay and we think a 550 is bigger than we want. We want to be able to fit on the places we love in North Idaho but also have the power for the challenging spots. Sometimes you gotta go around gates etc. I don't need one, not that I would love one but can't justify it with my arms like they are. I did ride my stepmoms little one, it was a 250 and it was ok for me as I don't need to keep up with the big boys and can't ride like they can or as long.

We are meeting ATVing/Camping friends in Spokane in a couple weeks to shop around. Will keep an eye on Craigslist as well. We want input from others and someone along as we intend to buy only once







.

We were told about Morrow and REALLY want to go there! How fun! We are hoping to have one in next couple of months and then Rick will be driving me nuts wanting to take his new toy out! He really enjoys it and ya know, after 35 years of putting his life on the line everyday, he deserves to have one, he never asks for anything so I really want him to have one


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

now I am waiting for the idea of Toyhauler to pop into his grey head


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

....next thing ya know, you guys will be DRY CAMPING!!! Dry camping will yeild you the BEST places to ride....none of that fancy Electric/Running Water/Flush Toilet stuff in the "good" spots.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Oregon_Camper said:


> ....next thing ya know, you guys will be DRY CAMPING!!! Dry camping will yeild you the BEST places to ride....none of that fancy Electric/Running Water/Flush Toilet stuff in the "good" spots.


GASP!


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Keep looking around, once we're out of winter I think you'll see more pop up on CraigsList. ATV prices have jumped a lot lately it seems. The other dealership I highly recommend is www.hondayamahacycletown.com down in Hermiston. They sell both Honda & Yamaha, the Yamaha dealer in Kennewick is a work of art, way over prices and never very helpful when I went in. The guys down in Hermiston are a no-BS dealership, we've bought one Honda from the old Shumate and one from CycleTown... price was better and didn't get that slimy used car sales feeling there either. I've called down there a few times for service and they walked me through the issues over the phone, and ordered parts and didn't require me to prepay. I like supporting local businesses, but doesn't hurt to shop around for the best prices. John down at the Polaris store won't negotiate much, but you can get some from him and he'll discount accessories when you order too.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Y-Guy said:


> Keep looking around, once we're out of winter I think you'll see more pop up on CraigsList. ATV prices have jumped a lot lately it seems. The other dealership I highly recommend is www.hondayamahacycletown.com down in Hermiston. They sell both Honda & Yamaha, the Yamaha dealer in Kennewick is a work of art, way over prices and never very helpful when I went in. The guys down in Hermiston are a no-BS dealership, we've bought one Honda from the old Shumate and one from CycleTown... price was better and didn't get that slimy used car sales feeling there either. I've called down there a few times for service and they walked me through the issues over the phone, and ordered parts and didn't require me to prepay. I like supporting local businesses, but doesn't hurt to shop around for the best prices. John down at the Polaris store won't negotiate much, but you can get some from him and he'll discount accessories when you order too.


so if you pay cash in Oregon do you have to pay Wa tax?? I am currently visiting a friend in Couer d'alene and her husband I looked on Craigslist yesterday but not much there yet in what we are looking for. We will be back in Spokane in a couple of weeks with the friends we rode with last year. But Rick and I will for sure get to Hermiston, thanks for the info Steve! May be contacting you with a question or two.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Ok here is the deal, being your hubby's line of work he'll want to keep it legal. If buy in Oregon no sales tax. However, if you register in WA you'll need to pay it. WA reg fees are inline with our current majority in control of the State Government (how's that for avoiding being non-political). Oregon reg fees are dirt cheap, I think its $15 for 2 years - yep I said that right. We almost never ride in WA now that we can't legally get out to Juniper Dunes, but we keep paying and paying. However, I have a large number of friends that register their ATVs in Oregon to save the money, they just also don't ride in WA. If DNR catches you on an OR licenses ATV with WA truck plates it might not be so good. The other challenge, but its not a huge one, is that OR doesn't issue Titles for ATVs so the dealership will need to get another document so you can apply for a title in WA - the guys at Cycle Town took care of all of this when we bought our Honda Recon for our youngest.

As you are looking one thing I will highly suggest is getting an ATV with IRS (independent rear suspension) they are much easier on the backside. Our Sportsman 500s have it, but the boys Recon's do not. The Recons are great ATVs but without that IRS my backside feels it when I ride them.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

If Rick wants have him talk to Dave Kraal, I haven't seen him in a while but he was a good resource when I was shopping and gave me some good advice, or if he see's a Red F150 behind the old Cop Shop have him stop by and I can chat with him too.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Y-Guy said:


> If Rick wants have him talk to Dave Kraal, I haven't seen him in a while but he was a good resource when I was shopping and gave me some good advice, or if he see's a Red F150 behind the old Cop Shop have him stop by and I can chat with him too.


oh yeah! I noticed the Old Cop Shop with now owned by the Y and thought of you! How's the plumbing in that building?


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Pulling a sled or 2 behind one is true clean fun


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## wobs (Nov 26, 2010)

Morrow County is a great place to go. Nice facilities, and an on site medical cabin. The one down side is the Misquitos. They can be real bad. Also check the dates you want to go. We have a few races there, and that would limit your riding. Check OMRAoffroad.com and while you are there join up. Small fee to help protect your riding.

Another thing to be aware of is that all riders under 40 need to have a permit in Oregon. You can take the test on line but its still a pain. Everyone will need to have one in 2012.

Another good place is East Fort Rock out side of Bend. About 300 miles of marked trails down there, but stay off the single track with the quads. They take you through some lava rock areas and you could get stuck. The OMRA website has a "places to ride" area that lists everywhere in Oregon to ride. There are a bunch but they are always under attack, and the closure threat is real.

If you feel like a long trip try Taylor Park in CO. SOme of the best riding I have found.


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## wobs (Nov 26, 2010)

Morrow County is a great place to go. Nice facilities, and an on site medical cabin. The one down side is the Misquitos. They can be real bad. Also check the dates you want to go. We have a few races there, and that would limit your riding. Check OMRAoffroad.com and while you are there join up. Small fee to help protect your riding.

Another thing to be aware of is that all riders under 40 need to have a permit in Oregon. You can take the test on line but its still a pain. Everyone will need to have one in 2012.

Another good place is East Fort Rock out side of Bend. About 300 miles of marked trails down there, but stay off the single track with the quads. They take you through some lava rock areas and you could get stuck. The OMRA website has a "places to ride" area that lists everywhere in Oregon to ride. There are a bunch but they are always under attack, and the closure threat is real.

If you feel like a long trip try Taylor Park in CO. Some of the best riding I have found.


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

I don't know if this applies to ATVs but it did apply to cars and trucks a few years ago. If you brought a car or truck into Washington state within 90 days of a sale on that vehicle, you had to pay a "user fee" that was equal to the sales tax on the sale. State law said that you had to register the vehicle witnin 30 days of bringing it into the state. That includes taking it to a state police office and having it inspected. The inspection was basically the state police finding the serial number on the frame to verify that it was the vehicle on the title in your hand.

Things may have changed since I had some, shall we say, "knowledge" of this. As I understood the law at that time, you could buy the vehicle out of state and let it sit for 90 days (where nobody could see the plates) and then register it without getting hit with the user fee. Luckily, when I received a notice from the state police that they were concerned that I might be driving a car registered in another state, that it was about 110 days after the sale. Went to register and no fee was charged. At that time, the one year registration was over $600 for a new truck. Coming from a state where there was no sales tax and car tabs were $20 for two years, I thought that was adding insult to injury.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> oh yeah! I noticed the Old Cop Shop with now owned by the Y and thought of you! How's the plumbing in that building?


City still owns the building, so far no problems on plumbing on our portion... but both CI and the Y did some reconstruction, CI ran a video through the pipes and I think corrected based on what they found.

thefulminator - I think they have since closed that loophole, they want every nickle they can. They even raided the Off Road fun to help balance their spending habits, forget the fact that it illegal to do that, not like the off road community has the money to fight it.


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## muddy tires (Jun 22, 2007)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> ... but my arms keep me from being able to go like the others ...


If the issue is strength or endurance in the arms, some of the manufacturers are now starting to offer power steering as an option. I haven't felt the need for it on my Can Am Outlander Max 400 but I've heard that it is nice on the bigger machines. If you are looking 2-up you should also look at Can Am.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

His new toy is a 2009 Polaris XP 550 4x4 . They had only had it on the floor one day when we walked in ( Spokane,Wa.). Not a scratch on it. 50 Hours and just over 500 miles. Power steering, fuel injection, independant suspension. SWEET!

Now we are looking for small trailer for it for when we are not camping, just riding. It is HIS toy, but the power steering will be a blessing for my arms for the occasions that I will ride it.

It already has a cargo box on the back.


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

Congrats. Can you get it in the bed of the truck, or do I hear the call for a new Outback from yonder in Kennewick?


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Did someone say....TOY HAULER?


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Y-Guy said:


> Congrats. Can you get it in the bed of the truck, or do I hear the call for a new Outback from yonder in Kennewick?


We don't know on yet on getting it into the truck, well, it WILL fit but may have to be without tailgate. We haven't picked it up yet. We are hunting for ramps and also a small trailer for when we are going atving but not camping. As for a Toy Hauler? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! My money tree needs to bloom first .Or a dang good trade deal!


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

we picked up an awesome trailer for hauling the ATV in Lewiston. We are ready to ride! woo hoo! so c'mom PNW ATVers, let's get together!


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

I picked up a folding aluminum ramp at Ranch & Home, my recommendation is don't get the individual style get one that the whole ATV fits on, and as long as you can go. So I don't bump into the window of the truck I've used a 2x6 that I notch on the sides so it rests down in the bed of the truck and against the front of the bed. This is enough to keep the ATV nose from touching the window. I don't know about the limits of Rick's tailgate, but many have had recalls on the cables for not being strong enough so make sure they are up for the task.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

Y-Guy said:


> I picked up a folding aluminum ramp at Ranch & Home, my recommendation is don't get the individual style get one that the whole ATV fits on, and as long as you can go. So I don't bump into the window of the truck I've used a 2x6 that I notch on the sides so it rests down in the bed of the truck and against the front of the bed. This is enough to keep the ATV nose from touching the window. I don't know about the limits of Rick's tailgate, but many have had recalls on the cables for not being strong enough so make sure they are up for the task.


We looked at those and will go back when they get the one we want back in stock. Thanks for the advice on the 2 x 6 and the tailgate! Really looking forward to getting out for a ride. Anywhere around here close by for just a day of fun?


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

We have been considering the same thing and I think we'll get one each of these [click]. I like the idea of buying new, particularly given my medical situation where I absolutely can't afford a break down. From what I've seen, most of the used for sale (not all) have been ridden pretty hard.

I'll buy locally so that I get preference on warranty work and repairs. And, of course, to keep the local guys in business. However, I'll probably register them in ID since I own land there and that's where we do virtually all of our riding.

I also have a small John Deere trailer that will be perfect as a tow-behind with fire wood, camp gear, etc when on longer rides.

One area that I want to tackle is the Magruder Corridor. 90 miles of wilderness. Several years ago I went thru with my Explorer, but it would be much more fun with a couple ATV's.

Another one to consider is the Lewis and Clark trail between Kamiah, ID and Powell Ranger Station near the MT border. It generally parallels US 12, but is on the ridge tops where as US 12 follows the river. The actual L&C route was on the ridge tops and there's about a mile of the original trail still in existance. I took my Explorer on this route and vowed I'd never do it again. But for a 4-wheeler, it would be a kick.

A little known abandoned road is the Elk City Wagon Road from Harpster, ID to Elk City. Some of the old "corduroy" road where they used to lay logs as "pavement" still exists. The Elk City Wagon Road might be a part of the Highway 14 Corridor, but I'm not sure.

Idaho County and several counties north of Idaho county have a whole bunch of abandoned logging roads (Potlatch) and Forest Service trails. Enough to keep you entertained for years.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

vdub said:


> We have been considering the same thing and I think we'll get one each of these [click]. I like the idea of buying new, particularly given my medical situation where I absolutely can't afford a break down. From what I've seen, most of the used for sale (not all) have been ridden pretty hard.
> 
> I'll buy locally so that I get preference on warranty work and repairs. And, of course, to keep the local guys in business. However, I'll probably register them in ID since I own land there and that's where we do virtually all of our riding.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the great info!

My newfound sister has a camp at Avery and they ride all over up there so we will join them this summer at Avery


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