Honda ATV Odyssey

By: Deshawn Agtarap



All terrain vehicles have taken the market by storm over the past few decades with companies like Yamaha, Suzuki, and Honda providing top notch ATV's for any task. And the Honda ATV odyssey was quite a tale.

So where did it all begin? In a farm town in Japan that was isolated because of the rough mountainous terrain. When spring came and the things began to thaw or when the rainy seasons arrived the roads where impassable.

The three wheel ATV was developed as a method of transportation and it wasn't long before it was being used in other areas as a recreational vehicle. Honda was quick to recognize that there was also excellent potential for the American market.

Upon its arrival in the 1970's it was marketed as a thrill machine. Today that still remains its primary purpose. Although sportsmen and outdoorsmen where quick to realize this was a machine that would go into areas their pickup trucks wouldn't so it was perfect for hunting and fishing.

Way back in the beginning the Honda's first ATV was a US90 for off road fun but as the line of ATVs expanded the usefulness also did. When the consumer recognized the benefits of an ATV over a tractor and that the less expensive light footprint was able to cover almost any terrain the ATV became the tools of choice for agriculture industries, ranches, the police, and for those with disabilities.

Osamu Takeuchi was the father of invention when it comes to the ATV line developing the first ATV. It all began because the owner of Honda was looking for a product that the dealers could sell off season when motorcycle sales dwindled. Here was a machine that could be used in the snow, slippery road conditions, and even the mud during thaw out.

The basic machine changed over the years as technology improved. Soon a 90 cc engine with a special four speed gear box was on the market. This was a setup that was flexible to almost any terrain. Add that with improved tires and suddenly the world was an open book and where the ATV could travel endless. The throttle was changed to a thumb throttle, a live axle was used, and balloon tires were added.

The original tires although reliable and good for most terrains faced the problem of being easy to puncture. Add the fact that those tires couldn't be repaired created a real problem. But things were in a changing pattern so soon better tires were available.

By 1979 the ATC 110 had hit the market. It was truly evolutionary. By the 1980s the popularity had grown tremendously and with that came even more improvements. Farmers were quick to realize that an ATV used a fraction of the fuel of a tractor and outdoorsmen where quick to realize that this was a great tool to get them into the back country. By the mid 1980s most ATV's that were sold were for multi purpose usage.

Models like the ATC 185 were introduced which where built on a larger 25 inch tire which made it even more versatile. This was a machine that could handle both work and play with no problems. In fact it was the official first multi purpose machine. It had a huge following that continued for the life of the machine.

Over the years more and more models were introduced. The engines got bigger and they became more of a power house than ever. Combine that with all the accessories that became available and the tires that allowed not only for muddy terrain but for water crossings, sand, and basically any type of terrain you can think of and these ATV's have become not only a powerful recreational vehicle but also a powerful work horse.

The Honda ATV odyssey has been long and interesting and each season it continues to surprise us even more. Where we were in the 70s, to where we are now, can you imagine what the future will bring?



Deshawn has been a salesperson for automotive industry for more than 10 years and enjoys helping customers select the right atv according to their preferences. Come to www.atv-now.com to get free advice on different types of atv.