Oops.. I did it again... They just keep following me home.

[kb0nly]

Got another project to start on, 1982 200E in great shape, fenders are all crack free, seat was nearly perfect except for one small hole, tank is spotless inside. She's leaking oil and smokes like a coal power plant, so its going to come apart and get rebuilt in the next month or so, its going to take a while to clean it all, was a barn find by the previous owner, sat for more then a decade, so shes filthy.

Only part thats really missing is the sub-carrier rack for the rear, will have to dig one up for it... If anyone has a spare along with the hardware for it let me know, i have the rubber hold-downs there, and i can make nylon bushings, i just need the rack part itself with the two clamps that hold it on to the pivot bar.

265361

The tires are all shot, only one of the backs even holds air at all, the other has a huge hole in it, the front is cracked all around one side. I ordered three new tires so i can quickly get it back to a roller for working on it, so the first job will be tires and wheel bearings.

[350for350]

Looks like a good project.

[MrConcdid]

Man 200e's are falling from the sky, I have 4 right now.
Looks great, like I always say tank, fenders, seat make a flip
the rest is easy.
MrC.

[kb0nly]

I think she will be a good project, i went over it some yesterday, got it running, had a dead CDI no spark, tested the CDI on my tester and confirmed it was dead so put another one of my spares on and fired right off. I checked the oil and valve lash first, gave it a few squirts of oil down the plug hole and rolled it over slow by hand since i didn't know how much it was messed with. The oil in the motor looked fairly clean on the dipstick, a little dirty but certainly not black. After i run it a few times i checked compression, came up to 145 psi, just at the bottom of the service limit, manual states 159 psi +/-14, thats right at 145. It certainly is pulling oil around the valve stem seals, no doubt about that, the valve guide wear will be checked also when i tear it down. Its leaking oil at the head, as usual with a 200 its the o-ring at the oil galley, you can see it bubbling oil around the head gasket when its running, its dark in that picture but the jug really is nearly black with oil and dirt, has an exhaust gasket leak as well which doesn't help. No idea on the condition of the exhaust system otherwise yet, will tear it all down and find out in time.

If not for the oil leaks i would probably rebuild the carb and just run it a while after a good bath, but i can't stand leaky motors. The other things i found with a quick inspection, the front and rear sprockets are shot along with the chain, someone ran it a long time with a loose chain, they are sloppy bad, but thankfully no case damage that i can see anyway, will find out for sure when i pull the motor. But its not uncommon to see the sprockets worn out from poor maintenance. The brake cables for both front and rear are frozen, tried cable luber and some PB blaster and such, they are stuck solid, won't mess with them anymore its a losing battle considering how cheap they are to replace. No idea on the brakes themselves, will find out when i tear it apart to put new tires and wheel bearings on it. The bearing don't feel super bad, but if i gotta pull the front axle to replace the tire and the rear axle to replace the sprocket whats another $30 in bearings and seals, cheap insurance.

The only thing essentially broken is the front brake hand lever, someone forced it with the frozen cable and broke it is my guess. Other then that i don't have much for broken stuff to replace so far, just free everything up, replace worn parts, tear down and rebuild the motor, and go from there.

I won't be flipping this, i will be keeping it. The wife wanted a 200, i found the 81 ATC200 back in August but its pull start, and shes petite.. aka short... and she can't get a really good pull on the starter, though it does start really easy she just can't seem to pull it over with a fast enough jab to get it. So i would start it for her and she can ride it all she wants. So another electric start was always on my wish list. I stumbled into this one because i had a cycle country plow for my 200ES that i stored away years ago, don't use it anymore since i moved and bought a nice new Ariens snowblower, takes me 15-20 minutes to do snow removal with that thing, and its a lot easier then plowing at the new place, so i traded it straight up for this 200E. I think we both got a pretty good deal, he had a 200ES he wanted a plow for and got one to bolt right on and go, and i got a 200E that just needs my usual TLC but is otherwise in my opinion in great shape, plastics are in perfect shape, lights work, switches all work, clean gas tank. Bummer it needed tires since thats not cheap, but in the end the new tires will last a long long time. He bought it just because it had a Speedometer on it, he pulled that off for another one, i think he said a 83 200E that was mint. I plan on putting a GPS speedo on this one like i did the 81.

Some more pictures from the guy i got it from... I have yet to take my own pictures, i was going to today but i had to pull the carb off my 84 200ES and swap it, finally found a mint OEM carb to put back on it after all these years and get rid of the Chinese clone that i could never really get tuned right.

265371
265372
265373
265374
265375

The seat pan was the biggest surprise, some surface rust but not rotted out, all the edges are still there and all the spikes are as well. Going to put a new cover on it, but otherwise the foam and pan are great, which is a real surprise for these older metal seat pan models. Also, get this, the ORIGINAL tool kit was still intact, looks like it was never even or hardly even used. Thats only happened to me twice in all the years i have been buying and selling ATC's. I already took care of the surface rust on the seat pan, wire wheel, some rust converter, and a couple coats of black paint, so nothing to worry about there. I wanted to make sure the pan was good before ordering a new cover.

[MrConcdid]

That is a very nice bike, I cant seem to find them anywhere near that nice.
How is the front end? If its frozen, a 200m swap would be ideal, a 200 or 200s will work just leaves you with the 8 in wheel.
Lol. Just a few months ago you were having problems finding 3 wheelers now look at you, 2 in 2 months. Maybe your luck is changing.

MrC.

[ATC King]

Nice score.

It was probably stored indoors most of it's life or the seat pan would've been rusted. Torn seat covers and sitting out in the weather is what rots them out. Many of these trikes are just left outside, without even a cover.

The electric start is nice, but don't forget about how much more versatile it is because of the dual range transmission. I use the low range on my 200ES a lot, and if didn't have one, the trike wouldn't be nearly as useful. The clutches would certainly not last as long either.

Too bad the rubber dampers for the sprocket are NLA. They're usually rock hard by this time and don't even fit tight anymore; just jangle around inside the holder. A resourceful person could probably come up with a bolt-in replacement. Maybe mountain bike fork elastomers that are a similar size.

[kb0nly]

Yeah i know its like my luck suddenly changed, its been many years since i have managed to scrape out two in a year, and this year they just fell into my lap. Sure i was looking harder then usual but still seems like all i could find was rotted out junk or really ratty ones that were more work then i wanted to do, i like a solid start, this one is a solid start.

The front suspension, believe it or not, is great on this one. One boot has a couple cracks in it, the other is fully intact. Both look good, no rust, a few surface scratches, but no rust or pitting, really clean. I am going to put new fork boots on and give everything a thorough cleaning when i pull the front end apart. The front end is going to get new fork boots, new wheel bearings and seals, new tire, new brake cable, and i will see what condition the brakes are in. If the pads got good life left i will just put the brake drum in the lathe and skim it clean and leave it for now like i usually do. But the suspension feels pretty firm, rebounds good, i'm not going to mess with it much. I got lucky on two now, my 200ES has a good front suspension which is rare on them, and this 200E is basically the same with the same faults but this one is good to. Looks like it never went through mud and water and was always indoors. The guy i got it from said where he found it that it was a barn find and was always inside.

I do really love that its a 200E with Hi/Lo, my 200ES surprises me in low range, it really can do some work and i use it a lot to pull my trailers around. I don't have a lot of space up front but we have a huge back yard that goes way back, so i store all my trailers in the back 40 as we like to call it and i pull them around to the driveway with the 200ES every time i need them.

The rubber dampers i have a plan for.... I am going to design and 3d print some out of TPU, i can vary the infill percentage and therefore vary the density of them. I have made suspension bushings and stuff like that with this material, so i suspect it will do quite well for these dampers also. I will let you guys know how that works out, first i got to get it apart and just see how bad the originals are.

So far i have taken the tank and started sanding it down, also got the headlight bucket and headlight guard off, the guard is getting cleaned up and painted and the headlight had one little crack in one corner that i will plastic weld and then sand and repaint it. Also one of the side holes was missing its metal bushing, so i made one quick on the lathe, so the headlight assembly should be about done. Also experimenting with a new way to clean up and preserve the headlight grommet, this one was starting to deteriorate from age, getting to where you touch it and your hands turn black. I gave it a bath in hot soapy water for a while, cleaned it really good, then i gave it a couple coats of a UV protectant epoxy, commonly used for plastic headlight restoration. I have used this stuff before on things like cable boots that were getting dry and its been working, so figured i give it a try on this grommet to.

It gave it back its sheen, not as dull now, and its not coming apart in your hands. Plus it should be UV protected for a while. The resin really soaked in, took a couple coats to get the surface wet. Then you cure it with UV light, ironically since its a UV protectant, i happen to have a MSLA printer so i have a UV curing and washing station for the prints that come off it, so i cured it in that and it looks good.

265410

I don't think anyone is reproducing this particular grommet are they? If they are available somewhere i would like to know, still need one for another headlight.

[kb0nly]

Thanks to the luxury of my attached heated shop space, and a job that allows me to work from home and wander off to said shop for an hour here and there, i got the headlight bucket, headlight guard, and gas cap all done. The gas cap i actually just cleaned and waxed the finish on it, looks great not going to touch it further. The tank has been initially sanded, and a coat of primer shot on it so i can look for any spots that will show through the final paint and sand more as needed. That should be finish painted in the next couple days i hope, depends on time between work.

265411

265412

The tank was honestly not that bad, the usual seat rash, and some scratches on top, but the sides looked like peeling clear coat and the decals were losing their color. So i decided since there was a large area of missing paint from the seat rub that i would just sand out all the bad spots and the decals and give it a refresh. There is one tiny little ding on the top, its small enough i could just go over it with some filler and make it perfect but we ride these, they aren't trailer queens or show pieces, and the small ding keeps her honest to her age. So its going to stay. I like them to look good but i'm not into showroom fresh, and i like them to show some age and use, i'm not gonna cry if something gets scratched after spending a week on a perfect paint job, i just give em a shot of new paint, a good buff, and some fresh decals, and thats good enough for me!

[kb0nly]

Another night of quiet peaceful tinkering and some color starting to go on the tank...

265420

I had a guy ask me how many ATC's i have restored... I told him ZERO... After i got the expected what the heck look i explained, i don't restore anything, i like to think of it as preservation rather then restoration. I don't strip these down to bare frame and media blast and go hog wild, i just fix stuff that will otherwise deteriorate worst, like rust on a tank, that rust will only continue to eat in, sure it might take another 30 years but still. Either way i preserve them and that is all i consider it. Too many guys repainting the tank and buffing the fenders these days and calling them restorations and then listing them for $3k... LOL

[MrConcdid]

I agree, I do not restore either, I say I revive them. Since most of my bikes are dead when i get them, and i make them run again, hence the revival.

MrC.

[ATC King]

Anything I have is lucky to remain the same color.

The rainbow of spray paints on the store shelf is very enticing. If it's good enough for Banksy, it's good enough for my trikes.

[kb0nly]

Revival... I like that, thats a good way to explain it! The only one i have that i didn't repaint the tank on is my 200ES, however, now that she doesn't do plow duty anymore..... I might do a tank cleanup and repaint on that next year as well, i'm tied up with this 200E now though so she will have to wait, nothing else wrong with the 200ES so a tank paint job is not high on the list for my daily driver.

Got the tank done, its going on the shelf for a while now until i get some decals, then i will finish buffing out the paint and put on new decals, probably right before it goes back on.

265422

Got the front end torn down today, took off the bars, all the controls, wanted to go through all the switches to clean and lubricate them, and check out the front brakes and suspension. I was pleasantly surprised, no water in them, they look clean, not rusty, lots of grease on them.

265423

The left fork has some wear in the chrome, not rusted or pitted, but definitely worn looking from the seal rubbing on it, but this is the worst of the damage.

265424

The front brake shoes were nearly new, theres not much worn off them, service limit is 2mm, max is supposed to be 4mm, the brake material measures at 3.7mm, so they are nearly new really. You could see where it was parked for years, the spots where the shoes were sitting on left rusty patches, checked and the drum had plenty of life on it to take off a bit to skim the surface clean on the lathe.

265425
265426

I've had really good luck with these by skimming off just enough to clean them up, then sand with 600 grit to put a rougher finish on them just enough to help the shoes grab, and then some brake clean and back together. Will be interesting to see what the back brakes look like, since all the tires are flat and don't hold air i haven't been able to even roll it around enough to test anything. The hand brake cables both front and rear are seized and getting replaced. The foot brake pedal and cable works. But after seeing the front i bet the rear will be more worn, seems like when i get one with really nice front brakes the rears are about roasted since thats all they ever used.

Neck bearings feel good, smooth, took a peek a the top and they are full of grease and in good shape, so i didn't even bother pulling it apart and having to deal with all those damn balls going everywhere... LOL

So... New tires should be here the end of the week, next weekend i will probably get to putting them on, then i will start putting it back together enough to be a roller to move around the garage, then its on to pulling the motor and stripping it down.

[kb0nly]

Another good day of wrenching in my off time...

265429

265430

Also got the rear end pulled apart, ready to pull the axle and change bearings and seals and sprocket, just forgot to get pictures of that torn apart. The hubs came off good, the brake drum slid off, no drama!

[kb0nly]

Progress slowed way down thanks to the USPS and their slow shipping times, was hoping to be putting the bottom end back together this week but shipping delays keep delaying the arrival of some seals, mainly i need the seals for the output sprocket to show up then i can put the sprocket, the side spacer, the sub transmission, all back on and get most of the left side closed back up except for the flywheel which is waiting on the cam chain and its guide and tensioner.

In the mean time i worked on the sub-carrier for the rear rack, i will likely pull the rear rack and repaint it eventually, maybe not until next summer though, its too cold now to paint outside and in the garage requires running the propane heat until its dry so that will wait. But i got this without the swing up sub-carrier portion of the rack. I found one but it was off an 84.. The 84 is 3/4" longer between the pivot and rest points then the 82-83 200E. Rather then go digging more i decided to make this one work. I just cut the sub-carrier in half with my bandsaw, then i milled off 3/8" from each half and welded them back together. Just shot some quick paint on the bare spots for now, it will get a better paint job when the rack does.

265457

The white bushings i just made at the lathe, some PVC pipe, turned it down to about 2mm wall thickness, split it down the side and snapped them over, same as i did on my 200ES years ago, those still working great as well. And if they wear out i can easily make more of them.

So thats about it for now. I got wheel bearings and seals for front and rear today, but i need the rear brake shoes yet, i will probably pull the rear axle this week, change the sprocket which i also have a new one for now, change the bearings and seals and put it back together to wait for the brake shoes. Once those arrive the back end can be buttoned back up and its done. New tires should get put on the wheels this week as well if i get time, bought one of those small tire changers from HF and it should be here in the next day or two, but i plan on cleaning and painting the wheels as well so that will take time.

Front end is basically ready to put back together but i don't have the fork boots yet, so i can't move forward yet... Another item stuck in the mail stream waiting to get here... Frustrating to say the least.

All in all, slow moving progress. If i had all the parts i could probably have it running and driving in another week of afternoons, but at this rate it might not be until after new years now, i gave up on ordering the last few parts i need until the current backlog shows up.

[kb0nly]

Still waiting on parts... Got the tires off the wheels today though in anticipation of getting it back to a roller, wanted to clean up the wheels get the new tires on and have them already to go. Front tire was a Carlisle knobby and had a tube in it, wouldn't hold any air, but it popped right off and got it off the wheel in like five mins, was super easy getting that one off. The rear Dunlop tires though.... OMG..... At least one hour battle each. I had to cut a chunk out of the sidewall then cut through the cords of the bead to split the bead and then i was able to force it off all the way around, they were horrible... I originally just cut the first one open because it had big cracked holes in it already and i wanted to see the wheel condition inside, thankfully the wheels are all PERFECT inside, clean as can be. The beads were just super stuck on them. So i had to do both sides of both rear tires this way, cut a chunk out, cut through the cords to take the tension off the bead, then i was able to pop them off, plus taking the chunk out of the sidewall and cutting the beads meant they slide right off the wheel as well.

265465

Anyway, wheels look great inside, just going to wire wheel the bead area, then clean em up good and give them a shot of paint on the outside and they are ready for new valve stems and tires. I was exhausted after fighting the old tires off so i didn't get that far today. Thankfully i have a wide selection of power tools and hand tools so it wasn't something beyond my capabilities it just took a lot of time and effort to prevent damaging the wheels. I almost gave in and went to my local tire shop to plead with them to pop these beads but the last time i talked to them they won't touch anything smaller then a car tire now so it wasn't worth the hassle.

Next project, exhaust. Still twiddling my thumbs waiting for parts so doing what i can. I decided to repair the stock exhaust, normally i just toss on a DG or Knipex, but for once this muffler is actually worth saving. The body of the muffler is great, no holes no rot, the spark arrestor/output pipe side is rotted to heck, cut it off and blew compressed air through, no rattling, no loose parts inside, has good airflow, so i will try to revive it. Going to weld on a new exit pipe and fabricate a new entry for it, the front end where the clamp squeezes it on the gasket is rotted, so i will make a new piece for the front. Header pipe is fine, its already been cleaned inside and out and painted with high temp paint ready to go back on.

When i get to the muffler i will post pictures of how i do it, will be all readily available stuff anyone can do to repair one.

[MrConcdid]

Way to stay ahead of incoming parts, I find that it keeps me busy and the project is always moving forward.
You are going to have a beautiful bike when your finished.

Good Job,
MrC.

[kb0nly]

Sure trying to, waiting on parts is driving me nuts though!!

She won't be perfect but she will be dang good, i normally do all the mechanical work then do the cosmetic after its running and driving, but the running and driving parts gathering is taking forever so throwing in some cosmetic work to keep me busy in my spare time. Just got the valve stems today, locally i can only get the normal long car/truck ones, so i had to order in some of the stubby short ones. Thankfully they arrived today and i just got done with the wheels so good timing!

Thanks!

[kb0nly]

Well that was a battle... Got the tires on today. First tire took maybe 20 mins... Second tire i fought for an hour and gave up, third one took about an hour, then i went back to the second one, fought it another hour gave up, came back fought it another hour gave up, and finally came back really mad and got it. In the end it took four ratchet straps around the tire and two around the tire and wheel to force the bead out to the point the air pressure could pop it out. I don't know what the deal was with that one but i thought i would never get it. Tire is fine, doesn't seem to have any issues, the wheel is in great shape, it just wouldn't stretch wide enough on its own to seal up and seat the beads. I think the one i fought so long was the one that was wrapped with shrink wrap when i got them, it was nearly flat... So i think the way it was packed, stored, and shipped didn't help it any.

265475

Deestone 25x12-9 knobby tires, i don't recall the model number off hand but they weren't that bad price wise, set of three for $146 on sale during a cyber sale from SimpleTire.com. Look really good on the wheels, can't wait to get them on and make it a roller.

[MrConcdid]

I have a tire machine now, but even with it, I needed this. It combined with the core out and a fixed chuck on the stem will blow out just about any tire.
It was 56$ on amazon, it doubles as an air cannon with confetti at my kids school.
I'm that dad.
MrC.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071LMRFQP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_VYG0FbR74XW9D

You didnt specify, if it was getting the tire on or airing it up and searing the bead. You know most of these rims mount from the backside of the rim vs the front side.

[350for350]

Another thing that helps those flattened in shipping tires is to put an inner tube inside the tire and air it up for a few days to help it stay bulged out. What I've also noticed on the similar styled Cheng Shin tires is that the first time that you try to put the tire on, it's a major PITA. The next time (if you have to remove it for some reason) is easier. The beads don't seem to like to seat the first time either. Sometimes, it takes so much air pressure that I'll get nervous, let all of the air back out of the tire, lube the beads again, and try it again. Sometimes, it takes two or even three tries to get them to seat. They'll usually seat with less air pressure after the first time too.

[MrConcdid]

I do the same with the grease if the first attempt doesnt do it. The inner bead lip seems to be the issue.
A couple of other tricks is cut some 2x4s about 9.5 inches long place them between the beads of a new tire and throw them out in the sun for a few hours or let them sit like that a day or so.
The heat makes the rubber more plyable.
Also you can reverse a pair of adjustable squeeze clamps to push instead of squeezing to spread the beads apart.
A more modern version to the 2x4s.
MrC.

[kb0nly]

All good tips guys thanks! I will have to pick up one of those tire blasters, that could come in handy in the future. Normally i don't have any problems because i am taking off and putting back on used tires, which are already stretched and relaxed to the size of the wheel. I was having trouble airing it up, getting it on the wheel no issue whatsoever, but the tires were so flattened that getting them to stretch out enough for the bead to start to touch the wheel to get them to pop with air going in was the problem. I have a portable air tank with a hose that has a locking chuck and a dump valve, so its like the blaster tank in theory, a larger blast of air, the chuck is gutted and you remove the valve core, so its just a straight blast of air when you dump the valve. I pump that tank to its rated max, well close to it, rated for 120 i bring it up to around 90-100, hook it up, get the tire situated, and flip the valve, with used tires or tires like trailer tires that weren't flattened it pops them on no problem. Soon as the beads pop into place you close the valve which stops air from escaping, then just pull of the chuck and slap in a valve core and check the pressure in the tire. But with these they were like friggin pancake flat and so i had to fight them into shape.

I never thought about a tube in them to stretch them a couple days!! Good idea, as well as the clamps reverse to push the beads out. I will have to try that next time. I almost put tubes in the two rear tires just to get them to seat and leave a tube in them and say screw it, but i really wanted them tubeless because a plug in a hole is so much easier then breaking it down to patch a tube if i ever pick up a nail or something. But i didn't think of just putting the tube in the dang tire and stretching it for a while, i was frustrated at that point! I'm sticking those tips in my brain pan for next time!

Overall these tires slipped right on the wheels no problem with some lube, no drama there, that was easy. Once i got them to start taking air the beads popped out pretty easily, they say on them not to exceed 28 psi for setting the beads, i only had them to about 10-12 psi before they fully seated then backed them off to 5 psi which is their rated load pressure, i am sure i will back them down a bit more like my others, around 3 psi probably, but i figured let them stretch a bit at 5 psi for a while so i don't risk the really flat one wanting to come off the bead. So they are in a warm spot with 5 psi and they can sit like that for probably a week until they go on for good.

Today was all about the tank... Polished it out some, i wasn't going for absolute showroom shine perfection, then applied decals, and now i gotta buff on a few coats of wax and then its all good.

265489

[MrConcdid]

The tank looks amazing, great job.
MrC.

[kb0nly]

Thanks! I'm no body work guy but I can do a decent job, better then rust anyway!

[ironchop]

Yeah tank looks great. I'm enjoying this project

I guess it's the season for fighting with tires. I've been having my own roe with some old tires and you saw the wheel pic from the first one I did.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[ATC King]

Today was all about the tank... Polished it out some, i wasn't going for absolute showroom shine perfection, then applied decals, and now i gotta buff on a few coats of wax and then its all good.

265489

There's some orange peel, from the picture, but in all seriousness, these things weren't perfect from the factory.

A restoration can definitely be overdone. Just like a lot of the popular muscle cars from the 60's didn't have straight body seams or flawless paint, people can go overboard with restorations to the point it's not correct any more than a restomod is.

I'm pretty certain Honda never powder coated anything on the trikes.

Keep it up!


Edit: Just noticed that open bottle of rubbing alcohol. Hide that stuff ASAP, it's a precious commodity right now.

[kb0nly]

Yeah tank looks great. I'm enjoying this project

I guess it's the season for fighting with tires. I've been having my own roe with some old tires and you saw the wheel pic from the first one I did.

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

One thing i truly hate is tire work.... Always have always will... But this time i powered through and did it myself because my local shop won't touch anything ATV anymore, claim they don't have some adapters for their machine or such, but they used to do it, i think they just don't like working on them either!

[kb0nly]

There's some orange peel, from the picture, but in all seriousness, these things weren't perfect from the factory.

A restoration can definitely be overdone. Just like a lot of the popular muscle cars from the 60's didn't have straight body seams or flawless paint, people can go overboard with restorations to the point it's not correct any more than a restomod is.

I'm pretty certain Honda never powder coated anything on the trikes.

Keep it up!


Edit: Just noticed that open bottle of rubbing alcohol. Hide that stuff ASAP, it's a precious commodity right now.

Yep, there is some orange peel, not gonna deny it, but i don't care. It was a mess before, at least now its preserved and in better shape then it was without the huge rust patch under the seat. Once its waxed and put on and driven around and gets dusty and dirty, i won't really care. I remember these back when they were fairly new in my youth, they didn't have perfect factory paint then either i will agree on that. In the end if i was worried i would have spent another day wet sanding and polishing, it actually looks better then it does in the picture, the camera flash made it look like there is a lot of texture to it, but in reality its not as bad as it looks. Its my typical 10/30 paint job, from ten feet or 30mph she looks really good!

Funny thing about the alcohol, i had it out to clean up the bench because the petcock dripped a single dot of fuel on the bench, and after i took the picture i realized i accidently left it open! Horror of horrors, can't let that happen it would start evaporating my precious supply. It's the last bottle i have on the bench for electronics work, its been dang hard to find anything here.

[MrConcdid]

It that a granite counter top ? Fancy
I work on 6.0x6.0x0.6 piece of steel. with legs and braces it weighs about 800lbs
Orange peel or not it looks great.

Did you powder coat it yourself? ifso, I am guessing you have a dedicated oven for PC?
Is it very mess to apply it vs paint?

MrC.

[kb0nly]

It looks that good, but no its fake granite, its composite countertop. All of my benches in my basement shop spaces are made from countertop and steel wall brackets that i made myself, so they are all wall hung. My other shop space where i do the really dirty work like engine rebuilds is made of 2x6's on bench legs, makes it convenient to screw anything down that i want to the bench top while working on it, like a motor stand etc.

Its painted not powder coated. I buy single stage paint in the paint code i want loaded into an aerosol can, has a nice fan nozzle on it, actually makes for quite a nice paint job overall. I usually do 3-5 light coats and a couple heavier coats to get a really durable finish. Never had any issue with gas touching the finish on this stuff either. ColorRite is the brand of the paint, they sell good stuff. I have even done some auto repair with their products, with a final wet sanding and buffing you can't tell it wasn't done with an airgun.

[350for350]

One thing i truly hate is tire work.... Always have always will... But this time i powered through and did it myself because my local shop won't touch anything ATV anymore, claim they don't have some adapters for their machine or such, but they used to do it, i think they just don't like working on them either!

For me, I feel that I do so much with ATV tires (mostly trikes) that It's WAY cheaper for me to do my own tire work. Besides, I've work on a lot of different sized tires. From hand truck tires up to ones that are taller than I am and take a crane to move them around. So ATV tires seem pretty easy to work on to me.

[kb0nly]

Progress has slowed down again waiting on parts. I did get the top end back on the motor, and the left side of the bottom end is all done.

265515

265516

The case has some really stubborn dirt/grime on it, so once its all back together i will do some more scrubbing on it, and probably another hot bath, it just got too cold to take the power washer outside and work on it, so every part that came off got scrubbed by hand but the center halves of the case didn't get thoroughly cleaned. It might just be that way until spring when i can give it a good power wash bath with some hot water and detergent. But its not terrible as is now.

Top end was all measured, piston to bore clearance and ring end gap looked good and well within service manual tolerance, cylinder was pretty true, only a bit more wear at the bottom then the top, but there was still crosshatch showing from someone before me being in there. Looks like they went to second oversize by the measurements i was getting off it. There was a couple stained rings on the bore where it sat a long time, so the previous top end work was before a long slumber, because it definitely sat with the exhaust valve slightly open and the rings in one spot for a while. The valves i have a cutting/grinding kit for, hit it with the stone then lapped with medium and fine grit and got it down to mirror finish, bench leak tested it, looks good. I suspect i was losing most of my compression at that valve. The bore got a quick hone to clean up the ring spots, the rings looked good, everything was cleaned and put back together. Once i get it fully assembled i will do a compression test, i can tell just by trying to spin it over slowly by hand while setting timing that its a lot higher compression then it was before with the plug in and i don't hear any leaking at the exhaust port now. So we shall see what it does.

Main parts i am waiting on now to start moving again is the rear brake shoes, i have everything else to basically put all the chassis work back together now, but i want to do it all at once. Sure i could put the rear bearings and seals in and throw the axle back in and put the wheels on and come back to the brakes and putting it back together the rest of the way but that just means dealing with an axle that walks out when trying to roll it so i can wait. The other is the centrifugal clutch hub, i have new shoes for it, but unlike others i have rebuilt recently this one has egg shaped holes where the master links connect to the shoes, and the master links are worn badly as well. The clutch was way below its service limit, so it was just sloppy as heck in there, maybe that's why it got parked, they rebuilt the top end then found out the clutch was shot and parked it and never got back to it. I couldn't find anything else wrong inside. The manual clutch is fine, the friction discs are well within wear limit, the steels look good, i just cleaned it and put it back together.

So until those parts get here i am working on going through the switches, headlight/kill switch, ignition switch, throttle, putting everything back together on the bars, once those parts arrive i will basically be able to just pick an afternoon here and there and bolt everything back together and get it running!

[kb0nly]

For me, I feel that I do so much with ATV tires (mostly trikes) that It's WAY cheaper for me to do my own tire work. Besides, I've work on a lot of different sized tires. From hand truck tires up to ones that are taller than I am and take a crane to move them around. So ATV tires seem pretty easy to work on to me.

I wish you were local, i would bring all my tire work to you then... LOL

[kb0nly]

While i wait for parts... I will start on the exhaust. The muffler is in great shape other then the spark arrestor being rotted off it, i cut the rest off back to the point in the picture where the baffles are, i did one like this many years ago and it worked out great, a piece of 1.5" exhaust tubing with a 45 degree bend down was a good combo before so i am going to do it on this one also, see how it sounds and runs and go from there. I have to make a new piece where it clamps onto the header pipe as well, but that piece isn't here, requires a 1-3/8" ID for the exhaust seal that gets clamped around the header pipe. More details on that when it gets here.

265517

Ran out of time to get any welding done today, but i got everything about ready to break out the welder in the next day or so.

[kb0nly]

Big progress today... The rear brake shoes showed up, so i got the rear bearings and seals done along with reinstalling the axle, hubs, rear wheels.. Only thing left on the rear end is the tail light, and i have to put the skid plate back on, but i didn't get that far today. Also got the front shocks and new boots back on, front axle with new bearings and seals, and all buttoned back up, front end is basically done except the headlight and handlebars need to go back on, still cleaning all the wiring connections and switches before doing that.

265518
265519

Its finally a roller!!

[350for350]

It's sure is looking good.

[kb0nly]

It's sure is looking good.

Thanks! Hoping to make more progress this week if time allows. Probably work on the exhaust some more since I can quickly sneak away here and there to tinker on that.

Just waiting on the clutch hub to button up the motor and the seat cover to finish the seat and the major things are done. A few small bits and pieces still in shipment but should see them soon hopefully.

[kb0nly]

Yesterday and today was good, had a lot of spare time between other jobs to work on it. Starting on the chassis, i got the handlebars, headlight, skid plate, tail light, all back on, and the wiring connections all cleaned and checked and even tested the lights and starter relay etc, it was all working before taking it apart but you know how that goes, gotta double check it.

265536

Also got the throttle and new hand grips on, the kill/light switch, rear brake lever. Still waiting on a new perch for my front brake lever, the original one turns out it was cracked where the cable sits, probably happened when the lever got broken. Got the front brake cable installed to the brake, rear brake cable loosely run to the back, waiting on a new spring for its adjuster, i just tossed on all the parts that have been building up so i can put more on as they arrive now.

Then i got the clutch hub i was waiting on, so i got back to the motor...

265537

Its all back together and ready to go in, i might repaint the black case parts on it including the recoil, i have a new decal to paint the recoil and make it look nicer but i think that might wait for now, this project is taking up a lot of space as is so i am trying to get as much bolted back on as i can to consolidate it all to one space again. So it might not be until spring when i paint the rear rack that more cosmetic work gets done now.

Then i turned to the exhaust... I found a seller on eBay that has a necked down adapter thats perfect for replicating the front end of the muffler, if you are looking to do this search eBay for item number 171708121450. The trick to it is getting an adapter thats 1-3/8" ID for the exhaust seal and roughly 1-1/8" ID for welding onto the flared out spot on the muffler pipe.

Here is what i started with, i cut the original piece off then marked and cut the adapter i bought to match.

265538

If you look closely at the original it looks like a round hole at the inside end of the slot, and the slot is slightly pie shaped to allow it to pinch closed so i did my best to replicate it.

265539

Then it was just a simple matter of welding it on...

265540

Then i gave the whole thing a few coats of high temp paint. I forgot to get pictures of welding on the tailpipe piece but the previous picture shows were i cut off the old spark arrestor that was rotted for replacing that. Its just a piece of 1-5/8" OD pipe with a 45 degree turndown, gives you a roughly 1-1/2" ID which is perfect for slipping over what is left of the original muffler. I also found that on eBay, item number 264175340604

265541

And thats basically it... The muffler is fixed and ready to go back on. The header pipe was in good shape i just cleaned it up and removed the heat shield and painted it, reinstalled the heat shield and done. The clamp that pinches the muffler onto the seal and header pipe was rusted through on the top side, i didn't remember to snap a picture of it, i just tacked it back together then took a scrap of the pipe i cut off of the adapter i made into the input side of the muffler and made a patch piece i welded over the top of the clamp to reinforce it. Was the oddest thing the whole clamp was in great shape except for the side opposite the bolts, which was the top side of the pipe, that was rusted paper thin and cracked when i removed it.

Anyway... Thats it for now, hoping to make some more progress this weekend if i can, otherwise it might not be until after Christmas now. As it stands now i am ready to bolt the motor back into the frame and get everything hooked back up for its test run. I would really like to get that far this weekend but will have to see if other things get in the way. Beyond that, the seat still needs to be recovered, and i need all the brake bits to finish the controls, but its sooo close to its first drive!

[ironchop]

Nice work

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

[kb0nly]

Nice work

Sent from my Z958 using Tapatalk

Thanks! The exhaust turned out better then I originally hoped for so I can't complain too much.

[kb0nly]

I did get some more done today, one final push with the parts on hand, now i am out of stuff to do until more parts arrive.

Got the motor back in..

265549

Got the tank back on..

265550

Got the exhaust reinstalled...

265551

And finally got it wheeled out and running. I don't have the chain back on yet so no driving yet, but got it running, roughly tuned the carb so it would idle decent, let the exhaust paint cook for a while, and checked that it was charging the battery. Ran out of time to do more but hope to be able to at least take it for a spin around the yard soon.

265552

265553

265554

It's that last ten percent that always takes the most time with projects like this, and the USPS hasn't been much help with the slowest shipping times i have ever seen this year.

[patriot1]

Awesome thread. looks good KB!

[BarnBoy]

Looks awesome Scott, wish my build would come along as quick as yours lol. Great work.

[kb0nly]

Looks awesome Scott, wish my build would come along as quick as yours lol. Great work.

Thanks guys! I would probably be done if not for the USPS slowing everything up... I had planned on a lot more time for it this winter, but the weather has been so mild this year, we just got our first major set in snowfall that didn't melt right away two days before Christmas, so i had a lot of time to go tinker on it.

I got the rest of the brake parts today, got them sorted. I ended up replacing the rear brake lever with the later version with the thumb lever for the parking break like i did on my 81 build, i prefer that over the wire parking brake that i always get my finger pinched in. Also got the front brake control on, and both brakes adjusted and working. Also put the tach on it today and got the idle dialed in and played with the carb some more. Still waiting on the seat cover, so i grabbed the seat off my 84 so i could ride it around some in the snow today and play with the brakes and adjust things further.

Once i get the seat done that should be the final update for a bit, i have new fender decals for it, but not sure i am going to have warm enough weather to get that done, though i might fire up the propane heater in the garage and work on that at some point along with cleaning up the fenders some more.

Not a ton left on it, runs good, doesn't smoke, starts right up easily even after sitting in the garage for a week at freezing temps, so i can't complain about it too much! I have to get the shed my others are in dug out from the pre-Christmas Blizzard we had and get them running, they are in a shed with power though so battery maintainers on them and should fire right up. Just got busy with the Holidays.. I normally like to at least just idle everything until they are warm once a week in the winter to keep everything working.

More pictures coming as i finish it off!

[kb0nly]

Finally got the seat cover from the USPS...

265866

Just have to put a few final touches on it, the decals mainly, and clean up the fenders more. Then when spring gets here i will probably work on repainting the rear rack to clean it up.

Beyond that not much left other then enjoying it! I will get a GPS speedometer installed on it when i get to it like i did on my 81 also.

[patriot1]

Looks awesome! Great job! Thank you for the thread!

[BarnBoy]

Yep, looks great KB. Whats your next project? ;)

[kb0nly]

Thanks guys...

Next project... Do something to get the wife to let me have another project... LOL... I got four ATC's now, they have overflowed from the shed into the garage. Going to sell my 74 ATC90 though, then i will just have the 200's in the shed. Would still like to have another 250ES some day, but they are crazy prices to try and get one so that might stay a dream for a while.

Depends on the weather but i will probably put the finishing touches on this 82 when i can, surprised how mild this winter has been, snow melted off the driveway and most of the front yard again, running the heater in the garage quickly brings it up to comfy room temps. So i might still be able to get it cleaned and get the new decals on soon. Just got the state registration done on it today, will get a license plate made up for it, and get its city registration then i can ride it anywhere like my others. I have been having too much fun ripping around on the 81 though, need to get some more time on the 82's rebuild and then change the oil again. Fresh clutches and a fresh hone always make the first oil run through it look pretty dirty pretty quickly...

So far though it sounds good, the exhaust is so quiet that i can hear more motor noise then exhaust, not used to that. My other 200's have DG pipes on them, so you really don't hear much motor noise. But everything sounds normal, i think i will have to give the valves another adjustment after some more break-in, they are a little clattery, but i haven't had a 200 that wasn't. Overall i am pleased with it. Keeping an eye on the compression since i had a bad valve i had to clean up, its sitting good there, will see what happens after some run time. I might still revisit it and put on a different top end with a Wiseco piston thats bored over, feels like it's a little under powered compared to my 84 and 81, but maybe thats how the 82's gearing is i don't really know, this is the first 200E i have really had much ride time on, i've flipped a bunch of them but never kept one around long enough to compare.

Still very pleased with the end result and it will be for my wife to putter around on, so it serves that purpose well, it don't need to be a speed demon.

[patriot1]

Good job. I enjoyed following your build.

[kb0nly]

I got one more thing done today, thanks to the abnormally warm January weather, at least for MN, i got the heater in the garage running and cleaned off the old decals or what was left of them on the rear fenders and got them installed. Camera kept fogging up on my phone but i did manage a few pictures. Also got the whole hoard out today to warm them up and check fluids and batteries.

265890

From left to right... 1974 ATC90, 1981 ATC200, 1982 ATC200E, 1984 ATC200ES

265891

265892