A Brief History of ATV Performance Products

On the early ATCs, the engine was the easiest upgrade because the ATC 90 engine had started life in Honda Trail 90 minibikes back in 1967. There were already replacement pistons, valves, carburetors, and add-on oil coolers available. Machine shops were getting stripped spark plug thread holes for the scrawny 12mm spark plug so for years these shops profited on rethreading the stock hole for a 14mm that could take the torque. The same applied to Yamaha and Kawasaki.

Even more ambitious owners were finding companies that manufactured swing arms for the rear of the first ATCs allowing your bottom some small bit of suspension. Front suspension options really did not happen until about 1983 when the ATC 125s came stock with a suspension front fork. With some creative wrenching and longer control cables, there was some relief for your pumped-out arms.

With that win came a slew of new options because of things learned in the wilds of Baja California. Mark Weixeldorfer found issues with the stock seat height, padding, and square design that rubbed his inner thighs raw. Soon his Wax On product line supplied seats with better padding that was taller and a rounded design that did not rub the inner thigh. The taller seat helped reduce fatigue in desert races where the rider is constantly standing and sitting for hours. Weixeldorfer became a four-time Baja 1000 class winner on three wheels.

By 1982 the three-wheeler and now four-wheel ATVs were firmly entrenched in the off-roading world, being ridden on sand dunes, desert tracks, mountain trails, and even being put to work on farms and ranches. Suddenly the ATV was fitted with aftermarket racks that served different purposes from hauling hay bales and trailing tools and equipment in the workplace, to hauling ice chests, EZ-Ups, chairs, and tables for recreation. 

With these four-wheel ATVs came upgrades in suspension and engine displacement from the manufacturers. But was this enough for John and Joan Q. Public; obviously not, they needed modifications to be better, stronger, and faster. The aftermarket answered as quickly as the manufacturers could turn out new models.

Because ranches and farms could span many square miles and are often only able to access some of the fields by county or state roads, the aftermarket came up with street-legal kits so they could be operated on public roads. These kits usually featured turn signals, a horn, tail, brake lights, and backup lights. Some states registered them as a motorcycle, while others fit them in under a farm equipment license, treating them to the same rules of the road like tractors, grain carts, or combines.

As popular as the utility ATVs were in the rural areas, their numbers were many times that for recreational purposes. Luckily, the upgrades for performance products were matched by safety outfitters to protect the rider from harm due to a lack of talent or common sense. Manufacturers of safety gear like Malcolm Smith, Fox Racing, O’Neil, Bell, Alpinestars, and many others protected the masses from head to toe. In the early to mid-1980s Bell was the helmet sales leader with their Bell Moto 3 and 4 line.

After the three-wheeler was outlawed in 1987 all attention turned to the Quad market and fewer manufacturers were servicing the now-defunct trike. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki were all making more powerful machines capable of much higher speeds. But was that enough for John Q and Joan Q Public? What do you think?

The Quad had one distinct advantage and led to other advantages, that extra tire on the ground made for a more stable platform. It also meant that suspension was now much better than before because of independent front suspension. This brought longer front arms and improved shocks, meaning more travel and better handling. Because you are going faster and have more parts exposed underneath the quad the skid plate game was upgraded as well.

Where Are We Now? 

The Quad aftermarket selection is all-inclusive these days from safety to engine to suspension performance. With enough money, you can go headfirst down a rabbit hole of parts and gear and apparel and be the snazziest thing on the dunes. 

If you want to race your Quad, there is still a large selection of events from the AMA, SCORE, Best in the Desert, and a host of others. But if you are thinking about running the Dakar Rally, that dream will have to be tackled on two wheels. The Dakar Rally organizers recently canceled the Quad class, naming the lack of entries as the main reason.

Even with the overwhelming sales of UTVs the ATV market still is projecting $9.2 Billion in sales for 2024, with projections through 2029 estimating an increase to $13 Billion according to Consumer Affairs. In 2023 Consumer Affairs tracked 682,000 ATV sales globally, the highest number achieved ever. It is estimated that 1.2 million Americans own an ATV.

The performance aftermarket industry is valued currently at $1.46 Billion according to Market Research Future with growth projections through 2032 of $2.2 Billion. Those kinds of numbers will keep the aftermarket industry battling for their slice of the rather large pie.