Quick answer
Your first time riding an ATV in Puerto Escondido goes well in three steps. Check the ATV with the host right there before you give them your PIN: tires, throttle, brakes and helmet, with photos and video. Practice on flat dirt with no traffic: starting, braking and turning by shifting your body to the inside of the curve, as the ATV Safety Institute teaches. And ride with your helmet buckled, goggles or a visor and over-the-ankle boots: on an ATV, your body does a good part of the work.
First time riding an ATV: how it really handles
An ATV doesn't handle like a motorcycle or a car: the ATV Safety Institute (ASI), the manufacturers' safety institute, calls for active riding and shifting your body weight. Posture: eyes ahead, elbows bent, knees toward the tank and both feet on the footrests, since a stray foot can touch a rear wheel. To turn, move your weight forward and to the inside of the curve and steer while looking where you want to go; if it starts to tip, lean in more and ease off the throttle gradually. To brake, release the throttle and apply both brakes evenly, if it has two, with no hard braking mid-turn. Our take: the first half hour, at walking pace.
What to check before you give the host your PIN
The check comes before the PIN, not after: you give the host your PIN only once the vehicle is right in front of you, and that's the moment to walk around the ATV with them. The ASI recommends a five-to-ten-minute inspection before every ride, its T-CLOC checklist: tires, controls, lights, oil and fuel, chain and chassis. Ask the host to show you the parking brake, the engine stop switch and reverse, if it has one: controls change from one model to the next.
The helmet: how to tell if it fits and does its job
A certified helmet cuts the risk and severity of injuries by 72%, according to NOM-206-SCFI/SSA2-2018, Mexico's helmet standard. One comes with the ATV; if there are two of you, confirm with the team that two helmets are included. It should fit snugly, neither tight nor loose, and buckle firmly, as the ASI says. Among the standard's warnings is this one: "If the helmet takes a hard impact, it must be replaced." If you see a damaged one, tell the host before the PIN. And with any helmet, wear goggles or a visor: regular sunglasses aren't enough.
Heads up
If the ATV is a single-rider model, nobody else gets on: it's one of the ASI's golden rules. If it's built for two, master it alone before you carry anyone. And no flip-flops: the ASI calls for over-the-ankle boots, so your foot doesn't slip off the footrest.
Where to practice your first laps, and where not to
On open, flat, hard-packed dirt, about 30 by 60 meters (100 by 200 feet), with no obstacles or other vehicles; if it's private land, with permission. That's what the ASI recommends, and it rules out practicing on streets or pavement: asphalt changes how an ATV handles, and other drivers may not see you. Ask the host at handover whether there's a spot like that nearby. There, follow the ASI's practice guide: locate and operate each control, start and stop in a straight line, a wide oval and then a figure eight, each one until you get it right five times in a row.
“You learn to ride an ATV on a dirt lot, not on Federal Highway 200 or in the sand at Zicatela. Half an hour of ovals, figure eights and stops before you head out beats any explanation on the sidewalk outside where you're staying.”
— KORU RENT
ATV rental in Puerto Escondido
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Puerto Escondido, your base on the coast
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ATVs on the highway and the beach in Puerto Escondido
What the law says about where you can ride, and what makes sense.
Frequently asked questions
To rent, we ask for your valid driver's license, from Mexico or any other country, for ATVs too, and that you meet the vehicle's minimum age: as a guideline, 18. Experience comes from practice, as Honda recommends: on level ground and at low speed, until you're confident in the turns.
It depends on the model, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns that most ATVs are designed for one rider. If it's a single-rider model, nobody else gets on; if it's built for two, master it alone first. Ask the team about the model before you book.
Yes, the ATV comes with a helmet. If there are two of you, confirm with the team that two helmets are included and, at handover, check they're there before you give your PIN. Each one should fit snugly and be buckled; if one shows a hard impact, don't use it.
It depends on the model: the ASI explains that there are ATVs with an automatic clutch, with a hand clutch, with foot shifting and fully automatic ones. Ask the team before you book and, at handover, have them show you the gears and reverse with the engine off.
No. The ASI warns that motorcycle riders have to change their habits to work the controls and to turn: in a curve you don't lean the ATV over, you move your body to the inside. And don't mistake the brake lever on the left for a clutch.
If anyone is hurt, call 911. Then let KORU know right away with "Emergency / Assistance" in "My rentals": damage, breakdowns and theft are handled by a person on our team. If it rolled over, don't keep riding it even if it starts: Honda warns there may be damage you can't see.
If you already have a valid license and dates, go to korurent.com and search for Puerto Escondido: with your dates entered, only available vehicles show up, with their daily price; you'll see each one's deposit before you pay. Questions about the model, the transmission or the helmets? Message us on WhatsApp.