Quad bike safety
Last year saw a major shift in the supply of ATVs or quad bikes in the Australian market, with the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 coming into effect on 11 October 2021.
Your two wheelers, quads or side-by-sides will benefit from attention to ensure they don’t let you down at the most crucial times.
For this guide we use a Kawasaki 4010 Mule, kindly loaned by Phil’s Motorcycle Centre, Matamata, and the help of their technician Daniel Houghton who guided us through the service requirements.
The same basic rules can be applied to any farm vehicles.
Get the machine cleaned off, to see what needs servicing and to show any leaks or corrosion.
Check steering to ensure everything is tight and jack up the front and rear; also check CV boots for cuts or splits. Remove any twine or wire and check suspension joints for play.
Check the handbrake to ensure it works: adjust for about seven clicks to fully on; check electrical system and lights. The charging circuit – aim for output of 13-14.5V.
Drain the engine oil and remove the filter. Depending on workload most vehicles of this type benefit from engine oil changes at four month or 150 hour intervals. Consider changing front and rear differential oils annually.
Remove main engine air cleaner, remove dust with an air line or gentle tapping – replace annually. Some vehicles have separate air cleaner systems for CVT units – remove, wash in soapy water, dry and replace.
