Preparing for the 250r - riding technique?

[stevensj13]

Well guys, I have been riding quads for 10 years and dirt bikes for 5, but this is my first trike. I am 16 years old, 5 foot 3 inches tall. I am looking at a 1982 Honda 250r. I have never riden a trike before, so, any pointers?

[fabiodriven]

Smash the gas.

[stevensj13]

Sounds about right...

[oscarmayer]

lean intot he turn and steer it witht he throttle... you ride it like a dirt bike except you do not put your foot down...

[Nubbinz]

Lean or flip. Trikes dont have suspension as good as quads so i stand up when i jump (although i never get too much air on a 185s) . If you cant already, learn to drive around on the side wheel, the outside wheel is gonna come off the ground every time you turn. Trikes really dont flip backwards as easy as everyone says, just lean forwards when going up hills, Ive noticed the faster you hit a hill the less the front wheel wants to come up. Thats about all I could say, just practice a lot

[stevensj13]

Alright Thanks for the tips on turning, thats what I was worried about. I'm 16, I told my father last night after we picked it up that he can ride it... He said no LOL. When asked why he said "cause you can't steer those things". Oh well, more fun for me. I want him to get into trikes with me, we both ride bikes and quads. He grew up in the 70s and 80s so he has driven em before and had plenty of friends who had them. Oh well, maybe I can convince him to get a 110 LOL

[just ben]

when leaning into a turn keep your weight over the rear and keep your feet on the pegs! it hurts running your own leg over

[stevensj13]

I ride quads the most, and found it easier on the legs if even when im rolling over or something to keep my feet on. I don't thin that will be a problem... but if I am starting to roll I might bail off the trike

[KASEY]

if your azz is planted in the center of the seat you will never be a good trike rider,,, body english is so important in riding a trike,,, and tire selection is another important factor too,,, throw the ballons away ,,

[stevensj13]

I will be using the bike for trail riding, I am 130 pounds give or take. I am short but I guess that gives me a low center of gravity we shall see. I don't expect to become a good rider overnight, nor do I expect to become a good rider without falling and crashing. I admit this isn't a starter bike but I figure with my years of experience on bikes I should pick up on the tactics fairly quickly. I understand quads aren't really a good comparison so I will leave that alone. First things first, I have to tune it and get it running good before anything else

[250rRoostmaster]

Just lay the down and leeeeannnn with it!!!

[Vealmonkey]

Steven, when you just wrote that you have to tune it and get it running good first, well, that just gave you alot of credit in my book. Making sure the machine doesn't have any problems and that it is properly tuned and lubed and chain adjustments and tire pressures and working brakes are all great starters. Wear your helmet. Start off easy, don't override your abilities, you will pick things up and get better. Any idiot can go fast in a straight line. Learn your machine. Learn the clutch. Learn the brakes. And most of all, learn turning. Slow speed turns and high speed turns are way different. And your terrain dictates certain things as well. You don't have the extra tire of the quad. You can dump a trike fast if you're not careful. And remember, parts are getting harder to find and more expensive. And cheap parts are usually cheap for a reason. LOL The more time you take at first, the more basics you'll learn, and the better and safer you'll be when you start going faster. Have fun, pay attention and remember, a trike is a way different beast then a bike or a quad. Best of luck. Get a friend to take videos, we always like a good laugh! LOL

[stevensj13]

Steven, when you just wrote that you have to tune it and get it running good first, well, that just gave you alot of credit in my book. Making sure the machine doesn't have any problems and that it is properly tuned and lubed and chain adjustments and tire pressures and working brakes are all great starters. Wear your helmet. Start off easy, don't override your abilities, you will pick things up and get better. Any idiot can go fast in a straight line. Learn your machine. Learn the clutch. Learn the brakes. And most of all, learn turning. Slow speed turns and high speed turns are way different. And your terrain dictates certain things as well. You don't have the extra tire of the quad. You can dump a trike fast if you're not careful. And remember, parts are getting harder to find and more expensive. And cheap parts are usually cheap for a reason. LOL The more time you take at first, the more basics you'll learn, and the better and safer you'll be when you start going faster. Have fun, pay attention and remember, a trike is a way different beast then a bike or a quad. Best of luck. Get a friend to take videos, we always like a good laugh! LOL

Thanks, that reply was some of the best and most helpful advice I have gotten. One of the previous owners was kind enough to lose the main jet and not tell me so I could figure out the mystery and be creative with the sizes ammit: so I went and got myself a 162. I put in the carb and she fired up first kick and idled great but shut off when I hit the throttle. I didn't realise it until afterwards by my air filter is sopping wet from the rain we got before I could unload her from the trailer. Oh well, I will let it dry and try again later. I'll make sure to get some videos. Its funny, because when I went to the Honda dealer and me being 5 foot 3 and 16 and they asked what vehicle my carb came off, they had the most suprised look on their face when I said "1982 Honda ATC 250r 2 stroke three wheeler". They thought I was nuts. The guy next to me in the other line also stopped his conversation and stared at me like I was speaking some dead language. If your interested, Ill include some pics of the trike with this post

[Vealmonkey]

I'm always interested in pics. Those rear tires are just a tad bit overinflated! LOL I do love the old style fat tire 250rs'. That trike has alot of potential with a lotta love and some money. And the great thing about the 81/82 250r, is there is a member on here who was making kits to put something like a 480 in those frames! So if you need a little more power, you can have it. Now I hope you have gotten on here and found yourself and already downloaded the Honda Factory Shop Manual. If not, I would highlly recommend it. I'm not sure about how you are planning to ride your trike, meaning under what conditons, but if you are going to do alot of mixed riding, you may want to change to a slightly more modern tire, but I dig the stock style tires just fine. Some people switch to 83 and later front ends, but I like the wide tire. It's just a matter of preference. And as to the answer to your poll, when you run a decent 2 stroke oil, go by what the maker suggests. Different makers suggest different ratios. Best of luck with the new trike. And you can still find aftermarket parts for your trike as well. I'm sure someone on here has a real nice, if not nos aftermarket pipe for you. I know I have a nos cancilla chain tensioner with the polyurethan rollers. Pick yourself up a couple spark plugs until you get your jetting straightened out too.

[stevensj13]

I'm always interested in pics. Those rear tires are just a tad bit overinflated! LOL I do love the old style fat tire 250rs'. That trike has alot of potential with a lotta love and some money. And the great thing about the 81/82 250r, is there is a member on here who was making kits to put something like a 480 in those frames! So if you need a little more power, you can have it. Now I hope you have gotten on here and found yourself and already downloaded the Honda Factory Shop Manual. If not, I would highlly recommend it. I'm not sure about how you are planning to ride your trike, meaning under what conditons, but if you are going to do alot of mixed riding, you may want to change to a slightly more modern tire, but I dig the stock style tires just fine. Some people switch to 83 and later front ends, but I like the wide tire. It's just a matter of preference. And as to the answer to your poll, when you run a decent 2 stroke oil, go by what the maker suggests. Different makers suggest different ratios. Best of luck with the new trike. And you can still find aftermarket parts for your trike as well. I'm sure someone on here has a real nice, if not nos aftermarket pipe for you. I know I have a nos cancilla chain tensioner with the polyurethan rollers. Pick yourself up a couple spark plugs until you get your jetting straightened out too.

Yeah those tires are 22's brand new on chrome rims. Funny you should mention it, first thing I did on this site was download the shop manual. I was planning on getting a few plugs, any reccomendations? I can find the stock in the manual but I am not sure if I should run a hotter plug or not. The compression on this thing is insane, I can barely kick it over (1 in 2 tries). She gets closer to starting when I hit the throttle, so it needs a bit of tuning and a dry air cleaner. I will mainly do a lot of woods/trail riding and mudding. Also a bit of beach sand (Busco Beach ATV park) but not often. I am gonna run some 25:1 mix in it for now. I usually use synthetic but I am not sure what oil is in the mix now from the previous owner, but he was very meticulous about his bikes so I trust he put some decent oil in there. Can't wait to get this thing running, but I definitaly want to take my time on tuning it right first. I haven't seized a motor or blew a top end prematurely yet, and I don't plan on doing it anytime in the future.