Classic Steel

GP’s Classic Steel #82: 1982 Yamaha Tri-Moto 250

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  1. Wow… this article is a mess. I was racing Yamaha Tri-Motos at this time. The photo descriptions are incorrect as is a lot of the information. It’s as if future archaeologists are piecing together the story… and getting it wrong….

    The Honda ATC250R came out in 1981 and was Honda’s first fully suspended ATC aimed at racing. The ATC200X debuted in ’83. It was a four-stroke with full suspension. The hard-tailed Yamaha YT-125/175 were the backbone of Yamaha’s ATV program 1980-1982. They were rear-engine, two-strokes that were easily a match for the Honda ATC185s.. They were a little more unstable which made them turn quicker that the Honda’s and the two-stroke power band was better on the track. With aftermarket suspension, and some tuning, the 175 was just a step behind the ACT250R.

    Honda had patents on every aspect of the ATV. From foot peg length to engine position, the dominated the market because Yamaha and Kawasaki got the scraps and Yamaha went with a rear engine design and Kawasaki move their motor forward. Those patents ran out in 1983 and the world of ATVs changed. In 1983, Yamaha rolled out the balanced mid-engine placed, Tri-Moto 225DX as competition for the ATC200X and then the race-ready Tri-Z 250 two-stroke in 1985 which was easily on par with Honda’s amazing ATC250R. The TRI-Z was poised to take over the class as it was faster and had better suspension and the new wheels made it like nothing else made at the time.

    The demise of the three-wheeled ATVs was due to legislation. Honda was losing ground fast to the other two and the ultimate showdown never got to happen because of the legislation.

    1. Mick,
      This entire article is an April Fool’s joke my friend. I literally made up all the information and photoshopped almost all of the pictures. I have done a few of these as jokes on April Fool’s day. Check out the one I did on the Fat Cat for some more absurd and erroneous information. It is all meant to be a joke.

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