Riding an ATV on Indian roads in traffic: Public reactions [Video]

All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) are one of the rarest breeds of vehicles that you will spot on the roads. Why? Not because they are very expensive but because they are illegal. Here is a video that shows how a YouTuber known as Born To Ride takes an ATV to the roads of the National Capital.

The ATV shown in the video is probably a made-in-China product that is available through many dealerships in the Indian market. There are many shops that offer such imported ATVs in the Indian market. The person who owns the ATV does not say much about the vehicle but gives information like it is powered by a 250cc engine, which in all likeliness is a single-cylinder unit.

The owner also says that he has added a few accessories to the ATV in the form of a windscreen, a louder horn and an aftermarket exhaust, which increases the sound by quite a much. We are also not sure of the brand of this ATV but the price is mentioned and it is around Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

The ATVs are not road legal in India and they cannot be registered through the RTO. Which means they cannot be used on public roads. Such off-road vehicles can only be used in private properties like farms or racing tracks but not on public roads.

The person rides the ATV to a popular market nearby his home to record the public reaction and predictably he got a lot of heads turning towards him and also a few questions coming his way. Many asked him about the performance, price and even fuel efficiency of the ATV.

Most of such ATVs get CVT automatic transmission and this one was no different. Along with the CVT automatic transmission, it also gets a reverse gear to help it move it in reverse. Such vehicles are quite heavy and reversing them can be a tough task. The rider also kept on revving the ATV which caused the aftermarket silencer to build back pressure and create loud thuds. For a matter of fact, such aftermarket exhausts are not legal too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR6Y4yowCEc

ATVs can be exceptionally fun to ride in off-road terrains. Some of the ATVs also offer low-ratio transfer case that makes them exceptionally capable on the rough terrains. We are not sure if this ATV had any such feature. Because of the extreme capabilities of ATVs, they are used by our Armed forces and even state police forces to patrol on the challenging terrains. They do have the capability to reach difficult spots where the regulars may fail to go. However, using them on public roads can cause a lot of chaos and if police spot you with an ATV on the road, it can get seized.

Polaris Industries is a reputed ATV maker that sells a range of ATVs in the Indian market. While these high quality ATVs from Polaris are powerful and even have four wheel drive systems, they’re quite expensive and are not legal on Indian roads. This makes them very niche vehicles that are rarely seen, and used only by those with large pockets in farm houses and on private roads.