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View Full Version : why do YOU choose 3 wheels?



200xkwit
04-14-2008, 11:54 PM
Just curious as too why alot of you choose to ride on 3 wheels? for me it the challenge the excitment being different. I was born in 87 just when 3 wheelers were getting shut down. my experience with 3 wheels was a 1983 200e bigred that my buddy had when i was a kid. we would ride that thing into the ground. it was a blast! that thing never got stuck and never let us down. it was an amazing peice of machinary to say the least. After a couple of years my buddy had gotten a yamaha blaster and when we went out riding i would ride the 3 wheeler. some of the best times where had on that wheeler. ever since then ive had a 3 wheeler even if it was nothing more then a box o parts. i have a kx125 and ive had 4 wheelers but ive always like 3 wheelers the most for some reason. so why do you ride on 3 wheels?

Vealmonkey
04-15-2008, 12:02 AM
I had an old honda atc90 when I was in highschool. I graduated and went into the navy when all the modern trikes were hitting the showroom floors. My buddy in the navy bought a brand new 1981 atc250r, what a kick ass ride and a far cry from an atc90 or atc185, and they just got more wicked from there. I always liked the crazy aftermarket stuff though. The suspension frames, the performance parts, the chromoly frames and the street biked engined trikes. Now, I mamaged to find some of the crazy pieces that I only read about while I was cruisning around in the med off the coast of Beirut for so long. I just like the uniqueness and the nostalgia and the memories. I remember watching atc90s race before there was an atc185 or 250r for that matter. I remember the honda 185s racing the the trimoto 175s'. That was racing my friend, hard tail hell!!!!

200x newby
04-15-2008, 12:56 PM
I like them cause they are unique and you can wheelie FOREVER!!!

chris200x
04-15-2008, 01:15 PM
I can't afford a quad! :TrikesOwn

Dammit!
04-15-2008, 01:29 PM
I can't afford a quad! :TrikesOwn

Sadly, that's probably the real reason for 90% of the people here.

The Goat
04-15-2008, 01:59 PM
Sadly, that's probably the real reason for 90% of the people here.

When I moved back out to our land, I needed something to ride around. I couldn't find a fourwheeler for sale for a decent price. Driving home one day, I noticed a guy knew had an old busted up big red in his front yard for sale for 400$. Mechanically perfect, with a brand new rear end. I called...he didn't answer immediately.

I picked up a project 200x that night. And I've been tinkering ever since.

After having rode it, I can say that there is nothing like heading into a 90 degree turn on a gravel road at 45 mph, and right before it, you pop that clutch, spin the tires, and spin that ass end around.

I guess you could say I got hooked out of necessity. Calculated it all the other day though, I could have a new grizzly with an 8-10 dollar a month note under the carport if I wouldn't have bought that 200x.

keister
04-15-2008, 02:02 PM
Three wheelers are much more nimble on tight woods trails. They also require more rider input and body positioning which makes riding more fun and challenging. I also prefer the better horsepower to weight ratio you get from not having the extra wheel to push around in front of you.

84honda200s
04-15-2008, 02:28 PM
i like em cuz they arnt too heavy, have good power when modified, they are a blast to ride and are a hell of allot cheaper to buy and/or build then a newer quad.

3Wheelers4Life
04-15-2008, 03:30 PM
I can't afford a quad! :TrikesOwn

same here, thats how i got into it. but now i like 3 wheelers more then quads or dirt bikes. also, quads will make you lazy, 3 wheelers you have to work to ride and that makes them more fun IMO.

edog
04-15-2008, 03:38 PM
:TrikesOwn Cause I don't need the extra training wheel.:TrikesOwn

nate b
04-15-2008, 03:48 PM
never liked four wheelers when they came out, and don't like 4-strokes either, so I'm kinda stuck. Had my R for 20 years and It'll be with me till the day I die.

Of course I think 80's music, cloths,and movies are still cool too.

ATC-Eric
04-15-2008, 04:12 PM
Went to look at a cheap quad. They raised the price when I got there, and it didnt even run.

I look in their garage at a MINT 200s, asked him how much, took it home that day.


Ive owned a few quads here and there, but always keep coming back to trikes.

Preddy05
04-15-2008, 05:06 PM
Started out on a 3 wheeler and when i was younger use to see my dad and uncle out on there 350x's so kinda made me want one... plus i have a 4 wheeler but like the 3 wheeler alot better because it so much lighter can't beat the power to weight. turning radius is always nice to for trail riding. for what i payed for my predator and what i payed for my 250r i should of got couple more R's! :TrikesOwn

undeadanger
04-15-2008, 05:08 PM
my uncle came over when i was a kid with his 185 i rode it with him up and down the highway and was hooked from then on ......when i got my first trike it was a yamaha 125
( i was the Dale Earnhardt or the back yard lol ) then i tosted the motor and for years i didnt ride , got married had some kids , then my son seen me looken at them on here and was smileing and pointing at them and now i have a yard full of them ........ i love trikes ........

Aka_am
04-15-2008, 06:46 PM
I don't know, I just ride better on them? I've had alot of dirtbikes and alot of quads..and I guess the big reason is the 200x, or 200s, never quit working, lol..and my 250r once done I hope will be just as good and reliable.

Trikes also make a good rider, a better rider!

pickleweasel_00
04-15-2008, 07:21 PM
quads will make you lazy, 3 wheelers you have to work to ride and that makes them more fun IMO.

:beer That's how I see it

hancadam
04-15-2008, 08:06 PM
I have always just loved them. I also hate payments so I wont buy anything new and not patient enough to save up and pay cash. I could have had any quad I wanted seeing how much I have spent on 3 wheelers. I like working on them also, since all my friends are fags and hardly wanna go riding. I also seem to be a lot better rider on 3, even though a have some sort of wreck each time we go. Dirt bikes are a close second for me though.

Dirtcrasher
04-15-2008, 08:25 PM
I can't ride a quad to save my life and I don't care for that extra width.

Brockey
04-15-2008, 08:29 PM
I grew up on trikes, then went to 4 wheelers. Always wanted to take a trike for a ride when I seen someone using one. "Hey man, you wanna ride my new quad, I'll ride your old trike". Moved away from home and had to sell my quads. Then one day I noticed a 250r and said it will be mine. Told my father and he reminded me it was identical of the one I had when I was real young like 7. So I bought it. Been rebuilding it ever since. My father bought one also, and my buddy too. So we have almost all the 250r's around our parts. I still need a water pumper tho. Trikes were always a fun rig to ride and I like how everyone says that they are dangerous and wont ride one. More ride time for me. So now I have three trikes.

This is what started it all again for me. And yes I am foolish and paid $400 for this bag of *Edited**Edited**Edited**Edited* .
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/Brockey/250r.jpg

And this is her current condition.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o284/Brockey/misc008.jpg

hancadam
04-15-2008, 09:51 PM
I have paid too much for trikes before also. But if its one you like go for it. Thats how I look at it. I just bought a 250es for 400, and I think it was a bit high, but mechanically its perfect. Everything else sucks. Plastics where ruined, front rack bent, frame cracked, side panels missing, electrical problems, etc. Now I have spent 600 more on fenders, side panels, tires, frame welding, cables, bearings, shock boots, and starter. So 1000 spent already and more to come. But I have always wanted a 250es. When finished It wont be worth what I have in it, but I love em.

Erics350x
04-15-2008, 10:03 PM
I ride em because, they are crazy death machines!

pickleweasel_00
04-15-2008, 10:03 PM
I also like them because they aren't mainstream, kind of cool being different. I like the compliments I get too, kind of hard to get as much attention from a four wheeler.

Ha ha, I just remembered when my buddy visited last weekend. He hadn't seen my Tri-Z run yet so I gave him a quick demo. Keep in mind that it is a basically stock 250 cylinder with a sprock head. Pulled the front wheel up in the first four gears without trying :) I asked him if he wanted to try it out and his response was "Hell no! That thing is crazy fast and it scares me! How can you ride that thing?" (and he rides a 1000cc Yamaha R1 crotch rocket :wondering ) I told him I was going to put a big bore kit on it sometime, he just rolled his eyes and said "You're nuts" :D

That's why I like three wheels :beer

Another one of my friends let me ride his wolverine a while back and it felt almost too stable (like you couldn't control it as easily by shifting your weight like you can on a three wheeler) and it felt too congested with that extra wheel in the front :rolleyes:

R-N-D
04-15-2008, 10:26 PM
I have to say that I agree with just about everyone here. I have a trike along with a quad and riding a 3 wheeler definitely makes you a better rider and it is a hell of a lot more fun. I've always admired those who had them and didn't get my first one until just a few years ago. I'll be 40 this year. How about that? There is no comparison with 3 wheelers and quads. Talk about attention too, everyone stops and stares and wonders "What the hell is that guy thinking." Especially when you do wheelies and jumps. Just a few weeks ago, I had my trike out and beat the snot out of it and I also took a beating myself. Well I ran into a few guys as well as a few sticky situations but continued to ride all day. These guys sort of laughed at me with their expensive quads and said at the end of the day, "So, are you ready to convert to a quad now." I smiled and said; "I already have one." If you could see their jaws drop to the ground, it was PRICELESS!!!

Nothing beats a trike. Looking for another (250R and/or 350X). I currently have a 250SX and I love it. Hope to see all of you at TrikeFest. It'll be my first and I'm bringing another "rookie" with me as well.

Eric250R
04-15-2008, 10:49 PM
I was 5 years old in 1980 when my dad brought home a brand new ATC70 for me. Been hooked ever since.:TrikesOwn

Billy Golightly
04-15-2008, 11:20 PM
I ride em because, they are crazy death machines!

This about sums it up for me, the stigma and mystique has a lot to do with it for me. I also, kind of like (for some reason :rolleyes:) the fact that there is so little aftermarket support (compared to the quads anyways, the aftermarket support is actually pretty damn good things that havent been made in 20 years) where you have to search and hunt for parts or design and make your own stuff.

300rman
04-15-2008, 11:37 PM
i like the looks, comments, and just plain WTF ARE YOU THINKING i get fromhaving a "dangerous death machine"

ive been riding things with wheels my whole life. i can hop on anything and ride it like i been on it for years, no prob. but the trike has caught my eye the hardest of anything.

its fun to ride, nimble, and looks mean just sitting there. only thing i dont care for is their air-handling. but thats what the bike is for, but i love my R and will always own a 3 wheeled death machine.

firehart
04-16-2008, 12:02 AM
You can't buy a running quad for 50 bucks. That's what I paid for the 185s and the 110.

Jim mac
04-16-2008, 12:43 AM
as a kid I always wanted a trike, got my 1st 110 and loved it. then sold it. When I find a trike thats trashed and needs parts, I always call this guy across town. He fixes and sells most motorized toys. He told me if I was going to start flipping dirt type toys, might as well build trikes. Reason's are if someone is looking for a cheap new. They go to pep boys and buy a quad or bike.
if they want something nice, they'll finance a new quad or bike.
if they want a trike, they have to either find one thats a runner, fix up a basket case, or find someone that will work on one for them.
So I just find them cheap, bolt on good used parts, and sell them running. BUT I dont sell them so cheap that the buyer will just part them and make a profit and kill a trike. jim

topoortorideon4
04-16-2008, 12:59 PM
I had always wanted something to ride weather it was a go-cart or moped or a three wheeler or whatever it didnt matter, i wanted something but we just could not afford it, 3 years ago I had a 83 185s givin to me and i had spent more time cleaning the plug than i did riding it, when my freind and i did the first oil change on it the oil was litterally thick as pudding. The motor was fryed and i could not pay to get another one, so luckely a gift from above, my 200m and there is just something about it, i have a job now and i could get a quad but there is just something about it. Maybe its because i dont need reverse top turn around on the trail.lol

Tri-Z 250
04-16-2008, 01:19 PM
I picked up my 86'-Z in the spring of 87' and fell in love with the ride of the trike. I dreamed about a bigbore kit when I was younger...never had the extra$. Today I've made the plung and I'm doing a 310 Sprock-Z out of an 85-1/2 Z. The whole build has been great all the way around. When I'm finished I might have spent equal to the price of the Z showroom. Thats still $3500 less than a 450YfZ and I'll drag anyone of them!!!:twisted:

'83 250R
04-18-2008, 09:53 PM
i like the fact that people can be like so how slow is that peice of junk and i say slow enough to pass *Edited**Edited* 4 wheeler in 5th in a wheelie and it cost a few grand less! i have grow up on them and i am on my 5th 3 wheeler all i paid for my self and im only 16! my current 3 wheeler "250r" kept me from gtting my licences because im an idiot

eastwind
04-19-2008, 09:33 AM
Mainly I like my 250es when I get stuck I can manhandle it out. It does everything I use it for. having suspension helps. I still can pull a trailor for hauling a moose out of the bush. Turns on a dime.

Tri-ZNate
04-19-2008, 09:47 AM
I just like it because when you pull up on a nice hard to find trike (the tri-z is one bike I have never seen another guy ride unless we have a trike get together). My Z turns heads out on the trails or Poker Runs

gus1316
04-19-2008, 12:12 PM
I like them because you can go places a four wheeler wouldnt be able to.. and easily get around obstacles. and tow a trailer through tight trails. But the main reason is the mud baby! you can sink the damm thing and just get it right out..

Danold
04-19-2008, 01:16 PM
Its just one less tire I have to replace.

JasonB
04-20-2008, 02:43 PM
my brother atc-eric bought an 84 200S back around 2001. it was mint and we rode the life out of it. after trying to ride my yamaha 250xt enduro dirtbike around a muddy state park (finger lakes) and having trouble just moving in wet conditions while eric was riding circles around me, I decided a trike or quad was the best bet. I bought a 250sx and restored/modd'd it and loved it. between eric and i think we have or have owned something like 12 or 13 trikes total.

3 wheels are better :w00t:

TwoHundredEx
04-20-2008, 02:54 PM
I got into them not only because of the power to weight ratio but, the power to price ratio.
Even though I don't have one, a liquid R is a perfect example. What other machine comes with 40hp stock and can be had for less than $1500 in nice shape.

Russell 350X
04-20-2008, 08:16 PM
I started riding trikes because I couldn't afford a quad. Picked up my first 82' 185S for 200$, and fell in love with it. Ran it into the ground. It went anywhere the quads around here would go, and it was cheap and easy to maintain. I also love tinkering with them. Every weekend I'm out in the garage messing with them because I enjoy doing it.

The Goat
04-20-2008, 10:30 PM
I think my next project will have to be a 200s. 200x head with a little port work, spring kit...high comp piston. and some 25s on the back with the right gearing. slinger!!!!

UlsterATCFan
04-23-2008, 04:34 AM
Was given an 1983 70 by my Dad in 1985 when I was 9 years old. Been mental about Honda ATC's / ATV's ever since. When I outgrew the 70, moved on to quads but always vowed to buy a mint condition ATC 70 which I managed last year, next is a Big Red 250 but no mint condition examples seem to exist over here in the UK - haven't ruled out shipping one over from the States. Yes Im that crazy :crazy: :naughty:

hoser
04-23-2008, 05:16 AM
My first 3 wheeler was a ATC90 I bought it because thats the only ATV being sold at the time, you got a Honda ATC90 or you rode a mini bike or motorcycle.

Today I still have three 3 wheelers but also have and ride 4 wheelers.

http://12.227.214.171/pics/ATC90asmall.jpg

steven 250sx
04-23-2008, 01:26 PM
for me they are just easier to work on and the looks you get from other people. I could be in the garage working on my bike and still have random people come up to me and ask about it, my fav question i ever got asked was "is that a fourwheeler missing a wheel or a dirt bike with an extra wheel"? i loved it couldn't help but laugh

SWIGIN
04-23-2008, 01:46 PM
i dont choose 3 wheels....i had enough of that in the 80s (no knees left)

Ryan.
04-23-2008, 01:56 PM
i choose 3 wheelers because i like to be called names for liking them :)

3 weelin geezer
04-29-2008, 11:56 PM
It was sitting in a garage all piled up with tool boxes and a flat tire. I inquired about it and it was offered for sale (sarcastically...you know how that goes). It was the right price so I scored it.


My favorite stupid question is: "Aren't those ILLEGAL??"

scooterroo
04-30-2008, 07:52 PM
it was what i learned to ride on, wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back when!!!

Tres Amigo
05-01-2008, 09:27 AM
We got a pair of new 110's for Christmas in 83'. We literally rode the wheels off them. A lot of childhood memories led me back to them. You have to become one with the trike unlike a quad. Riding a quad takes the challenge out of riding. Goat is right it is all about clutch...brake...throttle and weight distribution.

ppj250sx
08-31-2008, 05:25 PM
When I was a kid,I saw the fake kids toy version at Woolworth[albany,n.y.].Ithought they were cool.Several years later,when I moved further up the north way,everybody had 'em.My pop wouldn't let me have one,but that didn't stop me from riding with the friends I made.I especially learned how to ride double.Now, i have 2 sx's and look foward to an R,when I have the money.

fabiodriven
08-31-2008, 08:38 PM
I didn't choose trikes- trikes chose me....

firehart
08-31-2008, 08:54 PM
I have them because of price. I only have $50.00 each into my ATCs. Plus they are a novelty. Anybody can get a quad. Trikes you have to look for.

The Goat
08-31-2008, 11:05 PM
I bought it because I couldn't afford a new grizzly at the time. But with all the money spent on em...I could have made one helluva down payment.

tanks350x
08-31-2008, 11:45 PM
I had an atc 70 when i was young, then I crashed it and my parents said, no, no it's gone!!! i was heartbroken.. then i got a couple of dirt bikes, then moved on to street bikes,, and I said to myself what the heck and got me a 350X,, Best toy I ever had

WaimakRydah
09-01-2008, 03:42 AM
Well I was looking for something to go trial riding on after dads old XL200 which i used crapped out and my 2 wheeler isnt dirt spec so I saved a bit of money from working xmas etc. and bought myself an ATC200S for $550 its already had alot of memories and its only been since May. People look at me weird and alot of people point and stare at me on the trike but its a blast.So I guess I chose it because it was cheaper then a quad. I had never ridden one before I bought it I had always liked ATVs but had only ridden quads (never owned one though)and 2 wheelers before that. Trikes are more work to ride but that adds to the fun I rekon and it gets stuck less then the quads do when I go on trial rides.

Andrew_250R
09-02-2008, 02:08 AM
Mostly because of the price difference compared to a quad. Also nothing looks more bad ass than a race trike IMO. I have a friend with a 06 Raptor 700. I rode it twice now and have yet to be impressed. I grew up on four wheels but now I prefer trikes. I love when people try to tell me that trikes are dangerous death machines. I just tell them ya so is anything else if you don't know how to ride it.

texmedic58
09-02-2008, 12:56 PM
Simple,a freind gave it to me,and now I really like it.I do plan on buying a John Deer Gator next year.

Macs
09-02-2008, 01:22 PM
Nostalgia!!!! I love having something very out of the ordinary sitting in my game room or cruising one up and down the beach. I have had quads. They are fun at first but i get bored quick with them.

200xkwit
09-02-2008, 09:39 PM
i have no idea what has gotten into me with these 3 wheelers. i dotn like to ride quads b/c they are 2 stable and easy to manuaver. a 3 wheeler in the right hands is much more enjoyable in my opinoin. just knowing that in ruff terrain that you might have to make a slipt second decicion to move the trike how you want too and make sure that you are goin where you want to go. i have everything dirtbikes/4 wheelers and most of all my trike are getting used. b/c i enjoy the crazy looks people give me and i enjoy bringing back a piece of history and fun to life agian... 3 wheelers are the sh**t

longbedGTs
09-03-2008, 08:07 PM
What got me started?
In 1996, my neighbor gave me an oil burning rat-trap of an ATC 200 along with a 185 frame and motor in pieces. I couldnt afford anything but gas and oil so it looked like hell, but I didnt care. After one wheel was crushed trying to break the bead, I used one of the spare 22x11x8 wheels that came with the 185. I rode it with a front and LR 22x11x8 and a 25x12x9 Turfbuster on the RR. It had no recoil, so I had to wind a rope around the flywheel thing to start it. I have several pics I need to scan. I was 15 yrs old at the time.

FFWD to 2006. I dont know why, but I ended up looking at 3 wheelers on eBay. I found one nearby that looked exactally like the one I had in '96. After it turned out to be a lemon, I went on the search for another. Thats when I found my 83 Big Red about 45 minutes away. After the BR, I just started climbing the food chain. I got a 250SX, 350X, and the 200X. Someday Ill find a nice air cooled R to play with.

3wheelers appeal to me because they arent as common as quads. Everyone and their brother has a quad, so why would I want someting everyone else has. Also, they are a piece of history and that appeals to me.

Every "ATV" Ive ridden had 3 wheels except: One Yammaha blaster and one small dirtbike.
I have no desire to ride anything with more or less than 3 wheels. :TrikesOwn

scooterroo
09-04-2008, 11:16 AM
i chose to ride three wheels because when i started riding it was either dirtbikes, or three wheels. the quad hadnt come out yet. never was the dirtbike type, so i went the other way, three on the ground.