This is a refurbished Honda ATC90 three-wheeler from 1974 that now presents in excellent overall condition, looking almost factory fresh despite the fact that it’s over 50 years old.
It was the Honda US90, later renamed the ATC90, that would set the standard for mass-produced three wheelers – though it wasn’t the first – American companies like Rupp and Sperry-Rand had been producing various three, four, and even six-wheelers for much of the 1960s and 70s.
Sean Connery rode a Honda US90 (later renamed the ATC90) in the 1971 James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever.” This appearance helped the image of the still-new little Honda three-wheeler, putting in front of a large global audience for the first time. Images courtesy of Eon Productions.
History Speedrun: The Honda ATC Three-Wheelers
The story of Honda’s ATC model line begins at the end of the 1960s, when Honda engineers were tasked with creating a new lightweight recreational vehicle ideally suited to off-road and winter-time use, that could go where traditional two-wheeled motorcycles struggled.
Their design had to also be relatively lightweight and easy to use for first-time riders, with an engine under 100cc, and they had to use as many pre-existing Honda motorcycle parts as they could to reduce the cost of development and manufacturing.
The solution the engineers came up with was simple and unconventional, a motorcycle-derived drivetrain mounted to a tubular steel frame, riding on three oversized balloon tires for flotation over loose ground and snow. The result was the US90, introduced in 1970, later renamed the ATC90, and it effectively created the modern all-terrain vehicle category.
That said it wasn’t the first three-wheeled all terrain vehicle, that honor lies with the Sperry-Rand Tricart developed in 1967 by John Plessinger as a project for his engineering degree. The design was revolutionary and was soon put into production, doubtless inspiring Honda and many other manufactures with their own three-wheelers.
The Honda ATC90
The Honda ATC90 used a 89cc four-stroke engine adapted from Honda’s small trail bikes, driving through a semi-automatic transmission with a centrifugal clutch. Its low gearing, wide tires, and minimal weight made it easy to use for novice riders and useful in snow, sand, and mud.
The Honda ATC90 used a 89cc four-stroke engine adapted from Honda’s small trail bikes, driving through a semi-automatic transmission with a centrifugal clutch. Its low gearing, wide tires, and minimal weight made it easy to use for novice riders and useful in snow, sand, and mud. Image courtesy of Honda Powersports USA.
Honda marketed it aggressively as a recreational machine for the whole family, and sales were strong right from the get go. Over the next decade, Honda expanded the ATC line rapidly, adding larger-displacement engines, manual clutches, full suspension, and eventually, performance-oriented racing models aimed at experienced riders who wanted to push the limits of speed on three-wheels.
Perhaps the biggest marketing coup Honda had experienced up until that moment in its history occurred in 1971 when the then-new Honda US90 three-wheeler was ridden by Sean Connery as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever.
Connery piloted his three-wheeler across a desert landscape pursued by henchmen, and the scene immediately burned the US90 into the minds of an entire generation of impressionable young Americans – the age of the three-wheeler had dawned.
By the late 1970s and early 1980s, the three-wheeler market had become intensely competitive. Other manufacturers entered the field, mostly members of Japan’s big four including Suzuki, Kawasaki, and Yamaha. Power outputs increased markedly, and vehicles became faster, more specialized, and much more dangerous.
This evolutionary progression also exposed the inherent handling compromises of the three-wheel layout, particularly with aggressive riding. A rising number of accidents, combined with mounting legal pressure, led to increasing scrutiny of the entire market segment.
In 1988, following lawsuits and a voluntary industry agreement, production of new three-wheeled ATVs effectively ended. Honda had already shifted its focus to four-wheel ATVs, which offered greater stability and a much broader appeal and the other manufacturers soon followed suit. This is why the quad bike market is now as large as it is, and it’s effectively impossible to buy a brand new three-wheeled ATV.
The 1974 Honda ATC90 Shown Here
The three-wheeler you see here is a 1974 Honda ATC90 that was given an extensive refurbishment under previous ownership. It now presents in remarkably good condition throughout, looking almost like it must have over 50 years ago on the Honda dealer’s showroom floor.
The three-wheeler you see here is a 1974 Honda ATC90 that was given an extensive refurbishment under previous ownership. It now presents in remarkably good condition throughout, looking almost like it must have over 50 years ago on the Honda dealer’s showroom floor.
Power is provided by a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine with a displacement of 89cc, a recoil starter, a newer aftermarket carburetor, and a high exit exhaust. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 4-speed dual-range transmission and the bike has no suspension, other than what is offered by those large, soft balloon tires of course.
This Honda ATC90 is now being offered for sale out of Pompano Beach, Florida for off-road use only with a bill of sale, and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer + Honda Powersports USA
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
