Honda ATC 185s

[StinkerBean]

Just picked up my new little project. I don't know much about these machines but from what I have gathered it's a 1983 Honda ATC 185s. Been sitting in my buddies shop for about 6 years. He said about a year ago was the last time that they ran it. I'm planning on removing the fuel tank to give it a good cleaning and cleaning the carb. Anything else I should do before trying to get it started besides giving it a good washing? Here are some pics of it.


https://i.imgur.com/xqicyG2.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/FlTw3Dg.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/z29ollR.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/haShGeG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/VlEo5FO.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/JuhIgRx.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/7Vz5Qsh.jpg

[shortline10]

Nice machine, congrats.
Check the petcock strainer to make sure it’s good , if bad replace it or run an inline fuel filter .
Check the oil level to make sure its safe to start it , after the first good heat cycle change the oil , Honda gn4 10w-40 is best in that machine .
Also inspect the air filter.

[StinkerBean]

Thanks, should I go ahead and replace the spark plug as well? Is there a choke cable on this model? And as far as gears, is it 5 down or up?

[Jim mac]

plug would be a good idea. petcock is probably toast, shifter is 5 down. jim

[StinkerBean]

Thanks, I'll just order a replacement petcock and replace it while I'm at it. I probably should just replace the air filter as well. What's the oil capacity on these machines? Is there a downloadable service manual anywhere available?

[shortline10]

No choke cable , choke is located on the carburetor itself . That model fouls the plugs easily so if you plan on keeping it buy a few spares .
Oil capacity is 1.43 quarts



Thanks, should I go ahead and replace the spark plug as well? Is there a choke cable on this model? And as far as gears, is it 5 down or up?

[StinkerBean]

Gotcha. So basically just have to manually use the choke lever. NGK DR8ES-l the correct spark plugs?

[shortline10]

Correct spark plug


https://www.partzilla.com/product/honda/98069-58716?ref=0c6f1402f33d80c78d2280e006ac6c283da6ee9e

[StinkerBean]

Thanks man. I'm pretty excited about this little machine.

[StinkerBean]

Will this manual be good to go by?

https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/4624d5ac-072c-4bbc-83d0-b617c2b8f666/downloads/1cbb6tjr7_216945.pdf

[Footy]

I have the same machine in about the same shape. I also need to work on a few issues with it. Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out.

[StinkerBean]

I have the same machine in about the same shape. I also need to work on a few issues with it. Good luck with it and let us know how it turns out.

Thanks and I sure will.

[psujeepguy]

Don't forget the air filter! It's probably dust. Mine was when I rescued my 185s from a barn!

[StinkerBean]

Don't forget the air filter! It's probably dust. Mine was when I rescued my 185s from a barn!

It's on my check list of things to do later today. Thanks.

[Gumbo]

What a great little bike that will clean up nicely [emoji1305]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[StinkerBean]

Can this crack be repaired somehow or just zip tie it nicely? Well bare with me while I try to post the pic.

[StinkerBean]

Here is the crack.
https://i.imgur.com/6uN8aCi.jpg

[Footy]

Some guys are pretty good at plastic welding. I am not. MRC Builds is a Youtube channel that has a great video on how to plastic weld. Check it out.

[StinkerBean]

I cleaned out the fuel tank using apple cider vinegar by letting it sit for a couple of days. Then used some distilled water and baking soda. Rinsed it out very well and used some compressed air to help dry out. It looked really clean inside. Let it sit out in the sun for about a hour and then looked inside of it and saw some rust in there. I can wipe it with my fingers if I reach in there. Any advice on how to correct this?

[AaronW863]

I cleaned out the fuel tank using apple cider vinegar by letting it sit for a couple of days. Then used some distilled water and baking soda. Rinsed it out very well and used some compressed air to help dry out. It looked really clean inside. Let it sit out in the sun for about a hour and then looked inside of it and saw some rust in there. I can wipe it with my fingers if I reach in there. Any advice on how to correct this?No expert but I would use something more potent like muratic acid

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[shortline10]

Flush it again with the cider and rinse it out with a mix of oil / gas and then let it dry in the sun . The oil mixed gas should help with the flash rust .
All my steel tank machines are stored with a little 2 cycle oil mixed , it will definitely help with today’s horrible fuels .

[StinkerBean]

Flush it again with the cider and rinse it out with a mix of oil / gas and then let it dry in the sun . The oil mixed gas should help with the flash rust .
All my steel tank machines are stored with a little 2 cycle oil mixed , it will definitely help with today’s horrible fuels .

After flushing it with cider again due I need to use the distilled water with baking soda or just go straight to the mix of oil/gas?

[shortline10]

The baking soda is supposed to deactivate the cider , the gas oil mix will do the same .
I probably do 10 tanks a year and this is the best method that has worked for me .
Keep the tanks full of fuel , helps prevent rust in the future .

[StinkerBean]

The baking soda is supposed to deactivate the cider , the gas oil mix will do the same .
I probably do 10 tanks a year and this is the best method that has worked for me .
Keep the tanks full of fuel , helps prevent rust in the future .

Thanks, will give this a try.

[StinkerBean]

The fuel tank has some surface rust on it. Should I have it painted?

https://i.imgur.com/qWuGVFT.jpg

[Jim mac]

maybe try some buffing compound on the tank. jim

[StinkerBean]

Thanks fellas. Gave it a quick wash while waiting on a couple of parts to arrive. First pic is after I got it off the truck and blew it off with my blower. Second is after it's bath.


https://i.imgur.com/AGDy2GM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DcZb8do.jpg

[StinkerBean]

The bottom of the fuel tank has a leak. Looks like they tried patching it at some point and not sure what was used. I knocked a little off to verify the leak. Any advice on how I can repair it?

https://i.imgur.com/KE4NxsJ.jpg

[Footy]

That looks like Marine tex. I would find a plastic tank if it were mine.

[ATC King]

Those fenders look plenty sturdy enough for a good plastic weld. I don't suggest even considering the tie method on fenders that look that good, it'll just make them look bad and make it more time consuming for a proper weld repair later.


I'd repaint that tank. The rust I see is more like pitting and that needs stopped. As for metal tank leak repair, brazing the holes shut and lining the tank with something like Red Kote is the best method. Short of brazing, stripping all the old epoxy off, redoing it, then lining the tank is next best. Red Kote is a single stage coating that needs a lot of time to cure, there are others that are two part epoxy type and cure by chemical reaction. There are a few good tank liner products out there. One to stay away from is Kreem.

I'm a long time Red Kote user and I've never had a failure. It is a bit tedious to do it right though which means a good bit of babysitting so it doesn't pool in the corners while first treating it and multiple coats are a really good practice. Hours of work and a week or so of curing is what it'll take to do it right. I've repaired some horrific looking tanks with it and years later it's still holding.


One last thing...if you plan on actually riding it and in muddy conditions, I suggest removing the rear fender mud flaps. All they'll do is collect mud, which will increase the weight on the fenders and make them more susceptible to cracking. Even if not ridding in muddy conditions, that extra weight flopping around is still hard on the fenders. Remove them, clean all the parts, and put them away in an organized fashion for when you may sell it or simply don't ride it anymore and want it more OEM in appearance.

The front ones I leave on to keep crud off the engine. A mud-covered air-cooled engine is not happy.

[StinkerBean]

I'm defiantly going to watch some videos on plastic welding. Not sure what all I would need to purchase to get it done. I might even ask a buddy of mine who does paint and body work if he can plastic weld them for me. He did offer to paint the fuel tank for $100 if I decide to go that route.

I ended up just using some JB Weld Steel Stick to cover up the pin holes. I layered up a good section of the area. Found another small pin hole near the petcock as well. Not sure if it will work but I guess time will tell. Was debating if I should still coat the tank with some Por 15 Fuel Tank Liner since I can get it quickly. What do you fellas think?

Thanks for the tip on the mud flaps. I was actually looking at them yesterday thinking if it would be a good idea to remove them.

Here is a pic of after I removed what was there and after I applied two coats of the steel stick. Doesn't look pretty at all but I just need it to work.

https://i.imgur.com/PhyYQAK.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fb4OL0l.jpg

[StinkerBean]

I gave my DIY repair some coats of paint and decided to paint the gas cap since it was pitted with rust. Neither one of them looks great but oh wells. Will see how the fuel tank holds up and if it starts to leak down the road.

https://i.imgur.com/wwmR12w.jpg

[StinkerBean]

I want to replace the pull cord in the recoil starter. Would it be best to just order the Honda pull cord or buy some from the local hardware store? Do any of you know the length of the original cord?

[StinkerBean]

Well I finally got it all back together and was able to take it out on a ride around the neighborhood. I was pretty amazed at how fast it goes considering I'm 6'4" and around 200lbs. This machine is pretty fun to cruise around with.

One thing I noticed though and not sure if it's normal was that when I shifted into 5th gear it made a different sound compared to all the other gears. It was like a hissing sound when I would give it gas. Not crazy loud but just enough to notice a difference. When I would let out of the gas it wouldn't make it. Didn't do this in any other of the gears. Any of you guys have an idea what may be going on?

https://i.imgur.com/c9WFNsJ.jpg

[StinkerBean]

Took the 185s out for a quick ride yesterday around the neighborhood and it was a blast to ride. Just cruising around and got lots of thumb's ups from people out and about. This is my first and only 3 wheeler but I'm pretty hooked on them. On the search for another one now.

https://i.imgur.com/8kJx76I.jpg

[robgdds]

They are great machines, ours looks pretty much complete. One upgrade I love on mine is to widen up the rear track by about 4 inches makes it much easier to slide it around corners.

[Jim mac]

problem with getting 1 three wheeler is you'll have 4 or 5 of them before you know it. And that's really a goof thing. jim

[StinkerBean]

I can totally see that. I’m heading out of town today and have already been looking for a good one for sale in that area. Haven’t came across anything that catches my eye yet.

[350for350]

This is just my opinion. As far as a 185s goes, I only want a 1983. The front suspension makes a pretty big difference and I don't want any more without it.