Engine – It is powered by an overhead cam, four-stroke, air-cooled single-cylinder powerplant.It came in six versions – the 200, the 200E/ES that featured a maintenance-free shaft drive and 700-pound towing capacity, the 200M and 200S, and 200X – a high-performance sports ATV that came with full suspension and lightweight aluminum wheels. It featured suspension and rear racks, which were uncharacteristic of earlier ATC models, distinguishing it as the first utility three-wheeler. It was the seventh in the line of all-terrain cycles (ATC) the company released since the revolutionary US90 made known to the public in 1970. The Honda Big Red 200 or ATC 200 series was the last three-wheeler model Honda produced concurrently with the Honda Big Red 250. Enthusiasts believed that both of these elusive models sold outside of the U.S. People often compared The ATC 250R with the Honda Big Red 350 or Honda ATC350X. The ATC 250R, in particular, introduced Pro-Link suspension, folding footpegs, a 246-cc liquid-cooled powerplant, and six-speed transmission, and featured an Enduro-Harley Davidson front aesthetic. There were three generations of Honda Big Red three-wheelers produced, all targeted towards consumers who needed a reliable machine and sports racers who were looking for a better suspension and engine displacement.īack in 1981, the Honda Big Red 250/250ES and 250R was a lifesaver for racers who, at the time, relied on trikes with less than 200-cc to get them through races. The Honda Big Red 3 Wheeler is considered the last of the Mohicans in the ATC world and came out in different versions. Justin Baeder, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr What Is the Honda Big Red 3 Wheeler? Learn more about its design, powerful engine, and remarkable functionality, and how it got caught up in the ATC controversy in this article. Easy to maintain and perfectly adequate for commercial and agricultural work, this trike quickly became the “farmer’s favorite.” Introduced in 1981, the Honda Big Red 3 Wheeler (ATC 200 series) set the beginning of Honda’s utility all-terrain cycle lineup. Well, this was true until the great production ban happened in the ’80s. And yet, the Honda Big Red 3 Wheeler became the next big thing to the ATC 185 – a praiseworthy prototype to the all-terrain beasts that we know today. It was a bit small, had balloon tires, and did not look the part of a sport-utility vehicle. Between my dad teaching things and me rebuilding this trike from one end to the other several times, I learned the most important part of anything in life: the basics.Disclosure: We may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. I think it even helped form my path in life because without having owned that particular trike, I may not have gotten so involved with mechanics and machines.

I had as much fun on that three-wheeler as a person can have with a machine. During wheelies, it had a good balance point that was lower than most bikes so I could easily and smoothly ride a wheelie through all five gears without constantly fighting an over-wheelie, and yes, I used the clutch when shifting. Most people think of three wheelers as poor climbers, and most of them are, but the 200x had a longer rake on the front-end than any other ATC and that, combined with responsive power and a great power-to-weight ratio, made it a superb hill climber.Ī second benefit of having good chassis geometry was smooth wheelies. Maybe it’s because the front-end was so much more controllable. For some reason, I could really climb on this thing, more so than I could on my four wheelers which I can climb quite well on. My favorite activity on this trike was hill climbing.

Honda 200x 3 wheeler