ATVs have some extreme power and the typical way of measuring that power is with horsepower. It sounds so primitive and stupid but horsepower is how most vehicles power in measured. You hear about it all the time but what is it? Where does it come from? How do you find the horsepower of an ATV?
Horsepower is a measurement that defines how much power the vehicle can create. One horsepower is roughly 735.5 Newton meter/second. Most ATVs have 40-60 hp but it varies from model to model and engine to engine.
There is so much to know about measuring horsepower, how it affects an ATV, where horsepower comes from and many other topics relating to horsepower. There is so much to unpack relating to this topic which we will discuss in this article.
A Closer Look at Horsepower in an ATV
Horsepower was created way back in the 1700s by an inventor named James Watt. He used it as a way to explain the power of steam engines and he actually based it off of ponies. He came up with an estimate that they produced 22,000 foot pounds of work each minute. He then added 50% to his previous estimate because he was referencing horses instead of ponies so he began calling 33,000 pounds of work horsepower. One 1 horsepower usually does not actually equal the exact power output of a horse. Some horses can actually produce up to 15 hp.
Today we use horsepower to measure how much power an engine can actually bring to the table. It will affect your ATV in many ways performance being the most prominent. The difference between 40 hp and 60 hp in your ATV can be the difference of whether you get out of the mud pit or not. If you are a casual rider horsepower won’t matter too much but if you want to take the sport more seriously you should consider the horsepower of a quad when purchasing it.
Horsepower is measured using the following formula:
Horsepower = (Force in pounds x distance in feet) / time in minutes
or
hp = (F x d) / t
The horsepower itself, obviously isn’t that significant it is more about how it relates to other ATVs or just other vehicles in general.
Generally the most horsepower you will find in an ATV will be somewhere around 90 hp. These quads will be massive though and cost somewhere in the $25,000.00 range so if you are just riding casually, don’t even concern yourself with these. A more average realistic number you can expect to see on ATVs would be somewhere around 40-50 hp.
For info on how to increase horsepower, check out this article we wrote:
Revving Up: Effective Ways to Boost Your ATV’s Horsepower
The Difference Between CC and Horsepower
All the time in the Motorsports industry or automotive industry you will hear the terms CC and the term horsepower. As we know horsepower measures how much power the engine and vehicle can produce. CC on the other hand measures the size of the engine. The size of the engine will definitely relate to the horsepower but CC is more direct look at the engine itself while horsepower is a look at what the engine can do.
If you are interested in CC, check out another article we wrote regarding that:
What Does CC Mean in an ATV Engine?
How Much is Higher Horsepower Going to Cost?
A higher horsepower will have a direct effect on the cost. The cost isn’t necessarily built on the horsepower but the horsepower has a direct relation to the engine which has a direct relation to the cost. In other words bigger engine equals higher cost and higher horsepower equals bigger engine. If you connect the dots that means higher horsepower = higher cost.
Below is a rough chart showing the relation between cost and horsepower for a 2023 Polaris Sportsman.
| Horsepower | 33 | 44 | 78 | 90 |
| Price (cad) | $8,499.00 | $9,299.00 | $12,799.00 | $18,499.00 |
Does Horsepower Relate to Speed?
Horsepower does relate to the speed but not directly. The speed is composed of many factors including the weight of the vehicle, the tires, the engine and the horsepower. Higher horsepower will generally mean faster but it depends on many factors. A very light ATV with 50 hp for example could possibly beat a very heavy ATV with 60 hp. There are so many factors that go into speed that make it hard to say how direct of a relation to horsepower it has but just know that overall horsepower relates to speed.
Does Horsepower Relate to Towing Capacity
Horsepower does actually have a close relation to towing capacity because horsepower is measuring the power the engine has. Torque actually plays a slighter bigger role in determining the towing capacity but horsepower is definitely still an important aspect.
Below is a chart showing the relation of horsepower and towing capacity for a 2023 Polaris Sportsman.
| Horsepower | 33 | 44 | 78 | 90 |
| Towing Capacity (lbs) | 1,350 | 1,400 | 1,500 | 1,600 |
