Channeling Tim Hancock and Others
 

I've owned the Honda in the picture below since '83. A XR200R. One rebuild of the engine, little else.

It has been sitting for four years in the back of the hay barn, a victim of neglect. My son is now old enough, big enough to ride it.

Is this bike worth anything more than a cursory, get it running, make sure the brakes work effort?

I'm a little torn...I'd really like to share a rebuild with him, have him gain a perspective beyond our day to day repair of "stuff". I have the shop manual and a *****in' set of tools:cool:

Money is not too much an issue, within reason...I've rode this thing just about everywhere and would not mind getting it back.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1263853395.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1263853445.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1263853566.jpghttp://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1263853649.jpg

Wanta '95 XR250 to go with it so you can ride together?;) I'd get it running, cleaned up a bit and let him have fun. Doubt they will be collectible any time soon.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1263855178.jpg

How much? No kidding:cool:

Belongs to a buddy of mine, Paul. Used it to teach my stepson to ride then turned him loose on the Buells:eek: Has Renthall aluminum bars, hand guards...seat is new as are the tires/tubes and sprockets/chains...bet they have less than 3 hours total. Well maintained old bike. Just taking up room in my garage.

I'll ask him if you're serious. He's a targa pcar guy as well.

Getting it to you would be a problem tho:(....unless you want to meet for a Pcar event at Barber in B'ham;)

BTW...couldn't tell from your photos...does that XR200 have a tail light? If not I have a spare fender (white) with tail/brake light if you need it.

Very serious...Sister in Aiken, SC (former Prosecutor) so I'm in the area..my Nephew is also close.

Clean out the fuel system, overhaul the carb and check the rest and ride the puppy!

Paul, I would simply clean it up dump the gas, check/clean/oil the airfilter, clean the carb (make sure that both main and pilot jets are clear), air up the tires, change the oil, maybe lube any sticking cables (they will probably be fine) and check/adjust/lube the chain.

I doubt you would need to do any more to that good old Honda. If it runs good with a clean carb, no since tearing it apart.

Could you get to the point:)

Pretty much where I am, with a fix of some lingering issues.

Great little bike...

So why does your XR rate a mono-shock and my '83 XL 185 suffers with old school twin shocks? At least they share the same crappy brakes, fortunately yours stays off the street (or does it?).
Jim

Thanks, Tim.

Just checking. Much respect...the difference between opinion and knowledge is a good thing.

You, too, Joe:cool:

Jim...I don't know, but I bet Tim does:)

If I run into trouble, I'll be the squeaky one.

Best.

Paul...pm'd you re: XR250

Looks like a fun and simple father/son project.

Paul...some pics in case they didn't go thru your email

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270638.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270676.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270698.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270724.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270746.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270766.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270817.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270850.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266270874.jpg

Excellent. Thanks.

damn, just what I need...

XRs are the cockroaches of motorcycles.

a few more
 

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271457.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271485.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271519.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271571.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271597.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271621.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271687.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271713.jpg
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271735.jpg

Don't forget to remove the mouse nest in the air filter (little bastards)
First new vehicle i ever bought was my 1973 XL250
can't find a good picture of it but it's left of the P-car here
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266271975.jpg

Nice!

I just ordered new seat material for my MT250 Elsinore that I got from Gogar. I've been toying with the idea of passing it on to the next person to have fun with it....

I've still got my CR250 and my kids little honda crf50

I love working on old bikes!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1266275431.jpg

Just met Paul (Seahawk) in person. First Pelican I've met face to face. Great guy...he's a lot taller/bigger than he posts.;) I don't see how he fit in military aircraft. Buddy's XR250 is on its way to a new home in Maryland. I had to twist his arm to let me show him the bike runs. :D

All I can say the man is a road tripping monster...He went from Maryland to Ohio on business and then on to Memphis and down to Mississippi to pick the bike. Headed to Aiken SC today.

Enjoy riding with your son, Paul. Remember you're not a kid anymore...50 y.o. bones don't heal like they did in 1983:D

Hope the riding gear fits your son.SmileWavy

I rode a, XR400 once. Pretty fun. Like a tractor.

I think you're seeing the following two choices:

1) Tune it up and let it be ridden
2) Restoration, then let it be ridden

I'm thinking you can view these as not mutually exclusive. That is......you could tune it up first, get it in excellent rideable condition, then consider a more complete restoration. Like Tim says, check and clean and adjust critical stuff and it'll probably ride like a champ. This maintenance/adjust/clean work can be done whilst engaging the youth-person, and if he wants to continue a full restoration after that, then go to Step 2. I would prefer to have his buyoff/commitment, after learning maintenance and tuning procedures, before launching Step 2.

Jim,

Remember that he is a helo guy, not having to be stuffed in the small jet cockpits helps! Bet he would be tight in a "scooter!" :)

He does like to drive. I remember when he brought Rick Lee's car out here to AZ. Course thats a nice car to drive on the highway!

Joe A

for me..
this say's it all..

Son, I'm only a 100 miles away..

Rika

well first and foremost.....................BANG-O fer BUCK-O!

ya cant beat a HO-NAD!

just look at how many baja championships have bean JUAN(WON)!


next as the original owner of a HIGHLY MODIFIED 1985 XR-350RF with white power upside down forks on front, and the engine built by the "reverend"(a checker-mc) , XR'S ONLY every known ZOOMY part to man, hi comp piston/ carrillo rod/flat slide mikuni/ cam/ pipe/blah blah....................


i know a thang er dos bout dem.


i made my ORIGINAL motor last 14 years 363 days when it took the BIG POO in the middle of BFE 50 some odd miles north of williams arizona when i was towed back damn near in tears. broke a valve spring.

changed oil every 200 miles(20/50 castrol GTX). damn thingwent from 14,000 ft in the rockies numerous times down to below sea level in baja. mucho mucho MUCHO BAJA PRE RUNS done with that damn bike. got the big assed IMS 5 gallon tank on it including pacific racing headlight.

AMORTIZE THIS: 15 years of beating the HELL OUTTA IT, $2500 original price X countless fun filled miles of break the FUN BARRIER FUN! now thats BANG-O FER BUCK-O X 1000! DIG where im going with this.

since when ya get OLD and ya dont want to FEEK w/anythang that doesnt have the HAPPY BUTTON(electric start) i have bean growing more and more fonder of 175's and 200's and 250 anythings. there light/easy to start/great gas mileage and dont cost an arm and a leg to maintain if.................................ya do it RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!


doing it RIGHT includes:

1) take beer ice chest(god ferbid) and pull engine from cradle. place engine in ice chest with mega packing bubbles. wrap tight. SHIP TO: XR'S ONLY in HYSTERIA(hysperia,calif) and have them build the hell out of it with all the mega longevity goodies. kibblewhite intake exhaust springs a cam ,get a pipe and spark arrestor all new bearings new timing chain new timing chain block/valves etc.......................EVERYTHING! DONT BE A CHEAP ASS! EVERYTHING that builds power w/out sacrificing longevity.

i stopped going drunk goofy on mine as far as compression at 10.5-1 because of poopy gas in baja.

now why engines being done, its time to send forks/SHOCK to RACETECH.com their the GOOFY PEOPLES who do all of campbell/hengvelds suspension for team honda whom we have PITTED NUMEROUS YEARS down in da wilds of BAJA! so with that being done.........................


we move on to either powdercoating frame or painting.

truing wheels/replacing bearings

replacing worn breaks(brakes)

replacing any rear suspension bearings or maybe LUBE the damn things fer once.


get some HD MOOSE/METZLER TUBES and pick yer gnarly wooly BOOGER TIRES(i prefer METZLERS)

if ya want no dorking around with a chain, buy an o-ring, it will rob some power butt juance stretched(and re-adjusted) will last longer than yer butt can handle in the saddle.

have XR's only add the mega STATOR(200watts) and then get a baja designs light for it. add rear brake switch for tailight and with a mirror and a LIL QUACKY HORN yer STREET LEGAL for top secret stealth missions to go buy bait/porn/beer/orange food groups/pickled pigs feet/etc. while totally legal fer the highway and the damn thang will last another 10 lifetimes.


ask me how i KNOW???????????????


LET XR'S ONLY DO THE MOTOR..................AND YOU GUYS DO THE REST! i swear to BUDDAH you will be happy. built a ton of these damn pigs.

Paul, you've probably already done this, but if not, ask yourself if he's mature enough... to know that if he doesn't take time to build his skills... and isn't careful 100% of the time he's on it... or tries to be Superman or Johnny Knoxville to showoff for his friends, he could end up in a wheelchair or worse.

Just sayin'... make sure you have that talk with him at some point.

hell the sooner he gets the POO knocked out of him..................THE SLOWER AND MORE CONTROLLED HE WILL GO!


have ya ever wondered why ex dezert racers make VERY GOOD vehicle racers???? especially single seat vehicles when yer in da middle(seat centered) of it,not to one side.



because we can READ TERRAIN! thats what ya teach em is to understand the dynamics of various earthly materials. ie. rocks(shale/granitic/igneous) dirt/clay/mud/water crossings blah blah.


have the kid cow trail behind ya for 100 miles. OMG! 100 miles..............thats only 50 away from home truck and trailer and 50 miles back. we used to do 250 miles in a day!!!!!!!!!!!! hence my nickname "MONKEYBUTT"


i taught my kids the ONE COMMANDMENT.................NEVER HAUL ASS ANYWHERE UNTIL YA KNOW THE TRAIL! ie. buzz around slow and get used to area and see if any barbed wire has been placed anywhere,washouts,mine shafts, pits of DOOM-O DE DOOM-O,logs/cars/trucks/dead cows,ya know all the fun stuff to hit at WFO throttle mega WARP SPEED! etc.


that kiddies is why WE PRE-RUN! UBER IMPORTANTE!

Was thinking the same in regard to a dirtbike teaching a kid the consequences of his/her decisions when piloting a motor vehicle.

Another +1 on motocross/dirt bike racers easily transitioning to about any other type of motorsport. (Bob Hurricane Hannah- unlimited air racing..... Jeff Ward- Indy cars..... Ricky Carmichael- Stock cars.... Travis Pastrana- rally car racing.... Jeremy McGrath- Off Road truck racing) While I never pursued car racing, I did win and transfer out of the novice class at my very first autocross years ago in a clapped out 240z with crap tires vs a couple brand new late 80's Vettes and more recently I crawled into a Latemodel 700 hp dirt track car and turned a few decent laps the first time ever on an oval dirt track. This does not work the other way around. ;)

True dat. When teaching my stepson to ride m'cycle, once the basics of throttle, brakes clutch were mastered, the next lesson was to teach him how to fall. He looked at us in disbelief. We had him run along in 2nd on some loamy dirt and directed him to grab a handful of front brake. And we told him he was gonna fall and how he should do it. He was in disbelief that we wanted to teach him how to fall.

First attempts were not enthusiatic enuff. We kept pressing until he endo'd big time when the front end washed out on him. Spit him off flat on his chest over the bars. Knocked the wind out of him. Made him do it again and again until he could get off without hurting himself.

He learned how quickly a bike could get away from you. Attribute those lessons to him operating my Buells without serious mishaps.

WE DID have him fully outfitted in riding gear, boots, armor, etc. just you don't think I'm a child abuser.

EXACTLY! it dont matter if yer GAWD...............if ya dont PRE-RUN a race course no matter what venue......................yer going into it blind.


standard drill for just about any venue is fridays get teched, go buzz around shakes things down. saturdays are time trials and how well ya place, is where ya start on race day on sunday.


now for offroad its a DRAW! he who wins draw gets pole position. and even then it doesnt matter squat if ya have not PRE-RUN!


top teams name the class anyjuan.........................always pre-run and spend a hell of alot of time marking rocks with orange glow paint/ribbons/signs whatever so as to AVOID GETTING KILLED! and to have a plan Z in place should a particular area get a log jam from a wreck or a squid or a booby trap etc.



pre-running IS A GAS! be it on bikes/vehicles.................ALWAYS A BLAST!


for come race day ya better have yer lines picked and your section down like the back of yer hand...................or yer gonna regret ever entering.



another trick i did with my kids was to fire the bikes up after they put on every known to man rubber baby buggy bumper protective gear on, and buzzz around an area with them for an hour or 2. i made them both wear watches. that way they could have a 1/2 hr to an hour buzzing around by themselves exploring at slow/moderate speeds. when time was up they better be back at truck/trailer or i was a coming after their lil asses and i was gonna be PISSED and they was not gonna ride anymore that day.....................worked perfect. they thought they were big time explorers dezert racers and i didnt DUST THEM OUT so they couldnt see the ground.


one time while they were following me on the bikes, i decided to rip on a nice long flat stretch, next thing i know i hear this giant assed KA-FREEKING-POW behind me and look over my shoulder and theres my entire supertrapp end going straight at my older sons face at shotgun velocity! somehow the time space continuum allowed him NOT to be HIT right in the face.


so yeah dads..................ya kinda gots to watch out for NOT ROOSTING THE POO OUTTA THEM (kids)cuz they'll tell MOM and then ITS YER ASS!


moms and dirty bikes dont ever go well together.

Jim,

Thanks! Got to Aiken, SC about an hour ago. Easy day.

I wish I could have spent more time with You, Buddy, your wife and the ferret!

You guys were great...I figured you for an adventurer, but Buddy is amazing...what was the turn called, the "Gravity Drain":eek:

Joe, I've got almost 1k in jets, from TA-4's to 18's in addition to all the helo time...the TA-4 was like climbing into a metal womb:cool:

Jim, thanks again...I really look forward to meeting up with you folks again.

No worries.

Jack is an incredibly mature kid, much more so than I was at his age (maybe even now!).

One of my neighbors is a former pro moto-cross guy and he will be taking Jack for lessons, I'll ride along. He and Jack get along very well (we hunt, fish and target shoot a lot with him...he and his wife have no children) and he is very much into leaving the macho act in the barn.

Jack has been driving something since he was 5: Yamaha 80 4 wheeler, tractors, and his Tacoma. I got Buddy's 250 for me, Jack gets my old 200:cool:

Man, I'd kill for a beater dirt bike. But I don't where I could hide it from the wife. Once we move, I plan to put a shed in the back yard by the pool. I'm gonna make sure a GS Adventure and dirt bike can easily fit in that shed.

Aiken? You goin' to the Steeplechase this weekend?

Yup...spot 10 on the rail.

We've had the tickets in the family for 30 years...my sister still live in Aiken.

Also, a good friend of mine is the starter for all the East Coast Steeplechase Meets, former SC Jockey...the kids get to ride in the starters truck!

You going?

Cool... no, not going... I've never been to a steeplechase down there... went to a day of harness racing a few years ago, though.

Well, I'm in the capital city... if you're rollin' up 20 on the way home and run into some trouble and need some help, gimme a holla... I'll PM you the phone number.

"GRAVITY CAVITY":eek:

When Panoz reconfigured Road Atlanta they essentlly took it out and replaced it with two 90 degree turns...serves also to slow entance to blind downhill turn 11.

Paul, glad you made it to sis' house in Aiken. You don't play when it comes to racking up miles. Have a great weekend. Post some pics of the son (and your tall ass) on the bikes.. Safe travels, my friend.