3WHeeLeR WoRLD - Brand New 1986 Honda ATC 250R in the crate up for bids again!

Link to Ebay Auction: Click Here!

Aint that a site to behold?!

Andy Seibel (Buster Brown on 3WW), the owner of the New in the crate 250R has decided to put it up for auction again. You might recall it being up for auction previously. This is the same machine, as that sale fell through. Andy also recently posted the original Honda dealer setup instructions on 3WW in Trikesylvania for members to check out with in anticipation of this sale. Check it out here: 250R setup instructions. Some interesting info in there for sure!

We caught up with Andy to ask him a few questions about the sale and what its been like owning this very special machine, and him being the great 3WW member that he is graciously accepted!

3WW: Andy, How long have you been into trikes, and what originally brought you to 3WW?

I've had a couple ATCs during the 80's and 90's as a young adult, but really started collecting in '04 with the purchase of a really roached out '86 ATC 250R locally. Thought I'd get back into ATC's cheaply and always loved 250Rs. Seemed innocent enough.....

3WW: Give us a little bit of back story, How did you first learn about this bike?

I was making my usual rounds on the different ATV forums and stumbled upon it over at another 3 wheeler site. I made a jump over to a 450R site via a link and there it was pictured by a quad enthusiast. Funny thing was it had been posted for about two weeks already when I saw it for the first time, and yet not too much fuss had been made. I quickly signed up on the 450R forum and private messaged the guy regarding ownership of the crated ATC. He replied and said he'd pass my contact info and interest to the owner who had no personal computer. About 2 weeks later I got a call from the owner who was from out west and dreamed of buying a new Mustang . We discussed a price (scary price), and my determination got the better of me.

3WW: Was the owner surprised at your interest in it? He obviously hadn't been in much of a hurry to sell it after having it in his garage all these years.

He seemed to realize it's significant value. Though somewhat computer illiterate he has been in the exotic off road field for many years. He at first told me he would be fine either way and was not that worried or excited to sell it. Though as time went on over the coarse of the three weeks it took for me to secure the financing, he did decide he wanted to move forward and sell to me or the next guy. I assume he started spending the money in his head and the reality of getting that Mustang grew. He did say at week 2, that he'd give me another week, but there was a growing list of people wishing to make a play for purchase. I think he said "I like to finish the race on the horse I started with" or to something to that effect. That made me feel good, but I knew I had no wiggle room for error. Looking back at the whole transaction... He is a really good honest person. That could've gone WAY bad. Wiring $25K 2000 miles away has the potential for shadiness. BTW, he did get that convertible Cobra Mustang .

3WW: When you purchased it, did you purchase it mainly as a...for lack of a better term, a toy, or did you feel like there was some investment value in your consideration?

Just passion and a bit of ego. I never went into it thinking of any profit or assembly ideas. Just that it would be the pinnacle of a growing collection. At the time I had just found the last two missing TRX 250Rs I needed for an every production year collection. I starting to hord parts for OEM restorations. After I found the crated ATC that momentum halted and focus turned to simply finding financing for the crated ATC. It obviously was an extreme investment for a guy of my stature, but it was a true once in a life time opportunity. I purchased the bike for 25 thousand and thought that to be at a premium. My intention really was to keep this forever. I ran into a real money jam last Oct. with UPS. They over paid me at work over the coarse of a year and wanted repayment asap! They were going to garnish my future checks to literally nothing. We are talking thousands... I thought it might be the only way out at the time, as these bikes are my savings account.

I really wanted to hang onto all the bikes I've personally built (many unfinished), as they have a lot of sentimental value too. This seemed the perfect time to see what this crated R would do on eBay.

3WW: You had it on ebay before, a while back. You mentioned on the forum at the time about all the phone calls and emails you got and how many people you spoke to. What was that period like while the auction was running live?

What a crazy week, but really fun for the most part. I think anyone would enjoy all the attention it brought. It got a bit stressful toward the end. Very time consuming, answering all those questions and such. The fact that the price jumped about 10k per day kept me awake at nigh while at work though. A real good "cup of coffee" so to speak, thinking about what might happen. Maybe it got the better of me as I think my dreams got a bit too lofty.... No worries though. I was and still am happy hanging on to it. Things are just a bit harder to swing here lately. I do dread the idea of being financially stable someday and wishing I'd never sold. I have a plan B, but it's no easier to deal with.

3WW: That auction ultimately fell through because you've still got it. I see on your new one you've mentioned no retracted bidders will be allowed to participate. Do you mean people from the previous auction?

Yes, most definitely. Anyone who plays games like that has no business with me. It may hurt the final #, but I want a legitimate outcome. The very people that backed out last time are still blocked in my account. I will gladly again post any retracting bidders here on the forums, as to expose the rats.

3WW: Have you or other collectors discussed the effect this sale will have in the value of other machines, even if they aren't in this same uncrated condition? Do you feel like its going to increase the value of mint and very clean machines, or is this truly in a league of its own and there wont be any trickle down effect?

I really don't talk to other collectors all that much other than the occasional help or trades we do with one another. I suppose it can't hurt the future prospects if it does well, but it is very different in and of itself. I have some pretty darn mint looking TRX250Rs, but I think I might have to sell four or more of them to probably bring what this could. It's really hard to say. The vintage ATV market is still kinda in it's infancy, but ever growing each year. Mike from Vintage Motorsports would be better to ask on that front. The foreign market seems better for these rare machines. Maybe just a simple supply and demand issue. Minimally, it will hopefully show a deep interest in collecting the older generation of Japanese bikes possibly perk the attention of the non enthusiast. For instance I remember seeing the vintage Nintendo game that sold for 13 grand on Yahoo news's front page headlines. I bet all the gamers were thrilled to see their hobby getting exposure like that.
It should trickle down a little I would think. People tend to set the bar at the last big thing they saw.

3WW: What sort of a buyer are you hoping ends up with it? I know the thought of someone opening this thing and assembling it makes you cringe, haha.

Hopefully a better financially suited collector who like myself would just put it away somewhere to be seen on occasion but never assembled. Preferably, a member here who would share it's existence with the ATV community. Some collectors hide things away never to be seen. That's fine and all, but I smile daily looking at people's bikes posted on these sites. I hope that with this auction it might flush out some other old NOS ATVs. They're out there..... Where are those Tecate 3s in the crates?? Wish I could at least see a couple pictures. Like the Tri Z and the Christmas Z50s still in the crate, what a hoot it is seeing those.

3WW: Was there ever any rumors that Honda might have wanted it for their museum in Japan, or any interest from places or people that might surprise us?

I don't think this crated bike is even a blip on Honda's radar. They would probably like to see it vanish, per it's libelous history. Obviously some executive at the Honda museum want's to have nice stuff to present to visitors, but they have one already (VMS). They don't need this...
Honda invented the ATC, but yet their museum had to commission one be built by an American restoration expert. The fact that they discontinue needed parts for these bikes shows a lack of interest to me. Kind of a shame....
It's kind of fun to see enthusiast come from all over. I sold a bike to a collector in Mexico and to others here in the US. Also occasionally chat with the guys from Europe on the site here, but when my cell phone read Unite Emirates and a man spoke with broken English referring to himself as Mohamed, I was a bit taken back. He and his broker were extremely pleasant to deal with, but are unreachable as of late.

3WW: What do you believe is the historical significance of this machine?

Well, it's a time capsule to the mid 80's. A piece of "banned" material that made it out alive. To date a 1 of 1. Enough said.

3WW: Any last advice for anyone if they happen to run across a vintage machine new in the crate like you did, Andy?

The only advise I'd give to anyone who comes upon a NOS or NIB vintage dirt bike, 3wheeler, quad, sled.....BUY IT!