Opinion wanted for Honda trike for daughter??

[bearclawchris]

Hey just wanted to ask some of you experts what your opinion is on the size of trike you would have your kids ride. I am entertaining the thought of selling my girls 1985 Honda 70 and getting a bigger model. Kids are 12 and 14 and I bought it a couple of years ago. My youngest still rides it but she is getting pretty big for it. I rode a 110 when I was 12 but I can't remember how fast one will go. A 125m is also a thought but I am skeptical of putting them on something out of their league. I coached them about safety and the dangers on hills turns etc. but am having a hard time moving on my upgrade. I realize alot of you probably rode 250's when you were 10 but perhaps you can see my point with your own kids. Anyway to not ramble anymore, can anyone, besides the size and weight difference tell me what kind of speed the 125m or an old 110 can do, and also any motor , design problems or parts that are hard to find:confused: I should look for if I take the leap. Thanks .

[chris200x]

I know where your coming from. you (and I) dont want anything that they will outgrow too fast. I'm intrested in hearing some of the responses as well. My 10 year old is now riding around my 250sx quite well. But it's only around in the field in front of my house.

I'm no expert by no means but I think the 125 is a good trike for youngsters. Not to fast and parts are pretty plentiful on ebay. I think a 200s or a yami 175/200/225 may be something they can get acoustemd (sp?):rolleyes: and grow into just fine as well. I'm anxious to hear some other responses. :)

[82300R]

between a 110 and a 125m i would go with the m cause of the elec. start. the speed difference between the two cannot be that big. as for not getting your own child too big of a machine i can dig it. i was 15 years old when i got my first atc 250r. having one today , i would never buy my 15 year old a machine that fast. of course every child is different and i think its up to the parent to make that call.:beer

[thefox]

When you compare the 125m and 110 about the only difference worth noting is the electric start. You don't gain much speed or power from the extra 15cc's so if you think a 125 is too big then a 110 would also be too big. The nice thing about both of them is you can put them in low range to slow them down. Most of the parts for the later 110 and early 125m are interchangeable.

Because the 125m has the electric start it does weigh a few more pounds but that wouldn’t stop me from getting one. I found that although electric start is nice pulling over an 110cc engine is not all that hard to do, even when I was 11 years old. Basically I say it comes down to what one you can find in your price range.

[Maine_Triker]

IMO your kids are getting old enough to ride a 200x... but of course it totally depends on the experience/skill level. I got my 350x when I was 14... as long as they start out slow and get used to the power, etc., they'll be fine.

But definitely would consider a 200s if they're not really into the manual transmission and all... only downside there is it's a pull start as opposed to a kick... but I started on a 200s when I was about 8... and I had no problems that I wouldn't of had with any other trike bigger or smaller.

Hope that made sence... :lol:
Phil

[MTS]

I would go with a 200s at i started on a atc90 at 11 or 12 and it was too small....my friends 200s was perfect.....till i wanted more power...lol

[Banage]

my 2 year old drives my 200 every time i ride. With me on it of corse.

[nouseforaname90]

That is what I was thinking. I'd go with a 200M or 200S for them. At 14, a 110 sounds a little bit small. And if they are mature, they can handle it. I'm 15 (almost 16) and ride a 250SX, 250R, Tri-Z, and 350X. Its all about how mature they are and how much they will respect the machine..
Ben

[phreakboy]

I agree with other in that I think the 200s would be a great machine for them, decent range in speed, great size, and very reliable, or if they want suspension than maybe an autox(200x frame with 200s motor). I started on a balloon tire 90 and then I went to a 200s, my Girlfriend had never ridden anything motorized and I started her on my 200s when she was about 16, she did perfectly fine and just took her time learning about the machine and now she rides it fine and I am fixing up a 250sx for her.

[Tri-ZNate]

yeah i was thinking auto X. Then they would have suspension and a motor which they wouldnt grow out of for a while.

[darrel632]

Nothing wrong with a 125m; electric start, reverse, lots of power, lower center of gravity really good all around machine and the trx 125 has 90% of the parts you need to keep it going, and Honda will have them on the shelf for a long time yet. reliablility and parts will be your issue with anything else.

[thedeatons]

When I was 12 my father got me off the 70 and put me on his 110, and he purchased a 200S for himself. I have fond memories of the 110, but I do remember that being a huge learning curve for me, because it was sooo much bigger to me. I am still a pretty lean guy, but as a kid I was considered skinny, so I didn't have a lot of weight to throw around on a trike... I remember feeling like that trike was sooo big and easier to get the inside wheel off the ground... I suppose some of that was because I was a bit reserved about my limits then, but I just thought you should know from first hand experience how I felt as a kid going from one to another. If your kids can adapt really well and can seemingly ride anything with ease, then it might not be such a problem for them.... Good luck... James

[Dave223]

my 14 Y.o. daughter rides a 300ex on a mx track, she started on it at 13. Before that she rode my 200s from age 10. I say its all in what skill level they are accustomed to. Like someone else posted, they both have low range, start em out in that until they get accustomed to it. And I may be mistaken but the 110 and 125 are the same bikes? I think its only a few cc's. Dave

[thefox]

Nothing wrong with a 125m; electric start, reverse, lots of power, lower center of gravity really good all around machine and the trx 125 has 90% of the parts you need to keep it going, and Honda will have them on the shelf for a long time yet. reliablility and parts will be your issue with anything else.

Only the 1986 an 1987 models have reverse and those are not easy to find. I also don't know if I would say a 125m has "lows of pwoer" :D .

[Mike_Ham_250R]

At 12 is when I first purchased my 1985 ATC250R, so it totally depends on riding abilities, but any 225cc and down 4 stroke I think would be alright, it also depends how tall they are, I can sling my ATC250R around like a toy because im 6'2 220lbs and I'm only 13 so basically it depends on what fits them. I probably had my Yamaha Blaster at age 10-11.

[Mike_Ham_250R]

**Edited**

[Mike_Ham_250R]

But if they are big enough and are accustomed to shifting and leaning a 200s or something in that range would be good, I'd even say a YTM225DX. I was 10 when I had my 1st trike which was a 250sx.

[Mike_Ham_250R]

After reading the REST of your post a 125m sounds good, but if they know how to shift and lean and arent throttle crazy a atc200 also would be OK IMO.

[jbezan]

I believe that they would definately be safer on a full sized trike compared to a 125/110. they seem more sturdy. there must be some way to restrict the throttle lever. My old 125 did about 55kph or about 30mph. when I was 12 I upgraded to a 200m. It felt way more sturdy. I would find a way to rig up a restrictor until you are more confident in their driving abilities. Chances are that they are responsible drivers. They have been riding for a couple of years now. I wouldnt get them a racing trike though. Go one step at a time.

[jbezan]

if you go with a 200m you would have electric start

[Frankencelery]

Wow Honda200s1984, you're a veritable giant! I'm relatively new to trikes, and maybe at 39 I've lost my nerve, but my 200s seems quite fast for me, and I'm 200lbs. The idea of putting a 12-year-old girl on one scares me a little. My almost-14-year-old stepdaughter weighs in at about 100lbs and she does very well on my KLT110. Then again, she's ridden it about 4 times, so she's very inexperienced. I'm still voting for the 125M for at least a couple more years.

[TimSr]

In my opinion, the 110/125 trikes are the absolute worst trikes for an inexperienced rider. These were the machines that got trikes on the top of the "ban 'em" list at CPSC. They handle poorly, and if you fart, they roll over. Ive got my ALT125 for fun, but its a lot harder to ride than my TriZ. I dont call it "the death trap" for nothing! The 200S is better and more stable, but unsuspended trikes just plain handle poorly.
I strongly suggest a 200X. TimJr is 11, and just moved up to one. Handle great with a nice manageable powerband thats not a rocket, but more than adequate, and wont run out of power when climbing. They are small adult size and relatively light. Dont let the manual clutch scare you either. Any kid who is motivated to learn will pick up the manual clutch in about 10 minutes. Trust me! At ages 12 and 14 a 200X is the best fit out there.

[TravEX]

I'm in the opposite situation, hehe. I have a 4 1/2 year old and a 200S! hehe. I need a ATC70 for her. She loves riding, I need to start letting her take hold of the bars when we ride. I love it, we go to the shop and she picks what she wants to ride, and she usually picks the 200S. LOL!

[85hondaatc125m]

Seeing as how you have a 12 year old and a 14 year old I would say the 125m for the 12 year old and the 200m for the 14 year old, so you might as well spend your money on a 200m so as they both get older it will work for the both of them, I am 13 and I started on a 200m(moms bf's ride) but then bought my own 125m and am still riding it(have had it for about 5 months now) and it is getting kind of small for me now(im 5'3" and 110lbs). So the main point is, most likely a 200m but for there first lot of ride, go with them!

[1985 200s]

The 86-87 125m's are a bit larger than the earlier ones and do have plenty of power. I have one and it will take my 230lb ass any where I dare to go. The down side is they are not too common and are hard to find parts for. The 87-88 trx motor parts work on them but the main issue is body parts. They also have an adjustment screw to restrict full throttle use. They are actually quite nice looking and plenty peppy for a 12-14 year old. It depends on how big they are too. My thirteen year old boy plays around on it once in awhile and has a blast even though he's 5"7" and 200lbs. His trike is a YTM200E which is fine for him although I can see at times his confidence is lacking sometimes when trail riding in slightly hairy situations where he would throw the 125M around without a thought.