I'm trying to find out a little history on the birth of ATV's. When did the first major ATV manufacturer produce a 4-wheel ATV, and what year was it? Any idea what the first model was? Also, I am aware that 3-wheelers were dropped from manufacture, but what was the time lapse before they started the 4-wheelers? What happened to the "Honda Pilot", and why was it discontinued?

Thanks for any info you all can provide!

 

Suzuki was producing quads in 85 and honda produced ATC's in 87.
ERIC

 

Didn't Honda make either 3-wheelers or quads a LONG time ago back in Japan? I can remember when I was first born, or a few years old I should say, our neighbor had a couple Honda 3 wheelers that he used to spray the orchard with, that was in the mid-late 70's. They were fairly old at that time, so I think '85 and '87 are very conservative aren't they??? Seems this topic was up over a year ago or so, and the Japanese were using them for farming back before they were even introduced to the U.S.

Good luck with the search, they've definately come a long way since then, whenever it was!

Mike

 

Hey Quadnut, I'm no expert but I have a few tidbits of history for you. Some is not real waterproof and some you need to take with a grain of salt. If you go to the web sites of Honda, Suz, Kaw, and whatever, you'll see ATV's are very small in their lineups of items for sale.

The first ATV's were invented by some rice farmers in Japan. The needed a small tractor to get into the rice fields that would not sink (much). A bike was to light and narrow, a tiller to heavy. So they used a tiller or cycle motor and parts, over inflated trailer tires and some other pieces to get it 3-wheeled. That was in the mid to late 60's. I'm not sure about the patent but then honda picked up on the idea and it went nowhere for about 4-5 years. When they did begin to produce 3-wheelers they were sold as farm equipment. It would be like us buying a riding lawnmower for motocross. They were small, unsafe and had no appeal to the market as we know it today. Finally Honda started to make them with fenders and colors and they slowly began to find a market. That was 1969-70, then they tried to sell them in the US as farm equipment, but the recreationalist and kids saw them first and started riding them around the farm and open land. Honda had smaller bikes out at that time called the "Trail" series, like "Honda Trail 70, 80, etc... Japanese thought it was somewhat funny for us to ride 3-wheelers instead of motorcycles but sales don't lie. Soon all the others in Japan followed suite and that's how it got going in the US anyway. Going from 3 to 4 wheels was more of a money issue than safety, it just turned out that way. All Mfg's could do more with 4 wheels than the limited 3 wheels. Remember it went from farm to recreational then 2wheel drive could go to 4wheel drive, just a better deal and safer to boot.

Some things I've read and heard, just don't know if there true:

When those daring young men in the rice fields started to create this thing, here's what they used to make it work.
Handle bar's, engines, and gas tanks came from motorcycles.
Tires and axel's came from push/pull carts, and the racks were livestock cage pieces, and whala, look at what we have today.

Back in Japan, either you could send away for instructions on how to make this thing with your own stuff, or they would send it to you unassembled??? Or so I'm told. I don't know if "They" were Honda or the Rice Farmers.

Farmers still buy and use more ATV's than all recreatiional user's.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Honda had an article a while back I think. I also saw a picture somewhere of a early or mid 1970's 3-wheeler in mint condition for 4-5 thousand dollars??? not sure but was probley for looks and history buffs.

I wish the TLC or Discovery would do a spot on them soon. They've done almost everything else and I'd like to get the facts straight sometime.

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]Well, gotta go and ride, If anyone can set this history straight, let's hear from you.

 

A quick history, in 1970 honda motor co released the USATC90 the first real ATV. they sold very well but people were demanding more, thus larger mpdels were introduced, such as the 185 and the 200s the 250r was also born in 85 or 86 and boasted features never seen on ATVs before such as liquid cooling and disc brakes. But long before this, in 1983, suzuki intorduced the 125 which had reverse and four wheels. This was the begining of the end for the atc. As the three wheeler was proved to be more unsafe due to its design the four wheeler took its place, the design that was used on the four wheeler was not as unique as the atc which was so unique that the creator of the atc was able to patent the design. Honda was also the first to introduce the 4X4 quad in 86 or 87, the solid axle, fully suspended ATV. As for manufactures, i think Honda was the leader through the 80's in sales, the yamaha and suzuki were next and i guess polaris introduced the first fully automatic ATV(ATC)(ATC is actually a brand name owned by honda)i have yet to see one in real life, and kawasaki made some atcs too. As for the oddesy and pilot i dont know what happend to them, i do know the bigger one ( the pilot i think) was discontinued in 1991 due to a lack in sales.

 

It has been several years past, but I remember reading a brief article in Dirt Wheels about this very subject. Someone had written a response to correct an earlier article that gave the credit to Honda. If my memory is correct, the first ATV was developed during the 60's as a smaller alternative to the old "Dune Buggy". It was several years later than Honda developed the three-wheeler for utility use in Japan (as someone has already pointed out).

Wish a could say for sure, but I believe it was produced here in the States. I remember the article also included a picture of the thing and it did look much like a mini dune buggy.

I also remember that saturday morning show back in the late 60's with characters who rode around in the six-wheel ATV's.

 

Springdrl,
I know exactly what you are talking about, my friend has that copy of dirtwheels and i am going to have him get it, also, the six wheelers were around along time before the four wheelers and three wheelers, at one point in time there were 50 manufacturers in the united states, then the quads and trikes killed them off in sales, but they are making a comeback nowadays because people want something that says i am different.

 

Gosh that was a long time ago but I believe the name of that show was The Banana Splits. And I remember how their six-wheel ATVs were steered by a single stick type lever. I also remember hearing that they leaked like heck in water.

 

first 250r was 1981......8 inch rims......drum rear brake
82......had the disc rear brake........air cooled [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] .....a bike i would like to add to my collection

84-84 was the change to water cooling on the r (new engine and bike)

69 was the first atc90 i though.....built to allow farmers to get to market in japan in the 'wet' season....folded in half....and had one piece rims/tires

last of the trikes sold in canada in 87......86 was the last year for the 350x in the states..... i am told

the 250sx was built.....85-87
....honda did built a 350 4x4.....which was sold from 86 to 93 (built in canada at the end).....i have seen ONE 1992 model here in NZ.....must have been an import......cause we hardly saw the 350 after the 300 was introduced
.......the 200sx was 86-88 built
the was a 200 atv before that....84?
.....honda even had a fatcat on the market around then too

demand for pilots decreased as demand for atv increase........weren't the last ones built in 92?

 

The ATC250R was air cooled from 81-84, then liquid cooled from 85-86(87 Canadian models).
ERIC