I never really thought about it before, but with the 1980s being an era when where starting and owning a business was a real goal for a lot of people, even the names of a couple of motorcycles reflected that period of time. This 1985 Yamaha BW200 Big Wheel is listed here on eBay in Athol, Idaho and there is a single bid of $2,600 and no reserve.
I know that the name of this bike is related to the “big wheels” rather than being a business big wheel, but it’s a little coincidental that Honda’s version, the TR200 Fat Cat is also a business-related nickname for someone who has made it to the top. I tried a few business ventures in the 1980s before one of them took off but I was more of a medium wheel than a big wheel. Whether you were a big wheel or a fat cat in the 1980s, if you were into unusual ATC rides, you may have owned one of these two-wheelers. They weren’t even on my radar back then for some reason.
Enough with trying to relate a couple of fat tire motorcycles to business tycoons in the 1980s! I guess the Yamaha Entrepreneur wouldn’t have been a good name for this one. The Big Wheel came out in 1985 and they offered three different sizes, this BW200 is the mama bear and/or Jan Brady (i.e., middle) offering. The smallest was a two-stroke 80 cc version, then this four-stroke 200 cc and a bigger 350 cc four-stroke big wheel.
There was a BW200ES with electric start and I can’t believe that I haven’t owned one of these yet, having been a Yamaha fanatic for the last 4+ decades. I have never ridden one of these bikes and can’t remember the last time I saw one in person. I wish I had one. Or better yet, one of each size, plus a Honda Fat Cat, and 100 other bikes that come to mind…
The seller says that this one is mostly original other than a new seat cover, new tank decals, and a new handgrip on the left side. It looks fantastic overall with just a few scratches and I’d maybe grab some new graphics for everything other than the tank to really make it look great. The engine is a Yamaha 196 four-stroke two-valve single-cylinder with just over 15-hp. It runs great and it sure looks good to me. Have any of you owned a fat tire motorcycle, or were you a business big wheel or fat cat in the 1980s?!
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