I've found the HOLY GRAIL of trikes! Well to me anyways..check her out!

[Merge_88]

So yesterday I wake up at my normal 5:15 and go through my routine of checking email and craigslist. To my surprise, fifteen minutes from me is an 86' 200X with extra parts for 600 bucks! WOOO HOOO.............within a half hour I had that baby on my truck. I had been looking for a strong running X that was in pretty decent shape for quite some time now. The only kicker to the bike is that the frame is pretty tweaked, but the motor is nice and quite with lots of power. The plan is to use this motor, headlight, gas tank, seat and some other things on my other 86' frame that has a noisy motor. Looks like I'm going to go for the full resto with this one.

After getting the truck unloaded and the bike in the garage, I started to hang new lights when I get a phone call from another guy that I had been trying to buy a 250R from. The guy proceeds to tell me that he had heard about an 86' Tecate 3 in the local area for sale and asked if I would be interested. I answered OH HELL YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I could hardly believe my ears!!! I have never seen one of the these beasts besides pics or videos, but never in person. Immedietly I called the guy who was suppose to have the bike, unfortunatly he never answered the five or six calls :drool: I made over the course of yesterday. I was starting to lose hope when just as I sat down for dinner he calls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sure enough, he had the bike and had no interest in it anymore and just wanted it gone before he got hurt. I jumped up from the table and rushed the hour south to pick her up. I still can't believe it, kind of sureal if that makes any sense. I'm sure some of you other guys can relate! Enjoy the pics.....

BTW..........were the twist throttles factory? Has anyone converted theirs to a thumb throttle and what do you use? Thanks

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7976/0000065xc5.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0000065xc5.jpg)
http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/7903/0000066lv9.th.jpg (http://img242.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0000066lv9.jpg)
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7103/0000067pu9.th.jpg (http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0000067pu9.jpg)
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/3230/0000069uf6.th.jpg (http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0000069uf6.jpg)
http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/7484/0000070bw4.th.jpg (http://img527.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0000070bw4.jpg)

[Tri-Z Pilot]

Damm man, that kxt is in awesome shape. That x looks about the same as my 200x I think their nice for a little 200 fourstroke. Great finds!

[blue27]

Great!!!!!! I love to hear stories like that. 86 Tecate is one that is on my wish list. And yes the Twist was factory.

[Threes company]

:w00t: :w00t: Congrats Bro...... wow, what a day! :Bounce

[tecat-z]

Very nice Tecate! So what's the story on it? Did he just buy it and was scared? Longtime owner? Has been well kept, and appears to have some new plastics.

[oOGoFastOo]

that tecate is cherry how much did you give for it?

[Dirtcrasher]

Now THAT is what we should all consider a "GOOD DAY"....

Nice stuff bud, you must be psyched!

[edog]

I would swap the electrical for the 1988 KX 125 system.If it will be your rider.

Nice score.

Magnets in the fly wheel come loose and cause problems.

It vibrates like crazy

I hear that they are riddled with electrical problems.

Good luck finding parts at a decent price.

Not trying to down your machine.

Are you going to ride it? Or make it a garage queen?

They are the fastest of the liquids stock on top end!

[brapp]

your rong the tist was only factory on the 1st generation tecate but the 86 87 tecates had thumb.

[Merge_88]

The guy I bought it from owned it for two years. He didnt seem to know too much about it except that he had bought it off the original owner. He was interesting though because he told me about a Tiger 250 he had when he was a teen!

Yes, the front and rear fenders are Maier, but I believe the shrouds are OEM because they are very shiney. I'm considering buying the other OEM plastics as well.

As far as the electrical system, I have receipts for a new stator from 05'. We'll see how it holds up. Anyone done the conversion on their bikes?

I gave the man 1000 bucks without hesitation!

My only real dilema is that I will have to sell a couple of my trikes so I can keep the Tecate. I'm thinking of selling the 250R and the TRI-Z that I have and replace them both with a super clean 250R when I can find one. In the mean time I'm going to start the resto on my 86' 200X, man I love those bikes!

By the way, does the swinger look stock to everyone? It is a very smooth and polished unit that is on there.

[edog]

Looks stock.

[blue27]

Twist

Check out diagram under Handelbar.

https://www.kawasakiepc.com/SystemSearch_Frames.cfm?QuickSearch=1&SearchFor=KXT250%2DB1&SearchBy=Model&cGroupID=&CFID=701001&CFTOKEN=36574514

[Black86tri-z]

did you ride it yet?

[mdunn]

As blue27 pointed out, the '86-'87 Tecate were most definitely twist throttle from the factory! The swinger does look to be stock, but someone has polished it. They were the same colr as the frame from the factory. Nice score!

[ATC-Eric]

Oh man :drool:



GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! :w00t:

THATS AN ABSOLUTE STEAL!!!!!!!!



I got a billet thumb throttle from Cory Sprock, and had him make me a custom cable to get rid of the twister on mine.


We gots to ride sometime this spring, get the T3's together! :beer

[hadar]

Great trike for the money. Great story too, :drool:

[TwoHundredEx]

You...lucky...b@$tard.
That is all.



:D, Really though, nice score!
I'm paying $700,$800 for barely running '83/5 200X's and your paying a thousand for a freakin' T3!

[Black86tri-z]

seeing you own 1 of each of the big 3 could you please give us a drag report and overall what's better because it seems your not 2 bias and will give a honest answer

[Brockey]

You lucky *Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited**E dited* !!! What a great day and a great deal. Take care of it.

[Merge_88]

As far as a ride report, I rate the 250R and Tecate neck and neck for handling and stability. My TRI-Z just seems top heavy. When it comes to low-end power, the TRI-Z and Tecate are neck and neck. Unfortuantly, I wont be running the 250R and Tecate against each other because I have the R for sale. I couldnt have bought the Tecate without getting rid of something else. I figured I could replace the R fairly easy sometime down the road.

I admit though, it's amazing riding the Tecate with the power valve! Man, what a difference. I really thought it was going to be doggy in the low-end like my R. Honestly, the best I can describe the Tecate is that it feels like I'm riding an R with the combination of torque from the Z and top end of the R. Really the best of both worlds. I suggest for anyone to buy one if you can find one or ride if you get a chance!

[saleen_n_around]

........ I had been looking for a strong running X that was in pretty decent shape for quite some time now. The only kicker to the bike is that the frame is pretty tweaked, but the motor is nice and quite with lots of power. The plan is to use this motor, headlight, gas tank, seat and some other things on my other 86' frame that has a noisy motor. Looks like I'm going to go for the full resto with this one.


I need the front brakes off the donor X......I went to go move mine the other day and no front brake....all the fluids on the floor!!

Can I borrow the Donor X tank too? I just picked up an 84 200X that is one step from dead and the tank is shot on it. Going to strip it downa nd start over....

[SeaBass8]

Very Nice!

Seems like more and more 86/7 200x's showing up on here.

What exhaust is on the 200x?

[Merge_88]

The one has a DG, the other an RCM.

The 86/87 200X is my all time favorite trike. Those bikes do everything very well. I just love those things!

[Eric250R]

The guy I bought it from owned it for two years. He didnt seem to know too much about it except that he had bought it off the original owner. He was interesting though because he told me about a Tiger 250 he had when he was a teen!

Yes, the front and rear fenders are Maier, but I believe the shrouds are OEM because they are very shiney. I'm considering buying the other OEM plastics as well.

As far as the electrical system, I have receipts for a new stator from 05'. We'll see how it holds up. Anyone done the conversion on their bikes?

I gave the man 1000 bucks without hesitation!

My only real dilema is that I will have to sell a couple of my trikes so I can keep the Tecate. I'm thinking of selling the 250R and the TRI-Z that I have and replace them both with a super clean 250R when I can find one. In the mean time I'm going to start the resto on my 86' 200X, man I love those bikes!

By the way, does the swinger look stock to everyone? It is a very smooth and polished unit that is on there.

Twist throttle definately factory, and if you need a headlight shroud for that bad boy, hit up hornetpowersports here on the boards.

[OZQUAD44]

Nice 86 bloke, and welcome to the club.

They came standard with twist throttles, that is a standard alloy swingarm that has been polished (those swingers are well made, too bad about the chain adjustment), the rear grab bar has been broken off just like many T3's (quick tecate type power can supprise you).

The electrics can be problematic. at some stage pull off your flywheel and check that your magnets haven't moved. The flywheel magnets can be professionally glued back in there for a fraction of the cost of a new ignition system. Make shue you use some water deterrent on the ignitio system, but other than that if it's running well don't mess with the electrics.

Bits that are hard to find are as follows; A good Fuel tank, the rubber carby inlet adapter (most of them are cracked and perished), and aftermarket wide rear axles.

The front and rear fenders can still be bought OEM and Hornetpowersports can supply very good radiator shrouds. Sticker kits and seat covers can be bought on the net. The engines are basically the same as 85/86 KX250 motors so engine spares are pretty easy to find.

Remember, despite all the knockers and its flaws, the 86/87 Tecate's were the most powerful, sharpest handling three wheelers ever to come out of the big three.

The last of the V8 interceptors, so to speak.

P.S. don't get rid of your R and your Tri-Z if you can help it. Those machines along with the Tecate belong together.

[scooterroo]

twist throttle was "STOCK" on the t3's. all t3's. every year, every model!!!! you can always go with a kfx400, suki z400, dvx400 thumb throttle. hear they work good. could spend the 125 on a moose thumb throttle and get the cable if you like also. theres always a solution. as for parts, yes they are a bit harder to find, and may be a bit more expensive, but they are out there. just need to do your research and track them down. i have had no problems finding any parts for my 85 or my 86 t3. yes some parts are discontinued, but theres always some solution to the problem out there. nice bikes, and welcome to the greener side of things!!! and contact justin from hornetpowersports here on the boards for the headlight shroud, he does awesome repro's of them and both shrouds.

[nd4speed]

Welcome to the T3 club!

That coolant overflow bottle is worth big bucks. Take it off to preserve it or sell it to raise cash.

Mine had a thumb throttle on it when I bought it. It says Yamaha on it and that is all I know. I like the thumb.

Watch out for the flywheel magnets, but hell, I have never looked at mine. Just ride it!

[nd4speed]

Whoa! Is the coolant bottle melted?

Anyway, you might want to put some anti-seize on the bolts for the shrouds so they don't get stuck in the gas tank and cause the inserts to turn.