1988 - A year that might have been (fiction by Wickedfinger) Pt1.

[Jeb]

Hey Wicked, keep your '88 Tecate-3 a six speed. Tecate-4's were six speed and counterbalanced. so you could really improve top speed and smooth out some vibration on the KXT by using the KXF's engine.

Also, If I remember right, 85 & 86 Tri-Z came from the factory with SHOWA forks. 36mm on the 85 and 39mm on the 86.


Great Article!

[Wickedfinger]

Hey Wicked, keep your '88 Tecate-3 a six speed. Tecate-4's were six speed and counterbalanced. so you could really improve top speed and smooth out some vibration on the KXT by using the KXF's engine.

Also, If I remember right, 85 & 86 Tri-Z came from the factory with SHOWA forks. 36mm on the 85 and 39mm on the 86.


Great Article!

Ok, I changed the Tecate section again based off of your input!. The problem I have with Tecates is ... all I know about them is based largely off of many years of discussions here on 3WW. I've never ridden a T3 or T4 and have only ever seen a T4 once in my some 20 years of ATVing. I can tell of only a handful of times I've come across a T3 on the trails too. They are super rare around me. As far as the Showas go, I couldn't get confirmation on that in any websearching I did when writing this. I don't remember my '86's forks saying Showa anywhere on them. Anyway, fiction boys, fiction.

[TeCaTe_MaN]

fuction...but great fiction it is....

[Red Rider]

Wickedfinger, I understand this is just fiction. All I'm trying to do is inject a little more reality into your perception of what the 1988 threewheelers would have been like. I totally agree with you about the powervalved engine & relocated gas tank/airbox on the Tri-Z, but I just don't see Yamaha offering less suspension travel than the previous years. That would be like the new powervalved YPVS engine producing 26hp. Also, the "corporate blue" color scheme didn't make it's debut until the mid-late 90's on the YZ's. For that time era, Yamaha probably would have been using the "international white/red" color scheme, or perhaps white/pink, or white/purple, just like their YZ's were.

[Wickedfinger]

Wickedfinger, I understand this is just fiction. All I'm trying to do is inject a little more reality into your perception of what the 1988 threewheelers would have been like. I totally agree with you about the powervalved engine & relocated gas tank/airbox on the Tri-Z, but I just don't see Yamaha offering less suspension travel than the previous years. That would be like the new powervalved YPVS engine producing 26hp. Also, the "corporate blue" color scheme didn't make it's debut until the mid-late 90's on the YZ's. For that time era, Yamaha probably would have been using the "international white/red" color scheme, or perhaps white/pink, or white/purple, just like their YZ's were.

Listen, one thing for sure is that I don't want to be seen as some kind of writer who can't take criticism - its not true, and I have changed quite a few things in this farse due to discrepencies pointed out by others. The only reason I wrote the thing was to create a little entertainment to those who chose to read it. The corporate blue is only in there because I'm really a big fan of it - thats all. Also, I wouldn't get hung up over .3" of Travel difference between 9.7" and 10". I'm not real fond of using too many rounded numbers when I'm writing for some reason (probably because they are more appealing to my mechanical intelect and the readers eye), which is why I used the true Banshee rear travel number of 8.66" instead of the 8.7" you see printed everywhere. Another thing is, just because something has the most suspension travel, dosent mean its the best suspension available for a bike. 12" of travel front and back might be great for the desert, but its terrible for the woods. Take your own example of the Tri-Zs rear numbers. AT 9"+, its 1/2 an inch more than the "newer" Banshees, yet the Banshees swing-arm and shock combination is a better design that has lasted 17 years without a major change. Its basic geometry was used in the development of an all new quad (Raptor) 15 years after it was introduced. The same thing can't be said about the original Banshees J-Arm front suspension, which was canned after only 3 or 4 years for a traditional A-Arm setup. If the Tri-Z's was a better design, it would have been put to use on the Banshee/Warrior. The old Tri-Z's stock shocks were junk anyway, and you won't find a stock one to be had anymore. The Modularization and commonality of parts would play a huge part in the development and continuation of a product line. Logic dictates that it would cost far too much to develop, build, and run so many different specialized machines to create a 100% different product from whats being built on the next assembly line over when what you are offering is just a variation on the same end purpose and product. The major manufacturers in my story did have to make a choice to keep building trikes, and they did - but - I think most of them are starting to see some kind of writing on the wall and spending huge amounts of development moneys on a seemingly inferior product isn't good for the public and private shareholders of these corporations. It has to be assumed by the reader that public demand for a three wheeled ATV is still great enough to keep building them. So, therefore, thats why my Tri-Z has only 8.66" of travel in the rear.

[eh_tee_see]

May 17th, 2005 Realizing how stupid it was, the supreme court has ruled the consant degree ( or however you spell it) "retarded" and instead they came up with "the quadset decree" which means that all 4 wheeled atv's have to be converted to 3 wheeled in the next 6 days or the 4 japanese companys are going to prison. Kawasaki and Honda are very happy about the switch while suzuki is royally pissed but grasping the situation, they have changed their slogan to "First to be back on three wheels". Yamaha has gone mad and they blew up all their factories this past wednesday( yay). Thats all the news we have here at Iman-Ideut ATVing, look in next months issue for information on the new 2006 three wheeled models. OKAY just thought i'd say something funny to brighten the mood

[TeCaTe_MaN]

hahah yamaha blew up their factories

...that was funny

[ATC crazy]

Yeah I've got PhotoShop, I know how to use it too (The ATC450R in Dirtwheels a while back was mine). But a 3wheel drive trike would be kind of hard to mock up and make look right.

I agree billy...It would be very hard.

Kudo's for Wicked....you did a kick-ass job on writing that up I was just about drooling over the keyboard while reading over the Honda stuff....especialy the ATC250X and 300SX. Great imagination...and very-well could have happened if it wernt for the cursed CPSC.

[Dirtcrasher]

Absolutely fantastic!!

Ignore the critics - it was and is perfect as it is.

[Yamada]

Hey HondaATC send this pix of the ATC450R on the forum so we can see it.

[Red Rider]

Loved the article WF. I can hardly wait for the 1989 models now.

[ATC crazy]

Hey HondaATC send this pix of the ATC450R on the forum so we can see it.

I also made one. The pic is on my computer at home...I'll post mine when I get home

[Billy Golightly]

Here it is...they eff'ed up my name and location though. It should be Billy Golightly from Live Oak FL, but instead I'm Billy Golighty from Bigstik, PA....

[threewheelin-feelin]

lmao yamaha went mad and blew up the factorys ill never get over that been lafing 15 mins about it. ok i want to give this a shot im gonna start th 89 line up.


well id like to start off with 3wheelers have lasted another year {yay}
new from honda in 1989
is the atc500r its a liquid cooled 499cc 2 stroke with a exstended rear swing arm to help keep that front down and come stock with a wheelie bar but can easly be removed. it also has optinal thumb or twist trottle hehhe. retails for $5,243

some one ad to this

[eh_tee_see]

August 15, 2005
A glorious day for the reminiscent three-wheeler goers out there... It seems today that the Supreme Court has abolished the Consant Decree (or however the f you spell it) which prevented the manufacturing and selling of 3 wheeled atvs from 1987 on. Look for more updates soon.

September 12, 2005
Its been roughly a month since the consant decree was abolished yet still no company has stepped forward to manufacture any 3 wheeled atv, 3 wheeler fans dont give up yet theres still hope.

September 14, 2005
Honda has released information regarding their 2006 model ATCs!!! A Honda spokesperson announced today they are releasing three 3-wheeled Atvs for the upcoming year.

Actually these two ATCs are actually not new concepts.

Hondas new ATC450rx is basically a 3 wheeled TRX450r. Honda didnt say much about how it performed but they did give us a few of the specs: The rearend is nearly identical to its 4wheeled brother with the same amount of rear travel and same sized tires. But the swingarm is extended 3 inches to keep it from wheeling whenever it gets gas. The new front forks offered on the ATC450rx offer an amazing 12.4 inches of travel and have 6 different adjustability settings. Though the front end was not much lighter than the 450r's in a side by side comparison, Honda claimed the ATC "wasted" the TRX model. This model is set to be released in early November this year at a set price of $5999*

The ATC300ex is to ATC250X as TRX300ex is to TRX250x... Discontinued in 1990 when the consant decree came into effect, the ATC250x was a very popular model and was missed by very many ATC-goers, thankfully Honda thought about them and Released the amazing ATC300ex!! Using a completely different engine over the TRX300ex, Honda introduced one of the fastest ATV's for its class, if not the fastest. Using a liquid-cooled 294 cc 4-stroke engine honda created a monster that delivered a whopping 32 Horsies to the rear wheels. The transmission was modified by introducing a 6th gear whilst retaining its reverse and electric start! With the more modern technology introduced to the ATC300ex, it is just as fast if not faster than Honda's previous model ATC350x but does not have as much torque. This model is to be released simultaneously with the ATC450rx and will be in the 3500-4000 price range.

In 1990 Honda stopped making a very popular ATC callled the 300sx... This was widely regarded is a bad move. Knowing that this was their most popular model, Honda knew they had to make a modern day version of it... The result? The all new 350sx. This 346cc liquid cooled badboy has it all, reverse, a new 6 speed tranny, electric start and for the first time in SX history, you get to choose between the 350sx or the 350srx which has a manual clutch. The 350sx features the same final drive as its predecessor the 250sx and 300sx. The 350sx's performance is almost identical to that of the 400ex with a 440 kit. The new rear suspension offers 8.2 inches of travel, a revolution for the shaft drive world, while the front suspension thrives on 10.3 inches of travel. The 350sx/srx however sporty it may sound still has the power to work on the farm and can be outfitted with Hondaline* rear racks and front racks. This ATC has 6 horses on the ATC300ex and features 20x11x8 tires to keep it from going overspeed. It is going to be released simultaneously with the other 2 models and the price range will be anywhere from $4000-4200 price range.




Okay this crap isnt very accurate or anything but I thought it would be entertaining.