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Thread: What to buy

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Ingleside, Ill.
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    19

    What to buy

    Hi. New here obviously. Thinking of getting a trike. Havent had one since the early eighties. What would be a good one relatively cheap to get? Are parts readily available still or is keeping them going a problem?

  2. #2
    fabiodriven's Avatar
    fabiodriven is offline Aspiring romance novel cover model, and the Official 3WW slayer of thieves and swindlers. Catch me if you can
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    The woods
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    10,515
    The world is your oyster. You can get a racer, a utility, sport/utility, trail bike, mini... Whatever suits your style and needs. The first thing you must get out of your mind is "cheap". This is for the love, not the money. There is absolutely nothing cheap about this hobby. You will either ride junk or you will spend a lot of money. Be prepared to spend if this is something you'd like to get into.
    85 Tri-Zinger 60
    85 ATC250SX
    86 ATC250SX
    87 ATC250SX
    02 XR650L conversion
    84 ATC 480R

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    Leander TX
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    2,219
    What kind of riding will you be doing?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Ingleside, Ill.
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    19
    Quote Originally Posted by fabiodriven View Post
    The world is your oyster. You can get a racer, a utility, sport/utility, trail bike, mini... Whatever suits your style and needs. The first thing you must get out of your mind is "cheap". This is for the love, not the money. There is absolutely nothing cheap about this hobby. You will either ride junk or you will spend a lot of money. Be prepared to spend if this is something you'd like to get into.

    Oh i know about pay to play. Giving up on snowmobiling for awhile.....lol. I just meant a nice "entry level" machine to get my feet wet. Im thinking a Honda or Yamaha might be easiest to find. Are parts still available or is it a treasure hunt? Right now Im interested in putting a bit of work into something and flipping it. If I enjoy fiddling with them id like to find a racing type ride to keep for awhile. Im 58 now and not sure how much I'll enjoy it. Time will tell I guess.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    Edmond, KS
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    2,534
    Honda made the most so they are the easiest to find for sale (usually) and have the most parts available. An entry level that's relatively cheap would be a 185 or 200. A 200x has full suspension and a manual clutch. To spend less on your trike, I'd say to stay from the 86/87 200x since there was fewer of these made and parts are harder to find and cost more. The 84 200es was a one year model and parts can be harder to find for them too. The 250 es/sx are nice too, but usually bring higher prices. There's nothing wrong with Yamahas, but I was think about price and parts. Hope this helps.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Ingleside, Ill.
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    19
    Helps alot. Thanks.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Petoskey, mi
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    24
    I'd recommend a Honda 185 or 200. They are for sale all over here in Michigan. Easy to work on and start first pull usually.

    Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Corona CA
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    808
    I'd say for an inexpensive model and easy to come by parts a first gen 200x Honda is great. I'm a big fan of the 350x but they cost a bit more. Last gen 250r is probably the best supported aftermarket also the most expensive of the three. So I'd go with the 200 or 350x. I'm also biased.


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  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2016
    Location
    Stellenbosch, South Africa
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    180
    I also couldn't decide at first, so I got one of each
    1983 Honda ATC250R
    1983 Honda ATC200E BIG RED (sold)
    1984 Honda ATC200E BIG RED
    1984 Honda ATC200X (sold)
    1985 Honda ATC70 x 2
    1985 Honda ATC250ES BIG RED
    1988 Honda ATC250ES BIG RED
    1995 Honda Frankentrike 50cc 2-stroke
    2001 Honda TRX90
    2004 Honda TRX300EX (sold)
    2008 Honda TRX250TM
    1976 Suzuki RV90M (sold)
    1967 Vespa Primavera 125
    1958 Massey Ferguson 35

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    S.E. Michigan
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    1,250
    My 2 cents:

    Starting off with a Honda makes sense if you want to test this hobby out since there are a lot of them and you'll have the easiest time finding parts.

    125/185s/200s = Low cost, lots of them. No suspension (some have a small amount of spring travel on the front end). Pull starts, auto clutch.
    200x/350x = High performance, full suspension. Kick starts, manual clutch. More expensive.
    250R = Top of the line performance. Only 2 stroke in the Honda lineup. Kick start, manual clutch. Expensive and FAST
    Big Reds = Utility trikes. 200E and 200ES (83 and 84) are hardtails. 250ES (85 and on) has a nice suspension. Electric start, auto clutch, great utility (can pull a trailer, haul stuff on racks). Great for riding trails
    250SX = In my opinion, the best all around machine. Good Suspension, electric start, auto clutch. Quick enough to be fun (in between the hardtails and the X's). Quite a few out there.
    - Frank

    1984 200ES Big Red
    1985 350X (x2)
    1986 350X
    1986 250SX
    1984 Auto-X
    1984 ATC70
    1985 ATC70

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2017
    Location
    Corona CA
    --
    808
    I think I'd go with a 83 - 85 200x. I can find runners as low as 550$ on my local Craigslist. Still can get a lot of parts for them. There fun reliable and easily upgradeable. Full suspension and easy maintenance.


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  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2015
    Location
    Swisher, IA
    --
    92
    I'm going to back up what the other guys said. I would go with a first gen Honda 200x all day long. I prefer them when riding through the woods because they are lighter than the Big Reds and I like being able to use the clutch. The Honda trikes are generally easy to find and pick up for a good deal and I never have problems finding parts for mine. A 350x would also be a good pick but they can be a bit more expensive to buy and fix if something goes wrong. I bought one Yamaha trike a few years ago and ended up selling it because I had such a hard time finding parts for it. Haven't bought one since.
    "You see, in this world there's two kinds of people, my friend. Those with loaded guns and those who dig. You dig."

    Trikes Owned:
    1986 Honda 250r
    1985 Honda 200x
    1985 Honda 200m
    1984 Honda 200es
    1983 Honda 200x
    1983 Yamaha Tri-Moto 200

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Northeastern Kentucky
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    51
    I have a 85 250 sx for sale. Sale is pending, but not sold yet. Best of both worlds in my opinion. Just my 2cents.

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