Questions about my 1983 Honda 185s

[TheWhistler]

OK so this is my Three wheeler 211915211916

It has been sitting since 1998 from the best guess... it is a family atv. It is/was my fiances dads. I am rebuilding it for her because it's sentimental (mostly she has a picture of her and her dad on it when she was a kid, and with our newborn when she becomes the same age, wants to remake that picture with her dad and our newborn). On top of that, I really wanna go have fun with it lol.

My question is... and I can get more pics if needed, I am assuming by looking at it that it will need pretty much EVERYTHING replaced.. the frame itself however looks pretty decent. Going by finding parts on eBay, it was looking around 1000-1500 in parts just to fix it up, but that was doing EVERYTHING, and I was just adding in my head. is it worth it? I also found a 185 here https://offerupnow.com/item/detail/267634/honda-185-atc (Sorry if this isn't allowed, I will remove if asked, but I just wanted to show what I found), and wondering if I just buy that, I could just swap parts around and have a fully functional 185s? I want to use as much of the original 185 as I possibly can to keep it nostalgic or whatever lol..

I just really want some good opinions. I am extremely new to this type of thing as I am more of a off-roader/mudder in my Xterra, but have always loved riding quads/dirt bikes and the such.

Thank you in advance. I greatly appreciate it.

[prometheus]

Dude that's awesome your wife is into restoring it. I am also in the process of doing my own 185s. Of course my wife is not as into the restoration. To answer your question it is without a doubt worth it to your wife. Depending on your skills and hookups you have in the business it can get very expensive very fast. Sometimes buying parts one at a time can get very expensive. I would recommend finding a trike in the condition your happy with, I mean your wife's happy with, and buy it and swap all the parts. It would probably be cheaper.

[TheWhistler]

Thanks! yeah that's what I was thinking.. I found that one and the guy says it runs "great" but my step dad grew up with three wheelers, tearing em apart and what not boring em out n the such, so I am going to probably get that one, and have him help me swap parts and clean em up as we go, then I might go and buy the big bore kit off eBay ;) ... for ... "scientific" reasons lol..

my fiance probably won't actually drive it, she's just more interested in re creating the picture she has.. but other than that she loves going out mudding and what not :) so it'll probably be my toy, and I will get her a quad.

[bigredder]

Try getting it running as is just to see if engine is good. If it is, should save you a little money. Can't wait to see finished product!

[Jmoozy27]

Shoot, that's not that bad. I have seen them slot worse shape. If the forks move up and down and the motor has a compression stroke (judging by the rope hanging from the recoil starter I assume it does) then your a carb rebuild and a tank away from a rider. But I will agree with the other guys that a complete trike with a blown motor would be a good start. A lot of parts swap off of other 200's from that era so it shouldn't take long to find one. Hold off on the big bore kit cowboy. Get this thing rolling and let your woman take her pic before you go trikin' nuts'.

[86125m]

These bikes have a good amount of power stock I would not mess with it too much.

[Degoragon]

These bikes have a good amount of power stock I would not mess with it too much.
I agree, the 185 i have has been clocked at 65 mph on the road. (A friend rode it , I followed in a pickup, this was back when my friend owned it). Id be too scared to try that Myself though.

[Degoragon]

My 185 isnt excactly a family heirloom, but it was my brothers before I bought it, he got it from his best friend, (traded a ford pickup for it) who in turn bought it from his brother, and ive rode it before, so i knew all about it before i bought it.

[yaegerb]

Since its sentimental I would think it would mean more to the family if you restored it instead of swapping out parts. I have seen and spent a lot more on restorations. You have a good platform there to work with.

[Degoragon]

Does that one have its rear fenders? Anyways, looks better than mine, with its bare foam seat (with chunks taken out, only half a front fender, an oval headlight wired into the original housing, and pieces missing from the rear fender, the only thing that looks good are the tires and the handlebars, of course mine runs and drives, but it doesn't take much to get these going, plus parts are everywhere for the 185/200s.

[Recon]

I think you should restore it. I've got a 1983 185s that was once a parts trike, and I really like it.