Both ATVs and dirt bikes are ridden by off road enthusiasts and motovloggers, but there is an endless debate about which is better. There are perks to both but which one you end up buying will largely depend on your experience, along with where and how you plan on using them. Here are the different factors to look at when trying to choose between an ATV or dirt bike for your next off road ride.
Speed
Hands down the dirt bike is faster than an ATV. It’s lighter weight and this is what dirt bikes were designed for, going fast off road. A dirt bike is more maneuverable and you can get through narrower trails and a dirt bike turns corners faster than an ATV. If the track you’re racing on has a lot of hills a dirt bike will handle the hills much better.
Safety
This one is iffy, both can be dangerous if not ridden properly. ATVs have four wheels making them more stable. ATVs are easier to learn to drive than a dirt bike, in fact there are models available for children.
Dirt bikes are much lighter and easier to lift off of you if you wipe out on a corner. Whereas the ATV is much heavier but it’s more stable going around a corner. In this case the ATV probably wins.
Versatility
In this case the ATV kick the dirt bike into oblivion. Dirt bikes essentially serve one purpose, to get you from point A to point B. Granted you will have a ton of fun doing just that. Not only that but you can get there fast and most of the time you can take the most direct route without worrying about narrow trails or hills or anything like that. At the end of the day the dirt bike, while fun to ride doesn’t serve any other purpose.
ATVs on the other hand can be a mini pick up truck. It really is a whole lot more than a recreational vehicle. They are used for practical purposes in a whole bunch of different settings. Emergency services use them, lifeguards, farmers use them to get around along with a bunch of other -industries just for getting around. You can hook a trailer up to the back to tow whatever gear you need.
So, ATC or dirt bike really depends on what you want to do with it. Both are a whole heap of off road fun, but the dirt bike is built for speed and jumps. Your ATV on the other hand is safer, easier to ride and more practical. So you choose, because we can’t.