What happened to three wheelers? Someone please explain to me what part of legislation was enacted to make them unavailable in the United States, the Land of the Free. Will it always be illegal for any company to manufacture them? Are they available in other countries?

I remember quite well how the sale of three-wheeled ATVs was stopped in the mid-eighties. From what I remember, several media types and politicians seeking to raise their status in the world took three wheelers on as creatures dangerous to mankind. They made it their mission to stamp out the evil things and save all humanity from the death and destruction three wheelers introduced to the world.

So, they stood on their soapbox of the airwaves of America. They quoted facts. They spewed statistics. They even had footage of several nefarious machines caught in the act of mutilating their operators. Millions nationwide gasped in horror as these manmade terrors exacted their fury on innocent victims. The experts made their case, and a verdict was reached. The three-wheeled terrorist mutants had to go!

What the talking heads didn’t acknowledge is that their data was based largely on the misuse of three wheelers by riders and operators that didn’t obey the rules of safety and common sense. Footage most often showed crashes involving riders that were either not wearing the proper safety gear, were attempting to do stunts for which the machines were not designed or were just plain being stupid. Some riders, I explicitly remember, weren’t even fully clothed in some of the footage clips that were shown.

The data upon which the experts based their case was not well representative, in my opinion, of actual three wheeler owners and riders. They focused on those people that were careless, reckless and just plain stupid with ATVs and ignored the majority altogether. Instead of pointing out the errors made by these riders, they cited the design of the machines as unsafe. Regardless of how sensible and safe anyone rides and whether they ride with or without safety gear was no longer the issue. The lawmakers concluded that the three-wheeled menaces should be held accountable for the stupidity of their owners and were subsequently banned from this country.

Now, there are two schools of remembrance when it comes to three wheelers, the forerunners of today’s amazing ATVs. These groups are mostly divided by age. Older riders who grew up with three wheelers mostly remember them fondly and disagree with the concerns raised about their design. These riders know that when used properly, three wheelers were not only safe, but wonderfully fun and useful machines. Many sportsmen to this day prefer the maneuverability of an old three wheeler while in the woods to the advancements offered by many of today’s quads.

Younger riders look back on three wheelers differently. Some look upon them with much disdain and judge them according to only what they’ve heard and the fact that they are no longer available. Many of them have never even set foot on a three-wheeled ATV before. In their eyes, whatever advantages three wheelers may have had in terms of performance and maneuverability was severely handicapped by their lack of a fourth wheel and the stability of a quad.

The truth is, in spite of having one less wheel and corner to lean on, three wheelers did not give up much stability to their newer four-wheeled kin. Although riders did have to adjust their weight slightly for the different handling characteristics of the machines, on most terrain three wheelers and quads were usually evenly matched. Only in some special situations, such as on the side of a hill for instance, were quads given a clear advantage when it came to stability.

The tragedy of three wheelers is that they were not given a fair chance. When they were banned, they were just reaching the point of having real suspension. While the sport three wheelers did have good suspension, the majority of other models did not, save for a few of the top of the line utility models such as the Big Red. Most other three wheelers made do with oversized balloon tires and NO SUSPENSION WHATSOEVER to soak up the bumps. This resulted in a bouncing action with no damping effect when bumps and ruts were encountered. If ridden carefully, this bouncing could be managed, but if ridden excessively fast over a series of bumps, the bouncing action would soon overtake the rider’s control causing an accident.

In light of this fact, it is my opinion that had three wheelers possessed adequate suspension instead of relying on tires that were more akin to basketballs, there would have been far fewer accidents to report and we might still have new three wheelers today. In fact, most if not all crash footage that was shown on shows like 60 Minutes involved three-wheeled ATVs with no suspension. That is, according to my memory.

Another thing that contributed to the demise of three wheelers was the lack attention given to safety concerns. It’s not that it wasn’t there, it’s just that attitudes concerning protective equipment and safety were much different then than now. If safety had been marketed like it is now, that might have contributed to the survival of the three-wheeled species of ATVs. Back then, it just wasn’t “cool” to wear a helmet or even a shirt all the time when riding an ATV. Those things were mostly for serious racers or nerds that used pocket protectors.

Four wheelers, or quads, were fortunate to arrive at just the right time when ATV designers were introducing modern suspension systems to ATVs. While many of the very first quads did not have suspension at all and relied on the same balloon tires as their counterparts, it was not long before nearly all quads had at the very least a set of decent shocks and springs as standard fare. Had quads been out a few years prior to their introduction and earned a similar safety reputation as three wheelers, would they have been banned as well? That’s not too far-fetched of a question, if you ask me.

Recently while cruising the web, I ran across a site of interest. It was a site dedicated to old three wheelers and some obscure four wheelers. On that page, I saw a picture of a Honda TRX200X. Knowing that was not a machine that was ever available in the U.S., I decided to look for more information about it on the web. That led me to another site that appeared to be some sort of dealer or distributor down somewhere in Latin America. Mexico, maybe. Because the entire wording is in Spanish and I only know English and Pig Latin, I am not sure what it says. What I do know for sure is that there is a machine pictured there that you can’t get in these United States. It is a Honda TRX200X and there are specifications listed beside it.

If you look closely at the machine in the picture, you notice that the front appears to be a removable piece, similar to the old 3-to-4 wheeler conversions available back in the eighties. An immediate question comes to mind: does this mean that the old 200X is still available in other countries? And, if so, are other three wheelers available as well?

So, what IS the scoop on three wheelers? What does the law that bans them actually say? Can they ever be produced again by any company, even if only in very small quantity?


CONCLUSION

I appreciate you taking the time to read such a long post. I ask these questions because I would like to understand it, and more importantly, I think you should understand it as well. While the issue of the three wheeler ban may not seem that relevant to most nowadays, I think all ATV enthusiasts should try and understand why this came about and take steps to prevent that same thing from happening to quads, if history should try to repeat itself.

In this world of highly public (and sometimes very ignorant) political activists, there are many, many people who wake up each day and decide to take on a cause. Be it ATVs, guns, hunting, SUVs or freedom in general, there are those who would like to make the decision for you about your ownership, use and participation of things they deem as morally unfit. They feel that since you are not wise enough to make your own decisions, they and the government should make it for you.

You are best advised to arm yourself with knowledge, and plenty of it.

Mark Lochala
10/16/02

 

Oh, I almost forgot...

Picture of the Honda TRX200X

See for yourself!

 

MALOCHALA,

I am not sure how that picture was inserted but I can't find it in the line-up.

That has to be an old site that has just been kept going.

I know Honda doesn't make the trx300. By looking at the rest of the machines it appears to be 2 years old material. I could be wrong.

That was good writing and if you find anything else keep it coming.

Chet

 

I do know that three wheelers were produced for one more year in Canada than they were in the US, I had a dirtwheels subscription back in the eighties and they ran an article that said the 1987 250R was not to be released in america but you could buy it in canada and it was red white and blue, I actually have an old picture of one.
trout

 

i agree with you 100% i think that the CPSC is full of **** and i can put money on it that they have never steped foot on a atc they are a bunch of brain dead idiots. its too bad they stoped making 3 wheelers i would love to have a new one my self. i wasent in to three wheelers when they first started coming out but now i like to buy them and fixem up and ride them my oppinion on them is tehy are a great machine and still will keep in the running with alot of new machines even most of them.

 

i will voice my disagreement first.....to quote you "The truth is, in spite of having one less wheel and corner to lean on, three wheelers did not give up much stability to their newer four-wheeled kin"....can't agree there...quad is very very much more stable........now on to the rest of it....yes, i agree totally that they should not have been banned....most accidents were driver error....and a lack of respect for the machine...most of these drivers would have been hurt even if they were on a quad or an argo....ifather still has a 3-wheeler.... love the 3-wheeler...i''ve never had an accident on it...but i do have to be more careful...i'd like to write more on this but it's quittin' time...will check this out again tomorrow....

 

Looking at that web site again some of them Honda models are quite bizarre.

I think I am going to go pick me up a BIZC100.

This is a need, not a want.

Chet

 

you failed to mention that the biggest majority of people that were hurt or killed on three wheelers were kids, they shouldn't have been on them in the first place, we have had several incendents here in ontario, the most recent, about 2 weeks ago, not on a three wheeler but a 4 wheeler running a yield sign tee boned by a car, 13 years old he was killed, what it come's down to it's much easier to blame the manufactures than the parents of these kids what's next 5 wheelers?

 

As an owner of a ’85 Big Red, I must disagree vehemently with your assessment of the three-wheeler.

Ralph Nader’s statement “unsafe at any speed” applies more aptly to three-wheelers than to the Chevrolet Corvair. To suggest its stability is comparable to a quad is ridiculous. I appreciate my Big Red for the same reason I appreciate a ’57 Chevy or a 32’ Nash – because it represents a stage of an evolution. Ride a Sportsman, Grizzly, Prairie, or a Rubicon, and then take the Big Red for a spin. A person would have to be dull of mind to not recognize the crudeness and instability inherent in the machine.

Every time I ride the Big Red I realize that fools and children need to be protected from taking these machines beyond their safe limits – exeeding these safe limits can be done quite easily and without being reckless. The governments of Canada and the United States have saved thousands of lives by imposing the ban on the sale of new three wheelers. Except for cost, the three-wheeler has absolutely no attribute to justify its use over a quad. Let the dead rest in peace!
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That was a quote that I remember reading in these fourms by someone a good while back. it may not be word for word, but very close......and most importantly, very true.

The three wheeler is not a dangerous machine. Alot of people disagree with that, but I was also there during the age and just like quads, it all depends on who is riding it.

The three wheeler is just as stable as the quad when ridden agressively by someone who has the experience to ride it agressively.

At slow speeds and when you just "sit back", like most riders do today, the quad becomes a more stable machine over the threewheeler greatly.

I am a fan of three wheelers just as much as quads. I even own a couple. They are part of my history as well as most other members here.

They will never die until the guys who ride them and enjoy what they represent to our history die.

3 or 4..........It's all good.