dumb first question

[oldandcrotchety]

This is my first post, here, so I'm going to start with a dumb question. I just bought my first 3 wheeler. I bought it from a guy that bought it from someone else and never drove it so he couldn't tell me. I am almost certain that it is a honda 200s. (I know it's honda, and think it's a 200s) I know it's a 1984 and it is a chain drive. What I need to know is how many forward gears is it supposed to have? I can put it in neutral and push down for a forward gear, but I can't shift it up to another gear. Is this one forward gear all it has? Or would I have to stop and shift up to another, higher gear and take off again? I have tried to upshift from a stop and nothing happened while it was running. Later, I tried an upshift with the motor off and it seemed like it found another gear, but I wasn't sure. Can anyone tell me what to expect from this transmission?

[yamaha driver]

should be a 5 speed mine was all up so like you go up for first up for second thrid.... make sure your shifter lever aint hitting anything.... if this dont work you have bad shift forks in the transmission so unless you want to split the case the bottom end is fried

[oldandcrotchety]

Thanks for the quick reply. If the shift forks are bent then I have no problem with dis-assembling the transmission. I have done this before on a four wheeler. This is my first 3 wheeler, but I have had untold numbers of motorcycles and have worked on both motorcycles and four wheelers before. I used to own an auto repair shop, so even though I am not familiar with the specifics of 3 wheelers, I have a good working knowledge of mechanics. Your answer was just exactly what I needed to know to get started. Thanks so much, Fred.

[atctim]

If it is an 84 200S all of your forward gears are down. It is not like a motorcycle shift pattern. Just keep clicking it down for more gears. All 5 are down!

[yamaha driver]

o woops lol i didnt notice the 84 mine was a 85 :) so all mine were up and your shift forks could be wore out so gonna have to get new ones if it doesnt shift

[matt3x]

If it is an 84 200S all of your forward gears are down. It is not like a motorcycle shift pattern. Just keep clicking it down for more gears. All 5 are down!

This is the correct answer. If it is a pull start, it is a 200s. I'm guessing there are no racks on it. All 5 gears are down, and you usually need to be rolling or moving just a little to shift to the next gear. To get back to neutral, it's just the opposite. And there is no reverse. good luck! take some pics!

[oldandcrotchety]

If it is an 84 200S all of your forward gears are down. It is not like a motorcycle shift pattern. Just keep clicking it down for more gears. All 5 are down!

Well gosh, no wonder I could't shift it!! I just assumed that it would be patterned like a motorcycle. Thanks for the information. As soon as I get a few issued resolved on the old girl, I'll take it for another loop around the yard and see if it will shift using the proper pattern. Right now I need to put a new carburetor on it along with a new front brake lever and a tube in the left rear tire. Later I need to get a seat cover, compression release cable, air filter, and dust boots. And as a reply to Matt3x, yes it's a pull start. It does have a rack, but that could have been added at any time. If I can borrow my digital camera back from my ex-wife, I'll take a couple of photos. Thanks guys!! Fred

[Xpress]

Put up pictures. There's more than enough brain lobes around here to figure out what it is exactly :)

[Vealmonkey]

Beware as your shift forks may not be bent. Your trike has a clutch, but it is activated when you move your shift lever up and down. Whenever you move your shift lever up and down, it's like pulling in the clutch and once you let go of your shift lever, it's like letting your clutch out. Since it is a machine that you just picked up, my advice to you would be to get a honda shop manual for your machine and then go over it from front to back. Oil change and filter screen cleaning. New plug. Timing and valve lash set. Check your chain and your brakes and brake cables for proper working. Lube them as well. Check front and rear wheel bearings for proper operation and replace if necessary. All these little things will cause immense drag on the system as a whole and also cause premature parts failure. And it's no fun getting stranded out somewhere in your brand new toy. Also you have a clutch adjustment, set it per factory specs. A little maintenance on your new toy will go along way to prolonging it's mechanical life and providing you with hours of enjoyment. Remember when you shift, you are not trying to kill cockroaches! LOL More people brake shifting parts trying to force the trike into or between gears than anything else. Proper maintenance and upkeep will help prevent any nasty problems. Don't forget, you are dealing with a 15 year old machine that a previous owner might not have cared very well for it or treated it very nice. Expect there to be a few teething problems at first.