3 wheelers on Craigslist

[ALT185man]

Just wondering if any of you guys purchased 3 wheelers on craigslist and were satisfied with it.

[tri again]

Folks around here are good ol' country and will tell the truth if they know it.

Of the last 15-20 trikes I got from CL, they were as advertised.

It's good to arm yourself with common problems of specific models.

Kick starters on the x models, intermittent spark on the 200es,
2 strokes running perfectly right before they eat pistons, that sort of thing.

Rusty gas tanks are never fun and can cost as much as a whole trike..

Our prices here are 2-300 for stuff that can be fixed in an afternoon.

There are scam alerts on CL. You might want to read them.
Say 500 cash for something too good to be true, they can lead you down some dark road and steal your $.

Maybe that's just Oakland and Stockton.

[Dman450R]

It's hit or miss here in Georgia as it is everywhere I imagine. Some people think that because the trike is 30 years old it's worth a fortune and some are realistic about their value. Also, every non running engine just needs the carb cleaned....lol If I can't at least start it (Its ok if it runs like dirt), I'm throwing them a lowball offer. X2 on the rusty gas tank.

[Trikeboss]

If you bought somthing off craigs list and are not satisfied with it...you should not have bought it in the first place.

[ATCrider42]

If you bought somthing off craigs list and are not satisfied with it...you should not have bought it in the first place.


wow, thats some truely intellectually sound advice. Exactly what I would expect from Minnesota.


Some people think that because the trike is 30 years old it's worth a fortune

It's also because they're banned, and there were not very many here in the USA relative the amount of quads we've seen over the last 20 years.
With my expereience with craiglist, most users are idiots, and that can either be a good thing or a bad thing.

[pantera1975]

its like any thing look at it if its junk dont but it people can say its perfect if its on CL,ebay or newspaper. I bought 2 250R's both were nicer than CL add said and what the owner said over the phone and the 200x was what the seller said. There's always gonna be dishonest people. Look at it of find someone to help you.

[ATCrider42]

its like any thing look at it if its junk dont but it people can say its perfect if its on CL,ebay or newspaper. I bought 2 250R's both were nicer than CL add said and what the owner said over the phone and the 200x was what the seller said. There's always gonna be dishonest people. Look at it of find someone to help you.


wow, maybe you should look at your fingers when you type........or atleast read through what you've written. This kind of crap hurts my brain.

[cummins23]

ive bought many things on craigslist 3 and 4 wheelers ive always been happy. If you go to look at it and its not what you thought it was why the hell would you buy it ?

[EarlyBronocGuy]

I bought all of my trikes (125m, 185s, 200m, 200x, and 250r) off of CL, most were in about the shape I expected after sitting out in the weather for years. Faded, crunchy plastics, ripped, torn, seats with chunks of foam missing, tires flat and cracked, chains rusted solid, tanks rusted through, cables rusted solid, carbs gummed up with varnish.

That being said, I didn't pay more than $200 for any of them, got all of them started by cleaning the carb and hooking up a temporary fuel tank, and haven't had to replace a single electrical part, just fix some hacked-up wiring. Most of the plastics I was able to fix by repairing the cracks with a plastic welder, sanding off the top layer of oxidiation and painting. The gas tanks were the hardest to repair, lots of nasty work with acid, coatings, sanding, and painting.

So far, I've restored the 125m, turned the 200m into a quad, just about finished with the 200x, used the 185s for parts, and looking to restore the 250r this year.

[jellybelly559]

i bought mine on craigslist.....first went checked it out and test rode it but besides that i love it

[tri again]

Since there is a sweet spot on 3 wheeler prices these days around here, I have to check CL a few times a day, make sure my truck is empty and be ready to jump and run.

This last sx, orig owner, papers, key etc had never been cleaned because it never got Dirty.

He wanted 200 and I offered 250 over the phone.
There were at Least 20 other people that called but we got it.

The last BR run there were at least 3 trucks following me in the guys driveway to buy it.

My web guy has an email program that will email out your CL keyword search or send a text so I guess I should get a copy of that.

Remember that there are some old timers who still advertise in the paper/penny saver too.

Also got a full running sx listed under 'barter'. Guy wanted firewood and no money for his wife to get hands on.

I just can't believe how cheap the prices are these days.

Then again, Oregon is in the top 5 for $$ problems.

And then my all time favorite CL ad, "3 weller for sale, it's a good dependable quaad"

[wheelz420]

i got my 82 185s off of craiglist here in detroit , it was completely in pieces. i got it for 125 bucks with extra set of plastics 3 handle bars, two forks one new with shocks ,the other was original and a brand new set of tires and rims ,shocks incuded, box of new brake pads and everything i needed to just about complete the trike other then a rear wheel hub and a few pull start parts ,took me 1 day to get the whole thing together , the oil was black from sitting but was full , had a problem for a few days cause there was a clip inserted on the carb needle wrong so it would rev super high but after we found the problem it started up first try everytime and purs, good thing is there easy to work on just make sure you get all the parts ,, lol i put mine together with no manual. check the pics had a new paint job on the frame when i first got it.

[Thorpe]

Bought both my 350X and my BR off of CL... Havent regretted either one....

[bigbadktm]

got my 85 250r off of craigslist not running, but it screams now just had to put electrical work into it

you just have to know what you're getting into

[jrsqlc]

I got 3 350x's from CL and dont regret it at all!!

[rwilliams2142]

I got my 2 trikes off CL and the 110 was a one owner
Bike and immaculate, doesn't smoke, and runs great
After carb cleaning, I paid 400 bucks, then found a
Advertised 200 s for 750!!! I called on it and worked
Seller to 500, upon seeing the bike, it was pretty hard
Ridden but all plastics good and brakes worked. It smoked
More than I liked, so told him I would do 300 if he
Delivered, (50+ miles) and he agreed, I went thru the
Machine found it had new carb, ran strong, plenty of
Compression, which baffled me with the smoking, further
Inspection revealed it was over filled with oil! Changed
Oil, and plug, saw it was a 185 s , and rode for hours
Yesterday with the wife!! Just always test the machine,
And look for any obvious issues, but imo , if a bike runs,
Shifts, has compression, and brakes work, without any
Bent axles etc,.. its a go! I don't think I got beat up on either
Buy, as average price in my area is 600-1000 for a average
Condition machine, ..

[jmax857]

its just buyer beware. pictures say a thousand words, but until you see it in person you never know what your gonna get!

[86T3]

I went to look at a trike in buffalo a couple months ago. Guy told me it ran awesome, was so fast it scarred everyone, had racing suspension on it, new tires, mint plastic but it was painted yellow. Got there and it was a 200e, wouldn't start, plastics were all frankenstiened, and being a 200e LACKED ANY SUSPENSION AT ALL!!! I almost asked him for $20 for my fuel and time. But, you gotta go look at those things because it might be like that 9 times in a row then the tenth will be a real gem.

[timtim]

also i have learn there will be some type of problem you will find after you take it apart!!!! as you know you can see everthing there when you are looking at it!!!! so i always given them a low price cause i know i will find more problems with it!!!!

[honda200x1987]

117971 I boughtmy 1987 200X fron craigslist with noproblems and I got a great deal. Super low hour with allllllll the paper work. There are somegreat delas on there.