Honda introduced the Recon nameplate in the late 1990s as a small, value-oriented utility ATV for work and general trail use. In Honda’s 1997 North American ATV production announcement, the company identified the FourTrax 250 Recon as one of the ATV models it was building for the U.S. market, establishing the model’s earliest confirmed appearance in the 1997 model year. The nameplate has remained associated with Honda’s compact utility ATV line ever since, evolving from its original 250-class identity into the modern FourTrax Recon family.
The Recon carved out a niche as Honda’s lighter, simpler utility option: an approachable machine aimed at riders who wanted durability and easy handling without moving up to a larger, more complex farm or ranch ATV. Over time, it became one of Honda’s best-known entry utility models, valued for its straightforward layout and practical mission rather than outright size or performance. Honda’s current powersports lineup still lists the FourTrax Recon and Recon ES, showing that the nameplate remains in production as part of Honda’s rec/utility ATV range.
Because the Recon has stayed in continuous use rather than disappearing and returning under a revived name, its history is best understood as one long production run that began in 1997 and continues today.