How to Protect Yourself, Your Sanity and Your Engine
Reading the news nowadays, all we hear about is protection. It’s all anyone can talk about, and if you haven’t heard the phase “social distancing” at least once today… we applaud you.
It’s funny. There’s a new term to define what we’ve all been enjoying in the off-roading community for years, even though we’ve always defined it differently. But on a more serious note, could there be a better time to go out and enjoy your favorite trail?
We’ve got great weather, or at least here in SoCal we do, no other social plans for the foreseeable future, and gas prices are the lowest they’ve been in years. And while we encourage you to make your trips solo for now, the riding conditions are still pretty perfect.
But back to the subject at hand: protection. Not only does this ring true for how you should approach any off-road adventure right now (again, the point here is to avoid unnecessary contact with anyone you’re not already in quarantine with), what are your plans if you break down this time…and you’re completely alone? What are you doing to ensure your UTV remains in top operating condition?
Of course, general maintenance is key. If you haven’t already got a maintenance mindset, get in the habit of checking up on your machine prior to and after any ride, as you don’t want any unwelcomed surprises once you get out to your destination. Always check your tires, your oil, your filters, coolant, batteries…the basics. And for those of you who haven’t added this into your routines already, we recommend checking out a fuel additive for added protection and enhanced performance. They do more than you might realize.
Unlike several other aftermarket products we’re all guilty of buying (or at least contemplating buying online, let’s be fair) for our UTVs, fuel additives aren’t expensive. They’re also extremely easy to use. All you do is pour them directly into your gas tank. We see zero barriers to entry here. So…what do they do?
Fuel additives are designed to clean up your fuel systems by removing gum and varnish that can build up inside your engine, keep your engine clean for the long-term (when used continuously for preventative maintenance), and provide protection against corrosion, which none of us want.
Because they’re designed to remove harmful carbon deposits, you’ll also see better gas mileage, as your engine can perform better when it’s not covered with unwanted deposits, getting you a longer ride for less. And, to top it all off, some also offer fuel stability, which is awesome for those of us who have to store our toys for any length of time, because let’s be real…who’s actually out using their UTV every day? We can dream though.
If that all sounds like a win to you, and I don’t see why it wouldn’t at under $10 a bottle for the 10 oz size, be sure to check out Techron Powersports & Small Engine from Chevron, which is formulated to give you all those benefits, including a fuel stabilizer for up to 2 years, in one single product. And it’s designed specifically for powersports vehicles at that. It’s not even exclusive to use in just your UTV either. It’s also made for quads, motorcycles, dirt bikes, lawncare equipment, snowmobiles…essentially anything with a smaller engine. It’s available online through Walmart, Amazon and AutoZone, as we don’t recommend visiting stores in person during this time.
So, if you’re like us over here and relying on your UTV for sanity right now, make sure you treat it right. Protect yourself. Protect your engine.
