![]() Honda began researching with three-wheelers back in the late 1960s, apparently as a way to give dealers in the United States something to sell during the quiet winter months. Riders who learned to hang off the three-wheelers in corners and lean them could achieve some genuinely impressive lap times on motocross circuits, and three-wheeler racing was a wildly popular sport in the 1970s and early 1980s as a result. The story for experienced riders was quite different. This led to a slew of accidents, particularly among newer riders, and three-wheelers developed a reputation for broken bones and ER visits as a result. What happens when you try to turn a three-wheeler at speed is that the front wheel tries to turn while the rest of the bike tries to go straight ahead. The reason these harmless-looking little bikes were so dangerous becomes apparent as soon as you ride one, particularly when you attempt a turn.ĭue to the fact they only have one front wheel the bikes don’t have the stability that quads do, and unlike regular two-wheeled motorcyles you can’t lean a three-wheeler through the corners.Ībove Image: The Honda ATC70 used balloon tires instead of suspension, and a simple single-cylinder engine slung under the pressed steel frame. Overall, this doesn’t look like a bad candidate to have fun with.Although the Honda ATC70 and its siblings in the ATC model family looked almost comically harmless, they were deemed responsible for nearly 7,000 injuries per month, and hundreds of deaths in the United States at the peak of their popularity.īy the mid-1980s the US Government was on the verge of banning all three-wheelers and the Consumer Product Safety Commission financed an unprecedented $100 million campaign to purchase all unsold three-wheeled ATVs from dealers’ inventories and have them destroyed. ![]() The seller does say the front fender is metal and the rear are fiberglass, which makes sense. ![]() I’m guessing since the “ATC” (All-Terrain Cycle) name wasn’t adopted until 1973, this one probably has replacement rear fenders. As mentioned before, they were extremely popular, but you don’t see them come up for sale too often. Unfortunately, due to their design, 3-wheelers were prone to tipping over, which culminated in several lawsuits which you can read about here. If the buyer plans on doing anything other than having fun on private property, some due diligence is warranted to ensure they can title it where they live. Unfortunately, there is no title and it is being sold on a bill of sale. This bike looks like it has been used, but not abused. While you can’t hear it run, it does sound like it has good compression. The seller has a link to a YouTube video in which they do a full tour of the bike and pull the starting cord on the engine. The 90cc engine actually displaces about 89.5 cc’s and was one of Honda’s most reliable small engines. Located in Vernon-Rockville, Connecticut, the ad doesn’t mention much about the history other than it appears to be mostly original. This 1970 Honda ATC90 can be found here on eBay with a current bid of $860. ![]() Long before they were deemed unsafe, 3-wheelers were a popular alternative to motorcycles and provided endless hours of fun for millions of families. ![]() When I was young, my Grandfather had a Honda 3-wheeler. ![]()
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