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Honda ATVs Long History

June 30th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed

As one of the first ever production all-terrain vehicles, Honda ATVs has a long and high standard history. It all began back in 1967 when a bunch of Honda engineers, led by Osamu Takeuchi, worked long and hard to give the general public a unique recreational vehicle that is not similar in any way to any other vehicles produced at that time. This was how the US90 was manufactured.

Developing the idea for a Honda ATV involved a number of components, wherein the group of engineers considered building a two-, four- and six-wheeled configuration. However, the group decided on a three-wheel Honda ATV because it was built with the most compatible features to provide the vehicle’s intended function.

The US90 was the first Honda ATV in world. It featured seven horsepower through a dual range, 4-speed gearbox and automatic clutch at around $600 per vehicle. This 1970 model was mainly used by farmers because of its fat tire and capability of riding through sand and snow. However, by the end of 1970s, people started using the earlier Honda ATV models for recreational purposes.

The Popularity Of Honda ATVs

At the start of 1980s, both utility and sports ATV had a major boom in the market. Farmers are still using the utility models by this time. One of the most popular Honda ATV utility models is the 1980 ATC185, which featured 25-inche tires, 5-speed transmission and automatic clutch with a powerful 180cc, 4-stroke engine.

When all-terrain vehicles began to be used in sports, Honda released the 1982 ATC200E (also known as the “Big Red”). It was a powerful vehicle with a 192cc engine and a 4-speed, dual range gearbox that produced more power, compared to its utility model counterpart. This exact model was enhanced with a reverse gear and new drive chain for added durability in 1984.

From 1980s onwards, Honda ATVs are used for racing everywhere from desert roads to frozen lakes all over America. Since Honda has been renowned for its high-performance vehicles that are fit for racing, their ATVs are no different.

Shortly after the success of the three wheeled sports and utility ATV models, Honda as well as many other manufacturers of all-terrain vehicles stopped production of three wheeled ATVs. In its place, they released for production an improved version in four wheels, giving a more powerful engine and better suspension.

Honda ATVs have the reputation of revolutionizing the world of all-terrain vehicles for both utility and sports purposes. Famous models released from Honda include the 1988 FourTrax 300, a four-wheel TRX200, the 1995 Foreman 400 and a dozen more of high-performance vehicles for the off-road world.