Me too! I think a lot of it has to do with the bikes we saw as kids. For me it was bikes like this and Kawasaki green. There was a kid in the neighborhood when I was like 10 that had a neon green dirt bike and I remember being impressed and a little scared of it back then…made the adrenaline go which probably explains the obsession at 43 years old lol
Thanks for hangin in there with me! I wish I could have more on here but they are tough to come by for decent prices! I will have a riding video soon with this bike on my trails once I get a few things sorted.
I had that and the earlier 185 that me and my high school buddies rode all over our local mountains, such great times riding the then mostly unused hiking trails that now days you would be arrested for. Bullet proof as it comes, one guy had to leave his submerged in the Santa Ynez river for a week waiting for the high water to subside after getting washed off it trying to cross during heavy rain, the usual dewatering everything and it was back in action again. Our local dealer, Honda of Santa Barbara(RIP Honda Al) would submit the paper work so that DMV would issue license plates for them without any modifications. 👍
Man, that must have been prime time riding out there in those years. And to have plates issued that easily is unheard of today. I wish I could have ridden back in the 70s and 80s. I didn’t start until ‘93-‘94. I missed out on the golden era it sounds. That’s pretty amazing that it was good after being under water that long!
A lot better than it first looked. Rear sprocket teeth looked okay from a distance but as you're doing the bearings anyway you'll get a really good look at it. I loved that custom scalloped rear fender😂
Thanks, yeah I figure when I rip the rear wheel off I’ll degrease all the drive train parts and looks at it closer. She’s definitely been looped out a couple times!
Just like a Honda starts right up,,,lol i had a xr-200 r with a speedo , i bought a used speedo ,original was missing, broke used one while installing , cable went down too front hub for speed ,sensor, ,, my bike never started back up when it was hot , did not keep bike long enough to find issue,, great video, bike was too heavy in the sugar sand down here in Florida, used to ride CROOM , off road area in central Florida ,, looking forward to other videos as you restore bike ,,ride safe
Thanks! Sounds like maybe the valve was a bit too tight to not want to start again after being hot. Ever since I had my 87 XR200R, I’ve wanted another with the long travel suspension. Great little bikes when used in the right kind of terrain.
That heat gun trick is pretty cool. I don't know because I haven't done it, but a guy I know wet sands old plastics to bring the plastic back. I've heard good reviews on that too.
Nice work! Im getting caught up on your videos i sold my 79 bronco a while back and bought a 03 mach 1 mustang so thats been consuming a fair bit of my free time lol. Keep up the great content
I had the exact same bike. Almost trade yup my xr400r for the 200. I always liked the 6 speed and weight. My nephew actually rode with the engineer that designed the xr200r once. The only problem I ever had with the 200 was the timing chain jumping and bending the valves.
That’s awesome Brian! I hope he was on an XR200 too lol. The last XR200 I had was a 2002 model last year (videos on this channel too) that I acquired with a bent valve from the chain jumping a couple teeth too. Got that one running great before I sold it. Probably going to keep this one for a while.
Think we had 3 or 4 200’s and 2 250’s and 1 350 and maybe 2 400’s. There were 6 of us that rode together. Finally one of us died. Car vs motorcycle. Think my brother still has 2 parts 200’s in his basement.
SealSavers makes long boots for the old conventional forks like that. Might be a good way to go instead of the OEM style. I think a blue set would look pretty trick on that bike!
You got a great deal there, looking forward to your PE250 video. I think your Honda needs new foot pegs tho. Japanese OEM pegs are miserable at the best of times.
Sounds like a cam chain adjustment or replacement and adjusting valves would help her out. If you’re not aware, you can adjust cam chain tension while the bike is at idle on the old 200s. Self adjusting, just remove the 10mm bolt & loosen the 14mm bolt right above the tensioner (has rubber cover on top). Be happy to clarify that if you’re not sure what I’m meaning :).
Thanks Zach, I’ll give it a try. I think the video picks up acoustics differently as it’s sounds quieter in person for sure. It wasn’t until I was editing that I noticed how loud it sounded. Wouldn’t hurt to try though! I appreciate it.
I dont know if anyone else has said, but take great care with mouse nest dust ..... it can carry some nasty stuff that can result in infection/disease and in a worst case ........ l cant remember the medical name, so google - mask and gloves for that job ☠
