This is a 1986 Honda Fourtrax 250R and it appears to be one of the best presented examples we’ve come across in recent memory.
These early high-performance quads helped establish the genre, but many were modified for racing or wrecked in competition, this means that finding a clean, stock example can be a difficult undertaking.
The 250R’s 246cc two-stroke engine was paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox and chain drive, producing roughly 38 bhp in stock trim – impressive numbers for the time. Its aluminum swingarm, Pro-Link rear suspension, and long-travel front shocks gave it the handling of a race bike than a utility ATV/quad. Image courtesy of Honda.
History Speedrun: The Honda Fourtrax 250R
When Honda introduced the FourTrax 250R in 1986 it didn’t just enter the sport-ATV market, it essentially defined it. The FourTrax was directly descended from the ATC250R three-wheeler that had already made quite a name for itself in motocross and desert racing, and the FourTrax would share the same engine/gearbox with relatively few modifications.
The US government had forced a shift away from high-performance trikes after (well founded) safety concerns in the early 1980s, so Honda’s engineers took what they’d learned from the ATC program and reimagined it with four wheels instead of three. The result was the TRX250R, a lightweight, liquid-cooled, two-stroke machine that would become the gold standard for sport quads at the time.
The 250R’s 246cc two-stroke engine was paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox and chain drive, producing roughly 38 bhp in stock trim – impressive numbers for the time. Its aluminum swingarm, Pro-Link rear suspension, and long-travel front shocks gave it the handling of a race bike than a utility ATV/quad.
With a dry weight just over 328 lbs, it was fast, nimble, and extremely responsive. Honda designed it for aggressive riders – people who wanted to jump dunes, charge through whoops, and go bar-to-bar on motocross circuits.
From 1986 through 1989, the FourTrax 250R saw only minor yearly updates and changes, perhaps a testament to how well it was engineered from the outset, but maybe also an indication that Honda was still feeling out the world of quads to see it would prove as popular as three-wheelers had just a few years earlier. They needn’t have been cautious as quads would soon become far more popular than their three-wheeled counterparts had ever been.
The Honda Fourtrax 250R was directly descended from the ATC250R three-wheeler that had already made quite a name for itself in motocross and desert racing, and the FourTrax would share the same engine/gearbox with relatively few modifications. Images courtesy of Honda.
The early FourTrax 250R models came in red and blue, while later versions were given updated graphics, a redesigned seat, and a more refined (and predictable) powerband.
Production stopped after 1989 when tightening emissions laws forced Honda to discontinue its two-stroke sport ATV lineup. The TRX250R was replaced by the four-stroke TRX250X, but the new machine could never quite match the 250R’s punch or handling finesse.
Despite its short production run, the FourTrax 250R left a permanent mark on the world of quads. It became the chassis of choice for ATV racing throughout the 1990s, dominating motocross and desert events long after Honda stopped building it.
Even when modern four-stroke racers like the Yamaha YFZ450R and Honda’s own TRX450R arrived, the old 250R held its ground. Many 250Rs were rebuilt with aftermarket parts from companies like LRD, ESR, and Duncan Racing, keeping the platform alive in both amateur and professional racing.
The 250R still enjoys a cult-like following among collectors and riders who consider it the high-watermark of classic two-stroke ATV design. Original examples are increasingly rare, especially unmodified ones, and clean survivors often fetch top notch prices.
The 250R still enjoys a cult-like following among collectors and riders who consider it the high-watermark of classic two-stroke ATV design. Original examples are increasingly rare, especially unmodified ones, and clean survivors often fetch top notch prices. Image courtesy of Honda.
The Honda Fourtrax 250R Shown Here
This 1986 Honda FourTrax 250R is an excellent example of Honda’s legendary high-performance sport ATV, bought by the selling dealer in 2024 from its second owner in the western United States.
As you would expect, it’s powered by a liquid-cooled 246cc two-stroke single paired with a 6-speed manual gearbox, with drive sent to the rear wheels via a chain final drive. The engine breathes through a Keihin carburetor and a high-mount expansion-chamber exhaust system that exits under the rear bodywork, and starting is handled by a kick starter.
The carburetor was reportedly cleaned by the selling dealer in early 2025. It’s finished in white and blue plastic bodywork with reproduction red, white, and blue graphics over a red-finished steel frame.
Suspension consists of independent double wishbones with adjustable Showa coilovers up front and a gold swingarm with Pro-Link linkage and a Showa remote-reservoir monoshock at the rear.
This 1986 Honda Fourtrax 250R appears to be one of the best presented examples we’ve come across in recent memory.
Hydraulic disc brakes are fitted to each front wheel and the rear axle, this combined with the suspension set up and punchy thumper power unit helped the 250R earn its reputation as one of the best sport ATVs of its era.
It’s now being offered for sale out of Fort Myers, Florida on a bill of sale and you can visit the listing here on Bring a Trailer if you’d like to read more or place a bid.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer
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.
