Reader’s Photos

-- A man's dream comes alive -- Here is the classic Honda two-stroke three-wheeler that the fast guys used to ride back in the day. This one belongs to Mike Peterson and we'll let him describe it in his own words... Hi Dirt Wheels, I’ve always enjoyed reading your magazine! I’ve been riding on the Oregon coast for over 40 years. Started riding on a 1970 Honda ATC 90. Then a 110, 200 & finally bought a new '86 ATC 250R. Later bought an '85 ATC 250R. I was a long holdout of the quads. I liked the three-wheelers…

-- The fastest 3-wheeler -- What was the fastest 3-wheeler? That distinction has to be the Tiger 500. So, you say you never heard of the Tiger 3-wheeler brand? Well, that's understandable. It wasn't a very large company, but you could buy machines from them between the years of 1983 and 1986. The company was founded by Peter Wood, so the story goes, and the Tiger factory was in Minnesota. The company made their own frames and plastic, and they installed 2-stroke engines from Rotax. The Tiger 500 had the big air-cooled…

-- Checking out a great quad conversion -- Gerald Tramble is a Dirt Wheels reader who lives in France. Just like many of us in the USA, he has a strong passion for ATV racing. ATV motocross is very popular in Europe too. As expected, Yamaha's YFZ450 is a machine many Europeans choose to race. For Gerald though, he wanted his YFZ to have a two-stroke power plant. So, he set out to remove the 450 4-stroke engine and replace it with something else. KTM is a company that still puts two-stroke engines into a lot of its dirt…

-- Great updates for an older quad -- Yamaha first introduced its Warrior 350 back in 1987. The production run lasted for 20 years, so there has been many sold in that time. The four-stroke engine was virtually bullet-proof and has proven to  offer Warrior owners with a long, trouble-free life. Therefore, there are plenty of these machines still out on the trails today. However, as with any older quad, they could use some refreshing to get back to the same shape of their younger days. Or, it doesn't hurt if they get the…

-- BUILDING A KRAZY KAWASAKI -- Today we're going to check out the ride of a Dirt Wheels reader in Massachusetts. Marshawn Garden put a lot work into his 2004 Kawasaki KFX400. He made sure his older quad had all of the latest hardware to run with the newer machines of today. Here's the list: MOTOR: Cylinder Works 440cc big bore kit, Ferrara stainless steel valves, DRZE springs, Dyna Tek CDI, Dyno Jet kit, CFM air box & oil tank, K&N filter, Powerbomb header, DMC muffler, custom clutch cover, Fluidine oversize…

-- Wild machines of Dirt Wheels readers -- We're all used to seeing high-lifted 4x4 quads out in the deepest mud holes. For some reason though, we rarely see 3-wheelers modified the same way. Greg Armbruster in Ohio set out to change that with his unique mud machine here. He saw no reason why his old Honda Big Red couldn't become a swamp monster too. The first order of business was to make sure his 250cc 4-stroke 3-wheeler got plenty of traction while giving it more ground clearance. He accomplished that with these…

-- As close to a new 2019 model as you can get -- What has been considered the greatest high-performance quad of all time? Well, most of the experts agree that Honda's TRX250R set the standard when it first came out in 1986. It handled very well, had good suspension and its 250cc 2-stroke engine provided instant power that helped it get down the trail very quickly. You could buy a new TRX250R from your Honda dealer in 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. Unfortunately it was removed from Honda's lineup for 1990. ATV people were…

-- The 1970 Lockley Wrangler -- Have you ever wondered which machine can be credited as being the first UTV? That can be rather murky based on how strict the rules are for proper classification. However, many people say the first side by side off-road vehicle was the Lockley Wrangler in 1970. You say you never heard of one before? You're not alone. The older members of our staff only had vague memories of the vehicle with no recollection at all on what it was called. Thanks to Dirt Wheels readers Steven and Kelli Gleason,…

-- Finding brand new Cannondales -- Imagine you're out in a remote section of woods you've never been to before. You go between some bushes and accidently discover the opening of a cave. Out of curiosity you wander in to check it out. After a few twists and turns your flashlight beam focusses on something shiny. Your heart suddenly starts beating frantically as you exclaim, "GOLD!" Well, that's kind of what happened to Dirt Wheels reader, Hunter Lovelace, up in Ontario, Canada. He was rummaging around in a back warehouse…

-- Not all 3-wheelers were Hondas -- Adam Cook is a Dirt Wheels reader in Ohio. He has owned many quads and a few dirt bikes over the years, but one of his favorite machines in this 1985 Yamaha Tri-Z 250. There's just something about riding a 250cc two-stroke that feels good, no matter how many wheels it has. The engines are simple and easy to work on, and that sudden blast of power is just plain addictive. You quickly learn how to work the shift lever to always keep the revs in the fat part of the power band. This…

-- How to get a brand new Honda TRX250R -- Dirt Wheels reader Frank Raneiro is in the process of building an awesome 250R. We're going to let him tell you how he's doing it and what all is involved. Check it out... > Hey there Dirt Wheels. Just wanted to share with you The MX build I’m doing. It’s a completely brand new TRX250R Build. All parts are new or new old stock. Nothing on this bike is used. Took me 4 years to acquire all the new parts. Here’s a few Pics of the Current State. Will be finished within the…

-- Here's a good letter from a Dirt Wheels reader -- Hello Dirt Wheels, My name is Tony Cooper and I wanted to share some before and after pics of my 2003 Yamaha Banshee build.  This is my second submission to Dirt Wheels with my first being a 2011 KFX 450 that made it into your great magazine last year. I bought the Banshee as a project in early 2017.  It was a complete and somewhat running ATV, but it wasn't until I started the tear down that I realized just how much of a project quad I had bought.  The only real…