When do you give up on a project trike?

[AutoXer]

i'm partial but I would look for a 200x roller and do a auto-x. Really depends on what YOU want to do. I have way more in my auto-x than I could hope to recoup on a sale but I enjoyed the build and like to ride it and I don't have as much in it as I could have blown on other things so who cares. Get parts as you can find/afford have some thing to enjoy when you are done

[jb2wheels]

So - I did exactly what AutoXer suggested. I gave up on the 200s and stripped it all down and stored the parts and figured I'd keep my eye out for a better hardtail or an auto-x project.

I found the engineless 84 200x carcass a couple of hours away for $100 and included a new Maier 350x rear fender (not in pics). Lot's of junk on it and missing some parts but a good start I figured. A fair deal and the 350x fender might bring enough to offset the cost. Seat, both fenders, tank and most of the brakes are junk. Also missing engine mounts, exhaust and some other little bits. So, I started collecting parts (here and eBay) then came across...

Another 84 200x. This one is fairly complete and "ran last summer". For $200 I couldn't pick it up fast enough. Seat, plastic, tank and brakes are junk. But tires look almost new. Has a new UNI filter in it. Has both skid plates attached and the cool 6pack rack.

So I cobbled together enough brake parts from both trikes to have front and rear brakes. They're really weak (fronts soaked with fork oil) but they stop.
Then I had to clean and lube up the cables and twist throttle so I had controls. Oh and the grips were just slightly more solid than Jell-O GROSS
Cleaned and oiled the UNI. Cleaned the carb that had been sealed with silicon which turns to jelly when gas hit it and bolted on my acid washed eBay tank. Afer making sure I had oil, it started on the 2nd kick.
Kicker works great. Brake pedal is a little sloppy. Clutch works great. All the gears work and no smoke! Seems like a lot of compression too. Total SCORE.
Noisy though so when it cools I'll see just how much clearance the valves have.
Forks leak. Carb leaks. Both masters leak. No oil leaks from engine and no air leaks from tires. Light works too.

Anyway, I'm very happy with #2. A few more parts and I can put #1 together as an auto-x and see if the 200s engine runs.

Here are the Ugly Twins:


Someday, they'll be pretty again. First, I want two runners.

[Macdiesel]

start smoking if you dont now you will, but like my old camaro 15 years ago, when everyone said scrap it, .... it will pay off and when you get done it will truly be yours relax and have fun, remember money burns, friends leave but legends and memories live forever cause you can never take it all with you

[84honda200s]

my first trike was a trashed 84 200s i bought off ebay for 50.00 .. i stuck alot of money and work into it.. i asked myself the same question as you are and found this site and someone told me "if you worried about the money then get out and get a new quad" i decided to stick with the 200s .. everyone has a 4 wheeler or dirt bike but not everyone has a trike .. specially one that you worked your butt off to build.. i put more money into the motor alone than most people would ever consider putting into a 200s motor . . but i dont regret it one bit . . i loved that 200s it was a tank and with some good tall tires she went threw and over almost anything i wanted it to.. sure you could buy a 200x but everyone has one.. i built a auto x just to be different but even now there are a few of them ..

my opinion is keep it and tinker with it .. half the fun of having a trike is working on them and building them from the ground up and saying "yup i built it from practically nothing"

[Autophysn]

my problem is time, I have none. So projects just mean more stuff laying around I will never get to

[84honda200s]

my problem is time, I have none. So projects just mean more stuff laying around I will never get to

oh i know how that is ..

[Dirtcrasher]

It's a "trike thing". Many of us spend FAR too much $$ on our trikes but in the end, where happy!

[dickieg89]

I have a nice frame in the basement for several trikes, one is a 200s. Too bad texas to ny would cost so much to ship or I'd help you out on the frame rot thru problem