Safety First
We would rather you read this page than buy anything today.
Every machine on this site is genuinely fun and genuinely capable of hurting somebody. Both things are true at once. Handled right, these machines give a family twenty years of good Saturdays. Handled carelessly, they end up as the worst day of somebody's life. The difference is almost never the machine. It is the habits around it.
Gear, every ride, no exceptions
- Helmet. DOT approved, fitted, buckled. Not a bike helmet. Not a hat. A helmet.
- Eye protection. Goggles or a face shield. A rock at 20 mph does not care how short the ride was.
- Gloves. Hands go out first, always.
- Boots. Over the ankle, closed toe. No sneakers, no sandals.
- Long sleeves and long pants. Brush and gravel take skin off.
- Chest protector for younger riders. Cheap insurance.
Make it non negotiable from day one and you never have to fight about it again. The rule that works: gear on, or the machine stays parked. Adults included. They are watching you more than they are listening to you.
The riding rules
- One rider, unless the machine is built for two. Single rider ATVs and dirt bikes mean one person. A passenger destroys the balance the machine depends on.
- Never on public roads. Every machine we sell is off road only. None of it is street legal. Cars do not see them and they are not built for pavement.
- Never under the influence. Not one beer. Not on the property.
- Never alone, especially young riders. Someone should know where they are and when they are due back.
- Slow down for unfamiliar ground. Most injuries happen on terrain the rider had not seen before.
- Ride within the machine and within yourself. The machine will always be able to do more than the rider can.
Riders under 16 need adult supervision, every single time
Not "usually." Every time. Direct line of sight, close enough to intervene. This is the manufacturer's guidance and it is ours, and it is the single highest value thing on this page.
The throttle limiter, and an honest note about it
Youth ATVs sold in the United States have to meet a federal speed standard, and an adjustable throttle limiter is how that is done. So every youth ATV we carry has one.
Here is the honest part. Coolster does not publish the detail model by model on their own website, and we are not going to promise you hardware we cannot point at. So we confirm the limiter on your specific unit with the distributor before it ships, and we tell you what we find. If a wireless engine shut off remote is something you need, ask us before you order and we will chase it down rather than guess.
When you have one, use it. Start the limiter near its lowest setting. Let them ride there until it is boring. Then open it up a little. Repeat. A kid who earns speed in steps develops judgment along the way. A kid handed full speed on day one develops a crash.
And know which machines have nothing. The ATV-3200S, the ATV-3250S, the QG-214-2 pit bike, the M-125 and the XR-125 have no speed control at all. Those are adult and experienced-rider machines and there is no software between your rider and full throttle.
Get trained
The ATV Safety Institute offers hands on rider courses across the country, and they are often free or heavily discounted with a new machine purchase. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation runs dirt bike courses for youth and adults. A few hours in a class teaches things that take years to learn the hard way. We recommend it for every rider in your house, adults very much included.
Maintenance is a safety issue
A loose chain, a soft brake or a sticky throttle turns into an incident. Run the ten point pre ride check on our Assembly and Setup page before every ride. Re torque wheels and handlebars after the first few rides. Keep tires at the right pressure.
One last thing
We are a family that sells these because we believe in them. Our own kids ride. We are not being dramatic on this page to cover ourselves, we are being direct because we want you and your riders to still be doing this in twenty years.
Take care of each other out there.