1985 Big Red 250es Build ===!!!!FINISHED!!!!===

[Jason125m]

Looks great, but i HATE how he wants a plastic tank. Looks like shlt compared to the rest of the bike.

[dougspcs]

Looks great, but i HATE how he wants a plastic tank. Looks like shlt compared to the rest of the bike.

Thanks, I didn't want to be the critic because the rest of the trike looks so damn good..but my thoughts exactly!!

[Stonewall]

Looking really nice! what type of tires are those?

They are Sedona Mud Rebels, size is 26x12-12. They seem like pretty nice tires for $85.

[Stonewall]

Thanks, I didn't want to be the critic because the rest of the trike looks so damn good..but my thoughts exactly!!

Lol, Thanks! I'm hoping when he sees how terrible and cheap it looks, he'll change his mind. It doesn't line up properly with the side covers, it's the wrong color, stickers won't stick... shitty...

[Stonewall]

Today's progress!:

[Thorpe]

Any reason you are running the front tire backward?

[Stonewall]

Rear rack and fenders are mounted, trunk lid is just there to look at. Hope to finish it soon so I can get back to other projects.

[chuckiedog04]

If you dont mind me asking, how much was it for all the new fenders and trunk lid? Im thinking of doing a full restore on mine this winter.

[Stonewall]

Any reason you are running the front tire backward?

When running a direction tread tire on a free-wheeling application the tread should be facing backwards to help it shed mud better. It's kinda hard to explain, but here goes: The driven tires push against the ground when going foreward, so the point of the V pushes the dirt/mud toward the sides so that the tire cleans out to keep digging. When the same tire is free-wheeled, the force is opposite; ergo the ground pushes the tire. The tire is mounted backwards so that the force is still pushing against the V (the V points foreward where it touches the ground.) and the tires clean out instead of balling up.

I see a lot of pictures where people have their front tire mounted the same direction as their rears. If you think about how the front tire actully drags, mounting the tread this way has a scooping effect. This will allow the tires to ball up much easier.

[Stonewall]

If you dont mind me asking, how much was it for all the new fenders and trunk lid? Im thinking of doing a full restore on mine this winter.

$328.09 shipped. I purchased them from the seller "GHDISCOUNTATV" on eBay.

[chuckiedog04]

thanks for the info. looking good. hard to believe its the same one

[Stonewall]

Yeah, it's amazing what some powdercoat and shiny new plastic will do! Not to mention I have put alot of hours into this machine, it'll be hard to let it go....

[Thorpe]

When running a direction tread tire on a free-wheeling application the tread should be facing backwards to help it shed mud better. It's kinda hard to explain, but here goes: The driven tires push against the ground when going foreward, so the point of the V pushes the dirt/mud toward the sides so that the tire cleans out to keep digging. When the same tire is free-wheeled, the force is opposite; ergo the ground pushes the tire. The tire is mounted backwards so that the force is still pushing against the V (the V points foreward where it touches the ground.) and the tires clean out instead of balling up.

I see a lot of pictures where people have their front tire mounted the same direction as their rears. If you think about how the front tire actully drags, mounting the tread this way has a scooping effect. This will allow the tires to ball up much easier.

I understand the idea, but dont really agree with it... I have had mudlites on my ES for a couple years now, and with the front rotating the same as the rears, I find it steers out of ruts very well, and never have had the mud ball up on it... (fwiw, imo)

[dougspcs]

I understand the idea, but dont really agree with it... I have had mudlites on my ES for a couple years now, and with the front rotating the same as the rears, I find it steers out of ruts very well, and never have had the mud ball up on it... (fwiw, imo)

I'm kinda with you are on that one Thorpe...Sorry, but I think your theory is a bit flawed Stonewall

The V running in the same direction as your drive wheels also helps with directional side slip as you are turning..meaning the side of the V in the tread is at a 90' angle to your turn allowing more surface contact area in the direction the tire would want to slip.

I hope I explained that right..

Therefore, running the tire in reverse like that will take away from corning traction causing your tread to side slip more!!

[Stonewall]

I understand the idea, but dont really agree with it... I have had mudlites on my ES for a couple years now, and with the front rotating the same as the rears, I find it steers out of ruts very well, and never have had the mud ball up on it... (fwiw, imo)

What type of mud do you normally ride in? The mud around here is really soupy or sticky (depends on the saturation...) silt loam from the Mississippi river flood in the 20's (I was told that's how it got here), and extremely sticky gumbo mud. It does make a difference around here.

This logic origionally comes from farm equipment. If you pay attention, you'll see directional tread tires mounted backwards on equipment that has to be drug through the mud; for example, 2 wheel drive combines will have them on the rear, as well as grain carts, and sometimes even 2wd tractors will have them on the front instead of ribbed tires. Non-directionals would ball up in these situations, as would directionals mounted forewards.