John's '85 ATC200X - Time to Say Goodbye

"Aren't those things illegal?"


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"And I thought his name was Johnny?"

Right. So yes, this is Johnny1996 who posted this. I go by Johnny on here because literally so many people call me that, that it might as well be my real name rather than just John. And no, three wheelers aren't illegal... anymore. In 1987, a ban on the sale and manufacture of three wheeled ATVs was put in place by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and expired 10 years later. This ban would grow to be THE single most controversial thing related to these unique machines, and even still to this day. Anyway, moving on (mainly because there's a whole other forum out there that can teach you anything and everything you want and/or need to know about three wheelers, which will remain nameless), this red, white and blue, 282.2 pound, three wheeled piece of awesomeness is my three wheeler. Want more info? Keep reading!

It's a Honda ATC200X, a 200cc four stroke powered sports ATV produced by Honda from 1983 to 1987. This one in particular that I own, as I'm sure you've seen by now, is a 1985 model. I picked her up earlier this year, on April 6th, for $1400 including the original owners manual a full title, registration and license plate; I also got a Clymer shop manual. The bag by the handlebars was added by me a few weeks later, which will be ditched in favor of a new rear rack and toolbox sometime in the future. I just have some basic tools in it, like a screwdriver, ratchets, etc that I may need while out on the trails. There's also a tow strap in there, which led me to find out that taking a tow hook to the gentleman sausage hurts like a after I dropped it while checking for damage (as I stupidly tried to yank the strap up to catch it from falling, the hook hit a footpeg and flew up right into my man area).

I've actually named her Anastasia after this song. And speaking of a man named Slash, GTPlanet's own @Slash is the guy who got me absolutely hooked on these things a few years ago and without him, I most likely never would've acquired Anastasia or even thought about getting any three wheeler. He himself actually has pretty much the same thing I do, but it's his job to tell you guys about that, should he ever want to.

This trike has been all over my Instagram page and Snapchat story, as well as my Google+ page. The G+ page up until now us where I've been documenting all the work that's gone into her, which isn't a lot since the thing ran perfectly when I picked it up. Now, GTP joins that party, so now both here and Google+ get to see what I'm up to with Anastasia. In fact, I don't think that other forum I've mentioned has even seen this trike yet. Recently I've been in the process of repainting the once rusty as hell exhaust to help clean up the looks of it while I'm waiting for parts to come in to finish a brake job.

So all in all, this trike is a pretty badass machine, at least in my book. By far the best amount of money I've ever spent, and my 2nd greatest purchase I've ever made. My first greatest purchase is my truck, which I don't even have yet as crazy as that may sound. And that reminds me, I had to either have this thing delivered or hauled home in the back of the family minivan, but I elected to have it delivered. And it was in the back of an '02 Ford, which only made the three wheeler look better (don't kill me ). And finally, yes I have more pictures and even a video of it running. If you want those you can either wait or claw and dig your way through my Instagram account. Nothings on YouTube just yet, as I'm waiting until I can take the trike somewhere to ride it (for the first actual time since I've only gone less than 100 yards in my backyard).

Hope you enjoyed Anastasia and will continue to do so. I know I will. And you know something? If they ever ban these things again only the outlaws will have them.

 

So glad you finally got one, you were so excited the day you brought it home. And yeah that's the same machine I have haha

 

I forgot to mention the ban was a voluntary agreement by manufacturers to cease production and was NOT required to be followed at all. After the agreement expired 10 years they could be produced again. In 2008 a law passed that banned importation of 3 wheeled ATVs, but not internal production. This is why most conversion companies exist that convert new machines to the old style.

 

It sure took me long enough. But what didn't even take me a few days was the thought of getting a second one. Unlikely at least for now though.

And I must admit I haven't really studied too deep into the ban, so that's one of the things that I didn't know. Or maybe I did but just forgot since we've talked about trikes a pretty decent amount before. Mainly it's been not really having any time or getting caught up in other things that have gotten in my way.

I also saw your video on the '87 250R and 350X by the way. Pretty huge stuff.

 

Argh Anastasia sometimes makes me really angry. My latest issue? I took off the heat shield from the exhaust and a bolt broke. I tried getting an extractor in the broken stud to pull it out but the extractor broke too. I tried drilling out the broken extractor but with no luck. So the question is, how am I supposed to fix this and get the broken stud out?

Also, I had to get a new rear brake fluid reservoir and that came in last week. Yesterday I was finally able to pick it up and sometime today if nothing comes up, it's going on. Just my luck with the shop though that I had to wait 10 minutes for the owner and the only tech he had working that day to look for it after they misplaced it. Not the first time and definitely not the biggest issue I've had with these guys, but I'll get into that another day.

 

Today's order of business is to (hopefully) finally finish up my brake job and at least start the repaint of the exhaust. The pipe still needs cleaned up some before I can lay some primer down, so I'll take care of that first. Just the pipe that goes from the cylinder to the muffler is getting repainted, nothing else. I get the joy of working in 90 degree heat so it'll be a long day but it's nothing I can't handle.



EDIT: So the shop gave me the wrong part (for $60) but they have a zero return policy. The part they gave me was the rear brake reservoir which is what I wanted but it doesn't fit my trike. But because of their zero return policy I had to make it work and zip tie it to the trike. I should've known something was up when they told me it was a push down and turn lid but I got a screw on lid.

So with this latest crap from these guys, I'm officially done with them. Now if I need parts or service I have to go 25 miles compared to five. I might have already briefly covered this, but after the crap I went through with my Husqvarna I've had enough of these guys.

 

In the first spoiler below is the brake fluid reservoir, in the second is a toolbox I picked up today for the trike so I can ditch the handlebar bag for a slightly cleaner look.

The plan for the box is to buy and install a rack like this in place of the stock grab bar and work with a friend to custom make brackets that I would nut and bolt to the box, then bolt to the rack. However it'd be done in such a way that the rack itself wouldn't be modified in any way, thus keeping it good enough to use for its original intended purpose. That will also help with easy install and removal so I could only have the box on the rack when I need it. I could also completely custom make a new rack with the help of said friend, but I like the first idea better, as it seems it'd save a lot of time. Money I don't know yet since I haven't started pricing anything yet, but the box was only $15 and can be used for other stuff if my idea doesn't work out.

Spoiler: Reservoir

Spoiler: Toolbox

 

It's been a while, and I'm up late thinking about the trike, so I might as well give an update on her. I decided to ditch the new rack and toolbox idea in favor of something much smaller. What that new idea is though I have no idea. I could probably get away with custom making my own tool kit and attaching it somewhere where it wouldn't be too noticeable on the trike like some models had from the factory.

Also, I spent a good 30 minutes last weekend learning how to take turns on the machine. I actually pulled an arm muscle doing so, probably just going too hard too fast.

 

The update on Anastasia isn't a good one but it's not really a bad one either. I repainted the exhaust a while ago, which took at least two months. After I rode the trike the last time, which was when the video above was recorded, the paint started peeling even though I used the correct paint. What most likely did it was the Rustoleum Rust Reformer I laid down under the primer. The re-repaint on the exhaust is going to take place this coming weekend at the earliest. This time the rust reformer won't be used.

Also, I briefly thought about trading the 200X for a 250ES, pictured at the end of this post. The 200X and the 250ES are some of my absolute favorite trikes from Honda at least and the ES is a pure utility machine rather than the sport model that is the X. You can plow snow, hook up a small trailer/wagon, tow, etc with the 250 which is why I thought about trading my X for one (or selling the X and using the money for an ES). However this idea has since been abandoned, but it brought along a new idea.

That new idea would be to get a newer bike to ride to help keep the wear and tear down on the trike since I want to keep it as original as possible and pass it down to the next generation. However I don't have the money right now to that, and I also need a truck or SUV with a trailer to haul the trike, so the truck is first priority. And now that I say that, you're probably wondering why I don't just sell the trike. Well to be kinda blunt about it, that trike ain't going anywhere. Not even if these things are totally outlawed and the government has to take them and torch them is the trike going anywhere (that's a little extreme I know ). I don't care. However buying a second machine of some type isn't that big of a priority. The thing that is a priority no matter what is getting a truck and possibly a trailer. And for the record when I say "truck" I'm using it as a universal term for either a truck or an SUV.

So that's it for my update. As mentioned, here is the ATC250ES, nicknamed the "Big Red." I won't dive into technical details and specs since if someone wanted them they could just look them up themselves (no attitude or anything intended).

 

The paint peeled because you didn't use high temp paint. It will melt right off it you dont.

I would hold onto the 200X. Those have far better value and are a better machine.

 

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Update time, but not a good one. Over my schools election day mini break some friends got together and organized a big ride day with a lot of people. I was invited along so I started tearing into the trike getting it ready for the ride. When I tried firing it up I heard a nasty popping sound which I think came from inside the engine. If you've ever broke a bolt while removing it or tightening it, that distinctive sound is exactly what I heard coming from inside the engine. Therefore the trike is out of commission until after winter when I hopefully have the money to fix whatever it is. Right now I have the time to tear into it but because I'm going to want to get it fixed asap but don't currently have the money to do so, I'm not touching it. Since this day that this happened, she's been stored for the winter. Spring time will bring about an overhaul of anything the trike needs. Bearings, cleaning, etc. And as for selling the 200X, I've decided not to.

 

Nothing new on the trike, just a shoutout to my GTP-less friend Mikey who told me to sell the trike in favor of an old Ford Highboy when I told him I wanted a '77 K20 (said friend hates Chevy everything). I'd assume this would be @Slash's response as well.



On a more serious note however, here's a picture from the night I brought Anastasia home. I stood on the 5th rung of a ladder for this one.

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I wanted to share a story from before I had the 200X, one that will end up being a long one and I'm not leaving out any details. Special guest appearances include a Suzuki and a Husqvarna.

It was October 2015, Halloween to be exact. I was with family around the area of the dealership and repair business where I bought my trike from. As we were driving past the place, I saw a three wheeler which I thought was an ATC70. I always wanted an ATC70 to customize and turn it into a pit bike, so after we were done with our business we stopped so I could look at it. I couldn't tell from the road, but the trike was in pretty bad condition. Rust everywhere, parts missing, severely faded plastics. I also found out that it wasn't a 70, but a Suzuki ALT50, which is even smaller than Honda's ATC70. I also found out that parts for these 50s are next to nonexistent. The shop owner and one of his employees spent a good 20 minutes trying to fire the machine up, but the three of us agreed to give up and the owner and I would talk about where to go next while the employee went back to work on a Kawasaki. The owner asked what I wanted the 50 for, and I told him I wanted something to fix up and sell for more money when it was done. He recommended the Husqvarna bike that was sitting a couple of feet away, a Husky Boy 50cc and pictured below, so we talked about the Husky for a bit and I decided this was what I'd take home with me. It ran and rode, and was $400 so I figured it would be an easy flip. This was where I later found out that I was dead wrong.

I brought it home and started tearing into it. Nothing significant, just small stuff and things I could fix with what little tools I had at the time, which was pretty much just two ratchets and two handfuls of random sockets. All I could do was fix a crack in a thin part of the frame where a bolt threads in to attach the plastics. That was it. A few days later I started riding it and getting used to being on a bike since it was the first time I ever had such a machine in my life or even rode one. I had no experience on dirt bikes or ATVs, three wheelers included. My friends wanted to bring me along for a few rides with them but nothing was ever organized while the Husky was still in running condition. Fast forward a month and this is where the bike goes from the best thing I ever had to my worst nightmare.

I was about to store it for winter, it's still 2015 by the way, and I wanted to get one last ride out of it. I fired it up and it ran for about a full second, then it shut off with a few spurts of grinding and knocking noises. The following day I tore into it and found that the clutch had nuked itself and looked exactly like this. After doing a bit of research I found out that this was actually a fairly common problem with the engines that were used in my bike. Due to a lack of special tools and knowledge on how to fix this, I decided to take it somewhere for service. My friends suggested to take it to the shop where I got it from so I did. They were all for me taking the Husky there, so I figured this was a safe move. This was on a Friday so I scheduled an appointment to drop the bike off the following day. From here things just went downhill real quick.

On the following Monday I updated my friends on the situation and basically got called stupid and yelled at for taking it to the shop I did even though these were the very same people who told me to take it there in the first place. When they told me to take it down there they had nothing but good things to say about the place but now they were going on about how it's a terrible place that's full of people who have no idea what they're doing and charge way too much for service. For obvious reasons I couldn't take the bike back in my hands now that it was on the shops property for service and they don't allow machines to leave their property until after they're done. Fast forward two months from here and what I heard about this place is quickly becoming true. They hadn't even pulled the bike into their shop yet at this time so I figured this would be a long wait. I stopped in a couple of weeks later to buy some tools since I was on a tool buying spree and asked for an update on the bike. The owner told me that a clutch he ordered two weeks prior went missing in his shop so they had to bring another machine into the shop until they found it. Three weeks later I got a call from him, saying that he ordered and received a new clutch but it blew apart just like the original one upon startup, and he went ahead and ordered a third clutch (without calling me for approval I might add). A few weeks later I called him for another update on the bike and he said that the third clutch came in and that too blew apart just like both the previous ones. Each clutch was an $80- $100 part and the shop has a labor rate of $60 per hour, so this repair was quickly becoming a very expensive fix, not to mention the fact that this bike was just supposed to be a quick, simple flip and I was getting tired of both the shop and the struggle the bike was becoming. I told the shop owner that I'd be in the next day to talk to him about the Husky. I thought things were finally going decently okay, but I was wrong.

Upon stopping in, the owner and I talked about the bike and what my plans were for it, which were to sell it and put the money toward a shed, then buy a three wheeler since I always wanted one. He was on board with idea, especially since he's a trike enthusiast himself and me buying a three wheeler was the very first thing I ever mentioned to him almost a year before I originally found the Husqvarna. This was when we branched off into talking about his 200X, which is now my 200X that you see in this thread, but we got back to talking about the bike. After about 20 minutes of talking, we reached an agreement that I'd take the bike back home unfixed and would only have to pay for one clutch and one hour of labor, which was only $130, because of how big of an issue the thing was becoming. Since I couldn't take the bike back home that day, the shop owner told me that he'd hold it overnight and his guys would put it back together as best they could without the clutch. At this point it was officially four months since I first dropped it off. Also at this point is when the trike came into the picture in a bigger way, with the shop owner saying that he'd also have it ready for me to look at the next day; he had it at home in his personal collection of 24 other three wheelers across the main three manufacturers.

The next day, I went to the shop with all the money I needed for the bike and the trike (I'll focus only on the bike here). The shop owner brought out the bike and went back inside to get the parts, which were in a zip lock bag torn to shreds. He had a tech help me load the bike up but he completely half assed it and left me do all the heavy stuff. Literally all the guy did was hold his hand on the seat after it was inside our vehicle despite the kickstand being deployed; he was no help whatsoever. Upon going home, I found out that a few bolts were missing and the bike wasn't in any different condition than it was the day before, which was the opposite of what I was told would be the case. From here the the bike has been sitting untouched and is still in my possession. I will talk about the early stages of the trike in a future post in this thread.

 

You may see the new title of this thread and be thinking "dear god no" or "what the is wrong with you" but bear with me. The possible "new trike" is my Husqvarna I talked about previously. The plan would be to convert it to a three wheeler since after seeking advice about selling it, it was determined that I wouldn't get anywhere close to what I'd like for the bike. This however isn't a final plan as I'm still thinking about going through with it and one of my friends was interested in looking at the engine to see what it needs. And even if it was a final plan, I'd still need the money to pull it off. Plus right now my priorities are buying tools, buying a car or truck and getting the 200X fixed. In that time though I'll have time to think about converting the bike to a three wheeler and decide if I really want to do it or not. In the meantime I'm going to pull the engine and talk more to my friend about looking at it.

For those who are curious where I go the idea from, it came from my knowledge of the Cagiva three wheelers from the 80s, which were bikes that got converted to three wheelers. Today the Cagiva trikes are some of the rarest and most desirable such machines ever made, and while I wouldn't have nearly anything like that with the Husqvarna, I'd at least have a nice project and something to do that I don't really do a whole lot of. Not to mention the fact that this would help with there never being anything for me to do at home.

Also, I mentioned talking about the early days of my three wheeler in my last post and said that I'd talk about that in a future post. Provided I don't have anything else to post for my message I add here, my next post will be about those early days.

EDIT: So this is one of only two "group photos" so to speak that I have of the Honda and Husqvarna. I don't know where the other one went I can't find it. In the other it's the 200X in the foreground.

 

Decided that for now I'm going to pull the engine and look at it with a friend, then determine what it needs and what to do with the bike as a whole.

 

It's been a while my last update, so I figured I'd give one.

The Husqvarna is for sale, and I have two interested buyers so far. I'm waiting for further talks with both to see if one of them will be buying the bike. I had a third potential buyer but the bike needed more work than what they were willing to do. Once the bike is sold, the money is getting stashed away and after winter is over, it will be used to get the three wheeler whatever it needs and hopefully by then I'll have an income again to help.

Also, I never did completely pull the engine and look at it with my one friend. I had it all unbolted and ready to come out, but I needed a tool to seperate the chain master link which I couldn't buy. As the engine was just sitting in the frame awaiting a chance to buy the chain tool, someone stated their interest in buying the bike, so I put everything back together. As of now, like I said above, I'm just waiting for someone to take it off my hands.

 

If things work out, I'll be taking the three wheeler over to a friend's house for a bit of work and possibly a ride with some other guys and their machines on this coming Sunday. Provided I do go over to my friends house with the trike, I'll at least have a better idea of what it needs and what's wrong with it in preparation for the spring time. As I told @Slash, I'll be completely overhauling the machine if I can afford to do so.

However, in the mean time I'm going to be working on custom making a bracket for the rear brake fluid reservoir. The local shop, as I believe I've mentioned previously, gave me the wrong part and they have a no return/no exchange policy, so if you end up with the wrong part no matter how expensive, you're stuck with it. My part was the rear brake fluid reservoir, which was $60. The original reservoir, which I no longer have, just bolts right into the frame with two bolts. This new one only has one bolt hole, and because of the way it's made and where the bolt goes through it, the original bolts are too short. As a result, I had to zip tie the new fluid reservoir to the frame of the trike. There's nothing really wrong with this, but I'd rather have it bolted in since it's more trustworthy and secure compared to the one maybe two zip ties I have holding it in place. Also, the weld bead on the frame gets in the way of removing and installing the lid and the screwdriver itself, so it's annoying to work with in its current state.

I can't really explain my idea for the bracket too well, especially since I haven't designed anything yet let alone actually look at the mounting point for the reservoir. However I do think I could make a basket of sorts for the reservoir to sit in, but I obviously have yet to see if such an idea will work. I'll need to pick up some sheet metal, snips and bolts, which may just happen tomorrow. And if nothing works, at least I'll have some snips, which I've been intending on getting but have pushed to the side since they're not as essential as some of the other tools I need to get. Finally, I've attached an image of my current brake fluid reservoir to help give a better idea of my current setup, and if anyone happens to have an idea let me know, even if it seems like something really simple.

 

Buy them on eBay they are like $20.

 

I would do that but I don't have a way to pay for it. I have the money and eBay is definitely a cheaper option, but I can only pay with cash or a check right now and I'd much rather not use a check. I'd much rather prefer PayPal. I also don't know if I'd have to wait for a card to come should I apply for one and I'm in a time crunch. But above all there are some other things I need to make for other stuff that will require sheet metal so I'm going the more expensive route. I hate to do it and it's not exactly the world's greatest idea but it'll be quicker and there's no guarantee I can have a new reservoir here by this Sunday.

 

eBay is PayPal compatible.

 

Yessir. Just don't know if I'd have the account ready or card in hand or anything in time. I have no idea how it works other than its a payment option.

It's funny. I can swap a transmission, run a compression test, tell someone how a sprint car wing works, even the basics of how to operate a sprint car. All kinds of mechanical crap. But I can't tell you how clouds are formed, what the pancreas does or how anything beyond cash and checks work and about really just anything learned in the average high school.

 

Just finished up for the night with the brake fluid reservoir mount. The design thus far looks like absolute but it'll work temporarily which is all I was going for.

I was able to score some 5" x 7" loose sheets of very thin sheet metal for 36 cents each and four washers for even less than that. I even got to use the original bolts so I saved about 50 cents there. Not much but I'll take it.

As of now, where I'm leaving off for the night, I have a strip of sheet metal between the reservoir and the frame, and another strip going around the front of the reservoir. My plan for tomorrow is to add a lower support of some type but as of now I don't know exactly what. Below is a picture of my progress. It's not the greatest looking thing on the world but like I said, it'll do.

And yes I know my trike is dirty as . I'd have it washed by now if I had a working hose hookup at my house.

 

Today I started putting together my Moose bag with some equipment and mounted it on the trike again. Along the way I got the idea of creating a custom toolkit out of PVC pipe to mimic the ones that came on some ATC models from the factory, but I'm probably not gonna bother with it.

In my post on Tuesday I mentioned that I might be going on a group ride with some guys on Sunday. Long story short I'm not too confident that I'll even be able to go and that has nothing to do with myself or the trike itself. And because of that I'm toying with the idea of selling the trike again. There's not really a point in having one or anything like it if I don't have anywhere at my house to ride it or won't be allowed to take it somewhere to ride it. But we'll see I guess. I'm not really doing too well right now which is getting in the way of everything.

 

Today I removed all of the non original decals from the machine. In these two photos you can really see how dirty this trike is, especially the engine. And regarding the group ride that was scheduled for tomorrow, I won't be going now. My friend who was supposed to pick me up had something come up and he couldn't do so anymore, so another friend was supposed to pick me up instead but he couldn't get me back home. No one else in the group could help me out with a ride so that's when I made the choice myself to stay home. It's not all bad however, as preparing the trike for the ride has given me more than enough motivation to overhaul this thing in spring time. Not to mention that I got a very tiny head start on doing that overhaul these past few days.

Also for a "fun fact" of sorts, I was able to confirm that the front tire on the machine is the original one all the way from 1985 and it still has decent tread left on it.

 

I'll be cleaning the carb this weekend and maybe the entire machine as well. I pulled together $60 worth of loose change I've been saving and that will hopefully find its way into the bank tomorrow in exchange for bills or a deposit to go toward overhauling the trike. I also might be able to repaint the exhaust. I already have everything I need to clean the carb and repaint the exhaust so the good news is I can jump right in immediately after breakfast tomorrow or Sunday.

 

I wanted to update the situation on both the Husqvarna and the Honda since it's been a while. Here it is.

The Husqvarna may just be out of my sight soon and finally sold. However I'm not 100% sure. As for the Honda, the carb has been cleaned but needs looked at again as I apparently left a connection or something open since fuel is going straight through it and out the vent tube when the fuel shutoff valve is open. This will be fixed in hopefully less than a month from now. I have the time to do it but I'm just waiting until the weather warms up a little.

Also, the trike too may be getting sold. I'm slowly yet rather quickly coming up on needing a car or truck and selling the trike is my best bet for getting a car since I don't have a job right now and also don't have any transportation to get me to and from one. I really don't want to do it but I may be forced to. I guess I'll see what happens at some point though. Until then I'll continue to do what work on it I can.

 

Since its been just shy of a month since my last update, I wanted to give a small update on the two machines and maybe rant a little knowing me.

As for the Husqvarna, I've dropped my price down to $200, which is my bottom offer, after pretty much getting screamed at for asking $400 for it in its condition by the very same person who originally told me that $400 price was a good one when he knew full well what the condition was (the same then as it is now). So far everybody who has been interested in the bike has backed out which isn't good since I need the money and the bike gone asap.

For the Honda, I found a new brake fluid leak on the front that wasn't there three days ago and the machine hasn't moved by it's own wheels or had the front brake applied at all. I have it sitting on some Harbor Frieght movers dollies to make it easier to move when the need be, and when I came home from school one day, an already frustrating day got worse when I saw something had leaked on the front tire and the dollie. I can't even find exactly where this leak is coming from which adds to it. To make things worse, both of the bolts holding on a crucial part of the muffler near the spark arrestor broke when I was trying to undo them and they were the only two bolts holding the part on. I now have a grand total of three broken bolts on this thing with no apparent way to fix them.

Also, someone decided to make a comment the other day that I'd only get scrap money for the trike if I were to sell it. Not gonna lie, that got me pretty fired up but I didn't show it. But it definitely made me want to sell it just to spite him and show him that the trike is worth a lot more than just scrap. Then again this is coming from a kid who is the absolute closest minded person you could ever meet in your entire life so it probably wouldn't have worked anyway. Plus 99% of the time he's an hole to anyone and everyone that even just slightly differs from the way he is. Gotta love people I tell you what.

Now on a less ranty note, I got some help from Slash and a couple friends to try to resolve my carb issue mentioned last post. Hopefully if circumstances allow it to happen, I'll be fixing it as well as R&R'ing what needs it. Tomorrow I should have a tentative grand total. The plan right now is to get the trike running and operating in pretty good condition and possibly sell it. As I said previously, I'm coming up on the need of a vehicle and without an income which shows no apparent signs of changing soon, but if I can keep the trike that's the plan. Plan A is to keep the trike with plan B being to sell it.

 

So I looked up prices of brake pistons, brake rebuild kits, a master cylinder rebuild kit, bearings for all three wheels and steering stem, and a carb rebuild kit. I pretty much went through an entire Moose Racing catalog and wrote down everything they had for my trike. I figured if I did it in a "worst case scenario it needs everything" way I'd be better prepared for the actual price and have a better idea of what parts I actually need cost. After all its better having a possible price and end up spending less than that price than it is to spend more and risk not being able to afford it. At least tbe way I look at it. Anyway, price total is about $200 which is a little cheaper than I thought it would be. Then again that's all for relatively minor stuff.

Also, I haven't done any actual hands on work with the trike this week like I wanted to. I've had the time but just haven't been feeling too well this week. I didn't want finding anything wrong to add to it. It was already a storm and a half to be quite honest, I don't need more than that.

 

Today was met with a lot of frustration. I intended on working my way from the front of the machine to the rear and I started with the brake fluid leak. I did manage to find it, and it looks to have been caused by a massive tear in a rubber dust boot. I'm not sure if this alone is fixable or if I'll have to buy a new complete caliper, but this week I'm going to a service shop to get whatever I need ordered. I looked earlier and couldn't find anyone that had a caliper so I might have some trouble. We'll see.

After I was done with the caliper, I started with the carburetor but this didn't last long. I took off some parts to make the required room to pull the carb off and started to wrench off one of the bolts holding it in place. Right as I took it out my cousin came out of nowhere with her kid and three other kids completely unannounced and without permission from anyone, and one of the kids started messing around with my tools. Threw a couple sockets, my only 1/4" ratchet which ended up breaking it, then got into my toolbox and dumped out a steel stamp set all over the floor, picked up a prybar and started using it as a light saber, and somehow got a hose clamp stuck on his hand. The entire time my cousin is there laughing her ass off as I'm pretty much yelling at her to control the kid. Then one of the other kids tries to sit on my Husqvarna which was behind my trike and falls over, which causes him to hit his head off the grab bar on the trike and put a bad scratch in the license plate. It was just a big mess. My cousin and the kids finally left to play in the yard and I was left picking everything up, and pretty much said " on it" and tightened the only carb bolt I had out back up and put everything back together.

I went on my way and ate some lunch as I finished some schoolwork, and cleaned up my room some to make room for a new shelf. Then I took a nap and pretty much sat around all day doing nothing. When the day began I was already frustrated enough but everything else that happened added to it so I needed to give myself some space. And going back to the trike itself, I'll probably try something with the carb again once I have the caliper issue solved which might not be for a while. I'm in no hurry whatsoever so I'm doing everything one thing at a time.

 

On Wednesday I ordered a front brake caliper rebuild kit for the trike from the local shop and got it today. Well surprise surprise the guy got the wrong part, it was for an 86-87 200x and not an 85 which is what I have. 99% done with the place after today. On top of that mess I discovered I have a bad fork oil leak and with that, the cost has gone past what I can afford to do so I'm pretty much left with selling the trike being my only option. I have about $200 to my name right now with $60-80 of that not being touched no matter what, and I'm coming up on the need of a car and a job as soon as possible. An additional $200 could come from selling the Husqvarna if the only current interested buyer I have does in fact buy it. But other than that that's all I have and that isn't going to last very long at all. So as said, I probably will end up selling the trike. I really don't want to but I have little to no choice. Probably my next update on the machine will come once it's sold.