The US stopped selling new three-wheelers in 1988, and federal law has kept new ones out since 2008. Every Honda ATC 250R that will ever exist has already been built, and the US is where they were sold new. Our view is that the ATC 250R is the vintage two-stroke to buy now, ahead of the big-bore motocross bikes, because no rule change will ever add to the supply.
Buyers in Australia, the UK, France and New Zealand have worked this out. They are taking vintage dirt bikes out of the US: Kawasaki KX500s, Suzuki RM500s, Yamaha YZ490s and Honda three-wheelers, mostly for $500 to $5,000 a bike. At that price the freight decides whether the deal makes sense, and our second view is simple: a $2,000 bike only makes sense in a consolidated container.
Three doors closed, one after another. On April 28, 1988, a federal court approved consent decrees under which Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Polaris stopped selling new three-wheeled ATVs and bought back dealer stock. The decrees ran for ten years. In 2008 the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act made the ban permanent in practice: new three-wheel ATVs may not be imported or distributed until a federal safety standard exists, and none does.
The open-class two-stroke went next. Suzuki sold the RM500 in the US for 1983 and 1984 only. Kawasaki built the KX500 from 1983 to 2004 and left it nearly unchanged for its last decade. Four-strokes took over the tracks, and the EPA's off-highway motorcycle standards phased in from 2006, with full compliance for 2007 models (40 CFR 1051.105). Honda built its last two-stroke CR250R in 2007.
The third reason is the climate. A KX500 that spent 30 years in Arizona or the California desert has a frame without salt damage. That is the bike buyers in Sydney and Southampton are paying for, and the US Southwest is where they are.
Honda built the ATC250R from 1981 to 1987. It started with a 248cc air-cooled two-stroke; the 1985 redesign brought a 246cc liquid-cooled engine, a six-speed gearbox and 9.8 inches of suspension travel. The 1985 and 1986 trikes are the ones collectors want, and a 1985 example sold for $7,500 at Mecum Indy in May 2024 (CLASSIC.com).
We rate it above the other three-wheelers on the form. The ATC 250SX (1985 to 1987) is a 246cc four-stroke with an auto clutch and shaft drive, a trail trike rather than a race trike. The ATC 350X (1985 and 1986) is a 350cc four-stroke that was never competitive at the pro level. The Kawasaki Tecate, a 249cc liquid-cooled two-stroke built from 1984 to 1987, was built to beat the 250R; one sold for $6,600 at Mecum Kissimmee in January 2023 (CLASSIC.com). Buy the Tecate if you find a clean one. Buy the 250R because it is the benchmark the others were built to beat.
The Yamaha Banshee is a different case. It is a 347cc two-stroke twin quad, sold in the US until 2006 and in Australia from 1998 to 2012 (production history). Australian buyers already have local Banshees to choose from, so we would only ship one for a specific, documented machine.
A 1988 KX500 sold for $3,852 with fees at Iconic Motorbike Auctions in August 2025. A 1987 Yamaha YZ490 made $5,885 at Iconic in January 2023. A survivor 1984 RM500 sold for $3,000 on eBay in 2018 (Bike-urious). The KX500 had a 22-year run, so it is the easiest of the three to keep running, and it costs the least.
The YZ490 and RM500 are collector bikes: short runs, period graphics, and fewer left. The Honda CR500 sits above all of them in price and demand, and it has its own Honda CR500 buying guide.
Take a $2,000 KX500 going to the UK. Ocean freight from our California warehouse to Southampton is $600, and destination charges are about £350 (WCS rates table, October 26, 2026). Air freight on the same lane is $3,250, more than the bike. For a bike under $5,000, we would ship by ocean in a consolidated container every time, and keep air for a race date.
Two things save money. Wash the bike, frame and wheels included, before it leaves: Australia and New Zealand fumigate and inspect on arrival, and dried mud is what they look for. And send the dimensions of a three-wheeler or quad when you ask for a quote, because it takes more container floor than a motocross bike. Our motorcycle shipping rates page has the current lanes.
Our own warehouses in California, Florida and New Jersey cover all of the US for imports and exports, and our own team loads every car and handles every document, bikes included. We ship door to door, by ocean or by air. What to know about shipping motorcycles overseas covers the paperwork, and how we ship a collector car walks through pickup to loading.
Under consent decrees approved on April 28, 1988, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Polaris stopped selling new three-wheeled ATVs over safety concerns. Since September 13, 2008, federal law (16 CFR 1420.4) bars new three-wheel ATVs from being imported or distributed in the US. Used ones can still be bought, sold and exported.
1981 to 1987. US sales ended in 1986; limited 1987 models were sold in Europe and Canada. The 1985 and 1986 models have the liquid-cooled 246cc engine and six-speed gearbox.
A 1988 KX500 sold for $3,852 with fees at Iconic Motorbike Auctions in August 2025. Condition and originality drive the price.
$600 by ocean from California to Southampton, 29-40 days, or $3,250 by air, 10-14 days (WCS rates table, October 26, 2026). UK destination charges are extra.
2004. The KX500 was built from 1983 to 2004, with few changes after 1988.
Ready to begin your vintage dirt bike import journey? Whether the bike is in a garage in Arizona or you won it at an auction from Sydney, contact West Coast Shipping's motorcycle specialists today for a personalized consultation and discover how simple bringing your dream bike home can be.
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