1984 Honda 200X Rescue

[ATC King]

It's been a long road to recovery, but the trike is almost back on it's wheels again.




That big ol' air boot on the 200X sure is nice. That's a lot of filtered air in there, waiting to be gulped down. It probably makes a huge difference on the quality of flow before the carb too. Watching some of those video of people and their 'performance' carb, where they run it without a filter and there's fuel puking all out the front of it because the airflow is all knotted up makes it pretty clear how important the flow before the carb is.

[knappyfeet]

makes it pretty clear how important the flow before the carb is.

Amen.

I've been saying that for years but I just get made fun of and laughed at.

Air boxes act as resonators.....they have been for years. Motorcycle companies were one of the first to implement this technology. They do a lot more than just house the air filter. Just taping up the holes in my airbox lid with electrical tape was the difference between holding and idle and not holding an idle. I guess for some WOT applications they are good but even at that...there are plenty of dyno run examples with open carburetors vs. an airbox with a high flow filter that show at WOT the power difference really dosent exist....and..... on modern bikes an open system is a detriment. Modern airboxes are a tuned part of the intake systems.

I just want a bike that will idle nicely and a 1-2 kick starter....you know....simple stuff

[ATC King]

A well tuned stock engine is much, much more enjoyable than some thrown together parts catalog contraption that only works well at WOT.

That's a fact I've come to appreciate after operating such hodgepodge engines. I've seen engines people threw the parts book at and they ran worse than stock and were multiples less reliable.

Thousands of dollars to run worse than stock and make minuscule additional power above stock, with more headache than a woodpecker on dynamite.

It takes real money and skill/experience to squeeze out more power that's functional and reliable. Stock can take a hell of a beating and come back for more, year after year.

Edit: That includes oiling upgrades. Most people won't even attempt to improve drainback. On something like a desert racer, extended high RPM needs a lot of oiling upgrades over stock. Many of the older Honda factory bikes didn't even have a stock oil pump, it was custom built. That's big money and requires factory level knowledge.

Even on a stock engine, the entire thing needs dissembled and all oil paths radiused, smoothed, and sometimes enlarged, for sustained high RPM use.

[camy]

nice post!!! you made me ordered some stuff for my 86 250r and my 85 200x that are in exploded apart mode.... it's been a year since i've watched your post and now it's time to go in the garage for me.... i've been getting parts for my 200x for about 10 years now. been collecting parts for a resto mod with a crf230 engine.

And my 250r is a basket case but I have most of the hard to find parts. I just need a little kick to start welding and painting.

[knappyfeet]

nice post!!! you made me ordered some stuff for my 86 250r and my 85 200x that are in exploded apart mode.... it's been a year since i've watched your post and now it's time to go in the garage for me.... i've been getting parts for my 200x for about 10 years now. been collecting parts for a resto mod with a crf230 engine.

And my 250r is a basket case but I have most of the hard to find parts. I just need a little kick to start welding and painting.

Good job!

Sounds like your on the right path.

That's the hardest part..... The motivation or the kick in the pants to get things done.

I tell myself I'm never going to buy projects any more....... They just end up taking ten times more time to finish and costing double the $$ than getting something nice that's already running. I consider this rescue family but even that only goes so far.

When you think about it...... Even a $7000 250R seems like a bargain compared to $11000 atvs.....$40000 sxs. If it's complete, nice and running it'll save you a mountain time and even a little bit of $$ over doing it yourself from scratch....or close to it

[knappyfeet]

Bolted some more stuff back on.

I need to put it on a different table...it's getting heavier.

If I only cleared the green with a low gloss clear it would look some much better...more oem looking but it will do.







The cheap rear caliper looks the part but the bleeder is on the front vs the back. At least I had enough slack to go around it.





I had to use 1/2 inch spacers to make the headlight guard work. It looks like it was made for the 200X but without the spacers it wouldn't work so who knows.

[knappyfeet]

I got these things listed on Offerup for $10.... I can't even give them away.

I know they aren't perfect but in the olden days these would go quick for a hundy or more.

[oldskool83]

welcome to the world of everyone wants something and then you list it for sale and its nothing but crickets? do you need anything. I started parting my white 200x. I can no longer kick start machines due to my torn disk and didn't know it would affect me like this. I sold my motor yesterday but i all kinda parts yet.

[knappyfeet]

welcome to the world of everyone wants something and then you list it for sale and its nothing but crickets? do you need anything. I started parting my white 200x. I can no longer kick start machines due to my torn disk and didn't know it would affect me like this. I sold my motor yesterday but i all kinda parts yet.

Dang...I just saw your listing. That was such a good looking trike... Sorry you gotta let it go.

Sometimes I feel like doing the same thing..... I'm just tired of working on stuff. I feel like slapping it all back together, getting it running and selling it as is. In fact sell everything..... Buy a ford raptor and put a shell on it and just tour the country

[350for350]

NOOOO! You can't do that! You have to pull a trailer along with you so that you can still have a three wheeler to ride!

[knappyfeet]

Trailer it is.

I purchased some extra grip foam slip ons for the 200X. I love using these things. $5.79 shipped from China. My plan is to use some on the grips and also install the rest on the axle....to cover up the rust.

Also I'm going to use the Dewalt work stand as this trike is getting heavier. It says it can handle up to a 1000 lbs. I can't imagine putting a BB 454 and a Turbo 400 transmission on it...but I guess it would work. It sure will be good enough for me.

Previous balance. $1585
Foam grip. +$6.00

New balance. $1591

[knappyfeet]

Some more assembling.

Those grip foam slip ons look the part and covers the ugly rust nicely.