Long Live 3Wheeling Magazine

[metal mulisha]

why, who is ace and whats the story?

[3WW Star-oldfart]

I first met Bob "Ace" Williams in the late seventies, when the ATC market was first getting into aftermarket frames and racing (within the San Diego area). Of all the guys that raced ATC90s (up to 180cc), Bob was the most incredible on the race track. He had the style and often would "play" with other riders until the end of the race. He usually raced at Speedway 117, near Brown's Field (Chula Vista). Flat track was his deal.
Bob worked for a number of shops including Big Al, and Pauter Machine. He helped design a number of parts for the early ATCs, including chassis and engine parts. He had an idea for everything.

Bob joined up with Broc Glover and Billy Talley to create 3B Lightning, a Chula Vista-based shop for Yamaha 3wheelers (RD 400s, triples, YZ 125, and YZ 250s).

When the ATC 250R was first introduced in late 1980, Honda asked 3Wheeling magazine to put together some names to run the SCORE Parker 400 Off-Road race in February 1981. Some of the names that were mentioned included Mark Wiexeldorer, Mike Chester, Dean Sundahl, Bob Williams, and others. Honda was going to race two ATC 250Rs for one lap at Parker, and we came up with two teams to do this historical event. Bob was one of those riders. Needless to say, Honda and Wes McCoy were impressed, so, sights were set on the SCORE Riverside Off-Road Championships set for that August (a massive event).

So, during the spring/summer of 1981, Honda gave Ace anything he wanted to begin to riding for them. Bob raced the Mexicali 250, and began to build an "OPEN" ATC for Riverside. This was a 450cc powered engine, built into a custom frame that was built by 3B Lightning.

Just about that time, Team Honda ATC was forming, and Honda was getting close to signing Bob as one of their star riders. Dean Sundahl and Mark Wiexeldorfer had already signed, Mike Chester had broken his arm in testing for Parker, but was going to be ready for Riverside. So, he signed as well. Wes Arnold was also part of the team (he was an employee of Honda during that time).

So then it happened.... Just weeks before the big SCORE Off-Road race at Riverside, and HUGE media coverage, ATCs were being prepped, and over at 3B, Ace had just about finished his Open ATC. The story goes, that late one Friday night, he had got this project on 3 wheels, and running, but wasn't quite complete with all of the details (paint, etc). Still, Ace wanted to see how things worked, so he pushed it out the back door, fired it up, and took it for that fateful ride behind the shop, into the dark. Ace went down the alley, tried to make the left-hand turn at the end, missed judged it, and lost control, maybe, and ran head-first into one of those folding metal industrial garage doors that roll up. No helmet.

Ace was rushed to the hospital, and was in a coma...... SCORE Riverside came and went without him, and so did the next 15 years or so. Ace never came out of his coma. Bob Williams died a few years back, and missed the best years of the ATC/ATV industry, and his life.

Of all the guys that I have watched race, and build ATVs, Bob was the most talented of all of the them. I once asked Bob if he was going to improve the 1981 ATC 250R, what would he do? Bob said 35mm forks, 3-inch longer swingarm, and install a link...... Look at the later ATC 250Rs. He was right on the money, and that was spring of 1981.

We will never know what contributions Ace would have made to our industry if, that accident would not have happened. You ask about the ATC 450R? Bob could have done wonders for that project. Was Ace a better rider than Dean Sundahl? At the time, yes, but later on, no one will ever know. A helmet would have made the difference.

[bbechtel16]

Wow....really makes you stop and think huh?

oldfart: Just wanted to express my thanks also to you for your contribution to the forums. I was just born in the hayday of it all ('86), so its great to hear stories about the good old days.

[Brian313]

Dean,

Thank you for sharing Bob's story. There are lots of helmet/no helmet debates on these boards. Maybe this story will change some minds.

Take care,
Brian

[Curtis-Tecate3]

Dean , Keep it coming....Wow, the memories you are bringing back...
I remember reading about Bob "ACE" Williams and also remember that he built a JAWA powered trike. A methanol burning, single speed motor from a speedway bike.
Refresh my memory or correct me if I am wrong regarding the status of the Old Team Honda guys.
Marty Hart is in Louisiana and active in the Utility/Hunting quad market.
Dean Sundahl is still in California with his drywall/construction company and will still run an occasional desert revent.
Curtis Sparks - Still active building motors and probably loving the 4-stroke revival.
Mike Coe you covered a few posts ago.
Mark "Wax" Weixeldorfer is doing what now?
I dont remember if it was Tracy Dickson or Steve Wright that vanished from society. Didn't one of them take part in the lawsuits vs. Honda?

I have lots of info on the ex-Kawi guys if you want.

Thanks again for sharing.

Curtis.

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Tracey Dickson is working for Falcon Race cars and doing composite engineering with carbon fiber and kevlar materials. Steve Wright owns and runs a number of clothing/surf shop stores and is very successful. I'm not sure about Wax, but it is probably automotive-related. Dean

[atcmatt]

Thanks for that information oldfart. Since i was born in 88 i missed the good years and its interesting to hear your stories. Can you give me any insight in that 350es bigred?

Thanks,

Matt

[250SX_rider]

Hi,
I would like to know: What's the craziest trike you have ever tested? (In terms of performance) and...do you have some things we don't know about the 250SX ?

Thanks

[fishy_inn]

Thanks for all the information you've given! I was wondering, how come Yamaha, and Kawasaki didn't get into the big bore 4 stroke sport market? Once again, I really aprreciate you taking your time and offering us information about the whole trike scene.

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Craziest 3wheeler? That would have to be a converted CR450R (motorcycle), into a 3wheeler... I can't recall the builder of this conversion, but we met him out at Glamis for a test ride. One look at the construction, and seat height!, and we had our doubts. Test rider Tim Orchard looked at it, and then me, and I knew we were in trouble. So, fearless Tim took it out for a short ride.... Five minutes later, came back to camp, took off his helmet, and said, "We're done." The owner said what was next? Tim repeated, "We're done, I won't ride that bike any more, let alone jump it!" Basically, it was the biggest piece of ##it ever built and your basic death trap. It was top-heavy, wouldn't turn, no low end power, geared to the moon, and a horrible seat height and shape (you couldn't move around on the seat to shift your body weight). That may have been the shortest test ride ever, for us.

The other worse-ever was a ATC 200X fitted with a full roll cage by some idiot who thought he could get rich by retro-fitting every ATC on the planet with his creation. We met out at Pismo Beach with some clowns from the CPSC and they wanted to see it put to (good) use. No one, I mean no one, included the inventor, could ride that ATC in the dune. Mike Bishop fell over on a dune, and beat his brains out during the roll-over. It was a real joke. I think there was a seat belt as well. Those were the days.

There was also a TZ-750 powered 3wheeler that they asked us to ride on the hill..... Oh, brother. Dean

[ATCnut]

Hey oldfart

I have really enjoyed reading your posts, keep it up.

I was poking around at servicehonda a while back, and did the attached search. Do you have any comment about the last line, which is a part number for a owners manual for a 85 ATC500R. There are a couple of other interesting items listed, 88 250es and 87 350X.

I found the same listing at partsfiche too.

[BigGreenMachine]

Thanks for letting is see into the past oldfart! Awsome stories. Your a lucky man to have been part of so many groundbreaking events.

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Very interesting....... I can only speculate that this is a typo, and they really meant to say 250R, instead of 500R. Of course, you could always order that part number.... I never heard of ANY official ATC 500R project, just the 450R air-cooled one.

I remember seeing a story in an old Hot Rod Magazine, back in the mid-seventies, that showed a Yamaha 4-wheeler, called an MTV (ride in, not on, like an Odyssey). The editors took it out and did a few donuts for the camera. When I asked Yamaha about the article, years later, no one knew anything about it. The moral is, the manufacturers often change their minds at any given moment. Dean

[atcmatt]

I heard somewhere that atc's were still in production in 88' in uk? :? ?

I only HEARD this.....

Matt

[250rAL]

Why did they stop publishing ATV Sports?