polabareus
11-29-2003, 02:16 AM
ok. so i have an 81 atc 200 that was just chilling in my garage not harming no one, when all of a sudden an evil beast came and broke it. Well, maybe thats not exactly how it went. Since I got the bike it had always been hard to start but once it did start it ran just fine. So the other night I went out to the garage to do battle with the carb. I got the bike started warmed it up and then started messing with the needles to get it tuned just right. I did all that and then took a quick ride around my house kicked up a little snow and then drove it back to the garage. I shut it off for a second to stop my dogs from killing each other over a deer leg and when I went to pull the recoil the rope wouldn't budge. I immediatly thought ,oh crap seized engine, but that doesn't make any sense. It had fresh oil made no tapping or knocking sounds at all and I only drove it around the house once so I don't see how even if I had it set way lean (which I don't think I did) that it would overheat the piston so much that it would warp it. Now I do know the recoil has been a pain in the past. Ive never had to take it apart but occasionaly the rope would not retract. I just wonder if it could be something with the recoil. I would try to pop start it by pushing it down a slight hill and then popping it in gear but my road is ice and it would just slide so thats out. Is there anyway a recoil could just get stuck like that? I mean having to get a piston and have the cylinder bored isn't the end of the world but I just don't see how the engine could seize like that. Anyone got any opinions on what my first step should be?