3-Wheelers Increasing in Value - Investments? Why are you into 3-Wheelers?

[oldiron1]

I thought this could turn into an interesting thread......

12-15 years ago, when I was a teenager, I bought all of the cheap 3 wheelers I could find and afford at the time to work on/fix up, ride, beat the snot out of, ect because that's what I could afford. There certainly were Quads, however the cheapest Quad I could find was always way out of my price range while people at the time were basically giving their 3 wheelers away. It seems like there were alot of abandoned three wheelers and an abundance of people who were just plain scared of them.

I think a lot of the above still holds true today. There are still folks scared of them and there are a few abandoned projects here and there, although not nearly as many as there were years ago.

The biggest change that I've noticed, is that the price of nice 3 wheelers continue to go up, that Quads that I used to drool over 15 years ago are now that much older and the prices on them are continuing to go down. You can buy a Yamaha Blaster, even a Yamaha Warrior, Suzuki Quad Sport, Honda 250X, 300Ex and I've seen a few 400Ex's even that have price tags less than I've seen nice ATC 200X's going for.

For me, I love the history and nostalgia behind most anything old/vintage (Cars, 3-wheelers, etc) . (I like the racing historical significance behind the ATC 250R for example.) To me, my 3-Wheelers just have a "Cool Factor" that can't be replaced by most newer quads that you see everywhere.

Do you see 3-Wheelers continuing to increase in demand and value as time goes on? Are there certain 3 Wheelers that you would project to become more popular/"Collectible" than others?

I'm anxious to hear other's input/feedback and opinions.

[tapage]

i would like for them to start jumpin up in value, that would make me feel like ive made good investments at a young age and seemed to make some of my worries disapear, me and my dad collect classic mopars, late 60's early 70's thats are family father son thing. i have a 69 roadrunner and he has a 69 r/t charger

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Well, I have a couple of examples that reinforces your inference...

Back in 1991, I was 13 years old and my parents bought an '86 Quadsport for the family. It was our first ATV other than my grandparents and uncles having them.. A single income household with 4 kids doesn't leave much spending money for toys like that. But, I digress...

So, my parents paid $1,000 for that Quadsport. It was in very good shape, mechanically sound and so on. But it had been ridden a bit. Aftermarket rear tires and original front tires that were quite worn down. I must admit, my parents were a little leary of trikes back at that time, but it wasn't too long after that my younger brother got the family's first trike... a 1981 YT125. They soon figured out that trikes weren't the demon possessed death machines that alot of people thought they were at that time.

So, I told that little story to tell you this one. Same year, 1991 my best friend (a farmer) saved up his meager pay that he earned working the farm as a boy of 13 and bought a FACTORY MINT '86 200x. The trike had original 90% tires on it, full DG exhaust, twist throttle and came with an extra set of rear tires on rims.. 18" Turf Tamers if I recall. It also came with a Honda service manual. Get this, he paid $425 for it! That trike had all original plastic with no cracks, not a single dent in the tank, not so much as a single stitch wrong with the seat. Other than the 2 aftermarket add-ons this trike was perfect.

I find it funny that a mint Quadsport nowadays could only realistically fetch about 7-800 while a nice 2nd gen 200x can easily fetch $1500! Now that's what I call turning the tables!

Now, fast forward to 1995.... At 17 I bought an '85 250r. (the one that is next for resto-mod, but that's another story) It had all original plastic that did have a couple of cracks, RPS silencer, FMF Ram valve reeds. Downside was it needed an axle carrier. Ran perfectly. My dad was a machinist for years and he brought home his calipers on day and took some measurements of the swingarm and axle. Mind you, we didn't even have the old carrier to reference.... A couple weeks later after working on it here and there he brought me home a custom axle carrier. Cool huh! Anyway, the price I paid for that R was $200. Yep you read right.. $200.

So, as to the original question, yes, to a degree I believe trikes will continue to gain in value. At some point they will top out and I think we may be near that peak. I could be wrong, but I would have to think that they will stop gaining in value at about 2/3 the cost of a new 450. Yes there are some avid collectors out there that would pay outlandish prices for prime OEM specimens but the general market is the main player. I just don't see the general market supporting trike prices getting too close to the price of a brand new 450. I just think that 98% of the buyers in the market would be unwilling to pay that.

But yes, it has been fun to sit and think back at what we could buy for about $500 20 years ago... If only I knew then what I know now and had the resources to do something about it... But alas....

[JasonB]

investment, hmmmm, probably not so much. I mean if you dont ride it ya. But for most of us these bikes are built from parts that have a limited lifespan and each time we ride they wear and eventually need replaced. Face it, to an extent they are like baseball cards. That crated 250R this last year brought a nice price compared to that of a mint condition 250r. BIG PRICE DIFFERENCE.


that said, I think my machines are worth more than when I and my gf acquired them BUT we have also spent more money to 'restore/mod' them. Everyone likes three wheelers for their own reasons. I just like em!

[gomer202]

I love the looks i get when i ride around on my trike. i hate to sell the trikes though because i feel that after i sell them they will get beaten to the ground. so that why i have 9 hha. i will always make money on every trike i own thoigh because i have the less common trikes around my area as well as i get good deals or even free trikes i got 5 free in 2011 alone. i made quite a chunck of change off some free bikes. pretty sweet to make a big profit off sell bikes when you are only 16

[4x4van]

I own and ride my 3-wheeler(s) simply because I love to ride them, and they are the best vehicle for the terrain that I ride! Quads are boring, and since I'm into the sand, the 3-wheeler works much better than a motorcycle (which I grew up riding and racing in the desert in the 70s & 80s).

When it comes to 3 vs 4, I have a saying: Those who can ride, ride (2 or 3 wheels)...those who can't, drive! (4 wheels)!

As for an investment...I don't know about that, but I love the fact that my '85 250R is still in excellent shape (I bought it new in 1984), as is my wife's '85 250R (got it from my dad, who also bought it new in 1984, and who finally stopped riding 2 years ago at age 77 when he lost an eye to cancer).

As they get rarer and rarer, clean ones will obviously fetch higher & higher prices, especially the high performance models.

[jb2wheels]

I own mine because I'm re-living the glory of my youth. I've never ridden a quad but I admit a 450R is tempting. Time for a TPC?

Investments? HAHAHAHAHAHA - I'd be happy to break even on either of my 200x's. No chance. I didn't even bother keeping track of the $$ spent on my 350x project. I don't want to know. I want to ride it in the sand!

I just picked up another 350X project. A complete except mud flap and grab bar 86 that spent too much time outside. I paid $350 for it. I would be happy have it in the sand without spending another $1k on it. I bet I'd have a hard time getting $1400 out of it then. But I'll ride the piss out of it instead.

The only one I own that was nice when I got it is my 85 R and I paid too much for it.

However, it is BIG fun parking at a riding spot and pulling 3 ATCs out of my van. Yes 3 full size ATCs fit in my van and it's not even the extended model. I could probably get the 70 in there at the same time. I probably could not get 2 quads in it but I'll never know. Anyway, every 35+ year old there with their quad or side by side stops what they're doing to check them out - especially the 3rd gen R!

On a side note, why are side by sides so damn popular? They're grossly expensive and a decent VW rail can be had for $5k or less and seems like a much better option.

[Swinger]

As far as an invesment, I think it depends on what you are getting and the price you get it for. If you got a mint 2nd gen Tecate or 3rd gen 250R or anything from 86-87 for that fact off of someone who didnt know what they had for a great price... then hell yes I would call that an investment. If you planned on selling it in the future! I love trikes because I feel comfortable on one and enjoy working on them as well as finding parts. I think the prices will continue to go up just like muscle cars. Inflation my friends. I have a side by side that I spent way to much cash on and always complain saying I could get 4 more trikes in the garage if I didnt have it. But it serves its purpose during fishing season I guess. Gotta haul 2 kids, spare clothes lots of gear and an airator system for restocking fish. Still love the trikes more though.

[oldiron1]

Interesting feedback!

I agree that "investment" really isn't the right word, however I appreciate knowing that if you found a harder to find trike at a good price, that if you take care of it, should always get your money back out of or even make a few bucks on. That's something you can't say about a lot of "toys".

[jon jon]

im into trikes cause not everyone can ride them? people can jump on a quad and ride but the thrill is more on a trike

[philgipson]

i can never afford to restore anything so i buy tore up stuff and at least make a rider out of it.only problem is im running out of room.my wife said we need a bigger shop,what a woman.

[NDS Custom]

Investment no, though they are sought after buy guys like us who had one when we were younger and miss it, last year me and some friends went to Maine to one of their folks cabin, they had an old big bear quad, a 350x and a big red 350, I hadn't rode a trike in years, minutes after riding the big red I needed one, so when I got home I bought one, threw some parts at it and I'm 12 again, I've had several offers, but she aint for sale, I'm sure if I take care of her I'll get what I paid for her years from now, it takes me back, that's the investment, the older I get the more toys I need, boats, snowmobiles, tractors, trikes, whatever, maybe it's a crisis.

[daggett43]

Hey everyone , this is my first post and looked like a good place to start. It started for me in the summer of 1979. A friend of my older brother had bought a brand new 110 at Christmas time in 1978. By the summer he had not really ridden it at all so I bought it with a loan from my parents to be paid back with my paper route money and the price was $500 which if I remember was about half of what he paid. I had a blast on that thing for a few years and finally let her go. At about 19 I bought a really nice 200x and really wanted a 250R but have never owned one. I have owned several 70's for my kids and for the fact that I just think they are so cool. I currently have been bitten by the bug because my son started riding a couple of weeks ago at the age of 4 so I bought an old 90 that is in awesome shape to beat around with the kids on and also have a pretty complete 1980 110 that I want to give tho old racer look too! ( anyone with a set of aluminum rear rims ) Anyways good to be here and hopefully make some friends.

[atcandrewglover]

i been into trike since i was 12. bought a butiful 200x. fell in love with it. own 225dx,225dr,250sx and now im picking up the scrambler

[bkm]

Parts is where the $ is at. I doubt I could break even on my 250r when its done if I tried to sell it whole. Parted out I could probably double it.