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1984 atc125m


Bird76Mojo

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I found this old gem gathering dust in the back warehouse of a local dealer. They were going to wholesale it as "scrap" status. 7000 original miles on her.

I gave $500 for it and that amount includes the title fees, taxes, dealer fees, etc. I now have $1034 in it, and it's a fantastic motorcycle.

It's not terribly fast or terribly good at any single thing EXCEPT ride comfort. The rear floats like a Caddy. It will surprise you though, IF you twist the throttle far enough and hold it there.

This bike will die with me, or I'll die still owning it. Either way is fine with me.



GB :)
 

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85_Ranger4x4

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I found this old gem gathering dust in the back warehouse of a local dealer. They were going to wholesale it as "scrap" status. 7000 original miles on her.

I gave $500 for it and that amount includes the title fees, taxes, dealer fees, etc. I now have $1034 in it, and it's a fantastic motorcycle.

It's not terribly fast or terribly good at any single thing EXCEPT ride comfort. The rear floats like a Caddy. It will surprise you though, IF you twist the throttle far enough and hold it there.

This bike will die with me, or I'll die still owning it. Either way is fine with me.



GB :)
That thing is clean! Mine is older, a '76 for $120 straight out of a corn crib. I need to take time and go thru the carb some time. I have only driven it off-road but it was fun last time I had it out years ago.

 

Ranger850

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My dad has a first generation Honda 4wheeler, built on the 3 wheeler frame, after they got banned. I think its an 85. It steers like a yacht. You can tell it's a 3 wheel frame because he has a newer honda 4 wheeler ( that's 2 honda 4 wheelers ) and you can see how the architecture evilved
 

Bird76Mojo

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My dad has a first generation Honda 4wheeler, built on the 3 wheeler frame, after they got banned. I think its an 85. It steers like a yacht. You can tell it's a 3 wheel frame because he has a newer honda 4 wheeler ( that's 2 honda 4 wheelers ) and you can see how the architecture evilved
1986 was the last model year, and those couldn't be sold after a set date. I have seen a few late production units that had the 1987 foil VIN sticker on the frame neck. Any remaining inventories were the dealership's problem. Many got cut apart and sent to scrap, and a lot of them got stored away to be sold privately within the dealers families and friends, under the table.


There was a conversion kit available in those days, to convert to four wheels. It was less than ideal. They had bolt-on kits and weld-on kits.






There was also a two wheel "Missile" conversion kit.







GB :)
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Some of the early four wheelers were basically modified three wheelers. Here is a Fourtrax based on our 125.





In other news I think the 110 engine is stuck. 90 has compression though.
 
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Ranger850

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Some of the early four wheelers were basically modified three wheelers. Here is a Fourtrax based on our 125.





In other news I think the 110 engine is stuck. 90 has compression though.
This is what my dad has. I'm trying to get some pics from him now.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Did some more poking around, the 110 engine is stuck. Big difference between being stuck from sitting and seized from being ran without oil, not sure which way it is. Not a good sign either way though. Probably ought to just stick the 90 engine in it and run it.

Slipped the cover off my wife's and more bad news there. The boss that broke off is actually part of the transmission case. So if I have it welded I have to explode the trans.



Kinda wishing I could find a good 125M powertrain. Poke it into the 125 and stick the wife's top end on my 110 trans.
 

Bird76Mojo

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In my past experience with dozens of old Honda's, the engines don't care one bit if you mix and match parts. Is it the right way? Not at all.. But as teenagers we used to acquire 3 wheelers and dirtbikes by the dozen. 3 of us would sit in the garage, each taking apart his own engine. At the end we'd all inspect the parts, looking for ones in the best shape. We'd build a running engine from 3 or 4 of them sometimes. They'd always last us 2 or 3 years easily, but we usually sold or traded them first. This was pretty much daily riding too. Sometimes all day long. Hard riding in river bottoms and muddy trails all day. A simple Haynes manual and basic hand tools will really get you a looooong way with those old machines.

Just saying...



GB :)
 

shane96ranger

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85... I've got a chance to pick up a 98ish (he can't remember the year for sure) Yamaha Timberwolf with a snow plow for 300 bucks. He says the carb needs gone through, and it needs some TLC.... but I'm thinking I might just do it.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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In my past experience with dozens of old Honda's, the engines don't care one bit if you mix and match parts. Is it the right way? Not at all.. But as teenagers we used to acquire 3 wheelers and dirtbikes by the dozen. 3 of us would sit in the garage, each taking apart his own engine. At the end we'd all inspect the parts, looking for ones in the best shape. We'd build a running engine from 3 or 4 of them sometimes. They'd always last us 2 or 3 years easily, but we usually sold or traded them first. This was pretty much daily riding too. Sometimes all day long. Hard riding in river bottoms and muddy trails all day. A simple Haynes manual and basic hand tools will really get you a looooong way with those old machines.

Just saying...



GB :)
Yeah, they are kind of like Legos.

I want hers to be "right" though. I could just throw the 90 in the 110 and put her 125 engine on the 110 trans and I bet it would fit... no more electric start though.

85... I've got a chance to pick up a 98ish (he can't remember the year for sure) Yamaha Timberwolf with a snow plow for 300 bucks. He says the carb needs gone through, and it needs some TLC.... but I'm thinking I might just do it.
The snow plow or winch are probably worth $300. :icon_thumby:
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Dragged the 110's engines down to the basement and played with them some today (since we had a high of 12*)

90 point cover on left, 110 on the right. Kinda wonder if the 90 is older than the 110, my wife's '84 cover is finned too. EDIT: the 110 replaced the 90 for '79.



Going deeper into the 110...





Cam doesn't look bad.



Top end is clean.



It might clean up, she is still stuck tight though. Some scoring but it looks like water got in it and it rusted more than anything.



I am probably just going to set the valves in the 90, clean the filter, change the oil, replace the points and poke it in.
 
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85_Ranger4x4

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New to me engine mount, somehow the other one was broke. At $8 this mount cost half as much as mom got for our childhoood 110 on a garage sale. :bawling:



Tore into the 90 to clean the oil screen and centrifigul oil filter. Missing screws on the clutch cover, it looks like they came off because that plate is deformed:



Some gunky buildup in behind the cover:



Oil screen has stuff on it like it should:



Tore into the 110 to see if it had screws and how that endplate looked. Screws are hardly award-winning, plate looks good though.



While I am here might as well check the oil screen. I already noticed the 110 engine was much cleaner than the fairly clean 90. Also smells very gassy.



New theory on 110's cause of death. Carb needle didn't seat and let gas flood the engine. Someone ran it and the piston stuck due to lack of lube. Thin gas/oil flushed the engine and most of the contaminates went out when they dropped the oil.
 

85_Ranger4x4

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And we have progress on the 125M front!



The boss that is known to break has been welded, now just to blow the whole thing apart and swap crankcase halves... after I get the engine for the 110 done.
 

Bird76Mojo

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It was fairly common for the float needle valve to stick on these, or the tip of the valve would get deformed and allow the bowl to flood, and sometimes, depending on the overall level of the atv/engine/carb where it was stored, it would start filling up the crankcase with fuel. Then someone would start it without checking the oil and the engine is toast in just a few minutes. I've seen a lot of old Jap machines ruined that way. I always preferred the solid tipped float needle valves instead of the rubber/viton tipped versions. Especially with modern fuels. The solid tipped valves I could often "lap" until they'd seal again.

It's of utmost importance to ALWAYS check your oil level before every ride on these machines. Doing so may alert you to an over-full situation caused my fuel in the crankcase. It'll save your engine.. Also, ALWAYS shut off the petcock, as that may save your engine as well..

Hairline cracks in the float or a separation at the seam where the float was originally soldered/brazed is also fairly common, making the float sink, causing the same problem listed above. I've gotten pretty darn good at re-brazing these floats over the last 25+ years.

Check/set your float level in your carb too. Check and double check it.



GB :)
 

85_Ranger4x4

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Had a guy come in the shop a few weeks ago, the carb messed up and he filled the crankcase of his John Deere A with gas the point it wouldn't turn over (horizontal engine)

I have seen it toast lawn mowers too, anything gravity fed is can do it.

With my tractors I am in the habit I always turn the gas off when I am not running them which seems to work ok.

I haven't done a thing to the carb and since it is for a 110 and the engine I am putting in it is a 90 I am tempted to just get a new 90 carb.
 

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