Back in 1986 my parents bought my sister and I (me) a new 1986 Honda Fourtrax 200SX four wheeler. The year before that my cousins parents bought him a new 1985 Honda ATC200S three wheeler to replace his Honda ATC90 three wheeler that was destroyed in their barn fire in March of that year.
My 200SX had shocks and springs for the front and rear suspension and worked great for that period. His 200S had adjustable front forks and a solid rear, with no suspension that was as rigid as could be and sucked. Nonetheless, both machines were pretty comparable. My 200SX was way more stable in the hilly areas and at higher speeds. His 200S could maneuver in the woods better as long as it was relatively flat. Both machine towed pretty much the same, they had about the same power. Both had 5 speed auto clutch, manual shift transmissions, my 200SX had reverse. The 200S was lighter but top speed they were about the same.
When I turned 18 I bought a new 1992 Honda Fourtrax 250X. It was a nice sporty ATV with a 5 speed manual clutch, manual shift transmission and fully adjustable suspension. I should have bought a Yamaha 350 Warrior instead. They were a little bigger. I'd probably still own it. I sold the 250X a few years later and bought a Ski Doo MX 470.
My cousin is and probably will alway's be a three wheeler guy as long as he's out of jail for DWI-DWAI charges and not paying child support. He bought a very nice used 1987 Honda ATC250SX. It was pretty nice, had a 5 speed auto clutch, manual shift transmission with reverse and shaft drive, with working front and rear suspension. Crack the throttle at pretty much any speed and the front tire was off the ground.
I bought a new 2000 Yamaha Big Bear 400 4x4. I went up to his parents farm soon after I bought it in Sept. 1999. We rode the way we used to when we were kids, just out tooling around on the 475 acre farm with 1000's of additional acres of land around theirs for hours at a time. Later that year I went back up to go hunting with him just after thanksgiving. It was wet, muddy and then we got 4 to 6 inches of wet heavy snow while I was there, but the ground wasn't frozen yet. I ended up towing him 1/3 of the time when we were moving from one spot to another or going in and out of the woods, fields ect. He had brand new Wooly Booger tires, it was just like a 2x4 four wheeler when he would try to go up a hill or through the light marshy area's we had to go through. For serious hunting or trail riding in our area in late fall, winter and early spring, I'll take a 4x4 four wheeler any day. . . . .actually I'd take a four wheeler no matter what. That's just me. I have a 5 foot Moose Snow Plow on my Big Bear. But we don't do things togther much anymore. He's dug himself hole that I aint going in!
Had some friends years ago, actually brothers that had a 200X, 350X and 250R ATC's (5 and/or 6 speed manual clutch, manual shift transmission). The 250R was a two stroke. They would flat out. . . . .fly, quick and fast. Another friend had a Yamaha 225 Tri-Moto shaft drive 5 speed auto clutch, manual shift transmission which was really nice and a Tri-Z 250. That moved out pretty well too. My best friends 1988 Fourtrax 250R four wheeler was pretty much just as fast and was way more stable. That being said, as long as you don't bother or hurt anyone else, you should be aloud to ride what ever the heck you want.
NYH1!
