Another WTF banned 3 wheeler?

[3WW Star-CoeShow]

I was right in the thick of things when all of the legal crap started hitting the fan back in 1985. Honda was hit the hardest of all the manufacturers due to significantly higher numbers sold. The lawsuits started a snowball effect that was costing Honda so much money the dollar amounts were staggering.

The actual deaths per capita of vehicles sold (per CPSC) was way down on the list when compared to bicycles, skateboards, boats. etc. etc. By the data compiled by the CPSC, 3 wheelers were not as dangerous as many items found in most households.

Again, the problem was money and lawsuits. Honda even agreed to pay back FULL PURCHASE PRICE for ANY 3 wheeler for a given time. If you had some non running rusted out hulk, you could drag it to your nearest Honda dealer and get a full refund! How messed up is that?

The ABC television show 20/20 helped start the snowball effect. They produced an awful 1 hour show that really got people in a tizzy.

There may also be some law that was passed against any future ATC/3 wheel personal recreation vehicles being manufactured or imported to the US

You can be SURE Honda will NEVER bring them back. Too bad. I feel they were and are better than ANY quad. Faster too........

You know, Honda was selling 3 wheelers almost faster than they could manufacture them. If you were around in the eighties you know how hot they were. EVERYONE wanted a 3 wheeler of some sort. They were must have items!
The same people who were buying them up were also the ones that turned against the manufacturers because lawyers convinced them they could "make a fortune" in a legal settlement.

And it wasn't just 3 wheelers! People are just friggin' dumb and lawyers do all they can to earn a corrupt living. As reported earlier, many of the deaths and dismemberments and other crashes were ALCOHOL related!! I believe the percentage was a staggeringly high number!

There was a suit from a guy who sued Honda because he got drunk and mowed his yard with a Honda Mower. Since he needed to trim his hedges, he decided to tape the saftey rail down to the push handle so the engine wouldn't be shut off when he let go of the push bar.

This way he could lift the mower and trim his hedges while lifting it up from the mower base! The guy tripped and his arms were amputated as he fell into the wide open mower. This guy was Darwin All time winner!

The dollar amount even to get to court is staggering. Honda settled out of court for so many STUPID accidents and suits that it would make you crazy!

They did this and still do to keep their clean reputation, as do most other large OEM manufacturers. Chevrolet finally put 20/20 off the air when the show rigged an older saddle tanked 70's Chevy pick-up truck to "show" how dangerous they were. After numerous failed attempts at an EXPLODING pick-up truck in a semi-real staged accident, the crew added explosives to a truck for the desired effect.

Eventually one of the rigging crew members spilled the beans and Barbara Wa WA and 20/20 was off the air. The televised apology from ABC executives to GM was incredible! I have never seen such public ass kissing. It was all good because that show put a lot of good people out of jobs and many fine products and even auto manufacturers bankrupt.

I could talk about this stuff until you are blue in the face! This whole deal cost me my job with Honda Racing and the mighty ATC250R went away with it. Let it be known that there WOULD have been an ATC500R had all this crap not happened.

Plus I lost my favorite job of all time......... Racing 3 wheelers.

Good luck and ride safely.

[Twilight]

I can say the same about the odyssey's, the rate they were being sold at was good for the 250 model, but then one roll over after another due to morons not knowing what to do seemed to end it. The lawsuit against the Odyssey models came in 1993 I believe, when a man without a helmet fell out the side of the 250 model and was paralyzed from the neck down. I received a re-call notice in 1994 and when I brought my 250 in and 350 in to be looked at for repairs in 1996, they told me to scrap the death traps.

Only one honda dealer will help my machines now, and thats because he is a Odyssey lover like me.

[RedRider_AK]

I was right in the thick of things when all of the legal crap started hitting the fan back in 1985. Honda was hit the hardest of all the manufacturers due to significantly higher numbers sold. The lawsuits started a snowball effect that was costing Honda so much money the dollar amounts were staggering.

The actual deaths per capita of vehicles sold (per CPSC) was way down on the list when compared to bicycles, skateboards, boats. etc. etc. By the data compiled by the CPSC, 3 wheelers were not as dangerous as many items found in most households.

Again, the problem was money and lawsuits. Honda even agreed to pay back FULL PURCHASE PRICE for ANY 3 wheeler for a given time. If you had some non running rusted out hulk, you could drag it to your nearest Honda dealer and get a full refund! How messed up is that?

The ABC television show 20/20 helped start the snowball effect. They produced an awful 1 hour show that really got people in a tizzy.

There may also be some law that was passed against any future ATC/3 wheel personal recreation vehicles being manufactured or imported to the US

You can be SURE Honda will NEVER bring them back. Too bad. I feel they were and are better than ANY quad. Faster too........

You know, Honda was selling 3 wheelers almost faster than they could manufacture them. If you were around in the eighties you know how hot they were. EVERYONE wanted a 3 wheeler of some sort. They were must have items!
The same people who were buying them up were also the ones that turned against the manufacturers because lawyers convinced them they could "make a fortune" in a legal settlement.

And it wasn't just 3 wheelers! People are just friggin' dumb and lawyers do all they can to earn a corrupt living. As reported earlier, many of the deaths and dismemberments and other crashes were ALCOHOL related!! I believe the percentage was a staggeringly high number!

There was a suit from a guy who sued Honda because he got drunk and mowed his yard with a Honda Mower. Since he needed to trim his hedges, he decided to tape the saftey rail down to the push handle so the engine wouldn't be shut off when he let go of the push bar.

This way he could lift the mower and trim his hedges while lifting it up from the mower base! The guy tripped and his arms were amputated as he fell into the wide open mower. This guy was Darwin All time winner!

The dollar amount even to get to court is staggering. Honda settled out of court for so many STUPID accidents and suits that it would make you crazy!

They did this and still do to keep their clean reputation, as do most other large OEM manufacturers. Chevrolet finally put 20/20 off the air when the show rigged an older saddle tanked 70's Chevy pick-up truck to "show" how dangerous they were. After numerous failed attempts at an EXPLODING pick-up truck in a semi-real staged accident, the crew added explosives to a truck for the desired effect.

Eventually one of the rigging crew members spilled the beans and Barbara Wa WA and 20/20 was off the air. The televised apology from ABC executives to GM was incredible! I have never seen such public ass kissing. It was all good because that show put a lot of good people out of jobs and many fine products and even auto manufacturers bankrupt.

I could talk about this stuff until you are blue in the face! This whole deal cost me my job with Honda Racing and the mighty ATC250R went away with it. Let it be known that there WOULD have been an ATC500R had all this crap not happened.

Plus I lost my favorite job of all time......... Racing 3 wheelers.

Good luck and ride safely.

You know, I would say something like "send this to CPSC", but honestly, it wouldn't make a damn difference. I think that whoever wasn't convinced that the CPSC is bull****, will be convinced by this. Straight from the horse's mouth.

[TrailerRider]

There was a suit from a guy who sued Honda because he got drunk and mowed his yard with a Honda Mower. Since he needed to trim his hedges, he decided to tape the saftey rail down to the push handle so the engine wouldn't be shut off when he let go of the push bar.

This way he could lift the mower and trim his hedges while lifting it up from the mower base! The guy tripped and his arms were amputated as he fell into the wide open mower. This guy was Darwin All time winner!

I thought that was an urban legend. You me that actually happend! What a Dumb A** Mofo

[Chillyboarder]

LOL!
So much to crack you up, though many sad and stupid stories.
Yeah about those cases it's just disgusting, with the world going like this it'll never be the same again. One case, not about atc's but if I may. My brother had told me it, I'll try to post pieces of what I remember.

An elderly woman had bought a "mobil home"? She put on the cruise control thinking that it would automatically steer also, went into the back to do her stuff and it crashed. She sued the company of which she bought it from and she won.
Seriously, that age and having a license and then having that stupidity...

[road rage]

i dont have the patience to read the whole article but from what i saw..can anyone say operator error..all that could happen on a bicycle

[Rustytinhorn]

I just saw an add on t.v that stated that "4 wheelers are naturally unsteady due to the design of them....If you have been involved in a 4 wheeler accident (such as breaking your own arm or leg) then call this number and get the money you deserve because of the design" Hahahaha.....Its not like you are forced to ride one. 4 wheelers are startin to get the same crap too.

Then when it went back to the regular show, (wich was go-kart racing) there was a driver that had crashed, and guess what one off the rescue vehicles that rolled up was....It was a Big Red three wheeler decked-out with emergency equipment.

[3WW Star-CoeShow]

This is a fact:

The 3 wheeler is not dangerous, nor is it a dangerous design. Anyone that keeps one and still rides one knows this to be true.

The problem is PEOPLE! Alcohol and drugs don't magically get into anybody's blood. People made 3 wheeling popular and certain people made them go away. We've all heard the term, "one bad apple is all it takes".

Unfortunately there were many bad apples when it came to 3 wheelers......

Guns don't kill people either........ I can still buy a gun! ( And have many!)

Good luck and ride safely.

[BigReds Forever]

Oh man, this one is just plain funny.
THE 29-YEAR OLD MALE VICTIM INCURRED CONTUSIONS AND ABRASIONS ALL OVER HIS BODY WHEN HE WAS KNOCKED OFF HIS 3-WHEEL ATV AS A DEER STRUCK IT AND HIM WHILE TRYING TO JUMP OVER THE ATV. HE WAS RIDING IN A DIRT FIELD BY THE WEEDS. HE WAS NOT WEARING A HELMET. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL, TREATED AND RELEASED.

[longbedGTs]

Good grief! Thats something you see staged in a movie, not in real life!
I think we should photoshop some pictures depicting these 'accidents'.

[RedRider_AK]

I think we should photoshop some pictures depicting these 'accidents'.

13. A 15 YEAR OLD, 5'4", 100 LB. MALE DIED FROM FATAL HEAD |INJURIES AFTER THE 3-WHEEL ATV HE RODE CRESTED THE TOP OF A LEVEE |(HILL) AT A SPEED TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS, BECAME AIRBORNE & FELL |20 FEET TO BOTTOM OF A CLIFF. VICTIM APPARENTLY RODE UP INCLINED |SIDE OF LEVEE AT 35-40 MPH, NOT REALIZING OPPOSITE SIDE WAS A CLIFF |WHICH DROPPED STRAIGHT DOWN. VICTIM WORE NO HELMET OR SAFETY |EQUIPMENT. AUTOPSY INDICATED NO BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT. SMALL |AMOUNTS OF COCAINE AND MARIJUANA WERE FOUND IN VICTIM'S CLOTHING |AFTER ACCIDENT. ATV RECEIVED MINOR DAMAGES.



I did this one for Nick_R_23 on the boards while we were chatting on MSN. "Borrowed" the image of him riding a wheelie on his 200 and turned it into something out of Huevos 15. Surprised to find a real use for it...

[jeehole]

1985 marked the end of the Jeep CJ5 too because of a 60 minutes "expose" that claimed they rolled easily.

I wanna get CJ5 with a trailer and drive my 3 wheeler around in style!

[Rex Karz]

Did you see this one:
A FEMALE, AGED 23 YEARS SUFFERED A VERY | SORE LOWER TRUNK AFTER HAVING CONTACT WITH AN | EXPERIENCED ROGUE AND OPERATOR OF 3 WHEELED MOTORCYCLES. | FEMALE RIDER COMPLAINED OF SORE JAW | FEMALE WAS REPORTED TO HAVE HIGH BEAMS "ON" | ALCOHOL MAY HAVE BEEN FACTOR IN RESULTING COLLISION | A LOCAL CONTRACEPTIVE HAD BEEN USED | PATIENT REFUSED MEDICAL TREATMENT |

[TrailerRider]

Just thought I would list a few more I ran across today..


THE 23 YEAR OLD MALE VICTIM INCURRED A LACERATED LEFT ELBOW WHEN HE |FELL OFF A CAR HOOD THAT WAS ATTACHED BY A ROPE TO A 3-WHEELED ATV. |THE VICTIM HIT HIS ELBOW ON THE RIGHT CORNER OF THE CAR HOOD WHEN HE |LOST HIS BALANCE AFTER THE HOOD JERKED TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE ATV |TURNED LEFT. THE VICTIM WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE WAS |TREATED AND RELEASED.

Dam those 3wheeled hoods!

THE 23 YEAR OLD VICTIM WAS DRIVING HIS 3-WHEELED ATV UP A 10 FOOT |HILL THAT WAS COVERED WITH DRY SAND AT 7:00PM (STILL LIGHT). HE WAS |NOT WEARING A HELMET. HE DOWN SHIFTED FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEAR. THIS |CAUSED "TOO MUCH TORQUE" AND THE ATV FLIPPED UP IN FRONT. THE |VICTIM JUMPED OFF AND SOMERESAULTED. THE ATV FLEW UP IN THE AIR, |FLIPPING OVER. AS IT CAME DOWN, THE VICTIM TRIED TO PUSH IT AWAY |FROM HIM. THE HANDLEBARS TURNED AND HIT THE VICTIM IN THE EYE. |HE SUSTAINED AN ORBITAL FRACTURE AND A 1-1/2 INCH LACERATION ON |HIS RIGHT EYE. HE HAD 22 STITCHES AND HAS COMPLETELY RECOVERED.

""TOO MUCH TORQUE"" He must have been riding a Honda!

AN 11 YEAR OLD FEMALE DIED AS THE RESULT OF HEAD INJURIES SUFFERED |WHEN HER ATV CAPSIZED UPON HER. THE VICTIM WAS TRAVELING ON A DIRT |LANE AND HIT A ROUGH AREA WHICH CAUSED THE UNIT TO FLIP FORWARD. |VICTIM WAS REPORTED TO BE AN EXPERT RIDER WITH BETWEEN 500 AND 2000 |HOURS RIDING EXPERIENCE. THE DEATH CYCLE WAS THE THIRD UNIT OWNED BY|THE VICTIM. NO HELMET WAS WORN AT THE TIME.

Wow, a death cycle.. I would ride my death cycle at all times. And with "all that" experience wouldn't you think it she would have known better then to ride without proper riding equipment.

Feel free to spam that site to everyone

[Tri-ZNate]

This one still has me wondering WTF

A 34-YEAR OLD MALE WAS DRIVING A 3-WHEELED ATV IN HIS| YARD WHEN HE RAN INTO A WIRE STRETCHED ACROSS THE YARD; USED IN | PART AS A DOG CHAIN SO THAT HIS DOG COULD RUN FROM ONE AREA TO | ANOTHER IN THE YARD. THE VICTIM WAS DECAPITATED WHEN HE DROVE INTO | THE WIRE AND FELL TO THE GROUND; THE VEHICLE LANDED UP-SIDE DOWN. | OFFICIALS REPORTED HE DIED AT THE SCENE.