Northern Newbie w/ 83 Big Red and a couple questions :)

[Andy4802]

Hey guys,
Just picked up my first trike... i have had a few honda dirtbikes in the past but this is my first time on 3 wheels. So far so good!
I'm from Hudson, Quebec. About 40 minutes West of Montreal.
i picked up this '83 in a trade for some other stuff... it starts on one pull (Still haven't put a battery in it but i was told that the starter works) and it runs great! I'll be using it mostly for some trailriding, hunting, and in the winter i plan on putting some chains on the tires and using it as firewood/gear hauler for my icefishing shack. Should be interesting to see how she handles on the ice and snow!
i have a couple questions for you...
i haven't been able to find a reverse lever on her, so i am assuming there is no reverse... if i am wrong, can someone please tell me how to put it in R!?

front suspension is shot. Does anyone have any advice on what to swap in for front forks? or should i just forget about it and live with it?

Whats the max tire size i can run on her? She's sporting 25's now... i plan on putting wheel spacers on the rear to widen out the stance a bit.

Thanks in advance! i have really enjoyed this forum so far!

http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t340/Andy4802/Honda%20Big%20Red/dscf0124.jpg

http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t340/Andy4802/Honda%20Big%20Red/dscf0125.jpg

[zppeacock]

Nice find! No reverse on the 83's.

[chad712]

Yea no reverse it looks like a 200e it has the high low switch which is good for pulling to slow to ride in i think. Easy to work on and has really impressed me for a 200. Mine starts in one pull too. Easy on the pull chord they like to break if it is a original equipment manufacturer (OEM) if you break it replace with nylon. I never put a battery in mine either it starts to good ha.:welcome: to three wheels its alot different. With that short wheel base you are going to have to lean into corners if your going fast or you will biff especially if your going down hill. And if you give it a lil help it rides a nice wheelie (wouldnt recomend with those forks) But yea its tough to get them off and it will prly be one fifty two hundred a piece for a good set of recondioned forks. They have a gas shock and a spring inside therre with a bolt going thru the whole thing. They go bad if you dont take care of them. I would just leave it and keep an eye on em cause they could come out. Dont do any jumping or wheelies my friends brother almost endeed up wearing the forks when he came down on a wheeelie they popped right off
poor three wheeler lol.

[daniel_250r]

lucky guy, i remember going to quebec a few years ago and the trails were absolutley beutiful, and as for the forks weld them in place its better than riding sloppy but other than that nice trike

[Andy4802]

lucky guy, i remember going to quebec a few years ago and the trails were absolutley beutiful, and as for the forks weld them in place its better than riding sloppy but other than that nice trike

Thanks man, yeah the trails here are pretty sweet... still a ton of old 3 wheelers around too, and lots of people still riding them.
Good idea for the welding... maybe i'll put a 1-2 inch extension on the fork while i'm at it and throw a 26" tire on the front. The rear tires are brand new (previous owner put on cheap knobbies from princess auto) but the front tire is pretty finished.

[MonroeMike]

Welcome to the board.

You can run your VIN in Rob's decoder also.

http://atcvin.webs.com/

[harryredtrike]

look into a rebuild kit for the forks,not that hard to do.welcome to 3ww.should do what you want as long as its not deep snow

[daniel_250r]

problem with rebuilding them is how long do they last, and hes still stuck with the crappy desighn of them, i wold jack it up a bit and weld them in place. then throw a 26 inch tire on it and run super low pressure, the forks on my 84 big red actually work and trust me they are no thriller, you would have to be hitting things pretty hard for the, to do anything

[cox]

i am also interested in what the max tire size would be for it. Also would be interested in hearing about any other rims from other machines that will fit on them, 9" is retarded. Im still practicing my NoobiX cube here guys, but i am wearing my firesuit, so FLAME ON!!!

[daniel_250r]

12 inchers off modern atv's fit but must be the 4/110 pattern

[Andy4802]

thanks for the feedback guys

Anyone know of a good place to get inexpensive wheel spacers? is 2" per side too much?

[daniel_250r]

ebay should have them for a reasonable price , but damn we better get some pics of this thing when its done, i'm guessing its gonna be used in the mud

[Andy4802]

most of what i want to do with it is in my first post in this thread... tire chains for winter... mostly will use her for hauling stuff out on the lake for ice fishing in winter and probably use it for some hunting in the fall. I finally got some Quebec plates on her this week so i'll be hitting the trails this weekend. i'll probably run a bigger tire in the front (26" as suggested)... something with decent tread that can turn in the snow, like a swamp lite.
i'm a bit big for it (6"3", 260 lbs), so i probably look a bit goofy on it but it seems to handle my weight pretty well so far, but i won't be jumping her thats for sure LOL, so welding up the front forks should be just fine.
I'll keep the pics coming of any interesting mods, or any good hunting shots.
cheers