Honda 230x project with pitster pro motor

[plevib]

So unfortunately old faithful has started acting up. 85 200x, xr cam, intake, and carb, dg exhaust, barnett clutch, wiseco 10.25 stock bore piston, mild port and polish. Its been a great little motor, but the 35 year old bottom end has had it. Started making bad noises a couple days ago. I was reading and thinking about what I wanted to do. This is the 2nd bottom end I've been through (lots of hours and a little racing on this trike) so I was thinking maybe its time to get away from 35 year old parts and get a newer motor. Its a very clean machine and I have the title so I was looking for bolt in options, not frame mods. I've been hesitant to go with a lifan for parts availability and the HP loss going to a pushrod engine. Then I saw that a crf230 engine is a bolt in option some guys on here have done. Only modification is I will need to build a new brake pedal. But rather than pay big $$$ on ebay for clapped out heap, or tear apart a good bike for the motor, I bought a pitster pro 230.

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Its a almost exact copy of the crf230. (bigger bore and has kick and E start are the big differences I noticed) Pitster pro has a good reputation and great parts availability with a real dealer network.
$970 shipped to my door, 17HP out of the box (probably more than my mildly hopped up 200) and it'll be brand new. Hopefully good for another 35 years! Plus electric start AND kickstart backup is a great addition. IDK how long shipping will take but I'm super stoked to breath new life into the trike I grew up riding. I'll be documenting the build including any issues or modifications I have to deal with here.

[x-rider]

Good luck on the build. Might as well ride the dirt bike before you tear it apart. I wish mine had the kick starter.
Edit: Just realized you just got the motor.

[plevib]

Ok this project is moving lightning fast! So first of all, so far, I'm loving pitster pro. The order arrived 5 business days after ordering, which is impressive in my book. They called me before shipping to confirm a listing mistake on their end. Very happy dealing with them. Hopefully their engine is as good as their customer service.

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So here's what arrived, motor, wiring harness, cdi, coil, key, starter solenoid, shifter, kicker, intake, carb, clutch and throttle cables. Lots of goodies with this motor, for 900 bucks I'm very happy. It is very similar to the honda, main differences being deck height and e start.

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I pulled the rocker box to see what kind of cam they used, turns out its a roller bearing cam. I checked valve lash and i'm glad i did because they were both TIGHT. So i set them to honda specs. Thats really my only complaint with the engine out of the box. I thought about pulling the side covers off to check fasteners, but every fastener i can get to is tight so i'm not gonna crack it open any further.

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All of the motor mounts except the top were a direct bolt it, although a little tight. I had to pry the motor mounts open a little get it to slide in. The xr200 intake and carb bolted right up. The exhaust fit fine, but i ran out of threads toward the base of the studs so i had to use spacers.

Things I will have to modify: clutch pedal, brake pedal, top motor mount, fab battery box. I also need to trim things like turn signals and kickstand switch out of the harness, its a bit bulky. But I got everything zip tied up for a first break in ride.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QVLQvHQamk

I used a jump pack and it started up right away, I took it around easy for about 15 minutes so I can't say anything about the performance other than its got more low end than the old engine. The main thing I was surprised about was how much deeper the exhaust note is. Just 30cc bigger but its a noticeable change. (video is after warm up and ride)

Anyways I'm super stoked about new life in my old girl, can't wait to get it all buttoned up.

[veyeable]

What tires are those?

[El Camexican]

What tires are those?

They look like Kenda Scorpions, very stiff. If so I wouldn't recommend them for a solid axle trike.

[plevib]

They look like Kenda Scorpions, very stiff. If so I wouldn't recommend them for a solid axle trike.

Really? I love these tires. They are scorpions and they are absolutely perfect for a light trike. Break loose easy in turns but get good traction in a straight line. And aren't they like one of the most popular choices for racing? or turf tamers or just lawn mower tires work too haha....

Anyway i definitely recommend them for a solid axle trike if you like to turn on occasion.........

I had factory tires for my childhood (way too round, alright grip), tried some lumberjacks which were too heavy and round, then I got these kendas and the handling difference is amazing. I never realized how much the weight of the tires affected handling and apparent power

[x-rider]

Looks like you had to modify the same things as me. I went with an ims shifter. Rear brakes still need finishing. I made new top mount brackets for mine. Also had to grind a little tab off the bottom of my motor, and drilled a hole in the skid plate to access oil drain plug. Wiring wasn’t too bad. Have you tried the estart? Man I wish I had a kicker!! I’m thinking about going to the xr200 intake boot. My brother and nephew have 95 and 01 xr200’s and the boots look like a close match for me. They also look like better quality than the China junk. What year xr200 boot are you using?

[plevib]

Yes I actually hooked a battery up and used the electric start for the first ride. Worked great. And the kicker is.... not ideal haha.... it hits the footpeg bracket pretty early so i hope i don't ever NEED to use it. I think it would be very difficult to start it that way. I may try to modify the kicker to clear the footpeg more and get a little more swing. I don't remember what year the xr boot is, its been on there for many years haha...

[El Camexican]

At my age all I care about is my spine. I found them to be narrow, shorts and stiff, which is probably why you find that they turn well. Mr. Sound put mine on his KLT.

I’m scared to think what I’d be willing to pay for a set of the NOS Dunlop’s that came on my YTM. Soft ride and expanded like dragster slicks at speed. Can’t find anything like that now.

[plevib]

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Got the wiring all done except the handle bar switch which is on order.

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Here is the battery box i fabbed up. The hose clamp is because it hangs on the frame so i didn't have to weld it to the frame. Its covered by the battery and everything is very snug.

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top motor mounts, easy peasy.

I didn't get pictures of the last few things i made yet, a brake lever from a lever i stole from a roached quad, I modified the shifter to work, I also ended up modifying the kicker to clear the foot peg a little more to get more rotation. This project is going fast and smooth so far. Tomorrow I'll put all the parts back on it and all i'll be missing is the headlight (LED on order for it) and the handlebar switch

[plevib]

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3cndVFbT2U&feature=youtu.be

Pretty much done with this project, gotta do a little tuning and get my handlebar switch wired when it comes in. So far i'm loving having a new motor. Starts awesome, electric and kick start, seems to have more power than the old motor (still breaking in so i haven't really given it to her yet) hopefully it lasts another 30 years!

Also because this engine makes more power i think i'm going to change the gearing a little. With the 200 I was running 13-40 (3.08) on 20 inch tires. But this engine blasts through that pretty quick. I tried to run the 14 (2.86) that came on the motor but the chain didn't have enough adjustment for that. Plus I already bent the chain roller just going from the 12 to 13. I think i'll try 12-35. That'll keep the chain low, give me 2.92 and I should have more adjustment.

[x-rider]

Looks great. Quick work on your end!
Edit: I also like how you incorporated a tab on your battery box to attach the solenoid to. Good job there!

[plevib]

Ok, I just realized I was actually running a 12t front. So the ratio was actually 3.33. But i'm still gonnna try the 35 in the rear

[plevib]

Looks like you had to modify the same things as me. I went with an ims shifter. Rear brakes still need finishing. I made new top mount brackets for mine. Also had to grind a little tab off the bottom of my motor, and drilled a hole in the skid plate to access oil drain plug. Wiring wasn’t too bad. Have you tried the estart? Man I wish I had a kicker!! I’m thinking about going to the xr200 intake boot. My brother and nephew have 95 and 01 xr200’s and the boots look like a close match for me. They also look like better quality than the China junk. What year xr200 boot are you using?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Carburetor-Flange-Carb-Boot-Fits-for-Honda-XL125-XL185-ATC-185-200-TRX200-XR200/153875879315?hash=item23d3b79593:g:xAgAAOSwKk5eelW K

I just saw this and it looks like the same angle as mine. For 10 bucks you can't beat it!

[x-rider]

Thanks for the link. I’ll check it out.

[MrConcdid]

Very nice looking bike, Sounds great, you did some clean work there, only the trained eye could tell. Very nice.
Congrats and enjoy it, you earned it. Keep us posted after your first 100 miles.
MrC.

[ATC King]

Your battery mounting setup is probably much more durable than welding one to the frame. I'd think any tabs would be prone to ripping out unless the battery box was rubber mounted. The back end does a lot of slamming around at higher speeds and lead acid batteries are very heavy. Lithium complex batteries significantly lessen the stress on mounts, but are expensive.

[Rokoneer]

Awesome write up, thank you as I'm in the middle of the exact same engine swap. I got mine unit direct from China, complete with carb, all wiring, and switchgear for $470. It's also black and not silver. I'm going to run a pod filter on mine and will be repurposing the air box as the battery box. Thanks for the work!

[x-rider]

Awesome write up, thank you as I'm in the middle of the exact same engine swap. I got mine unit direct from China, complete with carb, all wiring, and switchgear for $470. It's also black and not silver. I'm going to run a pod filter on mine and will be repurposing the air box as the battery box. Thanks for the work!

Don’t make the same mistake as me using the air box for a battery box. Fab one up like mine or plevibs

[Rokoneer]

Don’t make the same mistake as me using the air box for a battery box. Fab one up like mine or plevibs

I must have missed why using the air box to hold the battery instead isn't a good idea, could you elaborate please? Thanks.

[350for350]

I would guess that it's because the battery is too heavy and will cause the airbox mounts to break off.

[x-rider]

I must have missed why using the air box to hold the battery instead isn't a good idea, could you elaborate please? Thanks.

It does work good as a battery box and will support the weight of the battery, except now you can’t use the air box filter, also you have to cut a small notch to run your wires into it. Now your carb and air filter are supported just by the rubber air intake boot. I was able to support it with zip ties, but it will still vibrate and cause the air intake boot to crack causing an air leak. Also the boot off the air intake box helps support the carb. Either way, but I realized the fabricated battery box is a better option. Good luck.

[Rokoneer]

Valid points, thanks for the input, time to reconsider...

[mikeheck]

Awesome write up, thank you as I'm in the middle of the exact same engine swap. I got mine unit direct from China, complete with carb, all wiring, and switchgear for $470. It's also black and not silver. I'm going to run a pod filter on mine and will be repurposing the air box as the battery box. Thanks for the work!

Hey, I am just curious where you ordered your engine from, and if you have been happy with it so far? I have an '85 200x that has some oil leaks and the kickstart gear slips over pretty bad. I am trying to decide if I should rebuild it. It seems like it would be a whole lot easier to just drop a new engine in there.

[oldskool83]

rebuilding is cheaper then new. you need to buy a crf230f whuch wont be cheap and prob be worn out also. estimate $2-2500 for a ok running machine. you could rebould your full motor and then some for prob $700