3 Wheeler For Ice Fishing???

[Far-I]

These older Big Reds are in my budget. Yes? No? I have a feeling steering would be next to impossible in anything but a light dusting...

Studs? Chains? Replace the front tire with a ski, if such a thing exists

Anyone been down those road have words of encouragement or discouragment?

I don't have the money for a decent sled or quad, and am sick of not being able to cover much ground on foot on the ice.

[toughguy]

South of Mille Lacs you might be ok. In the northern part of the state sometimes 4x4 4 wheelers have a tough time. If you're only using it for ice fishing get a sled.

[Ryan_V]

It will be fine until theres more than a couple inches of snow. they weren't designed to go through much. there are times on Mille Lacs that my 700 cat hasn't gotten me to where I've wanted to go!!! If you stay on plowed roads, you'd be fine, but then again, once there's plowed roads, you can drive your car/truck out.

[CrappieAttitude]

I have a 1984 Honda 200 3 wheeler that I take out a lot over the winter. Steering is dificult especially if you are trying to bring a buddy out with you while pulling your house. It works really well like some have said when there is a small amount of snow. Deep fluffy stuff you pretty much stop on contact. If the snow is packed down they work great. Nice thing about them is that they weigh next to nothing, so typically getting unstuck is not an issue. If you can find a good used big red, I am sure you would be very happy with it. If the tires are sized right for you to add chains, I would defniately suggest doing so. I put chains on my 4-wheeler last winter and I couldn't believe how much of a difference they made. My 3-wheeler has pretty large tires and there isn't much fender clearance to put the chains on that.

CA

[Jarrod32]

I use a 1985 Honda Big Red for ice fishing. The comments above are generally correct, though it will certainly go through more than "a couple inches" of snow. I generally use it for early ice...when generally there is not too much snow.

[JBar]

I used to take a old ski of a snowmobile and attach it to where the front tire would be on my old honda 200x. Red Green show situation lol. but with wide tires on the back it's supprising the amount of snow it will handle. This was before i had a modern 4 wheeler and the three wheeler is long gone you can pick up a used old sled in the paper for 500 or under if you watch.

[tsande00]

I used to take a old ski of a snowmobile and attach it to where the front tire would be on my old honda 200x. Red Green show situation lol. but with wide tires on the back it's supprising the amount of snow it will handle. This was before i had a modern 4 wheeler and the three wheeler is long gone you can pick up a used old sled in the paper for 500 or under if you watch.

Only problem I see with a used old sled is they usually don't run worth a darn. You spend more time fixing them then you do using 'em. Might cut into his ice fishing time.

Not saying you couldn't pick up a decent sled at a reasonable price...just something to approach with caution.

[JBar]

ha yah that is true but with a little change in your pocket, some given time before ice, and some mechanical know how he could have a good ice fishing rig. I've come across many items for a quarter or less of the price of new that has only been a bad fuel filter, cracked insulator on a spark plug, or carb out of idle adjusment ect,ect, just a thought!

[SFC]

Owned a 1985 big red for 25 years it will handle a lot of snow. If their is alot of snow I make a few runs to get a good path started before pulling much weight.This all depends on the snow conditions as far as how hard each snowfall crusted over. I use mine for hunting alot. Snowmobile will take u about anywhere on a lake. Went out at the end of the season last year on little boy, had a good foot or so of snow rode right over the top. 8 to 10 inches of fresh snow no problem. Only expense I have had is general maint.& tires, quality machine. If you buy one and have never ridden one take it easy,until you get a few hundred miles ridden, they can bite hard.

[MJBaldwin]

I bought a big red for hunting and use it everywhere now just always put some seafoam in tharer so you don't have to clean the carb but a picked a mint one up for 300 all I had to do was clean the carb. They are worth the money and go through more than a little snow never tried chains might give them a try. But there fun man buthats my two cents

just get what's in your budget

[Far-I]

I ended up getting a 1983 Honda 185 3 Wheeler. It starts first pull everytime (so far) and man, is that thing a blast to ride! It has a back rack, but want to find a front rack like Jarrod's in the picture above.

If I could find a way to mount my Jiffy up there for added weight that would be sweet!

I like the snowmobile ski in place of wheel idea, I may toy with that at some point....

Anyone else like these old 3 Wheelers? I suddenly feel like I've been missing out this whole time

Also, the reason I didn't buy a cheap sled was as stated above. I know some of my friends seem to spend just as much time monkeying with their sleds as they do using them. I'm not as mechanically inclined and would rather just be out fishing!

[chad austin]

You can't go wrong with the old Honda's, they just keep going on and on like the energizer bunny. For the ski in the front, look for a ski off the front of and old wet bike they are about 24" wide, I also like the idea of mounting the jiffy on the front for ballast to help with steering, what do you use for drilling your holes ?

[Northlander]

I hated 3 wheelers. Always tipsy on corners and didnt steer very well. I would get a 4 wheeler with chains or tracks or a snowmobile. You can get some ok sleds for less than a grand.

[SFC]

Big difference between a 185 and a 250 big red as far as going through snow, dont mount your auger on your front end u will want the front as light as possible and the weight on the back. With a 185 stay on the path or snowmobile tracks, ride sensible and slowly learn the capabilities of the machine, then u will have no tipsy problem. Respect it or the tipsy will get you!

[doomanmxz99]

I have an 83 185s and I put chains on it for ice fishing. Will go just about anywhere you want it to. Also like said above keep your auger in the rear because if you get the front to heavy it will start to push the snow then it gets hard to control. I have taken it out last year on Lake Alex snow and slush just couldnt go to fast but drove out 2 miles to my spot and back with no problem. I would say get one you will enjoy.

[Far-I]

Hey! Welcome to the forums doomanmxz99! This place is really great! I appreciate your input seeing as you have the same machine as I do.

So you guys think it'd be better to keep the weight in the rear and let the front have a little more give?

I'm not anticipating this thing to conquer the lake in every situation, but it sure is going to be a fun toy for the time being....

[Ed Carlson]

OK...I have an economic answer to upgrade that Big Red...how about...A Pair of J-Wheelz on back, and a ski on the front.

Big Red homemade skies

That baby would scoot along on deep snow very well!

[Far-I]

Haha! That's awesome Ed!

[McGurk]

I also had an '83 185s, and still have an '84 Yamaha 225DX 3 wheeler. If you are on ice, put weight on the front or you will never turn if you have chains. If you are in snow, don't put any extra weight anywhere.

If anyone is looking for a 3 wheeler, I'm listing my Yamaha on the HSO classifieds soon. Keep an eye out for it, she's a runner!

[Gordie]

I have a 1983 Big Red 200 and love it. the only problem with mine it was built with no reverse but it doesnt weigh much.

In lesser amounts of snow its awsome I have studed it and it pulls great But i think chains would even be better. I've pulled a 2 place snowmoblie trailer with three protasble spear shacks and all the equipment and a barbque grill across Maple Lake for a GTG a few years back and thats what impressed me the most.

You can fab up some sort of ski for it but not sure if you can buy one I have seen them made out of trailer fenders and even a window well.

Good luck

[merkman]

Can the 3 wheeler and get a Harley!!!

[Far-I]

Wow, that is cool! How fast do you think that thing moves?

No place to mount the auger though

[Far-I]

Hey, this is probably a dumb question, and not really ice fishing related, but since we have been talking about 3 wheelers in this thread maybe one of you that owns one could chime in:

I've never driven a bike, sled or wheeler really before, and this one seems pretty easy. It has a semi-auto clutch, and the previous owner said i really dont even need to use it.

My question is: why when i downshift does it feel like i'm jerking to a halt? Shouldnt I just coast into a lower gear? I tap down from neutral to first to second, etc... and tap up back towards neutral. I have tried the clutch to make a downshift smoother, but not sure i am releasing the clutch correctly?

When is it appropriate to downshift? Should I downshift every time before stopping or making a turn? I would assume that i should stop in 1st vs 2nd right, but i dont know why the machine jerk-baits. Maybe that is normal or maybe i am just not very good at driving it yet?

[McGurk]

This may sound weird, and if I am wrong please tell me so it doesn't screw up anyone else's machine. When you up-shift an auto-clutch, you are supposed to let off the throttle and allow the motor to drop it's revs. This is so the next higher gear has the revs matched closer to what it should be when the clutch re-engages and you hit the throttle.

When coasting through down shifts, it only makes sense to let off the throttle to do so, and you end up with a jerky shift as you stated. I've found if you actually give it a bit of throttle when down shifting, it is much smoother as you are rev-matching the next lower gear. It sounds weird, but if you think about what you are doing with the throttle when switching gears and gear ratios it will make sense.

DO NOT GO FULL THROTTLE WHEN DOING THIS!!! I'm talking about a keeping a small amount of throttle when doing this so it actually revs up during that small amount of time between the clutch disengaging, the gear being switched, and the clutch re-engaging. If you try it you will see what I mean.

[trapperdirk]

As far as I am aware of a semi-auto clutch does not have a handle bar clutch lever per se' .At least my minibikes didn't nor did my 185 yamaha 3 wheeler nor does my 400 big bear atv . McGurk's explanation is bang on .

TD