Restoring 3 wheelers

[87ATC250R]

Hey all,

Just wanted to know how many of you on here are into restoring these machines from an era gone by. Would like to read on your progress if there is a link to a page or even in this forum. I've got my 85' ATC 250R that I'd like to get back to stock, and I'd like to compare notes.

Bring it on! :)

Kris

[BLAZERONE22]

http://images.snapfish.com/33%3A45%3B8323232%7Ffp58%3Dot%3E2324%3D589%3D656%3 Dxroqdf%3E23234%3C36959%3C2ot1lsi


Welcome to the site! theres a bunch of folks here that restore their trikes. Here's my 84 R that I finished last month. My link is on the bottom of the post hit www. Good luck!

[oicu812]

Blazerone22, that ride is sweet looking.

[ejc042]

200X done a couple years ago, 250R will be torn down after my 350X I just started is finished. My pics are here:
http://groups.msn.com/ATCfriends/shoebox.msnw

[Trikeaholic]

restoring is the only way to go. My personal opinion is that that is what the site is about. check some of my photos on yahoo if you like the name is mt91397

[RacerRichie]

We NEED to retore these bikes. They are dissapearing every day. Ebay and other hackers parting them out. Sometimes perfectly good bikes! Its sad but when you thing about the trikes that get wrecked....they are a dying breed. Parts are getting hard to find.
Keep or sport alive restore one today.

[cliff2302]

ejc042, that 350X frame is B E A utiful. great job. if the rest of the trike looks the way your roller looks right now, i dont see how you could ever get it muddy!

[bushwacker51]

I own a 1985 honda 250r and I considered rebuilding it from the frame up but came to the conclusion that if I make it to nice I wont want to ride it and get it dirty or banged up. I ride hills and trails in a cow pasture and it would suck running my freshly restored trike through a pile of cow trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro. I took the middle of the road approach replaced all the plastic that was cracked and concentrated on making the trike fast ( chrome pipe, cool head, hinson clutch basket bigger carb etc etc.) . The trike has some paint worn off the frame in spots but when people come over and look at the trike they say damm thats nice looking. Now I am not scared to ride it or am not worried if my boot slips off the kick starter and hits the frame or the engine it will scratch it. Good luck Glenn Oister

[87ATC250R]

Hey guys, really nice looking bikes! Nice to see them clean and not bashed. That 350X is coming along really nice.

Trikeaholic, forgive me for my ignorance, but how do I link to your pics?

I'm a real nut about getting a bike 'stock' - right down to the tires and wheels, original. I guess I view it like the Barrett-Jackson thing, the top cars that fetch the most money and attention are the ones that can stir the hearts of those that saw them on the showroom floor some 20, 30, 40 years ago. With the most of these trikes hitting 20 years, it's only a matter of time when the prices will go up and you can't get parts from dealers. I'd like to get a machine to the point that if someone saw it, they's think it had been mothballed for 20 some years.

Anybody know offhand if you can still get plastic for these things?

Kris

[Name Brand]

When it comes to three wheelers I prefer doing as much a restoration as a rebuild. I'll change something if I can make it better, but still try to keep the machine looking factory. If I add something I try to make it look like it came that way. (I'd like to make a new set of handlebars with lever guards and a crossbar for my 250SX, but will try to make it look like it came from Honda)

I'd like to tear down my 250SX in the near future (to the bare frame), give it a complete repaint, 350X carb, hidden kill switch (to prevent theft) beefy skidplates, front rack, handlebars as mentioned, front and rear winch mounts, pedal ties, raised vent tubes, extra forward lighting, and some other stuff. I like to make stuff look pretty of course, but I intend to ride this machine! :twisted:

I've also thought of some very drastic suspension designs for my 250SX that would require some major changes to the machine. I decided that with the amount of stuff I would be altering (sport model front suspension, triples, rear swingarm, suspension, driveshaft, altering the back half of the frame) I decided it would be simpler to build a machine from scratch. (I would use an existing engine, fabricate a frame, rear suspension and driveline) This way I don't lose my 250SX to experimentation, and have a fresh platform for my ideas. And when it's completed, another machine.

When I took my 125M to the gas station for it's first tankfull after restoring/rebuilding it, there was a guy checking it out who couldn't believe how incredible it looked. I hadn't even ridden it yet, it was absolutely clean, fresh paint, no scratches and I had even Armor-all'd the seat. He was very impressed, and I was very pleased to see that reaction within ten minutes of leaving my garage.

Completing a project like this is a great thing to do, you'll be proud of it and yourself. I'm certain that if more people post up about the work they've done, well encourage and inspire more people to take on these projects.

[hondaATCman]

I absolutley LOVE restoring trikes!!! Its a passion as well as a hobby. I put about a solid grand into my 110 restoring it back to factory condition not to long ago and whenever I go somewhere on it, I always get a few stares, a couple wonderful comments, and a few cases of drop-jaw everytime and to me that is worth every penny.

[Trikeaholic]

http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mt91397/album?.dir=/trikeaholic&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/mt91397/my_photos

mabey this will work, just a bunch of pics, some pics of trikes I used to have, others of "before" shots and some "after" shots. hope the link works for you.

[jeswinehart]

yep ,,, i get alot of enjoyment out of re-doing certain honda modles myself kris.
no links or such but i've brought a couple back from the dead
( + put some sleep too - lol)


john

[cliff2302]

Holic, they made a mini kawasaki 3wheeler? that thing is awesome! can you tell us about it? thanks
Joe

[Trikeaholic]

that kawasaki is actually a 1985 KX60 with a "Dirt-E-Works" trike conversion. Thats what it looked like when I brought it home, and now its completley restored, except for the crappy fiberglass (yep, fiberglass) fenders. I gotta come up with something to replace them. The thing is wicked fast, too.

[Meat-BoX]

8 Years and its about done. I need to pewdercoat the motor and polish. We got it running bit it just winds out, so we figure its suckin in Air. I had the Top End done but he seems to think its a head gasket. The motor is clean but it has been around for 20 years. I was told it could be the Crank seals and all that. Its a little showcasd on the restoration page. Garys Tecate

http://home.twcny.rr.com/mycustomtecate

[teddybear2007]

u got some nice atc's man..id sure like to have one....the r or the tecate....lol i always have wanted one of those 2...i have a 83' honda 185s...it needs some parts first then ill be trailin like the old days

[Kustemizer]

to answer yopur question,,,,,,,,, if u restore u shoud restore it to wat u r gonna use it 4.

[Groundworx]

I am almost done with my 85 TRI-Z. The bottom end went out on it and I just got my hands on another one. I have everything now except rear wheels and tires. One thing you should keep in mind when restoring, is to do it as right as possible. I bought my Z about 2 months ago and it had a recent rebuild/restore. Only problem was, it wasn't done right. I went back and did a frame off on it. I am on a tight budget with this project, but I didn't cut any corners. Just do it right, you will be happier with it in the long run.

[TeCaTe_MaN]

that little KX is sweet...does it run?

[87ATC250R]

Meatbox, that is one SWEET looking ride. Great job! :-D

I guess I have to admit I still ride quads, but I don't care about getting them bashed up (or so to speak) as they are all over the place and plentiful. The 3 wheelers are on the cutting edge of becoming invisible with people parting them out, etc, etc. I think parting is a great idea if the bike isn't worth fixing; it's a shame to see a nice ride go to bits. I'd cry if I flipped my ride after all the hard work that has/will go into it.

I just want to have a few of these specimens in perfect shape for people to enjoy and take a step back in time to the 'good ol' days' when they're done.

Kris

[87ATC250R]

Wow Tom, that's incredible.

Probably the best looking 350X I've seen since new.

Can you still by the Ohtzu H-tracs?

Kris

[InPiEcEs]

I've got an '86 ATC250R that I have had since 1990. It has been sitting idle for about the last 4 years. I decided last fall that I was going to strip it down completely and build it back up. So far, I have the frame repainted in (as close as possible) the original color, and have been picking up NEW pieces as i can find them. My local dealer assured me he can still get the OEM plastics for my R, as i don't like the cheap look of the Maier stuff, and I am trying to bring it back as it was originally, with the exception of the performance goodies that I wish I had on it back in it's glory era, like pipe reeds, I am looking into the 310 kit for my spare motor, stuff like that. It's been a great machine for me, very little trouble with it, and it still ran great, but I decided that now it's time to give something back to something that gave me so much over the years, because I will never be able to part with it. I will keep ya posted as my old faithful R is being resurrected.

[edog]

Check out my 1985 225 DXN Tri Moto with sky blue plastic.

[87ATC250R]

That's cool, inpieces! Keep us informed, I'd like to see your progress. I'm trying to flog some parts to raise funds for my 85' as well. I bought new OEM plastics and decals about 6 years ago, they're still pretty clean.

Edog, is that factory plastic? If so, I never knew they exisited like that! Sweet!

Kris

[edog]

That is factory plastic.It's all brand new.Just bought it this winter.I have alot invested in it.