Average Weight of Different ATV Types (With Chart)

One great thing about ATVs is that they come in almost any shape and size, and you can find one that fits most needs and requirements.

When you decide on which type or brand of ATV you want to purchase, the weight may be one of your considerations. And the findings may sometimes surprise you.

ATVs weigh anything in the range from about 220 to 1170 pounds (100 – 531 kilos) dry weight, which means the machine’s weight without any fluids, cargo, or passengers.

A full-size 4×4 utility and recreational ATV weighs about 700 pounds (317 kilos). On top of that, you can add the weight of all fluids needed to operate the machine, which averages about 60 pounds (27 kilos), including 4.4 gallons of gas (20 liters).

Comparing the Weight of Different ATV Types and Models

Many manufacturers don’t state the dry weight of their bikes. They use something called curb weight or wet weight, which basically have the same meaning.

While dry weight is when the bike is emptied of fluids (gas, oils, brake fluid, coolant, etc.), curb or wet weight is the bike’s weight with all fluids topped off in their appropriate containers. Curb weight includes standard equipment but not either passengers or cargo.

To give you a better overview of what weights to expect, I have chosen some examples from the different categories and listed them underneath. I added one column for dry weight and one for wet weight because how the manufacturers state the weight of their bikes differently.

These are just meant as examples. You should look up the specification sheet for your specific model to find the exact numbers for the ATV in question.

Sport & Racing ATVs

Children & Youth ATVs

Recreation & Utility 4×4 ATVs

Utility 6×6 ATVs

Why Does the ATV Weight Matter?

There are several reasons why the weight of your ATV matters.

Lighter ATVs With the Same Power Accelerate Faster

This first one is quite obvious. If speed and acceleration are important, you must look at the power-to-weight ratio (horsepower/weight). Generally, a higher number equals a faster bike. If speed is unimportant to you, this factor is not so important.

What applies to most riders is the desire for easy handling. Less weight generally means easier machine handling in rough terrain where you must use your body weight to ride optimally. A good servo improves the handling of a heavy bike greatly.

On the other hand, more weight usually means better stability, especially when carrying a lot of cargo or towing a heavy trailer.

Heavier ATVs Can Usually Haul More Cargo

When using a utility / recreational 4×4 or 6×6, you often want to bring some cargo, depending on your mission. Carrying the cargo on the vehicle cargo racks is one option, but it has limits.

The capacity for carrying cargo varies greatly depending on your chosen type and model.

Usually, the manufacturers state the rated Front/Rear Rack or Box Capacity. But at the same time, you also have to consider the payload capacity of the bike.

Payload capacity refers to the amount of combined weight of all passengers and all cargo a specific vehicle can carry.

On average, you can expect a capacity of 120 pounds (54,5 kilos) on the front rack and double this weight on the rear rack, 240 pounds (109 kilos). Total payload capacity is usually around 500 – 600 pounds (227 – 272 kilos).

You must know what the rated rack capacity and the payload capacity are for your specific ATV. You can find these numbers in your owner’s manual. Exceeding the rated capacity will make your bike top-heavy and greatly increases the risk of tipping over. This is especially true going up or down hills or in rough terrain.

Adding more weight than the rated numbers can also damage the machine’s structure itself, just as a result of ordinary driving. Make sure to distribute the weight evenly between the front and the rear rack. This is key to a stable ride.

Adding too much weight to the back, while not weight the front and vice versa, can result in disaster when going up or down steep hills. You have been warned!

The rear rack capacity of a 6×6 is typically much higher than that of a 4×4. You can expect an average rated capacity of around 7-800 pounds (318-363 kilos). The total weight of passengers also plays a role in the rated capacity of different models.

As you can see from the listed vehicle weights above, many ATVs carry some serious weight to them, especially when you include the weight of all fluids, passengers, and cargo. The combined maximum weight of a Polaris XP 1000 is about 1450 pounds (655 kilos); some are even more.

And trust me when I say you do not want to get this type of weight on top of you.

On a side note, some manufacturers are thought to be rating their vehicles rather conservatively because of the dangers of overloading the vehicle. But there are no confirmed sources to this, so overloading the rated numbers is at your own risk.

What if the Cargo Weight Exceeds the ATV’s Capacity?

If your combined amount of cargo exceeds your bike’s rack capacity, one option is to distribute the weight over several bikes if you are more than yourself going for a ride.

Suppose you are the only one you will need to bring along a trailer. Trailers come in all shapes and sizes.

Some are for general use, and others for more specific tasks. But they all have in common that you need to know your vehicle’s rated towing capacity.

Heavier ATVs Can Typically Tow More

Typically an ATV has a towing capacity between 1200 and 1500 pounds (544 – 680 kilos). A heavier ATV will generally be better suited than a lighter one, as it gives you better traction and is less affected by the weight and movement of the trailer.

But you must understand that the rated capacity is just a recommendation and does not eliminate the need for common sense.

The rated capacity for a towed load is for towing on level ground and with a trailer without brakes. And you must remember that the combination of the rear rack cargo weight and the weight you put on the hitch must never exceed the rear rack’s maximum weight capacity. Towing any trailer on a grade steeper than 15 degrees is not recommended in any situation.

As a general rule, the vertical hitch weight capacity, as in the maximum allowed downforce on the hitch itself, is about 1/10th of the towing capacity.

The surface you ride on is usually the limiting factor for how much weight you can tow. Overheating in hot weather conditions is also common when towing heavy and may happen well before you reach the rated towing capacity. Choosing an ATV with low gearing and driving at lower speeds may decrease the risk of overheating issues.

Heavier ATVs Are More Stable When Towing Down Hill

Most ATV trailers don’t have brakes.

What can happen if you go down a hill with a heavy trailer is the trailer pushing the ATV with more force than the bike can hold back. This can result in the trailer pushing the ATV off the road or trail.

One way to compensate in an emergency like this, to possibly avoid a fatal accident, is to slightly increase the speed as you go down the hill by letting off the brakes just slightly to straighten out the ATV and trailer. But in some cases, an accident is unavoidable.

Some trailers in the higher price range have installed so-called “Robson Drive” on the wheels. While this system’s primary purpose is to create better traction in muddy conditions, it can also be used to break the trailer downhill, allowing safe towing of much heavier loads than on a trailer with no brakes.

One strategy for experienced riders to consider is to start with no or low cargo weight and then increase in small steps until you reach the point where you feel the wheels start slipping slightly. This is the maximum weight the situation allows you to haul.

Then, for the next round trip, load up a slightly lighter load.

Caution: Inexperienced riders should never push the limits like this, and it is always much better to drive one extra round. You don’t always get a warning before it is too late.