A top speed test of the most iconic # Wheelers to come out of the 1980s! The Honda ATC250R vs Yamaha TRI-Z vs Kawasaki Tecate 3! Check it out as we pit these classic 2 stroke ATVs against each other!
I had a 86 250r with spacers on the rear axle, that was the most fun machine ever, I'm still kicking myself for selling it. I went to the sand dunes one time and was absolutely destroying everyone that tried to drag race me, that thing was so fast it was almost unbelievable.
Sold my stretched 85 a month ago. It now feels like a loss in the family. I was racing a friend’s turbo Razor and on the sand I got it up to 74 mph. Plenty fast enough to die. A chance we cheerfully take. Merry Christmas to all!
The greatest three wheeler ad ever: The centerfold ad Honda ran in 1985. A shadowed silhouette atop a hill with the text "What to see what the other guys want to build for 1986?" Fold it out for the full color view and the text "The 1985 Honda ATC250R". Kawasaki and Yamaha did exactly that, but could never match it. What was even more amazing than the racing record of the ATC250R was the racing record of it's successor, the TRX250R. That machine was still winning a decade after the last one had rolled off the assembly line. It took the sanctioning bodies limiting the age of vehicles eligible for participation to clear the way for the modern 4 strokes to finally take over all the different series.
Had that on my wall as a kid Got Every Dirt wheels and 3 wheeler action unfortunately threw them out when I moved out in 96 from home always wanted a 250R or 350x had a 85 200x that was built
I still have my 85 kxt 250 tecate. Im am the original owner and the engine is still on the original top end. Its never been opened up. Only mod is a full dg pipe and jetted thats it. Its been a couple years since i started it but i bet it fires in 3 kicks still. Baddest 3 wheeler ever made used to run circles around by buddies 86 suzuki 250 quad racer. Oh and the tecate would have beat them all if it had that 6th gear, just saying.
@@TheMapleDude1The 84-85 KXTecate had essentially the 82-83 KX transplant case, with a few different parts. I've drug a banshee and kept up till the top of fifth.
Im 47 and grew up riding them. Wish they still made them. Ive owned almost every model ever made at some point or another. My favorites were my '86 250R and my '85 350X. I would love a 2024 1000XX 3-Wheel Drive! 😂
You guys ever hear the Story that Honda was going to build an Atc 500 but one of the riders testing it crashed and died so Honda Shelved it. I know I read it somewhere years ago
I love this video. I'm 63 yrs old now but in 1985 I bought the Kawasaki Tecate 250 brand new. That thing was a rocket. My friend from school bought the 1985 Honda 250 R at the same time. It was a rocket as well. We used to drag race these machines and my Tecate got a 1 1/2 trike lead at the start and then we just held that position right to top speed. He couldn't gain and I couldn't pull more lead. In 1976 I was 16 yrs old and used to buy a brand new bike every year with my holiday pay from work until the mid 80's. I own many Can Am's , Kawasaki's and one Yamaha (TY175 trials which was used). Wish I still had those machines because some would be worth some money now, especially the 1977 Can Am MX3 175 pumpkin. Side note: You have an air leak on that Kawasaki and you are going to melt a piston. I have a lot of experience with this and have melted more than half a dozen pistons on my 3 Honda FL350's that I own. Cracked intake boot or base gasket leak. You have been warned.
Oh I am aware the idle does hang some... and I've replaced the intake gaskets I know they are good. The boot also looked fine. I've never heard of it being a cylinder base gasket, though.
@@TheMapleDude1 It could also be a crankshaft seal gone which is more like the case here since you say nothing seems obvious. Had that happen on my Honda FL350's as well.
yea my dad bought one new in the day and said all the gears the front wheel would come up, very hard bike to handle. I'd say this bike has lost most of it's power Tecate should of took 1st.
Great video! Thank you for this comparison and love your channel. Classic collector here from New Hampshire and now Vermont. Keep that Maple Syrup flowing and the Classic wheelers going!
I had an 85 tri-z 250. If you removed the wheels and put them back on the opposite way. Just turned around, you gained 2 Inches width on both sides. 4 inches wider. Might have even been more the rims were offset just for that purpose. How many Yamaha owners actually knew that. It was the fastest of the 3, top speed wise. But the 250r was the best looking by far and the tecate' was the sketches to ride. Damn do I miss my teen yrs. All the fun with none of today's drama. Had like 5 channels on the TV and had to rotate a dial for every number on the phone. And those dam busy signals. You could call the operator and tell them you needed to make an emergency break through. They would somehow get on the busynline and tell them that so and so was trying to reach the. And it was an emergency. Wow watching this vid allowed my brain to recall something I would've never recalled for rest of my life. Thanks guys
I had a Yamaha Yellow 1984 Tri-Z 250 and my buddies 250R was always faster at the top end but I could take him in the short. Another friend had the Tecate. So much fun. Awesome machines and you have to say the Tri-Z may have been the coolest of the bunch.
before i had to sell my mint 85 250R, i really wanted to just pickle it in grease and save it forever, suspecting i would later regret selling it. and yep, always have. sometimes dream that i'm still riding it, and i have always had nice MX bikes both before and after the ATC250R... shows ya that thing was just special. i can't believe how many rigs you guys have!
Always nice to see these 3 together. Too bad Suzuki never made an ALT250R 3-wheeler, but it looks like Quadzilla is in a league of its own at 82 mph. I see that This Old Trike got his slightly modified 1985 ATC350X up to 65 mph. Merry Christmas to TMD and Jack, and thanks for the videos!!
If you want your 65 miles per hour trike to do 75, 80 , or more all that is necessary is small axle sprocket and /or larger output shaft sprocket. I.E. , change final gear ratio.
LTR500 Rattled itself apart and always broke constantly. Was definitely a beast 𝙉𝙊𝙏 everyone could ride or handle but my LoneStar Banshee smoked them easily.
I enjoy your video bring back memories, I had a used 1985 Honda 250R and it was pretty fast until a old pro dirt bike racer rebuild it and turn it into a killer quad . ❤
Love it. Thanks Brother. Just seeing those beautiful machines all together and running still is flashback to the good ole days. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
My stone stock 85 Tri-Z topped out about where this one did in the video here , but once I got my Engine builder here in San Diego , the late Jim Pileggi involved and we Dyno tuned the engine after full port & polish, built custom pipe & redid terrible stock head squish band area ,it made 45 hp , and ran consistent 93-95 mph speeds as timed at sand drags out in Drag races at imperial sand dunes here in So -Cal . I still have it to this day and am it’s original owner , but it’s been unfortunately sitting now in my storage barn & needs some minor brake work now from sitting and I’m sure a full Carb cleanup & such to get back in operation again. I sure did have fun running with the Banshees up all the major hill climbs back in it’s hay-day though , and looking at some astonished faces when I won.!! Great memories.
@@crashalexander7232 Was re-geared for running Smaller diameter old school paddle tires slightly smaller than stock . If memory is correct I think it had 15 tooth counter shaft sprocket & 38 tooth rear at axle . Engine also ran a few rpm over stock limits as well …. Up to around 9800 rpm or maybe even 10,000 . We fully balanced Crank & flywheel, ran Wiseco piston , and with Jim’s stage “3” porting & the pipe we built it transformed that thing , along with 38mm flat slide Mikuni Carburetor and modified Reed cage from I believe a Yamaha YZ 490 . When it came on the pipe , IT CAME ON THE PIPE!! 😉. Three wheelers at 90 plus mph are pretty damn scary to hang onto & I got pitched off a few times & still have the scars to prove it , on legs & right arm from broken bones & such . One of my favorite things to do back in those crazy days before I got married & had kids was to jump the Osborne overlook road out at Glamis dunes along with a couple others . We would set up spotters to direct / detect traffic & would hit the crossing around 50-60 mph and launch probably 15-20 feet into the air for over 65 feet long to land on a nice downhill dune on other side to cheers from on-lookers. I completely destroyed my rear shock on one such landing completely ripping out its internals and blowing the reservoir hose & reservoir clean off the bike . To say my buddies & I were a bit nuts would have been an understatement back then.
The ole blue seat alone brings back so many memories, got a 80 dirt bike when I was 8 yr old, by 9 I had a 50 , lol my clutch progression was slow at first and very painful and my dad had to pat for the wooden fence I tried to use for brakes, didnt work
Hi guys, I've just come across your channel nice to vid really nice to see the old school trikes,more please. I'm in Wales, UK and Im lucky to own 2 of these 1985 yamaha tri-z 250. First one i had when i was 12 in mid 90s and second one i bought in 2005. There getting harder to come by over here
3,250r- 1 ,triz rode it handful of times it started to implode on itself. And my buddy had tecate. Nice bikes all of um but I'm more of Honda than any thing.
Me TOO ... ! ALL THREE OF THESE WERE THE BEST OF THE BEST ... ! AND I TOO , WISHED THAT SUZUKI WOULD HAVE MADE A TWO STROKE 250 CC THREE WHEELER TO COMPETE WITH THESE ... ! THERE IS ONE OFTEN FORGOTTEN "SECONDARY BREED " OF TWO STROKE HIGH SUSPENSION RACING / SPORT THREE WHEELER THOUGH ... THAT COULD AND WOULD OUTRUN ALL THREE OF THESE AWESOME TRIKES ... AND THAT IS THE MIGHTY TIGER 500 . ( ACTUALLY ONLY A 482 CC AIR COOLED ROTAX ENGINE ) ... BUT STILL ... WAS THE " KING TRIKE " OF ALL OF THESE. JUST LIKE THE SUZUKI QUADRACER 500 " QUADZILLA " ... IS THE " KING QUAD " OF ALL TWO STROKE QUADS BACK THEN TOO. I ALSO WISHED HONDA , YAMAHA AND KAWASAKI WOULD HAVE ALL MADE A 500 CC TWO STROKE RACING / SPORT QUAD BACK THEN TOO ... ! AS I ALWAYS HAVE HAD AND ALWAYS WILL HAVE MUTUAL / EQUAL RESPECT AND LOVE FOR ALL FOUR OF THE " BIG - NAME " BRANDS OF ATVS / BIKES ... SUZUKI , HONDA , YAMAHA , AND KAWASAKI ... ! 500 CC LIQUID COOLED 2 STROKE ENGINES IN RACING / SPORT THREE WHEELERS ( FROM THE FACTORIES ) ... WOULD HAVE BEEN SOO AWESOME TOO ... ! BUT NOOOOOOOOO ... ! THREE WHEELERS WERE TOO UNSTABLE AND TOO DANGEROUS ! 😮😅😮😅 ( ONLY ACCORDING TO WUSS -PUSS PEOPLE AND NON - SKILLED RIDERS AND BIASED NON - EDUCATED GOVERNMENT BEAUROCRATS / POLITICIANS ) OF COURSE ... !
@@TheMapleDude1 now you got me thinking! Google maps says we are only 2 hours and 5 minutes away from each other. Maybe we could set something up in the spring? I’d come down to do that if you’d like to. Let me know what you think about it.
I had a Honda 1986 350X four stroke & my buddy had a Kawasaki 250 two stroke "same years", through the gears he could get me but top end my 350X would walk away from him. What great memories. Thanks for the video.
@ Well I'm afraid it did, not by a lot but 1st through around 3rd or 4th he would get me by a half a bike length but after that my 350 would walk away from him. And that happened time & time again. And yes my 350 was completely stock, he had some kinda loud ass pipe on his & he put little flat tracks tires on the back.
7 месяцев назад
@@scottyellis3442 Well you see now, facts come out. And trust me, I have more miles on a 350x than most people have on their cars. The reason you believe your initial comment is because what you stated in your last comment. You stated the Tecate had tiny little tires on the back (likely flat tracks). Well, that is the only explanation as to why a 350x would take a properly running Tecate at all, especially in the top end as the flat tracks destroy top end speed. However, that’s where your story falls apart further, if the Tecate did indeed have flat tracks on, he would have DESTROYED your 350x out of the hole unlike your story of a few feet. Anyway, memories can be quite foggy after a few decades have passed.
I had the yellow & black Tri-z, loved that thing! So much fun! I feel old hearing you say vintage, lol. Man your collection looks like childhood buddies parked at your garage
@@TheMapleDude1 Right on man! Congrats on them, you have some beautiful machines! I have a collection myself but they’re all modern. Rzr xp, Husky TE300 2stroke, couple sportsman’s for me & the kids, a few smaller KTM 2strokes that my boy races, & a few TTR’s they ride in the woods. I still love my 2strokes, easier to rebuild & so much fun in the woods. I doubt any of them will go up in value though like these
I had the Honda last year of the air cooled used to laugh about people saying they were dangerous - then one day the thing flipped over on the left and handlebar stabbed me in the ass bent the axle ect fixed it up and someone stole it , I loved that 3wheeler
I'm in South Georgia and there is a 250R a guy is selling about 30 mins from me in Excellent condition, looks almost new for 7200. It's an 87. Great Video
I bought an 86 250R brand new off the showroom floor. Wish I never sold it . Mint condition $500 when nobody would buy one. State Police said mine went 69MPH not sure if I was wide open yet but definitely headed in that direction.🤔
Awesome video brings back so many memories grew up in northern pa and we rode hard me and my buddies have the scars to prove it lol great job keep the videos coming
Back in 2017 someone stole my 1986 ATC250SX it was in rough shape but ran like it was new... it had a super trap pipe and a aftermarket rear rack cracked plastic rear and front and a trailer hitch. It was taken by Cambridge Minnesota... 😢 my dad helped me buy it brand new back in 86... oh and it had a plastic aftermarket gas tank. I really miss that trike.
Early 90s I had the Honda 250r. Built to race with all the toys. I used to drive a woods racer budy of mine nuts on his modified CR 500 that he use to race with. I couldn't pass him in the woods but I could easily stay right behind him. Also had a beautiful 350x...wish I had kept em both
@@TheMapleDude1stock for stock,a 350x won't run with a 250r flat out but on the trails with its fat torque curve,the 250r would probably struggle a bit to keep up.
Glad to see you guys having fun with those machines and not letting them sit like restored monuments, Reminds me of my '84 Tecate I got new, guy showed up at our riding spot with a tricked out one, same year, mine is bone stock. did 3 out pf 3 races, they were dead even, he was pissed.
What I love best about the Honda is when your foot slips off the kicker and that prick slams back into your shin. Makes for an awesome start to your day of riding
Oh, that brings back memories of wobbling front tires at high speeds on three wheelers and just getting dumped off of it because the front end wouldn’t shake the wobble. lol. Imo that is why the 3 wheelers are no more.
Who else had a tri z 250 with the quad conversion on it? When 3 wheelers started getting banded in the 80's there was a company that made a conversion kit.
@TheMapleDude1 mine had Suzuki quadracer front fenders on it. Not sure if that's hie they came. I bought it from my brother in law. Kinda wish I still had it. It'll probably be a collector piece one day. Lol
Awsome video.. miss both of my 200x. Should of never got fid of them. Would love to find another one. Really would like to get ahold of a 350x but i can never find one for the right price
Hello from MN. Nice trike line up. Had both not the tri z tho. My 85R has the 350pv kit. If I hear that up it will hit over 90 with 20’s. That’s pretty cold. Might want to bump jetting up on those cold Wisconsin pulls.
Thanks for the video guys! The Kawasaki is definitely Lein though. The idle hangs. Put some more fuel in it and it might do better and probably be easier to start. If it's just pilot you might get it with the fuel screw. 👍
look for a crack in the boot between the carb and head or the bolts are loose from the gasket shrinking. its sucking air after the carb. spray ether around the boot to be sure. idling high after cracking the throttle isnt just lean jetting.@@TheMapleDude1
The carb needle also should have notches and is probably set too low. Move one up. Ski has the right idea, replace the intake manifold and check the reeds at any sign of cracking. 84 KXT, rocking the fat drum front.
I was thinking the same thing Carb or Air leak that thing didn't want to IDLE down. When NEW I thought the Tecate was the faster machine just handled like crap.
I never understood why these things got "banned" (I know it wasn't really a ban it was a manufacturer's agreement). They should have just made a licensing program for them, as they should all ATVs and dirt bikes. Starting with training courses for kids on mini bikes, and graduated licenses for different machines. If they actually wanted to help with injuries that would have actually done something. Bobby government would prefer to outright get rid of them because it's exhort more power
@@TheMapleDude1 just happened to stumble onto One of your videos where you do the top speeds of the Tri-Z, 250R, and tecate which was very interesting When we were kids back then everyone said that a 250R would do 90 and a 200x would do 70 and it's funny because it was" common knowledge" to all of us how wrong we were 😄 FYI I just subscribed and forwarded your link to a couple other people I thought might do the same
Bought an ‘85 Tri-Z in ‘88. It was blown up so I took it to the dealer, dropped it off and said, I’m headed back to Germany, if it needs it do it, let my dad know whenever your finished, no hurry. When my mom actually picked it up, he came riding around the corner and mom said to him, wth? Is he gonna get hurt on that thing? The guy said, we had to bore it out .30 over, had a little trouble with the carb so it’s gone be rich till after break in. We’re thinking it may hit 80? Man it had to be close. Scariest thing I’ve ever ridden… not because it was fast, because of how fast it got there…..😅
Greetings from Taylor county. If you ever make it up by Medford we have a whole bunch of people with a pile of 3 wheelers. We usually do a few of trike only rides every year.
Miss all my old 250R's as owned 5 and built them all up. My last was my 89 which was really a 330 because it was a stroker motor with long rod and spacer plus larger carb with tunable LRD pipe and muffler all on a Laeger custom frame. Did alot of semi pro racing ans even was sponsored up until broke my neck.. Would give anything to own another but prices are beyond insane.
@@leadboots72 but we are talking trikes here so ........one would assume he is talking 3 wheeler....which in fact were made until 1988 just not sold in USA after 86.
My pops is coming town next week for the holidays, i'm gonna make him watch your vids -we did these same things 25 yrs ago in rural Iowa, him on a Warrior and me on my LT250R. Thanks for the content, guys!
Not sure what’s wrong with your tecate, it was speed rated from dirt wheels at 72 mph at the time. I had one and got pulled over on it by the cops. He said I was going 73 mph. I also used to race it at the county fairs back then. The best feature of that tecate was the twist throttle not sure why any one would take it off.
Fella's I love your content. Honest evals, thank-you, keep em coming. I'd like to give you advice on starting 2 strokes, it seems you kick a lot when cold. I have big bore's 500cc bikes and a Quadzilla. On 500cc bikes, you turn fuel on, lean it over until a little fuel drips from carb vent hose. The chokes just don't work well on a cold start. So by leaning it over, you also spill some fuel into the carb throat. Then with throttle off, choke and ignition on, you "sissy" kick them. Not trying to start yet, just push the kicker from top to bottom, nice and easy (to get the fuel in the chamber). About the 6th or 7th sissy kick it will go phew out the exhaust. This tells you the fuel air mix is perfect now in chamber. Next is a full hard kick, it should start. Once you know what the bike wants (every engine is a little different), it went phew on #6, next cold start give a full hard kick on #6. I would try this on your 3 wheelers, easy to lean them over. BTW, can achieve same results by blowing into the carb vent hose, for a 4 wheeler that's hard to lean over. Hey test some dirt bikes also, old 2 strokes against new 4 strokes.