Look at just how complete these kits were!:
- Frame
- Front axle
- Rear axle
- Front-end kit
- Seat kit
- Handlebars
- Bar grips
- Headlight
- Taillight
- Clutch lever
- Cooler Rack
- Foot pegs
- Foot peg rubbers (Remember, this is ATC90 based, the toothed foot pegs were not really introduced or popular until the 250R came out in 1980)
- Seat latch
- Wheels
- Wheel valve stems
- All Misc. nuts and bolts
- Fuel line (!)
- Fuel filter.
Where the heck do you ever find a kit THAT complete anywhere now-a-days??
The super rear-axle really caught my eye. Does that design look familiar to any of you guys? If your in the drag racing or hill-shooting circles any, it ought to. Almost all of the light weight aluminum drag racing axles have this nearly exact same tubular design, 30 years later.
Checkout the "you weld it" expansion chamber kits for engine and frame conversions. Nifty!
These aftermarket front ends (And this style of triple clamps) was extremely popular. Estimates from a source close to the company say that there were around 4,000 of these made! Also another little tid-bit of information, the Laeger CR500/ATC500R conversion kits that came with a sub frame, triples, and a swingarm used a very very similar design on their triple clamps as well.
This has to be the coolest, most trick 185 I've ever seen! You get a good idea of the construction of the frame. I find it interesting that they chose to use CREW (cold rolled electrically welded) tubing instead of 4130, but I'm sure it was an attempt to keep the prices more manageable for the average joe since Now-a-days Chromoly is 4x (or more) expensive than CREW. Talk about the "completeness" of a kit again, comes with 4 inches of #520 chain because of the additional frame length! The rear tires on the 185 also were Goodyear rawhides, a precursor to the modern day paddle tires that we have now. At this point we're probably in the early 1980's. The 250R is out and its effect on the aftermarket suspension kits probably hasn't really hit home yet.
Checkout ALL the motor options, for RIGID frames! RD400, XR500, CR250 Elsinore (This would have been like the earliest version of a 250R probably ever conceived, back in the mid 1970s). There is also an option for the beastly Kawasaki H2 750cc triple cylinder street bike motor! You guys have to keep in mind...this is originally back in the times when you could only get a ATC90. There wasn't anything larger motor wise manufactured by Honda. But there was still that insatiable desire for speed and power...and HPP was there to offer you options for several different power plants. As it was explained to me, back in the 70s the procedure for hill shooting in the dunes was to actually go up the hills a little bit, and start on the hill. This is because of the whoops at the bottom. When the 250R came out in 81 the full suspension capabilities changed that, and racing from the bottom through the whoops became the new standard.
Hope you enjoyed, Super mega ultra duner sand flea props extraordinaire goes to Mike Dunn (

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