average joe races baja 500 on trike?

[gravelord]

hello, i am interested in the future, to race the baja 500 on a trike. post that i made a few minutes ago, was part of it. racing a quad converted to a trike would give me a newer model engine and a edge, not only that, but more up to date rear suspension maybe even. this is all just a brain storm right now - i am working class and dont make much money but this will be in the next couple years, a very real posibility, and im gathering as much information as possible, and will buy this bike peice by peice if i must, but i want to have the best possible bike, but not just any old 250R, or 350x, i am going to get this bike custom made for the abuse, and it WILL have a up to date engine, regardless of the trouble i go through getting this bike togather. i am determined, even if i die in the process of racing this thing. can people post information of past 3-wheelers racing in baja 500 or 1000, links, pictures, information on trike to quad conversions, suggestions, lighting settups, or anything related. .. it would help me so very much. thank you

[Derrick Adams]

Trikes are not allowed to participate in the Baja races as they are AMA sanctioned.

[Billy Golightly]

I'm pretty sure SCORE is the sanctioner for the Baja 1000: http://www.score-international.com/baja1000/index.ihtml Dunno whether they would let you race a trike or not though.

[Derrick Adams]

Oops may have gotten my info wrong there. SCORE does sound correct.

[firefirefire90]

If you do this, I would suggest using a 250R based frame, Forks and custom tripple tree's using front forks off of a KTM or BMW type motorcycle built for Dakar. The swinger would have to be built like a tank, probably using a 250R one built by Dean Sundhal(sp?) and the frame would have to be strengthened in all possible area's. I would also think that it would be best to use a CR500 motor left STOCK for all reliability purposes. A specially made 6.5gallon aluminum fuel tank with a quick fill gas cap and two HUGE Hella lights. A Ricky Strator professionally made for the trike would be used. Two skid plates specially made could also be used made out of titanium or aluminium. The plastics would all be OEM replacements by Maier. The seat would be a Hi-flite desert seat. The rear light would be updated with a LED light for added light. The front and rear brakes could be brembo with the front using Dual brembo brakes specially made for the BMW or KTM forks. The front wheel and tire, I am not very sure of. The rear tires would be 22" tires on 8" double beadlocks with outerbead covers. The rear shock would need to be special and would need to be able to have at least 12-14 inches of travel. The fronts, of course, would need to be the same. You would probably need a "skid plate" of sorts for the pipe so it doesnt get dented. You would probably route the air filter(or filters) to the front of the trike in a specially made box behind the headlights. having a professionally made snorkel go all the way from the front(where the filters are), all the way back to the carb. Wow...Sorry I have been pondering the idea for some time...but lack of funds and welding capabilities have held me back quite a substantially. If you do this, I would be sure be part of the chace crew on an equally built 250R or I would join you in the race. Many trials would have to be completed in training out at Glamis or in Ensenada. I hope I have given you many thoughts about this. I would love to see it done. WOW...A mouthful heh!


EDIT: Saying all this, Mike Coe stated something along the lines that when they had the trikes raced, they had aftermarket tanks, tires, seats, and lights. Thats about it. I wrote all that in the thinking that to be seriously competitive, you would have to update the trike A LOT. Just some food for thought you know?

[SYKO]

you would also have to be in excellent shape for this, Im sure someone who could tell you about the type of riding that you would have to endure for a long time would be smokenwrench as he does alot of racing, back in the day I wanted to do desert racing as my Idol at the time was danny hammil, who jsut totally smoked on a motorcycle in baja untill he was killed only a few miles into the race, Oh well good luck with it

[Dammit!]

If I ever win the lottery, I'm putting a team together to go down and run the 1000 on a near stock ATC 250R. Pretty sure they let you "run what you brung" in the Baja races.

[firefirefire90]

Count me in!

[gravelord]

hmmm.... give me a couple years, youll see some one who "sold their house to ride in the baja one time" or, "man makes suicide run at baja" or something. lol.... nah just messing around - but i will ride it. give me a few years - just figureing out whats best.

[Kintore]

Im in doug, check my other thread I made about this as well.

http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/showthread.php?t=47376&highlight=baja

[Billy Golightly]

You could do it I'm sure but the chances of doing it the first time you go down there are really really slim IMO. You would need to go and spectate atleast once and probably race 2-3 times with tons and tons and tons of pre-running before hand to get the course layout well known. If you dont have it memorized your going to be SOL when it gets dark.

[250r'en +TCB]

You could do it I'm sure but the chances of doing it the first time you go down there are really really slim IMO. You would need to go and spectate atleast once and probably race 2-3 times with tons and tons and tons of pre-running before hand to get the course layout well known. If you dont have it memorized your going to be SOL when it gets dark.
GPS????? Can't you use that?

Anyway this sounds awsome!!! Whatever you deciede to do for an engine, go as stock as possible!!! Reliability is key!

[Billy Golightly]

Haha yes but a GPS doesnt tell you where boulders, washouts, cliffs, sand holes, mexican speedbumps are!

[gravelord]

yeah, its too bad i live pretty far from it, but im going to figure something out. first things first is the bike. then comes the prerunning and racing. give me a few years, im not worried at all about the prerunning yet.. just the bike..

[88 Turbo Coupe]

Why don't you do the harescamble next week????? I'm doin it!!!

[TimSr]

Why don't you do the harescamble next week????? I'm doin it!!!


I would strongly advise running lots of harescrambles first. The Baja should not be considered entry level racing.

[Billy Golightly]

TimSr's got a good point...I would run alot of long ironman harescrambles before I thought about racing Baja. As far as a trike, seriously, if they use to do it on 250Rs I'm sure it can be done now a days too.

[Dammit!]

I can tell you this much. Crashing in the desert SUCKS more than any other place I've ever crashed. :lol:

[Bryan Raffa]

and watch out for the Boobie Traps the mexicans put out!!!

[RedRider_AK]

Do the ATC 250R's use the same swinger as TRX 250's?

[firefirefire90]

If you race on a bone stock ATC250R, you will lose and lose fast. 1985/6 technology isn't up to par on ANY technology being used in Baja racing today. I know people who run their pre-runners in the baja 200's and 500's. Hell, my neighbor runs it. You have to modify A LOT to run nowadays. I watched the San Felipe 200; what an awesome race. Even in a 200, you have to be prepared for everything.

[Dammit!]

There's still people racing Baja in volkswagons. I don't think it's so much about winning as it is finishing.

[RedRider_AK]

There's still people racing Baja in volkswagons. I don't think it's so much about winning as it is finishing.

That would kick much ass, running the Baja 1000 in a modified Beetle. :)

[firefirefire90]

Dammit, those beetle's are modified to HELL and back. BIG OL' 2010cc turbocharged motors. MOST VW's I have seen over here run the porshe 911 motor(pricey but fast). But seriously, dammit is right. It is more finishing than winning. Would be great to win, but still...you are going to need to do a lot of modifications to the trike. I would either choose the 86/7 tecate if you want to go the 500 swap to save money.

[Dammit!]

Dammit, those beetle's are modified to HELL and back. BIG OL' 2010cc turbocharged motors. MOST VW's I have seen over here run the porshe 911 motor(pricey but fast). But seriously, dammit is right. It is more finishing than winning. Would be great to win, but still...you are going to need to do a lot of modifications to the trike. I would either choose the 86/7 tecate if you want to go the 500 swap to save money.


Have you seen Dust to Glory? There's still some slow arse VW's out there running the 1000.

[NOS_350X]

They have a STOCK VW class in the 1000. If your going to do it just make shure you have a rliable bike. Dont worry about speed, i rember reading somewhere the avgerage speed for robbie gordon in his truck was like 45 mph. Yes there are some fast parts but there are even more tight techinacal stuff. Get a bike that is reliable a 250r with a pipe or a 350x, just something thats going to stay together for that long. Probably the hardest a bike will be riden would be in that race (unless i own it)

[ATC-Eric]

I can tell you this much. Crashing in the desert SUCKS more than any other place I've ever crashed. :lol:


Really? I have thought that it wouldn't be as bad in the sand? Correct me please.

[firefirefire90]

Baja is probably more DIRT and BOULDERS and HUGE ROCKS than anything. There is a bit of sand but it really matters which "baja" you race. But still, I don't think you should tackle a Baja 500 on a stock machine.

[OZQUAD44]

I think that running any Baja nowdays on a trike would be considered a bit.... um... er.... left field

Sure they did it back in the day, but doctors used to recommend smoking back in the day too.

I absolutely love my trike, but I tell you what, it aint ever going to see the rough end of a desert race while my ass points to the ground no sirree.

Nowdays I reckon the best place for a 3wheeler has to be in the dunes. They are the bomb in the dunes, no doubt about it. Aint nothing better than blowing past quads and bikes in the dunes on a Trike. Don't even talk to me about trashing one of these cult machines in some sorry arse rock bed in the back of nowhere.

Now having said that, Average Joe if that is your thing. Look at it this way..... If you finish, and thats a big if, you'll be first in CLASS....... Ha Ha Ha!

[Dammit!]

Really? I have thought that it wouldn't be as bad in the sand? Correct me please.

The terrain varies a lot but around here a good amount of it is hard pack with lots of rocks mixed in. Feels like concrete when you land on it. Not fun.

[jason 32]

a new 450x with a three wheel conversion is what i would like/ or a bansshee maxed out

[NOS_350X]

a new 450x with a three wheel conversion is what i would like/ or a bansshee maxed out


If eather of those where entered i would make a pool taking bets to see at what mile you broke in. Im tellin yall the baja races isnt about the speed. Get something that is reliable and going to make the treak. The 350x with a pipe and piston maby. Look at what they all use to race every bike is a XR 650 or 400. Its not about the speed but making the distance.

[firefirefire90]

Have you ever been to a Baja race Nick? Everyone is racing in the bikes race Stock engined XR650's, KTM650, KX500's, BMW1000's, and the Bigbore Husky's. EVERY BIKE OUT THERE has HIGHLY modified suspension, lights,fuel stuff, tires, and brakes. With the exception of the BMW where normally only the suspension is modified. All the 250R's out there are running bigbore cylinders and cranks and even the four strokes are running stroker motors. You need power. But you are right, it's not always about speed. But there are many parts where you will be flying All out for miles. I don't think a 350x is a good trike for the baja though unless you would be running the XR cylinder with an stronger crank. You would be needing a lot of POWER even if you don't plan on going ver fast. Most of the speeds are probably in the 40's somewhere. Plus you need the power to get out of the way of all the hundred mile an hour buggies flying past. The baja race isnt one about piddling around. Its either be serious and show your serious or go home and piddle around on the stock machine.

[gravelord]

well, i am interested in making a quad into a trike, but not sure if id trust welds that arent supposed to be there ;) - as for when, or if i do race, i most likely would want to at least do the baja 500, SOME DAY, not sure when, but i know im destined to do it unless i die before i get to it - it will indeed be a close to stock engine - not a close to stock bike! but close to stock engine. jason - a banshee maxed out - ill pass you on mile 10 on a near stock 200x. LOL

[El'Capitan]

i was just reading one of my newly aquired 3wheeling magazines, and there was an article about a guy racing the baja 500 on a 200X. so its been done on much less than a 250R. then again it was a modded 200X but none the less.

[gravelord]

i HEARD that 3-wheeler action, or some magazine had a run in the baja 500 with a 200x, and beat the honda team which was running a 250R in the race.

[mywifeknowseverything]

Here is a Good Read for you.....

Great Site as Well....Check it out.....

This is the Story of a Couple of SandWizards that we ride with once a yr that did the Reno 500 Race.

Excellent Story....
http://www.sandwizards.com/SWR%20Race%20Story%202005.htm

[Derrick Adams]

Just for the entertainment factor I've been thinking, if I were to try to run this on a trike, what would I want to do it on?

I think my trike of choice would be a CRF450 converted to a trike, using all the suspension tricks a normal dirt bike would run on that course. Probably a stock motor with a pipe and good air filter system. I would also run a custom front hub and tire, so that I could run the same size tire on the front and rear of the trike. (Thinking being that I could swap a spare rim/tire at any point if needed.) Probably run 22" ballon tires all around maybe with tireballs, definately with bead savers.

Sounds like a whole lot of fun to build, but pretty frightening to get out there and race.

[firefirefire90]

Wow MWKE...Thanks for the read! Very education and interesting. I had completely forgotten about a pit truck for running back and forth.

[88 Turbo Coupe]

Gravelord, How many miles have you ever ridden without stopping? I finished a 42 mile AMA harescrample yesterday non stop. It will be awhile before I consider a 500 miler.

[gravelord]

i completely understand what your saying turbo coupe, but when it comes down to it, i dont care how i feel or how much torture i put my self through, its something i want to do, or die trying. It right now is just a little bit of a dream, i mean the fact is that the races are far from jersey, and without alot of funding, itd be hard to even get there in the first place, never the less build up the machine id need. right now i can brain storm over time, and it will happen eventually. Id like to goto a few harescrambles (not hare scramples) in the spring time.

[RedRider_AK]

Gravelord, How many miles have you ever ridden without stopping? I finished a 42 mile AMA harescrample yesterday non stop. It will be awhile before I consider a 500 miler.

The 500 isn't run all at once (at least I don't think it is), I think it's run in a series of legs (60, 70, 100 miles each or something similar).

[mywifeknowseverything]

Did anyone besides Fireboy Read my link????:wondering

[200xcellent]

i did and i say no thanks to racing in anything like that, BRUTAL

[Billy Golightly]

I read it, I thought it was neat. I'd love to race Baja some day.

[Derrick Adams]

I read it too. Sure seems like a brutal type of racing.

[SYKO]

some where I found it one time was a whole documentry on soem guys that ran quads in the paris to dakar rally, It was on the net but I lost it, it was like 2 hrs long and was awesome!! they used modified ktm motorcycles turned into quads 2 strokes at that! they both finished! they held somehting like 15 gallons of fuel each, and ran sometimes from 6 in the morning nonstop till almost 12 at neight every day!! now thats serious!!!

[gravelord]

oh yes of course, desert racing can be brutal depending on where and what your racing. and let me tell you, i did read the link, and its nothing new, i have read and i know about every thing that was talked about there. but not only that - did you know the mexicans set up boobie traps and stuff for riders? imagine going down to do the baja 1000, and hit a bunch of wooden spikes sticking out of the ground? maybe one puncture your leg? or a peice of steel wire running between some rocks? So not only the natural hazzards do you have to worry about - but them too. brutal isnt the word for it.

[mike d]

Sorry guys, but I had this same "brilliant" thought cross my head a couple of days ago. Sooo.......I pulled out my S.C.O.R.E rule book and to no avail couldn't find a three wheeled atv class. Can't ride them in the four wheel atv class, can't ride them in the two wheeled motorcycle class. I guess we are S.O.L.:( :( !

[factoryX]

Sorry guys, but I had this same "brilliant" thought cross my head a couple of days ago. Sooo.......I pulled out my S.C.O.R.E rule book and to no avail couldn't find a three wheeled atv class. Can't ride them in the four wheel atv class, can't ride them in the two wheeled motorcycle class. I guess we are S.O.L.:( :( !

then tell me why people are aloud race trikes in some atv class races?

[Dammit!]

I contacted SCORE a while back and the answer was a emphatic NO to allowing three wheelers. So much for their whole "run what ya brung" motto. Screw SCORE and all their events as far as I'm concerned.

[oldsking86]

Well that's just gay... I remember watching Dust to Glory, the baja 1000 documentary and the owner of SCORE is like "oh we make this race for everybody, the top competitors and the average joes.... well average joes have trikes and we should be able to race em with the quad class at least!! I'm with you Doug, screw em

[Dirtcrasher]

Well that's just gay... I remember watching Dust to Glory, the baja 1000 documentary and the owner of SCORE is like "oh we make this race for everybody, the top competitors and the average joes.... well average joes have trikes and we should be able to race em with the quad class at least!! I'm with you Doug, screw em

I watched the same thing, awesome show!!

I felt for the guy on the bike that wiped out HARD!!

[4trax]

Well that's just gay... I remember watching Dust to Glory, the baja 1000 documentary and the owner of SCORE is like "oh we make this race for everybody, the top competitors and the average joes.... well average joes have trikes and we should be able to race em with the quad class at least!! I'm with you Doug, screw em
You gotta realize that SCORE is an elitist group of very well to do people, take the Herbst Family they bought the entire town of Primm,NV... they just bought Nicolas Cages Newport Beach home for 35 MILLION, just so they have a place to park the 150+ ft yaught.. Oh and here is there small work shop
http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/showthread.php?t=27287&highlight=herbst+shop


Eventhe budget classes (11 & 5/1600) spend 5-10 grand per race:eek:

[factoryX]

this is kind of bs, they allow turd vw bugs in there, and I thought the motto was if you have it come ride it... one thing I dont get is if it is so primative? why not let people do it...

[tri-Z ripper]

crazy thread guys well hey if we got enough interest and actually organized they would make an exception! :banned: heck when extreme said they were making a new 3 wheeler we were all about it till we all heard the price and everybody dwindled! :wondering ever heard the old saying THERE IS POWER IN NUMBERS!!?????:TrikesOwn :twisted:

[mike d]

then tell me why people are aloud race trikes in some atv class races?

I don't know dude, uh maybe cause they are not sanctioned by S.C.O.R.E. Don't give me attitude. I am as bent about it as the next guy.

[runaway]

hello
well it was a nice thought! you should concentrate on starting your own race im sure there are alot of people who would like to run a race like this,i know i would but i am not as talented of a rider as those guys that run the baja's. and one other good thing with starting your own you get to say who runs in the race.:TrikesOwn

[88 Turbo Coupe]

Don't it just SUCK when u want 2 race and just can't!!!

[Twilight]

Who says you couldnt do it unofficially, thats how my friend did it on a dirtbike.