What is an "OHV"?

OHV stands for “Off Highway Vehicle”. Typical examples are dirt bikes, ATVs, UTVs, 4WDs, and even snowmobiles. Jet skis and other personal watercraft are sometimes considered OHVs but are more commonly thought of as personal watercraft (PWC). Mountain bikes are also off highway vehicles, but the term is usually applied primarily to motorized vehicles.  When "OHV" is used in this blog it usually refers to off road motor vehicles.

Dirt bikes are motorized two-wheel vehicles especially designed for negotiating the obstacles and difficult terrain found off highway on trails and in open riding areas. Dirt bikes are very versatile and maneuverable. They can be used on single track trails. They often have up to 13" of wheel travel to absorb the bumps.  Typically designed for a single rider, some are designed for or can be adapted to carry a second passenger. Avoid trying to carry an extra passenger on a dirt bike that wasn't designed for it. The lack of foot pegs for your passenger can lead to their feet getting caught in the spokes or banged on obstacles along the way. Lack of foot pegs can also contribute to passengers falling off.  An extra passenger makes handling the bike more cumbersome.  Whether they are themselves experienced riders or not, they are likely to move in ways that shifts their weight so that it interferes with your control of the bike.  It helps if they hold onto you tightly and allow you to control their movements.  When motorcycles were first invented all were pretty much, my necessity, capable of off road operation because there were very few roads.  But today there is a big difference between street bikes and dirt bikes.  Street bikes are generally bigger, heavier, more comfortable, and more powerful, with engines as large as 1200-1300 cc's.  Dirt bikes are lean, lighter, and usually top at at around 500-600cc's.  Dual-sport bikes are configured to accommodate both paved streets and off road riding.  They are usually bigger and heavier than normal dirt bikes and smaller and lighter than street bikes  and, by law, have to have all the lights and safety equipment required on street bikes, but they have extended wheel travel and gearing for off road use.  Some owners of dirt bikes equip them to make them street legal and get them street licensed but not all states allow that.  The biggest problem I've seen with any dual-sport vehicle is the tire compromise.  It just isn't possible to make a tire that is safe for street use and still provide really good off road performance.  "DOT knobbies" is a term often used to describe street legal off-road tires.  The knobby tread is fairly good in dirt and is street legal, but it doesn't really provide ideal performance on either surface.  They are reasonably safe on the highway and you can get by with them in the dirt, put if you're looking for optimum performance on road, off road, or both you'd be better off with two different bikes or at least two sets of tires.

ATV stands for “All Terrain Vehicle”, also knows as "quads". These are 4 wheel vehicles which, like dirt bikes, are designed for off road use and primarily intended to carry a single rider.   The rider straddles the seat and steers them with handle bars like a motorcycle.  Some have a second saddle and are rated to safely carry an additional passenger.  ATVs are relatively stable in sand, loose soil, mud, and even snow, especially if they have 4WD. ATVs are sometimes chosen by novice riders because they don’t require the balance, training, and practice, that riding a dirt bike does to keep from falling over. However, for this same reason, novice ATV riders often lack proper training and respect for their vehicles and find themselves in dangerous situations. A common mistake is for an ATV rider to attempt to ride across a hillside, sometimes following a friend on a dirt bike. The dirt bike is able to maintain balance while the ATV tips downhill, making it, at best, difficult to control, and at worst, sends it tumbling sideways down the hill, sometimes crushing the rider!

The 4WD category includes a wide range of vehicles, ranging from some ATVs and the fairly new “side-by-sides” like the Yamaha Rhino, Polaris RZR, and Kawasaki "Mule" to traditional vehicles like Jeeps, Hummers. and 4WD pickups and SUVs. Like ATVs, these vehicles cannot be used on “single track” trails but do have increased passenger and cargo carrying capacity.   ATVs and side-by-sides are often vehicles of choice for search and rescue operations because of their inherent stability and cargo-carrying capacity along with their maneuverability. Non-ambulatory victims can sometimes be carried in a "stokes" on the back of an ATV.

All Terrain Cycles or ATC's, which were 3-wheelers, are pretty much obsolete. It became nearly illegal to sell new models a number of years ago, although you can still find used units from time to time. They were banned due to a high accident rate. They had some unusual characteristics that made them inherently unstable. For one thing, you could run over your own foot with the back wheels. This is NOT a myth -- I've done it myself! For another, they didn't behave intuitively on turns: leaning to the left like you would on a motorcycle or bicycle to turn left often caused the 3-wheeler to turn right because it put more weight and created more traction on the left wheel. Like ATVs, because of their tricycle style configuration, they were perceived as easier to ride than dirt bikes and novice riders often got in trouble for that very reason. Some additional research indicates the "ban" was largely an agreement by the major manufacturers of ATCs not to make them any more in response to active or proposed lawsuits. Fans of ATCs claim the accident rates were due more to operator error than to the design of the vehicle. That being said, I NEVER ran over my own foot with my dirt bike or a quad! ATCs, being built like tricycles, had the appearance of a stability and simplicity that wasn't really there. No doubt that many of the accidents were indeed due to operator error, but to some extent, the vehicles, which resembled tricycles, invited incompetent or inadequately trained operators. In actuality, there never was a law prohibiting ATCs. The manufacturers entered into a 10 year "voluntary" suspension of making them as part of a consent agreement with the CPSC (Consumer Products Safety Commission) to avoid expensive law suits and a possible legislative ban. The agreement expired in 1998, but by then 4-wheeled ATVs had pretty much replaced ATCs, especially in the manufacturer's product lines so 3-wheelers never returned to the new market where they would have  undoubtedly faced new legal challenges.

UTV stands for Utility Task Vehicle and is the common designation for the increasingly popular side-by-side off highway vehicles. These are also sometimes known as ROVs or Recreational Off-Road Vehicles. These come in a variety of styles, ranging from sporty 2-seaters and 4-seaters whose design is reminiscent of Baja racers to larger "crew" vehicles that can transport 5-6 people and a lot of gear, thanks to broad bench seats and their large pickup style bed in back. UTVs almost always have a 4 wheel drive feature. They have a steering wheel, bucket or bench seats, and an automatic transmissions so they drive almost like a car. They offer an option for the recreational enthusiast who, for whatever reason, wants a 4WD off road vehicle but doesn't want a Jeep or 4WD pickup. UTVs are typically smaller and sportier than Jeeps or other 4WD vehicles.  There are many accessories available for UTVs, including soft or hard tops, windshields, doors, and even high quality sound systems and off road lighting that rivals a baseball stadium. Seat belts are usually standard. You may not be required by law to use seat belts off road in a UTV, but their use is always dictated by common sense.  Many places required helmets, especially for anyone under 16 years of age.  But, again, it is ALWAYS advisable for EVERYONE to wear a helmet when riding in an off highway vehicle.  In most places, operators of UTVs must have a valid driver's license, even for off road operation.

As most people know, SUV stands for "Sport Utility Vehicle".   These are usually 4WD vehicles that are kind of like big station wagons, built on a truck chassis.  Typical examples are the Chevrolet Blazer and larger Suburban and the Ford Bronco and Exhibitions.  While they can sometimes be used off road they are more typically used as family cars for transporting kids and groceries around town. 


Dune buggies are another popular form of OHV where there is sufficient open riding areas or roads to use them. Dune buggies come in a variety of shapes and sizes from light-weight sand rails to big "touring buggies" than can carry a whole bunch of people. The venerable Volkswagen is often the chassis of choice for building a dune buggy.  There are a number of popular fiberglass body kits to make Volkswagen-powered dune buggies.  Steve McQueen drove on the beach in the movie, "The Thomas Crown Affair".  A friend of mine once owned it and it always drew crowds wherever we went in it.

Jeeps, 4x4 pickups, and dune buggies can also be used as Off Highway Vehicles.  There is a whole sub-class of 4x4s known as "rock crawlers".  As the name implies, they specialize in negotiating extremely rocky terrain, often climbing over boulders bigger than they are.  Rock crawlers are usually based on Jeeps or similar 4x4 utility vehicles.  Exploring off road areas in a 4x4 pickup or SUV can be lots of fun and is especially appealing to families who may have children too young to ride their own personal OHV.  Dune buggies are specialized breed.  They are often made from Volkswagens or Corvairs whose rear mounted, air-cooled engines are easily adapted and well suited for off road use.  They may range from a simple, two-seater sand rail to  monster "buses" that carry up to a dozen people for off road "tours".  One of my favorites are the Volkswagen-based fiberglass body dune buggies.  One of my associates owned the one that was driven by Steven McQueen in the movie "The Thomas Crown Affair", making it a special attraction on every outing and every where we went in it.  Even though it was very sporty and sexy, the mechanical portion was all Volkswagen so it was highly reliable, easy to work on, and parts were readily available when needed.

Back in the 1970s there was a cute little tracked OHV called a Trackster.  They were about the size of modern UTVs and with tracks like a tank, they could go anywhere!  There are still a few used ones around, but you've got to do some serious looking to find one.

There are track kits that can be installed on most OHVs, including dune buggies, ATVs, UTVs, Jeeps, and big 4x4 SUVs and trucks.  They are  undoubtedly a fun addition for year-round traction, but, darn, they are pricey!

The vehicle you choose for your recreational activities will depend on your personal preferences, physical abilities, where you want to go, and budget. You may also want to consider who you want to ride with. If you have friends who ride dirt bikes, you'll probably want to get dirt bikes. If your associates prefer ATVs, you will probably want ATVs. However, dirt bikes and ATVs are generally compatible with each other so pick what works for YOU, but,be aware, ATVs cannot negotiate and are often prohibited on the single track trails popular for dirt bikes.  Our Desert Rat group mostly rode dirt bikes but a few of our regulars road ATVs and a couple of guys often brought along dune buggies just for variety.  Another consideration for most people will be cost – cost of acquisition and cost of operation, along with the cost and convenience of transporting the vehicles from your home to and from recreational areas. The bigger the vehicle, the more costly and difficult it will be to transport. I have seen people whose daily lives are restricted to wheel chairs successfully and enjoyably operate ATVs, side-by-sides, and other 4WD vehicles. Dirt bikes, on the other hand, usually require full functionality, considerable physical strength and ability to operate them safely. You need strong legs, arms, and shoulders to stay on a dirt bike and control it. Keep in mind that professional Supercross, which is a stylized form of dirt biking, is said to be the THE most physically demanding sport in the world. I guarantee you'll get a workout riding a dirt bike! ATVs, with their motorcycle style handle bars and "straddle the saddle" riding position will also be more demanding than UTVs, but the added stability of 4 wheels makes them viable options for even wheel chair bound riders.  When it comes to budget, dirt bikes and ATVs have a clear advantage over the pricey UTVS.  New dirt bikes and ATVs run around $7000-$10,000; new UTVs are closer to $15,000 - $18,000.  However, consider UTVs typically carry 2-4 people while dirt bikes and ATVs are mostly designed for solo riders so if your companions are OK with riding as passengers, a UTV might be less costly for a family of four.

My family and I have been avid dirt bikers for many years but I've had some experience with ATVs and UTVs and perhaps someday age will catch up with me and I'll switch from my dirt bike to an ATV or UTV. If nothing else, it is nice to know there are options. But remember, age does not have to be a factor in your choice of an OHV. A friend of mine who is CEO of the oldest and largest dirt bike club in Utah is well into his late 70s and still plans and leads two major rides a year in Mexico and several other rides in Utah on his KTM dirt bike. "You don't stop riding because you get old; you get old because you stop riding."  One of my riding buddies says he was asked why he didn't take up golf when he approached retirement.  His answer "I can still get my leg over my dirt bike!"

There is no ideal OHV suitable for everyone. The best OHV is the one that fits you and your needs at this time. Your needs and preferences may change over time, so the ideal OHV for you is the one that meets YOUR needs NOW but it might be something different in the future.

Pick a winner!