And so the 1995 Foreman™ 400 4x4 introduced the working world to the strongest, most efficient Honda ATV yet. In America, having a Foreman on the job makes a host of tasks more efficient. In short, the Honda FourTrax Foreman becomes an essential part of the great American toolbox. With amazing speed, a huge portion of the American workforce comes to view the ATV as a vehicle capable of getting thousands of different jobs done faster and easier. But as far as its legendary reputation for hard work and extraordinary durability is concerned, that came from the everyday users out in the field.ġ995 Foreman 400 4x4 Honda's efficient longitudinal engine layout From the factory, the 1987 FourTrax Foreman 4x4 included front and rear racks, a high-output 310-watt alternator and a remarkably brawny 850-pound towing capacity. One year after the successful launch of the FourTrax 4x4, the celebrated Foreman name was born. In short, it was a machine born to work, and work hard. Honda's four-wheel drive workhorse featured a limited-slip front differential, and it also boasted a tough 350cc four-stroke engine, vibration-reducing counterbalancer and a fan-assisted oil cooler as standard equipment. The FourTrax™ 350 4x4 arrived at its coming out party in grand style-lowered from a helicopter to show all four wheels moving under their own power. So in 1986, Honda unveiled the first full-time four-wheel-drive ATV. But there was a strong call for more advanced technology. that year.ġ986 FourTrax 350 4x4 Four-wheel-drive technology arrivesĪlmost overnight, four-wheeled ATVs became the tool of choice for a wealth of outdoor professions. The 370,000 units delivered in 1984 remain the high-water mark for Honda ATV sales, and they comprised no less than 69 percent of total ATV sales in the U.S. The market responded with a roar, making 1984 Honda's biggest sales year ever for ATVs. Thus Honda's first four-wheel ATV, the TRX™200, debuted in 1984.įactory-equipped for work with standard front and rear racks and powered by a durable, single-cylinder four-stroke engine running through a five-speed dual-range transmission with shaft drive and reverse, the TRX200 was truly a wonder in its time. As the market's swing toward utility continued, Honda's research made it clear the next step in the ATV's evolution would be another wheel. Consequently, utility usage exploded in the 1980s and ATVs became multi-purpose machines, serving both recreational and utility purposes. On the farm, a tractor cost exponentially more to purchase, outfit and maintain, and an ATV uses roughly eight percent of the fuel necessary to feed a tractor. People who earned their living outdoors couldn't find praise high enough for these little workhorses. As these machines made their way into the workplace, Honda engineers followed so they could gather first-hand data that would steer the course of evolutionary improvements in this particular application. Although it initially made its name as a recreational vehicle, the ATC soon caught the eye of farmers, who instead saw a valuable tool that could be applied to a sizable void in their field-literally speaking. This unprepossessing machine, the US 90, was quickly rechristened the ATC90 and it birthed an entirely new segment of off-road riding. Honda officially introduced the very first All Terrain Vehicle to America in 1970.