Yamaha Tri-Moto 200 Shaft Drive - Need Opinions on this ATC

[takeuchitb007]

Hey I'm new to the forum, I've never owned an ATC before, i've ridden a few of them over the years but i've always been a motocross rider.. I'm looking for an older trike to use as a woods vehicle for when I go hunting.. There is a trike for sale locally for sort of cheap.. It's an older Yamaha 200 shaft drive with reverse.. It looks a little ratty in the photos I've seen so i'm not expecting much.. The seller says it needs a battery and brake shoes, other than that it starts right up, runs and shifts fine.. Says the electric start works fine but the pullstart cable doesn't recoil back in.. I'm no beginner when it comes to repairing stuff so that shouldn't be a problem..

Are these trikes known to be decent runners? Are they fairly reliable? What are some things to look out for or check when I go see this thing later today? Any advice will be appreciated..

thanks in advance

[CanadianThomas]

I own one and love it. Great low end power, good balance, Great handling. My only concern with them is they use a 4 bolt hub compared to the 3 bolt hub most Yamaha's have. I have just finished rebuilding the front end on mine and it was much harder to find the hub than it would have been for a normal YTM200 chain drive. BUT, it's worth it. The Shaft drive has the bigger 25x12x9 tires (vs the 22x11x8'son other ytm's) and they give an amazing ride, as well as better traction in mud, snow and other slushy terrain. Buy it, Love it, ride it. My vote.

[Xpress]

^Wouldn't the 4 bolt pattern be better? Seems like all of the modern rims are all 4 bolt pattern, so it would be easier to find a good set of rims. Or did they use some generic spacing that nobody else has rims for? :

Before you do anything, take it for a test spin. See if it shifts through all of the gears smoothly, or if anything feels like it's running rough, if it smokes, if it backfires excessively, and the usual things to check.

BTW, just throwing this out there, it's a Tri-Moto, not an ATC. Honda trikes are ATC's, Yamaha's are Tri-Moto/Tri-Z, Kawasaki is KLT/Tecate, and Suzuki are ALT

[Six Stroke]

It's an oddball size: 4 x 125mm.

[CanadianThomas]

It's an oddball size: 4 x 125mm.

Yes it is. And it's a pain. Also the front end is slightly wider than a chain drive YTM, longer front axle and a few other things. But, they are real nice to ride.

[muthey]

I wish I would have known you were looking for the 4 bolt rims canadian thomas, as I have three of them sitting in my yard right now, and only need one as a spare for the yamaha conversion front end on my wife's honda