CHOOSE YOUR COOLING, AIR OR WATER?
RACING A 1984 ATC250R
A DIRT WHEELS FAN WRITES: I recently had the chance to purchase a mostly rebuilt 1984 Honda ATC250R. The top end was recently done as was new Boyesen Super-Stock Carbon reeds and a new DG Performance National Pipe and a Type II Oval Silencer. I was thinking of maybe getting into vintage 3-wheeler racing at a WORCS event. Are air-cooled 250R’s good enough to race with? Or will I need to find a much more expensive water-cooled 250R? – Terry Schell, Sierra Heights, CA.
OUR PRO ANSWER: Absolutely the air-cooled ATC250Rs are “good enough” to race with. I am assuming that you have not raced before and, being so near to Glen Helen, you have got the itch to join in on the action. Air-cooled 250Rs are easier to maintain than the water-cooled versions. They do not have the shear power of a water-cooled, nor the suspension and handling, but they were very successful racers up until the 1985 250Rs came out. And even then, a well-tuned air-cooled with a competent rider can overcome more horsepower and better suspension in the hands of a rider who can’t utilize all the advantages given by the ’85-’86 ATC250Rs. You can definitely get your feet wet with the air-cooled 250R and have a great time. Just don’t expect to be at the head of the pack from the get go. Learn the tricks and maybe make a few mods to your trike and, if you find this is what you want to do in the future, Son, then upgrade to a water-cooled 250R and pass the air-cooled down to someone else that maybe wants to get into vintage 3-wheeler racing just like you did.
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