'87 Honda ATC 500R ??

**ATC crazy** · 03-22-2003, 07:21 PM

Sweet trike 250RMAD! very cool. Im getting goosebumps 8)

**KASEY** · 03-23-2003, 02:27 AM

here she is with dirt setup,, there isn't a dirt tire made that will hook up with all the power it has,, you can roast the tires at any time . i think my 250r is faster in dirt trim ,, but not in the dunes!!!

**ATCnut** · 03-23-2003, 03:11 AM

Here is a interesting thing I found a while back. I was looking for trike owners manuals at servicehonda. Look at the very last line, there was a listing for a 85 ATC500r manual. It has a HA9 product code. seaching at partsfiche, I determined that the OM is the only part listed for that product code. I believe that Honda was thinking about it, fits in with Maico 500's data. Plus there is a OM listed for a 87 350X, and a 87 250R.

**ATC crazy** · 03-23-2003, 09:59 AM

They even have a '88 ATC250ES listed! Pretty cool. Imagine if Honda did mass produce the 500R? Hehehehehe

**Billy Golightly** · 03-23-2003, 02:33 PM

There is one magazine circa late 1986 or so that I believe Howdy has that says that Honda has been testing on a new ATC500R. Marty Hart supposedly rode it and was one of the testers and said it was the biggest power house machine that he had ever riden, and that it handled like a dream and litterly floated across the terrain. Mr ATC says that there might be one at the Honda motorcycle museum in Japan. Maybe one day I'll take a trip over there and look at it.

**Maico 500** · 03-23-2003, 08:10 PM

The info I heard stated that Marty Hart had a BIG hand in the development and design of the ATC 500. If anyone has an original copy of the '85 ATC 500R owners manual, I will pay GOOD $$ for it. Name your price.

**ATCnut** · 03-24-2003, 12:23 AM

I do not think the ATC500R Owners Manual ever actually existed. I tried to order one right after I found the listing for it, and was told that the parts listing was loaded before parts were actually available. For some reason the OM got loaded before Honda decided to cancel the model.

**SpeedyTide** · 02-22-2007, 02:18 AM

Honda did indeed build a prototype ATC 500R. It was tested by none other than Honda Factory Pro Rider Marty Hart who won numerous races & titles aboard the 250R's.

I'll have to do a search on where I'd read it, but Marty said he tested the 500R and that it was scary fast. It also had IRS....YES Independent Rear Suspension.

Let me search...and I'll post up as soon as I find!

Look forward to chattin' with you all!

Long live the 3-wheelers'!!!

**SpeedyTide** · 02-22-2007, 02:23 AM

Originally Posted by ATCnut

I do not think the ATC500R Owners Manual ever actually existed. I tried to order one right after I found the listing for it, and was told that the parts listing was loaded before parts were actually available. For some reason the OM got loaded before Honda decided to cancel the model.

Correct. No owner's manual existed. The 500R was never made it to production. Not even close. Just as Marty Hart was doing R&D with it was about the time the whole "Ban 3-wheelers" started, and like others here have mentioned...Honda pulled the plug!

**voodoo1215** · 02-22-2007, 07:07 AM

I know this is an old thread, but has anyone thought of contacting marty hart and asking him personally? http://rock.off-road.com/rock/articl....jsp?id=329459 here is an article from 06 that says hes rock crawling now! i'd be willing to bet he would like to talk bout' the days of old!

just a thought!

**4cylinders** · 02-22-2007, 10:50 AM

hey, does anyone know the location of the honda museum in japan? I have a friend there right now, that may be able to drop in and check it out.

**oldsking86** · 02-22-2007, 01:16 PM

Now Jimmy Whites back in racing too, just a crew chief though, but for Kawi and the new KFX450r's!!

Man would I love to see one of these 500r atc's!

**deathman53** · 02-22-2007, 01:23 PM

Other honda protypes extisted too, atc480r, atc200r, atc500x, who knows what else? I read from Mike Coe, that the 500r did exist, he rode it, and the result was that everything was moved forward 1" on the frame of their atc250r's. I saw pictures of the trx250r in prototype stages and read the reviews. Hondainvited a bucn of the racers to go to somewhere near mexico to test ride the atc480r(cr480 motor in 83 atc250r and other changes), they all loved it, but said it was way too fast for the general public, the atc500r, probably came to this fate also. Wasn't a atc500x that was made by nick nickolsen and used for honda to see if they liked the idea, sold not that long ago, to someone on this site???

**oldsking86** · 02-22-2007, 01:38 PM

I know the 200r exhisted someone on here owns one, and my bosses son "owns" one haha I told him to bring it around one day for an ass whipping too

As for the 500x, yea someone on here grabbed it off ebay I think, very nice bike too. Of course they loved the bikes, everybody loves honda's smooth suspension, as for to much power thank the people who banned these bikes and with more power that just made it worse!

**4cylinders** · 02-22-2007, 02:50 PM

hey, found the honda museum site. only atvs on the display list are trx70 and us90. no list of what is in storage. I'll still see if I can get my friend to stop and check it out. one of the displays is a very interesting 750 flat track racer.

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