250sx vs 250es

[BigSkip]

So what are the difference between these two machines.....250sx and 250es....I was looking at getting a 250es...but now I am having people tell me the sx is better...Is the plastic and smaller tires the only differences?

[Mr_RPM]

i would rather have the BigRed, i like the utilitarian feel of it and they are pretty much bullet proof. neighbor has a 250sx and its still pretty awesome. look at it like this, either way is fine. whatever brings the better deal is the one to get. you will know which one to get once you see it. its like finding the perfect dog. lol

[Daniel 250es]

I would say the sx is more for trail riding and the es is utility. I love my es for hunting and getting around the farm. If I wanted to trail ride I would say sx. But I do not know the differences. What you are doing with it should make your decision.

[hublake]

The SX is geared for more speed than the ES. It is also a bit smaller making it more of a sport trike. Have had both. Can't beat a BR.

[oldtoys72]

Its personal preference. If I were you I would try to ride both before making a decision. I have both and from my experience the BR is pretty much just a utillity wheeler, real good for doing stuff arond the farm. The 250SX on the other hand can do everything the BR can do, especially if you get the racks for and hitch for it. It however has way better suspension and is a great trail bike as well. I often think of it as the child of a BR and a 200X kind of the best of both worlds. That's just my opinion though

[atctim]

I actually prefer the ES on trails - it feels like it has a lower center of gravity plus you can't beat those stock racks for hauling around camping supplies. Both are excellent machines. really - the motor is about the only thing the same on these machines - everything is different.

[Xhumeka]

So what are the difference between these two machines.....250sx and 250es....I was looking at getting a 250es...but now I am having people tell me the sx is better...Is the plastic and smaller tires the only differences?

Hi BigSkip,

I see you are a new member, so maybe you haven't came across the Honda Brochures hosted by 3ww. Check out the '85 brochures, comparing the 250es to the 250sx:

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/Brochures/ATCsite/85atcs.html

Like others have mentioned, both are great trikes. The SX has better suspension and is sportier, but the big red is better for hauling loads on the racks (both are probably equal in terms of towing power).

The Big Reds also have a sub-tranny, with a low and high range selector effectively giving you 10 speeds to choose from. The 250SX has a superlow first gear, but does not have a high/low range selector.

Best thing to do is test ride a 250SX and see how it compares to the big red!

Good luck, and welcome!

[Xhumeka]

Actually looking at the '85 Big Red, I'm not sure it DOES have a hi/low range selector... My '83 Big Red did, but it was chain drive and did not have reverse. I'm also pretty sure the '84 had a range selector as well, but maybe the newer generation of Big Reds did not have this range selector - research that before taking my word for it!

[atctim]

the 250ES does not have Hi/lo - it has a super lo first just like the SX. the 200E and 200ES Big Reds did have the hi/lo sub tranny.

[BIGREDGUY]

It really does depend on what you want to do with it and where you plan on riding it. It all comes down to personal preference.

[ailll1]

ES and SX have same engine, except for gearing.
Both dont have hi/low range and with stock size tire have about the same top speed
but if you put 25" on the SX (22" stock), it will go way faster than the ES
They are geared equally with the stock tire size.

[x200x]

i would go with a 250sx, because they have ful suspension

[atc350xer]

you can't beat those stock racks for hauling around camping supplies

He means BEER :D :D

[CRAZY70MAN]

I love the 250sx other than the fact it's turning radius is horrible!! It rides very nice and is smooth but feels short to me and very unstable with stock tires....... still would take the BR over it though..........

[dajeepman]

I love my big red... only down fall i find is that the Super Low is not low enough for me some times.... like pulling brush out i was able to stop the rear tires from spinning. it just boggs down... probably pulling way too much but still not low enough gearing for its size.

[Woodsrider]

The Big Red would have a little more ground clearance with the taller tires so it might be a little better in deeper mud or rougher terrain(hey...1.5 inches could be the difference between getting stuck or not).Might be a concideration for some people.

[aldochina]

I love my big red... only down fall i find is that the Super Low is not low enough for me some times.... like pulling brush out i was able to stop the rear tires from spinning. it just boggs down... probably pulling way too much but still not low enough gearing for its size.

I agree, for work purposes, the superlow is not low enough! I have found that my 83 200e pulls much better in 1st gear low range. The sx is hands down a better trail capable machine, much betther suspension, much lighter and nimbler (although the rear is still a beast) the 250es is like riding a caddy!! supe comfy for cruising around, and not a bad trail machine in itself. either way you cant go wrong. Parts availibility is better with the bigred.

[87250es]

whats the 250es have?

i would go with a 250sx, because they have ful suspension

[3wheelsinPA]

250ES is fully suspended, just not nearly as much. The 250SX has a beefier rear suspension, the front forks have a different design and longer travel like a 350x. The brochures here on the site have pictures.

[87250es]

250ES is fully suspended, just not nearly as much.

lol ok, both are "fully" one is just more "fully" than the other.

both have full suspension one just has more travel...

[Thorpe]

^^ Not really... I have had a rear shock out of a SX in my hand, and my ES rear shock in my other hand... Same length, same travel... Slight difference in the mounting.

[87250es]

^^ Not really... I have had a rear shock out of a SX in my hand, and my ES rear shock in my other hand... Same length, same travel... Slight difference in the mounting.

what does the mounting difference do? give the swing arm more travel?

[MudBug]

i would go with a 250sx, because they have ful suspension

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A

The big red has full suspension as well, just not as sporty

[200XMichigan]

So it the older Big Red with Hi/Lo even better for utility use than the 85 250ES?

[Thorpe]

^^ That would be ones opinion... I love my 85...

[MudBug]

So it the older Big Red with Hi/Lo even better for utility use than the 85 250ES?

I've never needed a lower gear. And my 85 was in the family since I was 4

[BigRedsNeverDie]

I own a 84 200es, an 85 250sx, and a 86 250es.... the 84 looking like the day it came out the showroom, the 85 the same and the 86 in a resto process... but to your question...i would take the 250es.... i love my sx, dont get me wrong, its usually my pic for riding around my pastures and going out back on the property or down the dirt roads to my neighbors house (i live in the country out in the sticks)... the sx definitely looks meaner and attracts more attention BUT i would take that BR hands down if i had to choose between the two.... big red feel more plush in the suspension although it dont have as much travel its just a plusher ride, like the lower center of gravity, and although the sx is easy in first and second gear to pull that front tire up, and is great for show boating in front of friends, i just rolled mine going up a hill 3 weeks ago when i started losing steam and downshifted and all that happend was the rear tires stayed in one place and the machine climbed up and over on me and we rolled 3 times... not a scratch to the trike, a good softball size bruise over my kidney on my back and a good 12" bruise on my thigh and a nice chunk of meat missing out of the calf..... a cold beer and i brushed it off till i woke up the following morning in agony... but none the less that wouldnt have happened on big red.... especially having taken that hill many times on red....

[vl5150]

Between these 2, my main requirement would be to get the one that's the cleanest and less abused. I would up going with the SX for this reason. Mine was a one owner rig, close by, and not abused.

[volsfan3112]

i have a 86 big red 250es.. i think its more versitle and just a better looking trike in my opinion. do both the 250es and 250sx both share the same motors, exhaust system and rear shock? not sure about this though..any answers on that?

[Rotten]

I love both bike!

The 250es is a work horse....PERIOD! Ive seen a Big Red crawl through some pretty deep mud holes where not another soul would even think about trying!

But the sx is where my heart is.....its sporty yet still has plenty of power......Im 250lbs and 6ft 2in and my sx will squat down an GET IT buddy and still has plenty of power for working also

[Lambo200s]

Your Red must be needing repairs. My 85 250es is like an ox. This brush load must have been an acre worth of forest. I mean...

[Lambo200s]

This guy just needs to get both