Honda ATC

Maybe you're not old enough to know this, but the Japanese used to make JUNK.  I remember as a kid in the 70's watching those Toyota's, Datsun's (Nissan), Honda's rust before your eyes. This is in Minnesota where tons of salt is dumped on the winter roads. Maybe these cars worked great in Tucson.

Rusty Sentra

However the Japanese kept improving their cars and as we all know, Honda Toyota Mazda Subaru etc, are well build and dependable cars. I worked for a Japanese company for 10 years and know how detail oriented and patient these folks are.  They continued to improve on their designs and offer many improvements.

750 Mach IV

Back in the early 70's the Japanese came to America with some really cool motorcycles. The Kawasaki Mach series was really fast. Do you remember those screaming 750 cc 2 stoke triples?  Not much for handling but really fast in a drag race.

Then in '74, Honda came to the market with the 750 four.  Back in the day this was truly a Super bike.  Four cylinder, four stroke, four carbs a really nice bike. They also made a 550 four and possibly even a 450 four (someone correct me if I am wrong). I hesitate on the 450 four because Dad had a 450 twin.

Superbike!

With that said, one of my favorite Japanese "motorcycles" is the Honda ATC (All Terrain Cycle). If memory serves, the first ATC with the US-90.  90 cc three wheeler with those funky small hubs and fat flotation tires. I remember a Honda advertisement saying "What is it?".  ATC's were made until '85 or '86 before the safety conscience folks made Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki stop building them.  Fortunately for Honda they had already designed the Four Trax TRX series.  I read somewhere that Honda proved in court that the ATC design was safe.  However, the public didn't go for it as too many folks wiped out and hurt themselves.  Too bad, the ATC was a great machine.  I do have to admit that the four wheels are much more stable, but don't get them stuck.  Four wheelers are heavy!

Oops

I'm 20 years behind everyone in owning stuff.  A couple years ago I had seven 3 wheelers with the crazy idea of making money fixing and selling them.  Not a good idea. There are plenty of parts available - new and used, but the time you need to invest in restoring them is not worth it.  In my corral, I had a ATC 90 ('78) ATC 110 (2 -'79, '80), ATC 185 ('80), ATC 200 ('82), ATC 200 ('83) and an ATC 200X ('85).  I still have the '83 and '85, but the '83 is destined for sale once it is completed. Not sure what I will do with the 200X.

1985 Honda ATC 200X

Sorry for the blah, blah, blah.  Anyway, these machines are very well build. Beginning with the engine. Single cylinder four stroke overhead valves.  Kiehn carburetors are a very simple design and work great. Aluminum head housing the intake and exhaust valves, camshaft and slot for the timing chain.  The transmission is a four speed automatic clutch (6 speed manual clutch on the 200X) which is simple to drive.  Drive it and shift based on motor rpm. Flip the choke lever to full, pull the rope a few times and the little four stroke fires up. 

ATC 110 ('82), 200 ('82), 200 ('82)

The engine is literally bullet proof.  Keep good fuel in the tank, perform the standard maintenance and these machines will provide years of good service.  The large low pressure flotation tires along with the one piece axle (no differential) and chain drive keep these machinery plowing through mud, snow and shallow water.  A buddy used to drive his in the Mississippi river when he was a kid.

Put a rack on the front and back and the ATC makes a great hunting, ice fishing and trail riding machine.  A few years ago my brothers and me took our machines along with our friend on his 4 wheeler on the trails in southern Minnesota.  All machines had no problems climbing the hills and fording the Snake Creek.  Even the little ATC 100 with my full sized brother had no problem climbing the hills.

I still smile when I watch this video.  That little ATC 110 did a great job.  Too bad it made Dave's knee sore. He traded it for a 2 hp outboard.  We had a great time testing out the ATC and ripping along the trails.  Hopefully this post will get you to use your ATC.  As with any mechanical device, if you don't use it, it will rust, the fuel will go bad and the machine will die a slow death.  We had a blast.

Honda made a wide variety of ATCs.  As I mention, the US-90 was the first ATC and the granddaddy of them all with the ATC-350X.  This 350 cc four stroke was quite the ride.  Also hot is the ATC-250R. The 250 is a two stroke which Honda ran in the 1980 Baja 1,000.  From what I've read, Mickey Thompson, was very impressed by what he saw in these fast, tough and dependable machines.  For the hunter and farmer, the ATC-250 Big Red is the way to go.  This ATC has electric start, ample room for storage with the front and rear racks and shaft drive with reverse.  This is the machine I'd love to have for ice fishing and deer hunting.

Honda Big Red

If you like to tinker with motorcycles and mini bikes, you might want to pickup a cheap ATC and go riding.  E-bay is a good place to buy individual parts, but check Craig's List the buy complete parts machines.  Be careful, soon you'll be bitten by the ATC bug.  Enjoy!

China Part 2 (Shanghai)

If you look at a detailed map of China, you'll see that much of the land consists of deserts and mountains which are not compatible with humans.  As a result, most of the population lives along the eastern shoreline from Shenzhen in the south to Harbin in the north.  Of course there are cities south and north of those mentioned, but these are the furthest southerly and northerly cities I've visited.  Furthest west is Urumqi - actually Dushanzi - in Xinjiang province.

The Bund (viewed from a river tour boat deck)

 As with all the Chinese cities, Shanghai is crowded and huge.  The Huangpu river flows through Shanghai along the English built Bund.  The Bund has many grand old buildings that display the vast wealth of the old British Empire.  Thank goodness the communists didn't destroy these building when they took over in '49.  Take some time to check out the Peace Hotel with its exquisite architecture and enjoy a cup of coffee in their coffee shop.

Peace Hotel coffee shop

Across the river is Pudong.  This area has grown much in the past 10 years with many tall office buildings and hotels.  The famous Pearl Tower in located in Pudong as well as the large Pudong International airport.  Depending on traffic the airport is an hour long taxi ride or a 10 minute bullet train ride.  Take the train to the terminal in Shanghai than a taxi to your hotel.

If you overnight in Shanghai and have another  flight from Pudong the following day, choose the Ramada Inn next to the airport.  Literally a 3 minute taxi ride to the Ramada.  However take the Ramada shuttle. Once a young taxi driver drove past the Ramada heading toward downtown.  After pounding on the glass separating me from the driver, the driver finally turned around and got me to the Ramada...............an hour later!  This has only happened once, so don't shy away from the taxi.  Just make sure he takes you to the Ramada next to the airport - not downtown.   Get the address in Mandarin off the Ramada website. The Ramada is very nice unlike the dumpy rundown Ramada hotels in the States.  Make sure you have the correct airport for you next flight. Many domestic flights leave from the old Hongqiao hotel located in downtown Shanghai.  This airport is literally downtown and is pretty decent.

Pudong (Shanghai PRC)

The shopping is OK at the various markets within the city.  Skip the malls as they are the same as any mall in the world.  The Fashion Market (copy cat market) is fun, but be ready for high pressure sales, especially just before you enter the market.  It is surprising how many of these Chinese salesman are your best friends.  In negotiations, offer 10% of the given price and negotiate from there. If you want a halfway decent "Rolex" or "TAG" watch, ask to see the top quality watches.  These are kept behind a curtain.  I bought a decent TAG copy for USD 25.00.  The starting price was USD 150.00  25 bucks for a watch is fair and the watch works well.  My good Chinese friend does not like these markets.  It is an embarrassment to him to see his people hawking this "junk". We eventually end up in a park enjoying the scenery over a few cups of tea.  I can't find my photos of this ancient shopping area near the Bund.

A small park in Shanghai

There are many hotels in Shanghai with a wide range of prices. The Crowne Plaza, Westin and Grand Hyatt are very nice, but not for the price conscience. For a great experience, stay in the Donghu Hotel. This hotel translated East Lake Hotel was operated by the Chinese Mafia prior to the communist takeover. The main hotel is very nice but very expensive. I stayed at the lower priced section of this hotel located 75 meters away.  The price is much better and still offers access to the main hotel with its coffee shop, ambiance and park like grounds.  A brisk 30 minute walk from the Donghu Hotel brings you to the Xintiandi (New Sky and Land) area.  If you have a craving for western food, this area has a nice selection of restaurants.  The food and service is good and the surrounding area is very nice.

Barge on the Huangpu River

 There is much to see in Shanghai and I have only seen a small portion.  Shanghai for me is really a place to catch a train, bus or plane to another city.  Someday I plan to take a boat trip up the Huangpu river to destinations unknown.

Before you go to Shanghai, watch the movie Empire of the Sun and pay attention to the scenes in Shanghai.  Especially the Bund and English owned mansions.  Those mansions must still be there and would be interesting to tour.  Get yourself a decent hotel downtown.  Then, go to the lobby and ask for a decent map of Shanghai.  Generally the staff are college age students who are happy to help with directions and offer suggestions on what sites to see.  Most hotels have small pamphlets with the site description in English and the directions and address in Mandarin.  Make sure you bring a few address cards from the hotel to insure you make it back to the hotel. I've had only one taxi driver who spoke English. 

I will follow up this story with additional posts on Beijing, Shenzen, Harbin, Xian, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Hong Kong, Quindao...........................................

The Bund

Benz!

For years I've wanted to buy a Mercedes.  Why? German engineering, durability, same make as Colonel Klink's staff car, not sure, but I finally bought one.  

My uncle Len and aunt Evie decided to sell their '83 300D and avoid the leaky transmission and broken coil spring.  Dad gave me the lead and I bought the car.

Ready to roll!

On December 18th we rented a car trailer from U-Haul - $54 for 24 hours! My '93 Chevy Silverado pulled the trailer with ease thanks to V-8 power!!  Dad, patient as ever, waited for me as I ran around the house getting my stuff together.  We arrived at U-Haul 30 minutes late and waited for another 30 minutes to sign many forms, waive the extra insurance, etc, etc, etc!  I told the U-Haul guy this is just as much work as renting a car. He said it was more work since they typically rent to lower class people.  Was this a slam or a statement about their market?  Didn't care just wanted to get out of there!!  

Finally at 10 am southbound on Hwy 35 we crossed the Minnesota river then climbed out of the Minnesota river valley and headed past New Market, Farmington, Fairbault, Medford (outlet mall) and finally Owantonna.  No time to stop at Cabelas.  We arrived at 11:30 - too late for aunt Evie's donuts and coffee. Cousin Dan and I gave the 300D a healthy push as dad steered the car onto the trailer.  Then a chainfall and we pulled the Benz onto the trailer.  A few chains and straps and the 300D was locked and loaded.  Now time for lunch prepared by aunt Evie!!

Dad and cousin Dan

When dad, Kayla and I went to inspect the Mercedes a few weeks ago, we had a good time with uncle Len and aunt Evie. Since then, uncle Len has fallen and broken his hip. He had to crawl up his driveway for help.  It was a bad fall and it landed him in the intensive care section of the Mayo clinic.  He'd appreciate your prayers to be home for Christmas.  We miss you uncle Len!!

Aunt Evie made a huge spread of food for the hungry workers.  Hot dish, white bread with butter, coffee, milk, water, cottage cheese, Doritos, grapes, donuts, etc, etc, etc.  After the meal and conversation, dad and I hit the road.  It wasn't but an hour later and dad was feeding me Snicker bars, apples and water. Hence the name Lumpy.

Dad preparing snacks sent by mom!

The trailer worked well and the car made it home in about 2 hours.  We backed up to the garage, hooked the come-a-long to the 300D and used my Escort as an anchor.  For the final shove, dad and I pushed while Kayla steered the Mercedes off the trailer. Nice job Peanut!!!!

Can't shake this Mercedes!

My dad!!

Wow, thanks a million dad for helping me and for your constant display of love and patience. I wish I was as patient as you.  This is the fourth vehicle we dragged home together.  A '68 Ford Bronco from Ely in the late 70's.  I drove the Bronco (with minimal heat in November) and dad followed me in the Chrysler wagon. We had to stop every now and then to blow the rust out of the fuel filter.  A few years later we hauled a early 70's Jeep Cherokee back from Barron Wisconsin. I think my brother John sat in the Jeep while I was safe and warm in dad's Plymouth Valiant.  A few years ago dad and I hauled home a '60 Cadillac Sedan deVille. A huge land yacht that was slowly settling into the earth in Ottertail county.  Now, the Benz.  Whoa, I  own a Cadillac and a Mercedes!!!

You are an incredible Christ like example to us all.  I love you dad!!!  

The Benz has a leaky transmission. However since it hasn't ran for 5 years I will have to clean the fuel system before I can start it and then determine what the tranny problem is.  The tranny in my '51 Chevy pickup just took a dump and needs inspection.  Along with my Muncie 4-speed.  Sheesh (as Dave would say)!

Job complete!