has anyone tested floating three wheelers

[marshallfester^australia]

My 250es (nicked named PIG IN THE BUSH) was my dads and he was a professional fisherman who used the 250 to run up and down the beach as a spotter to bring in the net boats for where the fish where schooling. On this one occasion he was too busy watching the fish and got caught buy a wave that dumped him off old PIG, he was rolling around on the beach in the surf while old PIG floated on its side, then upside down, and then upright in the back wash!! So yeh they do float................No wonder poor old pigs full of rust, but she still is used every day on our farm. Regards Fester

[83200e]

Yep i used to float my 200es. Once i went ito a water pit that was about 1.5m deep, and i thought the bike would just go under but it dident, it just rolled over tipped me off and floated...It was hell mad! The back end doesnt float real well but the front does real good. It is handy when you are doing mudding cause it keeps the front end outta the mud and it just ploughs through. My 250es wont float though, its alot heavier than the 200 and the tires just wont keep it up...

But like said before it really depends on the machine and rider weight.

Matt

I did the roll over manuever too.Happened so fast I was still hanging to the bars upside down.My 200e will float but the heavier I get the lower she sits.I've never tried the 250es or any of my yamahas.

[400ccHomemade]

I wanna see some pictures!

[surf-n-sand]

i guess it depends on how much you weigh also?

[400ccHomemade]

I know for a fact mine won't float. For one, it weighs like 400 lbs. For 2, look at that front wheel.

[Tri-ZNate]

My babys do. well at least my 2 250sx's. The 350x i havent tested. Anyone know what will happen if you put paddle tires on one and go through deep water with it?

[atcmatt]

Anyone know what will happen if you put paddle tires on one and go through deep water with it?

Probably become a paddle steamin' 350x! Hmmm that would be kinda interesting, has anyone tried paddles in the mud before? You would be unstopable with some decent paddles on the back of a bigred...

Matt

[AZ250R]

Most of you aren't old enough, but in the mid 80s DirtWheels did these tests in a diving pool (regular but 10ft deep swiming pool). & every time they submirged the trike into the pool it rolled over and the rider could never ballance it! They had plenty of pictures of it too. I think they tried a 200, balloned tired something, and a 250R & they all had the same type tip'n problem. I think they had determined that a quad might ballance but would be so submirged it would hydrolock if running. So YAH, most of the m will Float, but UPSIDE DOWN!?!?!? Lot of good that does ya, hope your diving maks & snorkle fits over your helmet!

[ClayW]

I rode my old 110 across a creek back in the day. Its a chore to balance though. It can be done.

Clay

[jmsmilin]

well im not going to try my 250sx anytime soon, but would imagine those old 90s with the 3 balloons on them would

[BigGreenMachine]

Back in the day there was a sand pit we use to ride at and in the middle of it was collected rain water or a so called pond and all the guys use to "hydroplane"(as they would call it ) across the entire pond which was a pretty good size pond and a good couple or more feet deep when asked their technique they said too go as fast as you could hitting the pond in 5th gear never shifting into 6th gear and leaning back and sitting on the back of the seat all they guys I seen accomplishing this were all riding 1985/86 250r ATC .

I've seen video of 250 motocross bikes hydroplane over a 3 foot deep pond for about 50 feet or more. Also there was a German made off road buggy that I saw video of, 4 wheel drive, 1000plus hp and paddle tires that they use for hillclimbing. After the hill climb they would hydroplane across open water, shore to shore from almost a dead stop, wild to say the least.

Back to the topic, my bro in law flipped his BIG RED after it floated on him while crossing a river mid winter. Said it surprised the heck out of him. lol

[Shady-YTM225DXL]

My 225dx will float, I found that out the hard way, I was following my friend on a Honda Fourtrax, He told me to follow him through this really swampy area, So I did and didnt think too much about it since my 225 does so well in stuff like that, Everything was going fine until I happened to hit a really deep spot where a truck had got stuck, The next thing I knew, I was floating and turning sideways and starting to head the wrong way, So I figured Id head for the high sand trail about 15 feet in front of me since I couldnt turn it &
get back on the mud trail....I got about halfway there and, then the thing turned over on me in the water... I didnt know it but I was in the middle of a swamp hidden canal between the trail and the muddy trail where people ride., That damn canal was soo deep, I had swim the thing to the side dragging it behind me floating upside down,,,, After I finally pulled it out of the canal, It was soo flooded with water, It wouldnt start up again, I had to be towed for miles to get back home so I could clean all the water out of everything.... It did float really nice for a little bit until it flipped over on me, You could definately tell it was floating.....,The problem with trying to float them is you dont have any control over them.....

[Dammit!]

I remember that dirtwheels issue. It was a 1985 200x with paddle tires. It floated with the front end completely submerged and pointing straight down with just the a little bit of the back end sticking out of the water. They didn't try it with a smaller trike with balloon tires though.

[TTribaLL]

Yeah, if you have the right bike with the right tires it will float. My cousin had a 110 with huge balloon tires and it would float, but don't expect a 250r to float.

[Yamada]

I want to see pics of that amazing subject. Too cool.