Honda's ATC 250SX - The mullet of the trike world! Made from 1985-1987. What are the differences?
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- Опубліковано 12 вер 2024
- The Honda ATC250SX is a fantastic machine. If it were being made today, we'd refer to is as an SUV. It's an outstanding crossover between sport and utility, work and play, business and pleasure. These beauties were made from 1985 to 1987. They're the sportier sibling to the Big Red, sharing the same motor (but black) but with a little taller gearing.
Join me as I take you through the different model years of these awesome machines and share some stories of how I came to own mine.
Enjoy!
Have a 1986 250 BIG RED. My dad bought it new when I was 9 years old. I had so much fun on that pore thing. I rode it every day and literally put it through hell and back. The transmissions is what took finally it out. But being a farm tool we towed so many things way way over weight. We were always pretty good on the maintenance so it should still start no problem but it hasn't run in at least 20 years Probably about 10 years ago I kicked it over a few times to make sure it wasn't stuck and then put a bunch of oil in the cylinder.
Cool, I still have a 1983 that I bought used and it’s still running.
I bought a brand new Honda 250SX back in 1986, rode that thing for 20+ years and taught my daughters to ride it. I wish still had it, really had some fun times.
I think they're the perfect mix of a 250R and a big red together, that's just my opinion.
Those old commercials are great!
Funny 😂
I’m currently on a ‘This old trike’ binge. I enjoy how well you communicate and your laid back demeanour. This channel has a bright future!
Man... that really means a lot. I appreciate that. It's honestly a very interesting thing to put a video together and put it out there for all to see... and then watch it take off or fall flat... wonder why it performed the way it did... but I learn from each one and try to get better each time. I don't want to fake it for the camera... so I just do what I normally do... and instead of talking to myself... I'm talking to you guys!
I need headlight guard on a 1984
The 250sx is a great machine, the older I get the more I enjoy the comfort features.
I'm with you there!!
One of the best 3 wheelers Honda ever made,. It was the dual Sport on the ATC line.
Thank you for the great video on 250SX's. My favourite Honda ATC. I own 3 1985's at the moment. 1986 and 1987 are rarely seen up here in Canada. The 250SX model is perfect all around for myself and wife to enjoy recreationally as well as for work around our property.
That's awesome Dan! Thank you for leaving the kind words!
I've been restoring my father-in-laws 86 big red, good to find another honda lover. Would love to take a tour of the compound.
Best atc's in my book. The wife and I both have 85's' i've had mine since new.. Great vid my man.. Long live the atc. Cheers from Alberta and the Atc KREW
Awesome man! Thank you!! Alberta is a beautiful place!
@@ThisOldTrike I'm originally from Ontario. Ontario rules for crown land, endless trails.
Love atcs, my dad had a 350x sitting in the shed just collecting dust and he said I could have it if it got it going the plastics were in amazing condition I bought new tires and brought it to someone ik that can rebuild 4 strokes a week later I got it back and she fired right up the motor was kinda fucked but she’s back to life now
I had a 200s a 200m 250sx and a 250r and honestly the 250sx was my favorite! You could do anything on it. Things I could never do on my 250r. If I ever see one for sell I'll probably buy it , but I never do. Just recently started seeing 250r and 200x showing up In my area.
Where abouts are you located? Where are you looking for them, Craigslist? Marketplace?
I've had several ATC's going back to the 1980's and a small fleet at one time. The 250SX is my favorite by far.
Gorgeous machines, please keep these videos coming. Have a great day, pal
That first promotional video hurt me. Everytime I get on my ATC, there's a clear lack of hondaline related goggles and helmet and no woman to hop on another machine with me. Lol. The cool 80s music doesn't play either.
Ahh, 80’s girls big hair and tight jeans !
Hmm... that's weird.
I’ve never wanted one of these until now! Let the hunt begin.
Ha! Count on me to be a bad influence!! Or maybe a good one I suppose!!
You are correct in that the ES is geared differently. The ES gets its overall gearing from three things. Every gear in the tranny is one tooth larger than the SX except for one gear. The differential ring is one tooth larger, and the rear wheels are 25". I have an 85/86 SX with an 85 ES engine in it and I lost just a little top end speed but I gained bottom end torque and I love it that way. The same thing can be accomplished by installing an ES differential in an SX.
I had a 85 and absolutely loved it
Yes sir! Bulletproof machines...
Such a practical machine. Perfect balance of work and play. I've never heard of the 250SX until seeing this video, but I sure do like it! I sure hope that someday I can build a nice collection of trikes. I don't need to have ALL of them like you do, but I sure am in love with these things.
Awesome! Well I'm glad you could learn about them here! And I'm sure you'll build up a nice collection! Just takes some time and dedication! You can do it!
@ThisOldTrike thanks man. I love all the information offered in these videos. Say do you mind if I send you a message over Facebook messenger? I happened to see your link on your channel but I'm just trying not to be too intrusive 😁
Message away man! It's probably easier than keeping up with all the comments! The way UA-cam notifies me of comments isn't great and they get buried.
@ThisOldTrike that happens to me sometimes, but frankly I don't get too many comments.
@ThisOldTrike good deal my man, I've sent a message over there 😃
@thisoldtrike, thank you. This is the one I have been waiting for. Be back later to watch. Thanks for the Video Library you are creating,👍🤍
You're welcome Matt! Thank you for the compliment!!
Good timing. I just picked up a second 1985 250sx this morning, now to see what I can do with it.
Awesome! Hopefully she's a nice one for you!!
Great machine! My uncle had a 1985 Honda 250SX that I rode quite a bit down in Rocky Point in Mexico. I love these old ATC's, I wish I could ride them all again! Thanks for another great and informative video! By the way, I like the color scheme on the 1985 250SX the best! Man, these videos of yours bring back so many memories! Thanks! Merry Christmas and happy new year!
Also the timing chain adjuster is different. On the 1987 ones you can easily tell the different from them , they are long and skinny. And on the 1985 and 1986 , they are short and fat. THAT'S how I always tell the difference on motors. I own 5 250 SX's and 3 250 Big Reds. The 250 SX's are the best of both worlds. Awesome Bikes. I appreciate your videos.
Good video man! Got a 85, and took it to Colorado and rode it in the mountains! A great trike for that terrain. It's definitely easyier to manuver than the big red, I believe it's around 50 pounds lighter than the big red? Anyway good history lesson.
Thank you sir! I always appreciate your feedback!
Hello, One thing you didn't mention was the rear bumper's/grab bar. The 85 are chrome, I also was told the 86 were chrome, but not 100% sure, & the 87 had the black, I was told that was the only year they were black. That could be why your 87 was powder coated. Hard to find a black original! And last but not least, I know Craig Deloria, from my neck off the wood's. I've known Craig since he was 16, And yes he is a honest dude & a very good friend of mine! I have an 87 250sx, looking for original tire's also, but the price's are crazy. At work, rest, or play they are awesome trike's with plenty of power.
Good catch Brian! You're correct that the 85 grab bar is chrome, but the 86 and 87 are black. I'm guessing my 87 was powder coated because they were just powdering anything that was originally black. And Craig is a great guy! I first met him back in 2017 and I'm glad I've got to know him. He's been to my place a couple years ago with a buddy to meet up for an exchange. One of my ATC 200's came from him.
Great "all around" 3 wheelers.. Dad bought a new 85' that I put alot of hours on as a boy, and I owned an 87' a few years ago.. 👍👍
#makeatcsgreatagain
They're definitely a lot of fun! The perfect mix of sport and utility.
Just got an 85 250sx gotta couple videos on my channel before I owned it. I’ll be doing a more in depth video soon. Thanks for the info !
Hi, I just bought a 85sx. Runs great, but for a 6’ guy they seem to have shrunk since the 80s lol. Is there anyway I can lift it? Or put longer forks? I’m reaching out to you because I figure you know where to buy parts and such. Can you still buy racks?
Very good video, I learned a thing or two, how do you like the 300ex shock on the 1986? I'm pondering that swap
I'd like to know .
Real question is...How many actors died making that commercial? JK😂😂
Lol, that's pretty funny 😁 😂
Nice job on the vid! The SX is my first and favorite Honda next to the 250es and my Taurus 650.
I love this machine
Recently discovered your channel and wanting to get my own 3 wheeler Ithaca is 40 mins from my house….
Always fun to watch your uploads. I have an '85 & '86 250sx, definitely not as nice as yours though haha.
Thank you so much for watching them. Any recommendations or constructive criticism?? And thank you for the compliments on the SX's. I'm always trying to find the nicest ones I can.
@@ThisOldTrike somehow I missed the notification for your response. I personally like to take the machines that need a lot of love and bring then back to life, but I also don't have a fortune to spend haha. Have you considered building them differently than oem? I love watching your current content to see the trikes and also learn new things about them all, but I also enjoy toys being put to use. Trail riding with friends, playing in the dunes, just as long as while riding you can actually hear the exhaust instead of having the music play over everything else as a lot of others do. If I could pick what to see next I would personally like to see a complete frame up build, step by step. Watching things take form with attention to detail during a resurrection makes me appreciate it more than just buying clean bikes (not that there's anything wrong with that) hopefully what I'm saying is understood correctly here.
I love my SX. I have a 1985 so fun to ride. I have a 200es my girlfriend rides, she loves it. she tries my SX the other day and now she wants one..lol
Oh yeah, it's not a hard choice to switch from the 200es to the SX! I can't blame her one bit!
Hey I’m sure your busy but I have an idea if you do another one of these videos on the different models on atc’s in the fall I think it would be cool if you brought them into the woods… I think it would really cool to see the red machines in with the fall colors, just a idea for ya
Definitely a good idea! What stinks is that I'm limited to recording outside only on the weekends now because it's dark when I leave for work and after this coming weekend it will be dark when I get home from work... But I'll see what I can do!
Great video had one back in the day great atc until I got a 250r wow.
Thank you sir!! They're are great machines for sure!
Well done! Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
You put 5 ohm caps on the bike.
They came stock with a hard spark plug cap 0 ohms.
Yes the 2 stroke 5 ohm cap dose make the four stroke run better. More spark = more power
Don’t even mention the reverse ? That’s what sold me on buying one, a 85. I love mine and it so versatile working on my camp . I even pull a bush hog behind me
Oh yeah, they have reverse.
In my defense though... I'm primarily focusing on the difference between them. They had reverse every year... so, that's probably why I omitted that fact.
4:25 they ARE a great machine..
Agreed!
One of the best parts of the 86/87 250SX versus the 85 is that every joint on the swingarm and differential has O-rings. The 85 250SX was prone to water entry, even had a Service Bulletin, it doesn't belong in the water, unless you know where to buy all new differential and rear axle parts. The water gets in there and destroys all the journals, takes the zinc coating off of everything and then even new bearings will have slop and the seals will get torn up on the corrosion. Please don't put snorkels on the 250SX, they are not submarines...
That 85 is a nice looking machine
Thank you!!
@@ThisOldTrike that style is starting to grow on me
I'll be in the comments section from now on. I have a finished '83 200x and am building a Frankenstein '85 250 es "big red" and restoring a '85 110
Awesome! I look forward to seeing your stuff sir!
I still have my 85 SX and it needs a little carb and throttle cable work. Would love to see if you had an extra rear fender setup for sale. Had my bike since 95.
Great video! Did you put a link for the fork boots? I can't find it, and i need a set. Thanks
Hello I’m pretty sure that was the Anheuser Busch voice lol very nice looking trikes!!! I just got a 1985 mullet for free red and black sx I rode one when I was a kid. I’m going to get it running again it sat 10 yrs quick question it needs all new plastics. Would you go red, white and blue or would you go red white and black like it is now it has original tires I believe it is all original. Any advice from you would be appreciated. Thank you. P.s man I wish I had those trikes . My father had at 86 red white and blue 350 X that thing kicked ass!!!!
Also the early 85 models had round plug CDIs which are hard to find, late 85+ had the more common square plug CDI
You are correct sir. I believe it was all 85 models had the round plug?
@@ThisOldTrike I'm not 100% because my 85 fourtrax 250 has the square plug lol
I thank your 85 250sx should not have the glove box on back it should have the red plastic with no glove box it would look nicer and you wouldn't half to drill holes in your original plastic I just got a 250sx it's an 85 I love it
Great video.
I am currently trying to find smaller rims and knobby tires for my 86’ sx. I bought it with 12 inch rims and big mid tires. It rides super rough and robs a lot of performance. Not sure on if I should go stock rim size route or not
I have an 86 250sx with the honda line front and rear racks with a headlight guard too. But and aftermarket style hitch. I am in need of a muffler for it tho
Awesome, I told you on Instagram a bought an 85 the other day.. well today I just scored two more lol. Both 85’s. And on fenders, maiers ones aren’t too bad. But me personally, I’d rather have a cracked original or riveted with a trunk over a maier, I love the trunk feature haha. And rivets are just battle scars, a patina of sorts.
How do you find these deals in nb nb bro. I almost bought the one you had for sale for 1500 was a good looking bike . I really wanna buy the one you got with the white tank its damn gorgeous 😍
Congratulations man!! Love to hear it! And I agree whole heartedly!
@@easylee1417 haha thanks man! My 86 won’t be forsale for a longggg time haha. And the one I had forsale I actually took it down because it developed a spark issue. I think a buddy of mine wants it.
Being a 80s baby, its crazy to know that nowadays my 570 is considered a small bike🤣
Right! It's insane!
What do you know about the options such as the rear racks light guards and other accessories?
Do any of the years differentials lock and unlock?
Here’s a cool question! Do you have the cycle country snow plow that was made for the 250sx and big red ? If so could you make a video on it
Are alll the engines the same on all years ? Say my 86 engine blows up and I take it out my 85. It will mount up and work as it should right ?
87 is different from 85 and 86 (I mention it in the video), but all will interchange.
I have a 85 honda 250sx I am looking for a grab bar. Can you help and point me in the right direction?
I thank your 85 250sx should not have the glove box on back it should have the red plastic with no glove box it would look nicer and you wouldn't half to drill holes in your original plastic I just got a 250sx it's an 85 I love it 18:58
What was the only model you haven't got yet? I watch everyday hoping you find it,
A 1984 ATC 200E. I've found one, bought it, and it's currently being shipped from Finland! Well, now it's in the Netherlands, but it started in Finland!
@@ThisOldTrike oh wow thats great, congrats bro, what kinda shape is it in? Or i quess i can wait for the video lol, 200m coming soon baby , woot woot
A very nice 85.
Is that original plastic or where do you get it if not
Everything in the video has original plastic. I think the 86 has a maier front though.
Very nice
Thank you!!
@@ThisOldTrike if you have one day those us 90 atc for sale let me no please all Colors I be very interesting I have a little collection to nothing like you but 21
Can I get the link for the shock boots?
These are the blue ones. If you need the black ones you can change out the description and find the black. www.ebay.com/itm/143589650851
@@ThisOldTrike Right on my man. Thank you.
I didn't read the other comments I'm not home and can't book check you... hahahaha I know you love my 2 cents... NOT, hahahahaha I'm not well versed on 250sx. But "mullet" is THEEE perfect word, it's uncanny how you perfectly describe what I think but I can't find the word for... also I was in and out on the video did u mention the switch got colorized in 86 like they did across all models... I just had to find something didn't I ? Hahahahahahahahahaha keep it up ATC brother....wait till you see my Halloween get up Hahahahahahahahahaha
Lol, thank you sir!! I forgot to mention the switch change, and I know I forgot a few other things too like the steering lock on the 86. Another guy pointed out the grab bar going from chrome in 85 to black for 86/87. I should really make a list before I click the record button!!
@@ThisOldTrike I totally missed the grab bar
Is the header pipe for the supertrapp the factory pipe or was it a supertrapp pipe?
I think the head pipe on that particular machine was from an 85. OEM.
got family in ithica ny. been there many a times.
Ithica isn't too far away. Still a couple hours though. Beautiful area.
@@ThisOldTrike yes sir. That’s where I got my first exposure to 3 wheelers. Uncle had one way back in the day and now I want one! Thanks for the content.
Where is a good place to get a CDI for the 85 red black. I have a round 6 pin plug.
1984 200x headlight guard would br great to find
I'd love to purchasing merchandise I'd love a honda hoarder hat and shirt to go along with my collection 😀
Are you on Facebook by chance?
@@ThisOldTrike no but my wife is
Well this Honda Hoarders is a group on Facebook and we're currently in the middle of our Group Order for shirts, hoodies, and hats. We're also doing koozies and pint glasses this time around also. We only do this once a year and your timing is perfect. If she's willing to join the group and look for the post for the sale in the announcements, that's probably the easiest way for you to see what's available and how to make an order. Let me know if you have any questions.
Perfect thanks I'll have her look it up...
I had her look and she's not seeing it on honda atc hoarders on fb
If you bought mine, it was beat rear seals, were shot, fenders had metal and rivets. Gas tank, and seat were dead give away, if I seen it today, i could point it out. A REAR FOX shock would be a great upgrade if they made one, the ride hard if you ride them fast. The Rear Ends hold up better than the HONDA RECONS, 2001 Recon Rear end eats UP Bearings and SEals, Very narroW REAR END, higher toque.
Man if you still have/would you sell those faded but uncracked looking rear 250sx plastics sitting behind the 86 250sx in this video?
I still have them, but they're going to be cleaned up and put on my 86 that has cracked fenders currently. They're not faded, just dusty...
What a drag. They look great. I just got an unheard of deal on an 85 250sx thats in pretty good shape for only $300 but the front fender is all zip tied together and yhe back fender left corner has a few zip ties in it. But id like to make it as minty as possible lol. Thank you anyways tho!
I hear ya man, It seems like the only 250SX's that don't have cracked fenders are the ones that had rear racks to protect them. 1 bad wheelie and it's easy for those things to break right at the mud flap...
Whats the difference between 250s & 250sx?
Do you mean 250ES? There is no 250s.
@@ThisOldTrike thank you brain fart lol
Do you ever sell 250 sx 1986
I don't currently have any to sell.
They’re pretty much sporty big reds
Yup. Not quite as big though.
Any why you can help me find a ‘85 250SX?
Yes. My friend Vinny Staffa in Connecticut has one for sale.
@@ThisOldTrike how can I get ahold of VINNY? Facebook group?
He's on Facebook. He also is in Honda Hoarders on Facebook
Less talky....More Ridey
Less watchy.....more go pound sandy...
I thank your 85 250sx should not have the glove box on back it should have the red plastic with no glove box it would look nicer and you wouldn't half to drill holes in your original plastic I just got a 250sx it's an 85 I love it wish i could sho you.a pic of it
I'm not sure I follow the logic here. I bought the 85 how you see it, with the rear rack, with the holes through OEM plastic. The deed has already been done brother. Plus I like the look of OEM plastic way better than aftermarket. The goal with my collection is originality.
The 86 and 87 sx look similar to the 200 x and 350x
I had both a 85 and 86, my 86 needed a new rear shock. My white tank had 2 rub marks 4 inches long where my legs rubbed, seat was molded to my ass bones. Nah, not much seat time on that one, I lived in Watson, NY. Not far from Rome, NY.
Do you know Jim smith
I don't believe so. Where is he from??
I got an 85
Mullet me please, i think the 85's look way better, might be cause i had that model myself
The nut skinner of bikes! Broken bones and surgery! Flat land no problem. Had them growing up you have to respect them for what they are.
Hahaha, that's awesome! Sounds like you've got a few stories to tell!!
Haaaa 250!!!!
Love all your videos take me back to when I was a kid thank you for that
You're very welcome and thank you for the kind words!!
I thank your 85 250sx should not have the glove box on back it should have the red plastic with no glove box it would look nicer and you wouldn't half to drill holes in your original plastic I just got a 250sx it's an 85 I love it
I thank your 85 250sx should not have the glove box on back it should have the red plastic with no glove box it would look nicer and you wouldn't half to drill holes in your original plastic I just got a 250sx it's an 85 I love it 18:58