4 wheel conversion kit... worth the $$?

[Sox]

i just got a 1986 250sx.. for free rear end was falling out of it. my dad helped me put it bak to together with new barings for the swing arm. now heres the big question... is it too dangerous as a 3 wheeler? every1 i kno says its dangerous and flips ez half the ppl i kno say they wont even go on it.

my dad looked into the 4 wheel conversion kit, $1200!!

any1 here tried it? or thoguht of trying it? or taken an old quad front end and graphed it onto a trike? (that is our plan B)

any suggestions or guidance is greatly appreciated.

[Dammit!]

Not a single person here is going to tell you it's a good idea to molest a perfectly good trike like that. If you're really that concerned about crashing it, sell it to someone who isn't and buy a quad.

Edit: how about you take it for a few rides on 3 wheels and see what YOU think of it? They aren't any more dangerous than any other off road vehicle. You just have to take the time to learn to ride it properly. They require a bit more skill to ride than a quad which is what makes them more fun to most of us.

[oddball3]

Sell that to someone that can put it to good use, and just buy a 4wheeler.

[42F67N]

I think a 3 wheeler is dangerous if the person riding it hasent rode one before.

[thehickfarmer]

trikes are only as dangerous as its operator. if your gonna clown around and act like a retard then your just asking for trouble. treat the machine with repect and it will respect you.

[Sox]

im not saying i think its dangerous but every1 else does. i thought id get a few opionions. and no i havent even ridin it yet fixed it 2day but fouind out it had a leaky gas tank, and i dont have a helmet yet.

P.S. the only reason i got this thing is cuz it was free im prolly never gona get a new one. i live on a horse farm this thing is gona pull my hay and water and dump wagon thing if i break it i have to go bak to a wheel barrow or my slow arse noisy lawnmower so dont think im gona be a "retard" on it.

[monster 84r]

dude a 250sx is an awesome machiene, if your going to prejudice it without even riding it, then your not a trike kind of guy. forget all the crap people say, and have fun on it. i think anyone with half a brain could see the 250sx is a reliable, comfortable, and fun bike. id love to have one.

[Sox]

i think you guys r taking this the wrong way... im kinda being forced into this and was wondering if it was good or bad.i plan on giving it a good ffighting chance before making the big decision. ive heard alot of good things bout the 250sx's and i dont wanna do anything to it that will make it less of a great machine.

o yea i forgot to mention earlier it has this cobra high flow performance exhaust on it too i heard those r good :)

[oddball3]

[QUOTE=Sox]im not saying i think its dangerous but every1 else does.

Im sure no one ever heard this before. If you friends jump off a bridge, would you.

No just kiddin, just get use to it, ride it and take it slow. Thats a great trike you got there for farm use.
Does it have a hitch on it. My dad has a hitch on his, its great for moving the boat around and our other trailers.

[Sox]

it has 4 spots for bolts in the rear axle we r gona take some C channel stuff (or the old drawbars from a 3 point hitch) and make a hitch.... thats prolly gona be done 2morro cuz we r putting uyp a roof and wanna use it to tow around the supplies

[monster 84r]

the sx would be a great farm machiene, my grampa has one at his in deerborn, it does a great job. its all up to you, if you like the machiene and it doesnt need much then keep it if you want. but doing the conversion wouldent work out to well. if your pressured to buy a quad, then go pick up an old honda. our rigid frame trx125 has had the crap kicked out of it, and it still runs good! stock everything! never broken down. personally id pick the sx, it would be a fun work machiene tht you could tear around the trails with when you get a chance.

[Power_Ram100]

3 wheelers arnt for everyone. It takes more skill to ride them, but if * can ride a 3 wheeler real good you can ride a quad like a PRO!! (at least in my experence)

[Tri-ZNate]

just take it for some rides, lean!!!!, and like dammit said see what you think of it. The easiest thing to do is take it out into a flat feild and learn on it. I got mine in winter and when my dad and I were playin i tipped it 7 times that day. havent done it since because I learned what I have to do to keep all te wheels on the ground. Take it easy and you'll be fine.

I have had 3 1985 250SXs amd 1 1986 and have rode verious quads ranging from a polaris scramber 250 to a scrambler 400 to quadsports and quadrunners and the SX is by far the best.

[OldSchoolin86]

Man I'd love to have a 250sx. It's by far my favorite ute trike ever made and really it's a sport-ute. I'm trying to talk my bro-in-law to buy one right now. If you were closer I'd be trying to snag yours, lol.

[Jason Hall]

You need to do what half the people in this thread said, get the feel for it before trying anything silly. If you let the bad stuff everybody says get to you, then you will scare yourself before you give the machine a chance to prove its self.

[nouseforaname90]

it has 4 spots for bolts in the rear axle we r gona take some C channel stuff (or the old drawbars from a 3 point hitch) and make a hitch.... thats prolly gona be done 2morro cuz we r putting uyp a roof and wanna use it to tow around the supplies

Those four bolts are for a hitch. I'm surprised that one isn't on it. I think they all came stock with a hitch.. I'm not positive though.

And trikes aren't dangerous. If you are stupid on it and go over its limitations, then yes.. it is dangerous. But if you know how to handle it, and are careful, then it is a very fun, reliable machine. I have a 250 SX myself that I am in the process of restoring, and I wouldn't want any other bike. It has never left me stranded when I am riding trails, and it is indepensible when it comes to yardwork. If you learn to ride it, and learn its limits and abide by them, then you will have alot of fun, and a very great machine for years to come if you take care of it as well.

[bigredhead]

Keep it as a trike. no doubt about it.

Adding a quad front end will slow the thing down with extra weight and steer like crap.. it's a 250cc machine.. it works very well on 3 wheels !! trust me !.. i have an 85 !

They can be dangerous.. heck riding your bicycle on the street can be dangerous... like everyone above said.. take your time.. get out in an open field and do figure 8's for a while and learn to turn.. . LEAN just like a dirtbike.... you will quickly get the hang of it.

You are responsible and it's up to you to show and explain to your friends how to ride it properly and slowly at first.

Alot of people talk trash about trikes.. but have never driven one.

virgins... sheesh.

[BigGreenMachine]

To answer your question No I dont think a trike is dangerous. Go ahead and give it a fighting chance before you make a decision to turn it into a quad. You have a great bike for what you want and a great first bike period. Tell your dad you want some nice rear mud tires so when your towing you have lots of traction and get that tank fixed. Glad yo hear you mention no helmet and that you havent been riding without one. Welcome to the boards man, everything you need to know is already on here somewhere, use the search button and you'll be amazed at what you find.


James

[keweenaw4310]

I was at 2 of my local dealers looking for parts for my 200 recently. Both have a really bad attitude towards 3 wheelers. The people at both dealers admitted that they can't take them on trade or sell them.

That's because of the law, but come on, at least admit the law is possibly flawed or skewed by legal actions of the 80's.

3 wheelers were and are a blast. Because of that, sales skyrocketed and machines got faster to meet the demands of the power hungry consumers. Many fast machines ended up in the hands of idiots with handsfull of cash but no brains, balance or riding skills to back them up.

Lawyers took more of their money to chase down the evil manufacturers and get revenge and richer. It's a wonder the ATV, motorcycle, personal water craft and automotive industries don't all get shut down by those legal (^$#(%*(.

[ATC crazy]

Those four bolts are for a hitch. I'm surprised that one isn't on it. I think they all came stock with a hitch.. I'm not positive though.


Nope, the trailer hitch was an option from the factory. Not all came with one. Thats what my brother told me when he bought my '87 SX new from the dealer.




Sox: The 250SX was designed as a trike, so please leave it that way. If you ride it and decide that you dont like it, please do all us trikers a favor and sell it as a trike and go buy a used quad. Those 4-wheel conversion kits handled poorly anyways.

[bigredhead]

There are 2 types of hitches that i've seen out there.

One type has 3 positinos for the ball with a flat type plate...

the other type fits over the 4 studs on the acle and has only 1 place for the ball. i have this type on mine.

1st gear on that thing is unstopable.. strong as a bull... or maybe 2.

with a bit of TLC that SX is one of the best trikes going for work and play !

By the way..... your SX has an OIL FILTER on the right side under the round cover with 3 bolts.. filters can be had at any dealer or even canadian tire or autoparts stores.. alot of the honda's use the same filter.. the foreman 4x4 and XR bikes etc..... change it along with the oil. 10w40 is a good weight for it.

[OldSchoolin86]

That's because of the law, but come on, at least admit the law is possibly flawed or skewed by legal actions of the 80's.
No law says they can't buy and sell used ones. Actually no law says you can't sell new ones anymore.

[Tri-ZNate]

actually our yamaha dealership gets trikes all the time on trades and sells them

[Sox]

dad still not home from work so i havent riden it yet sadly :(.

i was looking at the the hitch bolts spots and most of the threads are rusted away so i think we are gona have to weld somthing on.

yea i kno bout the filter we are gona change the oil today. yea this wont last without some care last owners ran it with swing arm barrings gone so the shaft ground up intiside of the diff and theres metal all inside it. we did wat we coul to wash it out and put fresh oil in it, the metal also detroyed the seal at the driver side wheel. we are gona rebuild the diff wen i save up some $. they aklso dented up the tank, it has a bad leak but i think we fixed it last night with some JB weld.

also came with great tires they are mudbuyster somkthings they have nobs on the side and the aggresive V pattern that tractors have. the one leaks but my dad knows a guy who can put some tire sealant stuff in it. the stuff they use on garbage trucks stuff * cant buy unless * own a tire business

i have a nice meadow in the woods behind my house i ride my horse there i think itll be a good place to get a feel for the trike.

[bigredhead]

once you get used to it you will never want to go back !!! hahahahahhaa..... be careful.. they are like crack.. highly addictive.

The rear diff can be EXPENSIVE to fix... you almost need to take it to a shop as it requires some special tools..... IF it's that bad.. consider finding one on e-bay or a used one locally if you can find one.... depends on it's condition.

Any pictures ? I assume it's kinda sad looking, but always fun to see a different trike.

[Sox]

ok i found a pic of the tires i got 3 matching most the tread still on um but they each have like 5 or 6 plugs!!

http://www.atv-tires-superstore.com/atv-tires-images/GBC-mudbuster.jpg

mine are a few inches wider than than these but they have the same tread.

ill try and i and get some pics of my machine on later.

[Sox]

bigredhead, my dad tends to make most of the special tools he needs, also theres an atv/atc junk yard not to far away wen it coems time we are gona see wat we can find.

[Tri-ZNate]

my sister has those things on her quad and golf cart. We havent had much luck in the mud with them but then again I cant get the wheels to turn fast enought to clean the tires.

http://www.treadepot.com/images/b2c/groups/mudbu.jpg

[Sox]

ok i guess the 4 wheel conversion is a big no-no. would front wheel weights be horrible? it occured to me and my dad both that this thing can pull harder than the leight front end will alow. it seems it will flip before it has pulled all it can pull.

[max]

Get Your But Up On The Tank. If You Could Find A Way To Mount Some Temperary Weights On There I See No Problem In Doing So As Long As You Could Take It Of Easily When Not Needed.

[bigredhead]

I've heard of some people filling the front tire with water to weigh them down...

remove the valve.. add water put valve back in.

no good for trail riding.. but for hauling heavy loads.... maybe.

the hitch is positioned on the axle low enough that it won't wheelie too bad.

[Sox]

ive heard of filling tires our 1951 farmall C has calcium in its rear tires. alot fo old tractors do, but i dont think water or calcium are good for the rims. plus i have lots of scrap steel to make some wheel weights out of that could be removable like max said.

ill prolly wait and see if i have any trouble before doing anything drastic.

[keweenaw4310]

No law says they can't buy and sell used ones. Actually no law says you can't sell new ones anymore.

I did some searching for Michigan laws on that subject and I'm coming up blank.

Funny that 2 of my local dealers would have the same story. Must be just a decision of the dealerships to stay away from 3 wheelers.

[Tri-ZNate]

it wont wheelie if the weight is on the axel. I hauled 2 of my friends plus a trailer of garbage and the front end didnt come up. You just have to remember that if you have a heavy load give it slow gradual throttle.

[Sox]

ok cool the less i have to bolt/weld on the better.

woohoo!! my tank doesnt leak anymore now i just wait for my dad to get home with my new helmet.

[Tri-ZNate]

sweet man. I want to hear how your virgin ride goes.

[Sox]

the "virgin ride" was a blast. i i first took it for a quick spin around the barn let my dads friend have a go and empty my dump wagon. then a took it in the back field. i had a go aroudn a few times put it on 2 wheels only once wen i slipped on the peg.

then i took care of some stuff i had to do, some chores n fun stuff like that. then i took it down again i figured itd be a quick spin cuz it was looking like a storm was coming let alone the tornado watch. so i take it down the big hill into the meadow i go around put it on 2 wheels again on acciident then i see the big hole. its like a rut going through this big dip down then it copmes up real quick. im in 2nd gear im nopt going real fast and im not crawling either bout 1/3-1/2 throttle. as im coming out of hole the front wheel falls into the rut it being quad rut n all. then it quits. and i cant get it started(electric starter is broken so im kiking it). then it starts pouring and i quickly give up run half way up to my house then turn bak for the key lol. i get bak to my house and my dad says som1 could push it away and steal it so i go bak and finaly get it started after jiggling all the wiring (i belive thats y it quick). i take it bak up to my house (after driving by my dad on his tractor).

in short.... im turning it into a quad




haha fooled ya! :TrikesOwn

[bigredhead]

Cool....

One thing i have not seen mentioned yet... and i'm sure you've figured it out by now..

but: KEEP YOUR FEET ON THE PEGS.

If you have to step off.. Bail.

You will quickly learn that having one of the rear wheels come off the ground is not a problem and perfectly normal.. it actually helps when turning to have some weight off the inside back wheel etc...

Puting your foot down in front of the back tire will result in some pain and bruising.. trust me.

But keep at it and put some hours on it.... take your time and respect the machine... after a few tank fulls of gas you will feel comfortable on it.

[88 Turbo Coupe]

Go slow to start. get a feel for the machine. Lean into the turns. Shift your body weight into the turn. And NEVER NEVER take your feet off the foot pegs. Your enthusiasum and riding ability will determine if you are into 3 wheels. Thats how I did it. It worked for me!!!!!!!!!

[Sox]

maybe im odd or maybe its that im an experienced horse rider but i never even thought of riding wihtout the pegs i put all my weight on the pegs not on the seat that a good thing?

[bigredhead]

Yes that's a good thing.

What we mean is that some people turn too quickly or get themselves on a off-camber hill and feel like the machine is going to tip over on it's side.. first thing they do is put their foot down on the ground to try and push themselves back on 3 wheels.... while the machine is still moving forward. DON"T DO THAT !

[88 Turbo Coupe]

You now that I gave it some thought a 250cc machine might be a little bit to big if you are not an expirienced rider, Be careful.

[bigredhead]

Hey SOX.. how old.. yeavy and tall are you ?

[Sox]

hehe this thing is gona spend most of its time in 1st gear pulling somthing so the 250cc is a must

ok gotcha dont put foot down. that should be too hard to remember cuz my horse is dumb and trips and almost falls on her face so im used to not tryign to balance rebalance with my foot :)

[JdSpitfire_1979]

I have a conversion kit on a 1983 200E and have had no problems with it and it definatley corners better. You'd probably have a better quality ride cuz mine doesnt have rear suspension

[OZQUAD44]

The time and effort required to turn it into a quad is NOT worth it. If you can't learn how to ride a trike then sell it and buy a quad.

It sounds like your getting the hang of it anyway SOX. With a little time on the machine learning how to ride you will have no problems with it. Quads are easier to ride but 3wheelers are rewarding once you master them.

It will pull a trailer no problems, It might push a bit in the turns, so keep your weight forward and the speeds down when towing. With a trailer hitched low and close to the rear axle the bike should not flip on you, if it wants to flip there is a problem.

When crossing ditches and obsticals get used to how the trike handles, It's better to cross them at right angles, rather than at 45degrees, If you can understand what I'm trying to say.

Once you master a trike you will wonder what all the fuss is about! you may even become hooked....... And end up replying to trike message boards at all hours of the night....... :-)