A year and a half in the making... 1984 200x rebuild pretty much complete!

[rdlsz24]

Bought this thing for $300 in September 2008, about a week before having our first child. As anybody with kids know, you don't have as much garage time as you did before kids. That is why this took me so long lol

The day I bought it. I wish I had more and better pics

http://200x.webs.com/images/Before1.jpg

http://200x.webs.com/images/Before2.jpg

http://200x.webs.com/images/Before3.jpg

I noticed right away this thing needed some engine work, as the smoke show it made while running was very impressive. Found this broken piston on teardown. Surprising it still ran ok
http://200x.webs.com/images/JunkPiston.jpg

New Wiseco .5mm oversized piston going in:
http://200x.webs.com/images/PistonInstalled.jpg

Engine slapped back together and spray bombed with high heat paint:
http://200x.webs.com/images/EngineAfter.jpg


Now that the engine was up to snuff, I focused on the appearance. I don't really like the color scheme of the 83-84 200x, so I set out to make mine look like an 85.

Nice set of oem 200x rear fenders and oem 85 blue seat:
http://200x.webs.com/images/FenderwSeat.jpg

Front 250R fender
http://200x.webs.com/images/frontfender.jpg

Nice 85 gas tank:
http://200x.webs.com/images/NewTank.jpg

84-85 swinger all painted up with new bearings:
http://200x.webs.com/images/OnJack3.jpg

Getting close to completion. Here you can see the lower profile tires I got for it. Front is a Dunlop KT151 on a stock 200x rim . Rears are stock Suzuki Z400/Kawasaki KFX400 9x9 rims and Dunlop KT335 tires.
http://200x.webs.com/images/GettingThere1.jpg

Finally back together and rideable! I still need to fix that pesky seat gap
http://200x.webs.com/images/After.jpg

[rdlsz24]

Above is the condensed version. If you want to see more detail of the process check out the site I made: http://200x.webs.com

Rob

[200XMichigan]

That looks nice, it always good to see people bringing them back to a proud state. Did you go through the bottom end too? It's amazing it ran with that piston. Were there a bunch of chucks of it in the bottom end? I can't wait till my fiance is done with exams, I have been wanting to get in the garage bad but I am full time dad while she's in school. But in 3 weeks my 200X is going to get some TLC that is been needing for the last 20 years or so. Been debating on whether to just do the top end or a full rebuild.

[rdlsz24]

I took my chances with the bottom end. When I drained the oil before tearing into it a couple small chunks came out, which was my first indication something was going on. When I changed the oil pump I also cleaned the rotor. Let's hope it holds up with whatever is left in there! Hopefully the rest will come out in future oil changes.

Rob

[oldskool83]

I like it, its simple and clean.

[rdlsz24]

Thanks man I built it to ride. The same day I took that last pic I rode it near my house and got it covered in mud

Rob

[Dirtcrasher]

I'm not the hugest fan of the 83-85 200X but you did a great job! I like to see the manual next to the motor in that one pic :beer

Your rear fender looks great, polish up that front baby and your good!

Where did the piston skirt pieces go? Did you split the case and get them all out? clean the oil rotor and oil screen?

I love your seat! It's Honda's fault for not making a shoulder bolt on the tank and a slide under the seat to lock into. It's tough to keep the cover "wrinkle free" yet not have it lift up by the gas tank.

I noticed even the brand new 87 200X seats I bought, the covers were not stretched at all. They were fairly loose, but I'll leave it be. I think the problem is in the aftermarket covers or the ones people make which can make the nose ride up if stretched out too tightly....... To me, ALL seats should have a center piece that the seat under-body slides into on top of the tank when you install your fenders to keep the nose of the seat down.

A plastic and pliable seat pan is nice, but too bad they didn't mold some metal in there to keep the nose down........

Anyhow, looking good :beer and those eary 200X's have allot more AM products available than the 86/87 model has; We do the best we can!

[oldskool83]

its only that clean for 1 day!

[honda200x1987]

Not bad, nice work.

[harryredtrike]

good job on that x.looks great

[tri-Z ripper]

nice job i love my 85 X

[jb2wheels]

How do you fix the seat gap? Heat the pan?

[rdlsz24]

Yes that is what I have read on here. Not sure how much luck I will have with it.

Rob

[hang&rattle]

rdlsz- That's something to be proud of. I wanna build something clean like that (I just don't have the patience though). And I'm a single dad with two little trikers and it's amazing for a daddy to pull off a project, So great job, man that work looks so nice & clean!

[200XMichigan]

What about reinforcing the plastic seat pan with metal? Of course the cover and padding would have to be removed. Mine has the same gap and it bugs me. Almost every picture I have seen of them is that way.

[bigworm626]

Clean ride bro, way to go keeping it nice & simple.

[Dammit!]

Been seing a lot of 200x threads on here and dot org lately. It's nice seeing people fixing these little trikes up for a change. They usually get beat and left for dead but they are awesome little machines when in good working order. With a little horsepower boost and some gearing changes you can really wake them up too. The stock gearing is horrible even with 22 inch tires. Throw some 18 or 20 inch tires on there and it makes them barely rideable in my opinion. What gearing are you running with those 20's?

[rdlsz24]

Stock gearing for now. It seems pretty decent to me. If I want to go fast I have my KFX 400 quad lol. Should I go up or down on the front sprocket teeth to make it more like stock gearing?

Rob

[MonroeMike]

Nice work Rob, looks great.

[Dammit!]

Stock gearing for now. It seems pretty decent to me. If I want to go fast I have my KFX 400 quad lol. Should I go up or down on the front sprocket teeth to make it more like stock gearing?

Rob

Up on the front, down on the back. With 20's I would try 13/38. I used to run 14/37 with 18's and it worked awesome.

[jimb0]

Looks nice man

[hondagrant]

Nice job mate !! looks great .
Just go up one tooth on the front srocket that should do the job........

[Yamahondaman]

Nice and Clean !!! hope the piston stuff is gone out of the Bottom .. you selling that Trail 70 ? :-)

[rdlsz24]

Nice and Clean !!! hope the piston stuff is gone out of the Bottom .. you selling that Trail 70 ? :-)

Those pics were from Sept 2008. That Trail 70 is long gone lol

Rob

[carboy6090]

im doing the same to my 86 200x i tore that down completly top to bottem

[Dirtcrasher]

^ carboy - Start a new thread with some pics an we'll help you out, that is if anyone knows the 86/87 200X :naughty:

[Dirtcrasher]

What about reinforcing the plastic seat pan with metal? Of course the cover and padding would have to be removed. Mine has the same gap and it bugs me. Almost every picture I have seen of them is that way.

I think it's a great idea, unfortunately, you'd have to use .125 steel or so to keep it's shape. Nothing thin will do the trick and last! OR, someday, mold our own pans from fiberglass with the metal sandwiched between the layers..........

[200XMichigan]

Yeah it was just an idea the popped into my head. I always look at my seat and it bugs me. Can you remove the cover and foam and put the old cover back on? My seat looks good except for the standard 200X seat bend. Figure thick steel and some strong rivets and it would work real good. If I try it on mine I'll do a thread on it (if it works good).

[dirtbiken]

that is a nice 200x man.