Long Live 3Wheeling Magazine

[BigGreenMachine]

Thanks Dean, in any case its been great reading about all the old times you've had.

Any idea just how much hp Jimmy White's 85 Tecate made?

[Old 179]

Hey Dean,

One of the "whiz or fizz" questions was on a four- wheeled vehicle by Yamaha called a "MTV" back in 1975, but was never released to the public. Would you recall any info on that piece of history? Thanks

[3WW Star-oldfart]

You would have to find that issue of Hot Rod magazine to find out more. When I asked the P.R. hacks at Yamaha years later, they knew nothing about it. Perhaps Yamaha was just testing the waters with that small teaser story in Hot Rod, and never got the program off the ground.

[Billy Golightly]

Dean, In your opinon why did the 3wheeled ATV industry go with out any competitors to Honda for so long? I mean, from 1970 till 79, Honda was the only company really in the three-wheeled market. A few exceptions, but not many. Would you say that this time period of no competition existed because of the patents Honda had placed on their products, or just a general lack of interest from other manufactures? Its always seemed weird to me that Yamaha, Suzuki, or Kawasaki never really got on the boat till the early 80's, and left Honda all alone for the previous 10 years.

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Good question., I do agree it would be due in a large part to the patents held by Honda, for the foot peg location within the triangle created by the three wheel placement. Also, 3wheelers took up a lot more floor space than a normal motorcycle, not to mention the Odyssey, and to dealers, floor space is money! You could also ask the same question about the Jet Ski market in the late '80s. Why did Kawasaki run away with the market, and Honda ignored it for decades? Were they concerned with polution issues and chose to wait until the 4-stroke engine was accepted?

[Curtis-Tecate3]

I remember reeading that Kawasaki held some specific patents on its original "Jet-Ski" PWC revolving around the pivoting handpole/handlebar setup. If I am not mistaken some patents have an expiration date and Yamaha quickly followed suit with their standup model as soon as the Kawasaki patent expired.

Curtis.

[mad_max]

...I do agree it would be due in a large part to the patents held by Honda, for the foot peg location within the triangle created by the three wheel placement....

Dean, your comment above made me think about Yamaha's Tri Moto 125. I had a friend that bought two new in (I think) 1980. They were fairly quick, which I liked, but I hated the handling. I never understood the rearward placement of the engine. Do you suppose Yamaha did this due to patents that Honda held?

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Yes, sir! Yamaha really had their work cut out for themselves with all the Honda patents to go around. The rearward engine placement, foot pegs, the design of the and placement of the gas tank and so on, were all part of the Honda design. If you remember, you could get extended foot pegs with the Tri-Moto 125, which is one way Yamaha got around the (Honda) design.

[ATCT]

Oh, guys here's the drill. If you want two 3Wheeling Magazine vintage stickers (large yellow ones), read 2, I will do this.... Send me a self-address, stamped envelope, throw in a buck (for my hard labor and gas in driving to the post office @ $2.17 a gallon), and I will send you some. This is a limited time offer, no discounts to Dirt Wheels readers, and will last only as long as I can find old stickers up in the rafters of my garage... If you want more, then figure two-fer-a-buck. My mailing address is

Dean Kirsten
3Wheeling Magazine Guru
1311 York Drive
Vista, CA 92084

I will let you know when I reach the bottom of my ATC sticker box. Okay? Dean

Hi Dean. I'm new to the forum and website. I recently purchased a 200X after being out of the sport for 20 years (I owned a 350X back then), and what I was hoping would be immediate enjoyment has led me to a complete restoration project of not one, but two X's (I've bought so many parts off eBay, it makes my head hurt to think about it). And I still haven't ridden a trike for 20 years!! Anyway, I wanted to thank you for all the great stories. It brings back some good memories

I'm sure you get sick of being asked this, but do you have any more stickers? I would love one if you have it (I'll do as asked above).

By the way, do you know whatever happened to Phil Beckman? I'm not sure if you answered that or not (this is a LONG thread--I've tried to read it all in one sitting--sorry if you have). He was a good writer and recently have been wondering what happened to him (after reading a few of his old editorials).

Thanks,
Tom

[82300R]

dean, i want to thank you for the stickers, they will go good with the boxes of three wheeling mags i have been holding on to since the early eighties.the last one i had was on the inside front fender of my then new 83 250r. enjoying all the stories from the good old days.

[3WW Star-oldfart]

Phil Beckman lives up in the Arrowhead/Big Bear (California) area, and is self employed. He does mostly ad and catalog stuff, and still works with Tim Orchard of OMF. Haven't talked to Phil in years. He is/was a great photographer and awesome 3-wheeler rider.

P.S. Stickers are still available..

[Billy Golightly]

Dean, out of all the trikes you rode and reviewed during your time at 3Wheeling, which one would you consider the underdog of all of them?

[ATCT]

Phil Beckman lives up in the Arrowhead/Big Bear (California) area, and is self employed. He does mostly ad and catalog stuff, and still works with Tim Orchard of OMF. Haven't talked to Phil in years. He is/was a great photographer and awesome 3-wheeler rider.

P.S. Stickers are still available..

Thanks for the reply Dean. I'll put an envelope in the post on Monday. Thanks again.

[CorbinKale]

P.S. Stickers are still available..

That is wonderful news! I will be sending my request soon, as I was a big fan of your magazine. I am very happy to see you are a member here!

I see I will not be the first to introduce myself in this thread, so I hope it won't be seen as a hijack. I must admit that I almost teared up when I found this site. I had thought I was one of the few remaining weirdos who still had a passion for the ATC's.

I got a '85 350X in 1986 from a guy who rode it 20 miles, flipped it in a ditch and busted his arm. I traded him for a Seca 650 worth $1,300. Needless to say, I it was love at first sight. I rode it all through the mountains in Arkansas, in Texas river bottoms, all over Turkey Creek in TVA Land Between the Lakes in Tennessee, dropped it through the ice in Lake Milford in Kansas one winter, where it floated upside down for a week while I was in the field, and I even had it on a glacier in Alaska, after I got stationed at Ft. Richardson. That 350X just took all kinds of abuse and came back for more, until...

The last time I rode it, I was about 50 miles out in the Alaska wilderness when my right rear bearings failed. I was alone and had to ride the thing back like that, cringing the whole way at the crunching noises beneath me, but it got me home alive. That was in December of '92. I parked it and kept it in storage until now. Multiple wives, deployments and wars kept me from having enough time or money to get it repaired, but I refused to get rid of it. Newly retired and currently single, I finally have time to get my poor baby rolling again. Let me tell you, riding 50 miles on busted bearings ABSOLUTELY DESTROYS the carrier. I can't believe the axle is still servicable, considering the damage to that mangled carrier.

I went to the local Honda dealer before I got a look at the inside of my carrier and was amazed that they had the bearings and seals in stock! I had halfway hoped that the carrier might have magically healed itself during the past 13 years, it IS a Honda after all, but the diagnosis was obvious at a glance. Gotta get a new carrier. No dealer on the planet has THAT in stock, though. My search for the carrier led me here. Your forums have pointed me to RAD and Maier who look to have the parts to get the trike back in shape. Thank you, all!

I am currently looking at getting a few more 350Xs to fix up, too. Tearing that back end apart last night made me feel like a kid again. I, definitely, still have the fever for my trike. I look forward to swapping stories with you happy few, who keep the torch burning! /salute

Corbin

[CorbinKale]

Dean,

2 bucks and a SASE, on the way! Thanks in advance!

Corbin