First of all, I have noticed alot of conflicting information over the years of the 185 and 185s. Most comes from questions about swapping wheels and body plastic. I figured since I was going to post the ID numbers, I would address this.

The 1980 ATC185 is EXACTLY the same threewheeler as the 1981-1982 ATC200 other than the piston,rings, and cylinder. This 185 has 9" wheels, two individual rear fenders, a rear center toolbox, and a seat that was easily removed, but came off seperately from the rear fenders. This was the only "Non-S" 185 built. It was the only fullsize ATC that had a round headlight. It also was the only 185 to come stok with 25" tall tires.

The 1981 ATC185S was named after it's Small 8" wheels and 22" tires which were previously only used on the ATC90 and ATC110. Hene the name 185s. The frame has the same dimensions as the '80 185 but is different regarding bracket locations for plastic. The rear fenders are one piece and are easily removed while still attached to the seat. It came with a square headlight.

The 1982 ATC185S was identical to the 1981 with minor updates.

The 1983 ATC185S got front suspension and a few updates.

Frame ID Numbers

1980 ATC185....TB01-2000013 and up....Round Headlight, ToolBox,RemovableSeat, 9" Wheels, 25" Tires

1981 ATC185S..JH3TB010*BC100008 and up....Square Headlight, Removable rearfender/seat assembly, 8" Wheels, 22" Tires

1982 ATC185S..JH3TB010*CC200001 and up....Headlight Switch and KillSwitch located on left handlebar

1983 ATC185S..JH3TB010*DC300013 and up....Front Suspension, DogLeg style Levers, Bolt-On Rear Sprocket, Large Gas Cap


Engine ID Numbers

1980 ATC185.....TB01E-2000013 and up
1981 ATC185S...TB01E-2100001 and up
1982 ATC185S...TB01E-2200013 and up
1983 ATC185S...TB01E-3000008 and up

 

so i guess the carbs would be the same? i need to order a carb kit and ive seen so many differnt kinds im confused.

 

I havent found one brand of carburetor kit that was as described or even packaged properly most of the time. If I HAVE to buy a kit, I usually go with a early (81-83) ATC 200 kit as you will always be safer with the larger jets than smaller ones. Ive seen some kits with jets waaay to small for even a stock 185 engine. The needle taper on the 200 kits (if properly made and packaged) is also a bit more radical than the needle that comes with the 185 kit depending on the brand.
My personal favorite brand? I dont have one. They are all terrible. But I will say that the Keyster brand is total junk. Gasoline melts away the float needle in a matter of just a couple months. Figure out the irony of that one. LOL

Generally, I do not mess with these kits at all. If I build a carb, I replace the float needle valve and everything else is cleaned in a supersonic jewelry cleaner. Best damn carb cleaning you will ever get and it cleans every crevice.
If the carb is dead after that, I chunk it and replace it with a new one from an XR200. The bore is slightly larger than the regular 185 or 200 but the stock intake doesnt restrict it and it still gives you a noticeable boost in mid RPM power. Best of all, it is still available and cheaper than the ATC model carbs. Depending on the dealer, they usually run from $150 to $160.
Remember that half the problems on these old trikes arent bad needles and float valves, but bad float needle seats, and they are NOT replaceable. In some cases, the $160 purchase for a new carb is worth more than all the hours you will spend cleaning and tuning a 20 year old carb that has seen several seasons of "non use".

Some on here have argued with me before that a carb never goes bad. That it can always be rebuilt and made to run and perform new again. I agree to the extent of that until the needle seat is worn out,...but I will never see the justification for the amount of hours spent achieving it verus the price to fix the whole problem in less than 10 minutes with a new carb. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Just my .02