Atc 250 es Chain Drive Fatcat project.

[poplama]

Hey, My Name is Pete, im from Brisbane Australia. i currently own a 1987 atc 250es and have just bought a wrecked 1985 250es minus rear end to attempt a Fat
Cat project. Firstly i would like to apologise if someone has asked this question before, i have done a search on the forum and couldnt find a result i really dont want to bother anyone with stupid questions that have already been answered (also no trike will die in this process !). If anyone has attempted this project on this model or could tell me if a chain drive conversion is possible using the shaft drive gearbox or could point me to any helpful threads that would be amazing help! Trikes are a rare thing round these parts, mostly impossible to find parts etc around so im going to try and make everything i can from scratch.

[tri again]

Welcome.
I do believe I saw something recently about converting the right angle drive to a chain.
Can't remember the punch line but pretty sure it wasn't funny.

Whatever you do, DON'T take off the right angle drive from a working machine.
Some little thrust washer will fall down inside and require full dismantle as I understand it.

Let me see if I can find that old post.
Seems like it would be easier with a chain drive 200 or 185 but you say they're hard to find?

I bet someone chimes in here pretty soon.
Sounds like a fun project.

[poplama]

Thanks for the advice, pulling it off for a bit of a look was going to be my first plan of attack! wouldnt exactly call it a running machine, will give the engine some fuel and a kick on the weekend and see if it will run, what am i saying, its an atc, they always work . Should be a fun project i think, would really be cool to have a stock looking 250es bike sitting next to my trike, especially not to harm a trike in the process. Been looking for a suitable donor for a while now and this one seemed to fall in my lap. Few issues to work through but im sure something good will result. If not ill have a heap of spares for the mean machine, see how i go.

[tri again]

Oh good,
Glad we avoided that right angle heartache.
Sun's starting to come up here so someone will chime in for sure.

[TrickShot]

Check out these threads, atc500x made a fatcat out of a 250sx which is about the same as a 250es. No chain drive conversion needed, keep it shaft drive.

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...t=250sx+fatcat

http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthr...t=250sx+fatcat

[atc500x]

Yes keep it shaft drive!!!Never hap any problem since I build it.The 250sx look better cause the frame is inside the swingarm,the 250es is outside,will be a lot wider.But,rear end dimension are the same.

[poplama]

Thanks a million Trickshot, had seen photos of this on on google images, but never thought i would learn any more of it. Saved me a lot of searching! atc500x, What a machine man, you should be pretty happy hey, if i can come up with something half as good as what you have i will be a happy boy for sure! you really have inspired me. the shaft drive is the way to go for sure. now to find a donor for a final drive and swingarm ! what was the final decision maker that had you using the suzuki swinger etc? was it good dimesions alone or anm available part that you made suit? did you look into any other possibilities such as vt1100 etc ? just trying to pick your brain before i have to put in all the leg work! youve obviously put a stack of hours into researching, if i can take away anything that you have learned that yould be great. bike parts here in aus are pretty pricey to get a hold of as a rule so i kinda wanna be pretty sure of what im getting ! any help would be greatly appreciated! thanks a million for your detailed photos too, really a top project and one to be in awe of!

[atc500x]

Thanks for the coments.Honnestly I didn't search a long tme to get the right parts.This suzuki rear end was in my stock room so I try it.You need the slipned adaptor that fit in the motorcycle wheel,the gearbox,drive shaft and the swingarm.If you have question let me know

[ps2fixer]

I really love the shaft drive 250 fat cat idea! Keep us posted with photos of your progress! I have a beater 250sx I was going to part out, might make it a fat cat now O.o

[poplama]

Sorry if i have replied earlier today and am repeating myself but i am not seeing any my replies today. not sure whats happening. Ill take some startup pics of the donor bike this week and do a bit of a build log. would be nice to invite other peoples advice and thought as i go. Hopefully we got a good thing started here!

[poplama]

Looks like im just deficient and cant operate one of these flash interweb machines correcty! im sure my 8 month old son could probably have figured it out !

[poplama]

When you said the suzuki swinger was the right size you were working on the tube diameters being the same as the honda ones? How did you go with fitting the tyre inside the swinger? Was the width tight or did it just come together nicely and fit well? I noticed you managed to use a standard rear wheel, are the sx tyres 12 wide the same as an es or are they narrower?

[atc500x]

Yes the tube diameter on the suzuki is the same than the sx tube
The sx rim is 11 inch wide,I remove (if I remember correctly) about 1 1/4 inch on the width.I put the rim on the lathe and remove a slice in the middle and reweld both rims parts.The SX tire are 22-11-8,The 250es are 25-12-9.The 25inch tire will be too big for the room you have under the frame.By removing 1 1/4 to my rim,the 22inch tall tire will be more about 23inch when inflated.The 25 inch tire will reach +26 inch.You will really need a SX wheel in my opinion.

[poplama]

Pulled out the new donor trike on the weekend and the motor has bugger all compression, very little spark and the exhaust pretty much disintegrated on contact. have stripped down the frame to bare bones and seriously considering whether to continue. Might be on hold for a while at this stage! goes with buying wrecked trikes off tow truck drivers in the middle of the night when your not in the right mindset. still got fantastic parts off it and a spare frame wheels etc so all is good, just thought it would be like the last few big reds ive dragged out of farm paddocks and fire up with a couple squirts of start spray and a new plug. this one must have copped an especially hard time i reckon!! in really bad shape as far as every body part goes. even the front axle was made of a piece of concreting rod held on with wire and tape. A good find for a hundred bucks, but not what i thought it was! if anyone needs es parts in qld let me know, i might be able to help out.

[big red crazy]

keep the shaft ujoints are cheaper than sprockets and chains