what year big red! 87/88?

[nipper]

hi i found this on the uk ebay n i don't know much about big reds but what year would this one be? it looks like it has rear suspention!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2481118939&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&rd=1

was thinking about getting it!
cheers
nipps

[ClayW]

Hard to say, but I would guess its a 87. The reason I say this is the location of the BIG RED sticker on the front fender. Its off set to the right in the picture. That signifies 87.

Clay

[Macs]

that is an 87.

[Darius1502]

The latter model big reds did have rear suspension. After the TRX 200 was released in 1985 I think the Reds also had suspension in the rear.

[BIGRED_87]

it's a 1986. the 86's and 87's had the same front sticker, HOWEVER the sticker on the trunk stretches across the entire trunk lid on this machine. you can't really tell what it says or what design is on it, but it clearly stretches across the entire lid. this was the case for the 85's and 86's. on the 85's, the sticker said "HONDA". on the 86's, it said "BIG RED". but on both years, the sticker stretched across the whole trunk lid and had designs on it along with the lettering. on the 87's, it didn't stretch across the entire lid. it was just the words "BIG RED" with no fancy stripes or designs or anything like that. and, the sticker was off-centered...it was put toward the "passenger" or right-hand side of the machine. go to the "quest for 87 atc's" page and scroll down. there's a canadian brochure with a picture of the trunk lid inset. i also know because i have an 87 big red.

and this is NOT an 85 because on the front sticker, although it stated the words "BIG RED" just as the 86 and 87 did, the letters themselves were on a bit of a slant...they were "italicized" so to speak. on this machine, the letters on the front sticker are clearly straight up and down.

also, the really dead give-away that this is NOT an 87 is the starter cover on the "driver" or left-hand side of the machine. it was the same shape (a symetrical oval shape) for 85 and 86. however, they changed it in 87. it's still an oval shape, but it is not symetrical. the upper side of the starter cover is more pointed and not as rounded as, and symetrical to, the lower side of the cover.

try checking out www.allterraincycles.ca. he has brochures for the 85 and 86 big reds, and he has the "FULL LINE UP" brochure for 1987 which includes a small picture of the 87 big red. it's a really cool site. in fact, it's listed on the links page of 3wheelerworld.com.

[atcmatt]

also, the really dead give-away that this is NOT an 87 is the starter cover on the "driver" or left-hand side of the machine. it was the same shape (a symetrical oval shape) for 85 and 86. however, they changed it in 87. it's still an oval shape, but it is not symetrical. the upper side of the starter cover is more pointed and not as rounded as, and symetrical to, the lower side of the cover.

my 85 250es has the non symetrical cover on it. Got nay explanations to that. Im glad you bought this up, i wanna know why????

Thanks,

Matt

[BIGRED_87]

hmmmmm...are you sure that is the original engine? can you take a picture and post it? then i could take a good look at it and see for myself.

if you scroll down on the "quest for 87's" page, there's a picture of an 87 big red that is from the canadian govt. or something like that. i'm sure you know the one i'm talking about. take a look at that. if yours looks like that, then it's a good possibility that it's an 87 engine.

another change they made for 87 was the red plastic side panel for the left side of the machine. since they extended the starter cover, they cut a small groove out of the plastic red cover so that it would not touch the starter cover and melt when the engine got hot. it's really small, and you have to really look to see it. on that picture on the "quest for 87's" page, if you look hard you can see what i'm talking about.

[atcmatt]

Gday Bigred 87

Im sure this is the stock engine cause it has the 85 cam chain tensioner on it. It may be a side cover of an 87??? I doubt it though. Atm my engine is in pieces but i will still try get a pic of the starter gear case. It is in my room with fresh paint. I think its kinda weird how they have all diffrent changes from year to year and country to country. The side cover looks like it hasnt been cut out to me. I will take a photo this afternoon.

Speak later,

matt

[atcmatt]

I just looked at the quest for 87's page. That is weird how the compliance sticker is on the frame there, never have i seen one there on a bigred before. I have seen the steel plate that is sometimes rivited there but usually it is on the headstock. Also it says it is an 87 model but made in 5/85. WTF is with that.

Matt

[atcmatt]

I said i would get a pic of my 250es' starter gear cover and here it is BIGRED_87, and yes its an 85....


Thanks,

Matt

[broook]

In Canada that would be a 1987. It is different from the 85-6 on mine.

[BIGRED_87]

atcmatt,

that's gotta be an 87! i'll swear up and down that's from an 87. did you take a look at the brochures for the 85 and 86 big reds on www.allterraincycles.ca? check them out.

[atcmatt]

I took a look at those brochures and yep i see what you mean. The cover is oval. Mine is a weird shape like the 87 ones. Like i said it is an 85 head cause it has the 85 cam chain tensionor on it. Im not to sure about the starter case. Maybe it was swapped becuase the old one broke??? Who knows. Will the 87 one bolt straight on over the 85 clutch cover?

O well, looks like another mystery of the 3wheeleinworld.

Matt

[broook]

Or perhaps the tensioner was changed???????

The 87 has a different starter than the 86. It has a small shaft sticking out the end of the drive gear that fits into a bushing on the cover. The starter gears are probibly different too.

Bob Brook
Newfoundland
2 86 Reds.