Fishfiles 20,145 Posted May 27, 2020 If Honda were to build a retro dream machine , remember the first ATC 3 wheelers had a high/low shift lever , that might be a good thing , built in gear reduction ----- 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,525 Posted August 31, 2020 So just another quick review of the locker. Last week end the wife & I really had a chance to put it to the real mud test. It works FANTASTIC! It pulled us thru some crazy nasty black mud. Not muskeg, but similar. I was the lead bike, then my buddy on his Griz 700 & his buddy on a 2 stroke Polaris 400. No one had been thru the trail in many many months by the looks of things. I did have to get winches out once as I was just plain hung up... I couldn’t rock the bike much because of my shoulder. If I had a solid shoulder I might of had a fighting chance. In 2wd u will notice a slight clicking at slow speed in turns. This of course is normal.. again for anyone considering this, u won’t regret it as long as u have a 424 kick out. Sorry we have no pics that I know of... 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sled_22 845 Posted August 31, 2020 On 5/27/2020 at 2:53 AM, Fishfiles said: If Honda were to build a retro dream machine , remember the first ATC 3 wheelers had a high/low shift lever , that might be a good thing , built in gear reduction ----- I grew up on a mid 80s 90cc ATC... As a kid i never knew it had a high range, just three gears. The day i figured out about the high gear reduction, may have been the day rolled the thing on multiple times... dad says "found the high range huh?" after seeing bent handle bars and a cracked fender. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,567 Posted August 31, 2020 (edited) it's about time for you to update on that locker, wheeler ... lol, i myself have been waiting!, but do take care of that shoulder .... glad y'all had a great trip. Edited August 31, 2020 by _Wilson_™ 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fishfiles 20,145 Posted August 31, 2020 8 minutes ago, sled_22 said: I grew up on a mid 80s 90cc ATC... As a kid i never knew it had a high range, just three gears. The day i figured out about the high gear reduction, may have been the day rolled the thing on multiple times... dad says "found the high range huh?" after seeing bent handle bars and a cracked fender. That's funny !!! So you never know it had High gear for a long time , eh !!! I had a ATC200 with high / low , if I remember right it was a 1982 , chain drive , no reverse , pull start Someone should reproduce a supped up TRX300 design , 400cc , 424 kick out , shiftable front locker , disk back and front , high / low gear reduction , able to accept 30 inch tires , I'd buy a couple of them , let my wife bust one up 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sled_22 845 Posted September 1, 2020 18 hours ago, Fishfiles said: That's funny !!! So you never know it had High gear for a long time , eh !!! I had a ATC200 with high / low , if I remember right it was a 1982 , chain drive , no reverse , pull start Yeah I grew up with a 90 and 110 ATC. both chain drive and both had the gear reduction. I remember riding it so young that i couldn't pull start it myself. I either had to have my dad do it or get lucky and pop start it down the hill... and then pushing it back up the hill and trying again. If i only knew back then what I know now... We'd always have problems with chain, breaking masters and binding up in the case. That poor case of mine had been jb welded 3-4 times from the ! chain. But that's how i learned to take engines apart and put them back together... Back on topic, do they make these torq lockers for the 500 and new machines? I haven't had my front apart yet to know if it'd be a good (eventual) upgrade. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,525 Posted February 25, 2021 (edited) Hey guys.. wanted to do another quick review. Today was the first time I got out on the trails in the snow! The temps were super mild. It was roughly 38f or 3c. The snow on trails was really dry.. almost like sand. I ran as much 2wd as I could but wow... I sure needed 4wd.. the locker was definitely hard at speeds in that kind of snow. IF I ran a lot in the winter, I would not want the locker at all. I would keep the open diff. However with that said, we (my buddy in Griz 700) encountered some obstacles in the trail where he just couldn’t get over. He has 27” Mudlites. Mine with locker got right over where he couldn’t. Most of my riding is spring thru fall. I run 2wd as much as I can, & 4x4 when I need it. That’s where locker shines. so my verdict is SNOW & Locker get a 6 outta 10... Edited February 25, 2021 by Wheeler 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,567 Posted February 25, 2021 from what I've read ... I'd ether go with fish's differential shim mod, or the same locker you have,i can always add more weight to rear end, to adjust for a locked front end plus you can cheat the grip with higher tire pressure, on just soil, hard pack would be a defrent story, but i rather have the easy way, cheating with tire / and weight, and have the locker, plus the 424 kick out, which fish, you, and myself have. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,567 Posted July 10, 2021 just to bump the thread up some, @Wheeler refresh my memory on who manufactures the one you have and i can't recall how long the warranty is ? i take it's the only one on the market that will fit a honda 300 fwd ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slowindown 494 Posted July 10, 2021 26 minutes ago, _Wilson_™ said: just to bump the thread up some, @Wheeler refresh my memory on who manufactures the one you have and i can't recall how long the warranty is ? i take it's the only one on the market that will fit a honda 300 fwd ? If wheeler doesn't get back to you, they're made by https://www.torqmasters.com/ They're pretty popular amongst can-am folks, but power steering is recommended... I started to buy one for my commander a few years ago but I've slowed down even further and mostly use it as a utility machine now. Still, there has been a time or two I'm pretty sure I would not have gotten stuck had I installed it (and a couple of times not amount of locked would have changed the outcome lol). On can ams the front tire has to spin before the other tire locks in which can stick you (some of the newer models have an optional locker finally). 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,525 Posted July 11, 2021 Yes it’s as @slowindown states. I ha e no idea on warranty.. but all I can say is that if u have a 424.. this is the ULTIMATE combo! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,567 Posted July 11, 2021 thank you both, yeah i have a 424, thanks to looking at fishes threads from the old forums, i wished i had gotten two, like you both have, having a back up would be great! so the locker you have is what they call a ratchet type, that frees up when you have your 300 fwd is 2wd ? i watched a couple videos today, so i understand about that clicking noise. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,525 Posted July 11, 2021 @_Wilson_™ yea it ratchets but you only ever hear it when the front end is jacked up in the air. Driving in 2wd is NO different than any other atv in 2wd smooth! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,567 Posted July 11, 2021 the video i watched, gives details about cogs being hardened steel, and a warranty, (didnt mention how long) torqmasters makes both the Aussie locker, and the one you have, claims the spring and dowel pin would be the fusible link, but now the video was claiming on only larger high horsepower vehicles, no mention of atvs, so my thinking would be it would never give much trouble anymore then, regular bike issues, now I'm talking long term bike issues that rarely happen..... and the fwd on mine would hardly ever be used, now the 97 ? takes on the harder work, as I'm saving the 2000 as a custom build collectors item, HA! but I'll never sell it, it will go to the grave with me like shades tank with him. lol. if you'd like to see the video, I'll post it here, OR, PM anyone who like to see it, just PM me and let me know. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeepwm69 7,611 Posted July 12, 2021 Post it up if it’s not too big. I’m sure several of us want to see it 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,567 Posted July 12, 2021 glad to :-) I'm not sure if this is the most detailed vedio, but i was impressed, just wish they were cheeper, lol, just a note it might have been posted here before. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fishfiles 20,145 Posted July 12, 2021 Torq-Master sure does look like something I would like to have , I just can't justify the price as something I have to have ------ 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,525 Posted June 7, 2023 Rookie Move! (again!!) while my front diff was out, for the rebuild of my 424, I inspected it prior to install. Well compared to my spare open diff it was loose! So I figured the gear was worn too much. I was gonna swap the locker into my spare diff. LOL!!!! I open it up only to find my mistake when I originally installed the Torq locker. I had both diff spacers on the pinion side causing excessive slack between the gears trying to mesh! What a goof up on my part! This very well may explain the snapping of handlebars & jerking I’ve tried to explain to you guys while in 4x4. Prolly slipping on the gears under hard load! Anyway problem solved. & I’m still loving the locker!!! With the fully rebuilt 424, 400bbk, now proper diff, & new axles, I’ll be super solid!!! Cheers! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jeepwm69 7,611 Posted June 7, 2023 Pulling the front diff on a 300 is PITA compared to the newer machines. I can pull a diff on a 350/420/500/680 without touching the a-arms. Have to pull the lower arm on one side to get the bolt out on a 300. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,567 Posted June 8, 2023 Thanks for the update.... So besides the small mistake... It's held up good ? That's just what i wanted to hear.... Got me thinking more and more about updating when i can get this ever growing list thinned out... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wheeler 2,525 Posted June 9, 2023 @_Wilson_™ yes my bad on that. But it still is amazing. Once I get er up & running I’ll confirm if that pulling was my issue. But I haven’t found any other issues. So has to be. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites