Mickey Dunlap said it for the 200r

[motoman1012002]

Mickey Dunlap
Senior Member

Registered: Jan 2002
Location:
Posts: 240



quote:
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Originally posted by VIC
Where did that 200cc motor come from, was it a one off or based off something from in Honda's line-up?
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The motor was a sand casted proto-type with a cr125 6 speed gear box, that why it cost so much.

[motoman1012002]

the man that rode it him self so. ITs wasnt no mtx 200 cc motor is was a 125 motor

[motoman1012002]

what does anyone ealse think about this

[Dan Tenn]

I think that most of us knew that the Honda race team got the crazy go fast engines, but they made several versions of the 200R. Notice that he does not say 125 engine, he said 125 transmission. There very well could have been a version with an MTX 200 based motor that Mickey did not ride. What about the 250R sleave down kit ? Was this just for amateurs, or did team Honda use these also ?

[86waterpumper]

There was far more to the factory 200 motors than a sleeve down kit. Amateurs used this option because it was obviously cheaper, faster and let them stay within the cc guidelines. Honda did alot more to them, they usually left the bore completely alone, and destroked the motor, which served the purpose of not only meeting the cc requirements but also let the bike rev and turn up faster. Many other things were changed such as port timing obviously and such. That is why finding a 200r or something on ebay with the sleeve down kit isn't that special I don't think, as tons of people probably built them. The bike mickey rode was obviously an early prototype, it looks nothing like the number 22 bike that Steve Wright rode in 85, which was obviously based on a 250r frame, albeit with a funky swingarm which had the sprocket in the middle of the carrier instead of to the outside. This is the bike that I've seen the most pictures of, and was on magazine covers etc. Who knows by that time what motor they were using.http://www.instinctz.net/waters/Honda200r1.jpg

[Jeb]

There were allot of KXT200s too. They were sleeved down KXTs and not "works" trikes like the Hondas. The "works" 200Rs caused a big stink between Honda and Kawasaki back in the day because according to the rules a non-production "works" trike was illegal but Honda got away with it anyway.

I'm surprised you don't see more KXT200 racers for sale.

I always thought that trike in the pic was a dirt bike conversion for a long time because of that strange swingarm. I've got a two-page pic in an old atv-sports mag of it in the air, shot from underneath. I need to scan it. I can't remember, does it have a single-side radiator?

That would be a great picture if that guy would have moved his big @$$ out of the way! :D

[Curtis-Tecate3]

I tried to debate this subject a long time ago and no one would listen. Team Honda's 200R was a complete works bike that had a Sand Cast engine which basically means that it was a custom/hand made, limited run motor. Some guys on this board claimed that it was some european MTX200 whatever motor but I have seen the 200R before my eyes and that was "Not" a production motor in Team Honda's bike at the Miami Nationals in 1985/86. I have some very bad quality photos on this site under factory Racers section from that actual race but you cant see anything from them. It was on one of those old disc type cameras. Talking to my idol at that time, Team Honda's 200X rider Curtis Sparks, told me that their 200R was faster than any of their other team bikes including Marty Harts 250R.
In 85 or 86 (Bad memory) they had 2 separate 200CC classes. One for production (basically 200X) and one Pro (Open). This happened once the privateers started de-sleeving and de-stroking their 250's and smoking the poor little 200X. Team Honda responded with the works 200R and the new class was quickly formed.

Like WaterPumper said, Most or the normal privateers (Amateurs) ran sleeved down 250R's and Tecates. But the fast guys with tuner support ran de-stroked motors which was the way to go but more money of course. Oops, almost forgot that Tiger also started making a 200 2 stroke and the Cagiva may have also been legal in the 200CC class as well. I guess I need to dig out my magazines and refresh my memory...

Curtis.