Long Live 3Wheeling Magazine

[87ATC250R]

Dean; please explain the cad black process. Is that like the finish that came on shift levers, kickstarters, etc?


Thanks for the tips - I'd like to get that axle coated in that yellowy clear sort of finish - heck, any new ATV will have it, at least I think so anyway. It's been awhile since I looked at a new model.

Kris

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Black oxide is a common coating used on tools, or nuts and bolts to protect against rust (looks like a semi-gloss black). This is an inexpensive deal, just dip and dry (clean first of course). Cadium plating required the parts to be clean, sandblasted or dipped. Clear cadium is basically a flat silver coating, while yellow cad has more of a gold tint. Clear cad is sometimes called cadium #1, and yellow cad is called cadium #2.

Nickle is a brighter silver-bronze finish, which is much thicker than cadium, and will withstand more abuse. Nickle is usually used as part of a triple chrome plate process (copper, nickle and chrome).

I also think that Honda, as well as other manufacters, did black powdercoating on much of the brackets and levers on those units. This is an electrostatic process that is very strong.

[Trikeaholic]

I could have sworn we went over plating before, but dean is really close to being right on the nose with his plating info. Its not too complicated. Nickle will stick to anything, but chrome a pitted, rusty part will not come out shiny, so it needs to be blasted smooth as glass. Remember my 83 250R? alot of it was nickle plated (pipe, footpegs, misc items) true, platers have a "lot charge" minimum, usually $40 (or about) it depends on the size of the part or wieght, like with fasteners. black oxie is actually a forced rusting process, most other platings like any electroplate deposits a sacrificial coating on the metal to protect the base material from corrosion based failure. Very few nuts and bolts are black oxide, most are electro-zinc plated to protect the part from structural failure due to corrosion. (not to hijack a post, it seems to have gotten WAYYYY of topic anyways)!!!!!!

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Thanks for the more technical view of this question. I wonder, if you nickle-plate an rear axle for example, due to the thickness of the material added, would you be asking for problems in the spline and thread areas, without masking these spots? Just a thought.

[Trikeaholic]

probably, but electroplate std thickness is only .0001" for nickle, and .0002" for zinc. Im not sure of the tolerances on the axle splines.

[3WW Star-oldfart]

One of the most difficult and largest undertaking we did at 3Wheeling was the famous 200X pipe shootout.... I think we had somewhere around 30 pipes to dyno-test and ride-test on a track. Do you guys remember that one? Well, here's some inside scoop. The ideas was that we called all the pipe guys and asked them to send us a 200X "production" pipe for our testing. Most did agree, and within days, we had a pile of pipes in our backroom that was incredible.

Two guys held out, for whatever reason; DG and Corba. No pipes, they didn't want to play. Super Trapp sent us a pipe that can only be called a "works, hand-built" unit, but all the rest were looking pretty much production. The day before the dyno test at Jerry Branch's shop, DG and Corba were still stroking us around, so you know what we did? Yup, we went out and bought them from a local retailer! The day of the dyno test, DG called and asked how everyone was doing. We then told them that their pipe was in the middle of the pack.... What pipe? They weren't too happy about that one.

Anyway, Harry from Trinity Cycle drove up and handed us a pipe for the dyno test. It was the worse-looking pipe ever made, arc welds, terrible bends, but old Harry said it should work. Are you sure? So, it went on the engine and kicked everyone's a##. Go figure.

The ride-portion came next and each of the pipes went on the test ATC and we all rode the wheels off that thing. I can't recall the all-out winner, but I remember Curtis Sparks and Bassani were way up there. Harry's pipe did well in the ride-portion, but did not win the shootout (maybe because it wasn't a production pipe and it looked like crap?). It was a great experience, and a lot of work. Shootouts are great for the readers, but only one can win, and everyone else is runner up.

[87ATC250R]

Sorry to get off-topic there... perhaps I'll ask those questions over in my restoring post.

What I could never understand is how the 200X (based off Dean's last post) became SO popular? I know the 250R reigned supreme, but the 200X must have sold more units per year. It never really turned my crank personally, but a lot of people bought them.

Any idea why?

Kris

[3WW Star-oldfart]

More 3Wheeling stickers going out this week. Thanks for all the cool notes and letters about the good old days. The ATC tools I spoke of, have been sold and shipped to their new owner.

Although the following story is about 4wheelers, I think most of you will enjoy it. The best factory press trip I ever took was to the Rubicon Trail, located just outside Lake Tahoe, CA. Honda was introducing the (new) 4x4 Fourtrax, so they decided to take an overnight trip across this famous trail. They chartered a bus for us press dudes, and drove us from Orange County up to northern California. The bus had a full bar with VHS movies going the whole time (no, no porn stuff). We stayed in some up-scale bed and breakfast house, which was over the top (for a bunch of ATV riders). The next morning, they took us to the starting point of the Rubican Trail. Now Honda wasn't sure that either us, or the new Fourtrax 4x4 could make it without help, so, they hired a bunch of 4x4 guys in Jeeps to lead/show the way.....

Needless to say, the ATVs blew through this trail like a hot knife through butter, and we left those trucks standing! Halfway through the trip, we stopped for dinner, and to make camp for the night. Next thing we know, a helicopter flies overhead and lowers down our gear, and food items. Next, the chopper landed, and let two pro BBQ chefs out (with tall white hats and all). These guys set up a complete BBQ feast, and beer city! It was incredible. The following morning we resumed our trip down this trail, and by mid-day, we made it all the way to the end of the line. All of the Fourtraxs made it without a glinch, and we drove them right into the back of a 40ft. semi trailer, for their trip back to Honda. We then hopped back into that bus, and headed for home (after a hot shower and steak dinner). What a cool trip. Now, is this anyway to earn a living?

[350Xccelerator]

so what do i have to do to get some stickers?

[87ATC250R]

Dean, that is insane! Honda doesn't mess around, I can imagine the money spent on ATV R&D and press through the mid 80's; even look at all the ads that were in the magazines.

I guess they hit the nail on the head with 4x4's, seems like they're everywhere.


Kris

[cliff2302]

Dean, i sent out money yesterday. I forgot to put a note in it, but i sent $3 for 6 stickers. thanks alot, we all appreciate you taking your time to get us these stickers and answering our un-ending list of questions.
Joe

[thefox]

Here you go 350Xccelerator, it was back a few pages

Oh, guys here's the drill. If you want two 3Wheeling Magazine vintage stickers (large yellow ones), read 2, I will do this.... Send me a self-address, stamped envelope, throw in a buck (for my hard labor and gas in driving to the post office @ $2.17 a gallon), and I will send you some. This is a limited time offer, no discounts to Dirt Wheels readers, and will last only as long as I can find old stickers up in the rafters of my garage... If you want more, then figure two-fer-a-buck. My mailing address is

Dean Kirsten
3Wheeling Magazine Guru
1311 York Drive
Vista, CA 92084

I will let you know when I reach the bottom of my ATC sticker box. Okay? Dean

[ACer]

Dean, It’s good to see so many old timers out there. I started riding ATCs in 1974, long live Pismo Beach. I even have a couple boxes of 3Wheeling laying around, yes I was a proud subscriber and still have one of those yellow stickers to boot. I love the Pictures of the vintage 90s and would like to restore mine, but I can’t find any OHTSU balloon tires for the thing. The rear fenders are in perfect condition unbelievably after beating the crap out of those old fiberglass suckers. Unfortunately the motor was a basket case and the only replacement I could find was a board and stroked 160cc, oh well it should make a good wheelie bike.
Charles

Honda collection: 1972 US90, 1981 ATC110, 1985 350X, 1986 350X, 1985 250R, 1979 ATC70, 1985 200X, plus a couple of 90s as parts bikes and still collecting.

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Yes, we used to go to Pismo Beach during the warmer months as well. During the mid-70s, I drove a VW sandrail, and had to get one of those "pit bikes" AKA an ATC 90. Bought a US90, slime green I remember, but quickly added a Hooker pipe, Kenny Harman cam, and a few chrome goodies. And that's how I got started in this sport. Pismo was bitchen back then. You could ride all the way down to the end, near Devil's Slide (where they filmed the original "Ten Commandments" movie, 1920s?). You could still see some of the plaster laying on the ground. There were some great dunes back there. Dean

[ACer]

Mine is slime green with a Hooker pipe I think I paid $300.00 for it in 1974 and haven’t stopped riding since. My parents owned shares at Pismo Coast Village when it opened and we used to ride strait from our trailer down the beach all the way to the Dunes (had to gas up at the Sand Center). Oh I miss those days. Now the dunes are so over-ridden that you could make it to the top of Comp Hill ridding a Big Wheel. Charles