Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

a: ~ m III ~ ~ ~ 0 ~ z 0 II) > a: ~ 1Il - III 00 U Z Cj) :'3 > 1Il "' ~ II) e - >- 0 it ~ I--) Test: Honda's XR200RE enduro A serious enduro winner or just a fun playbike? By Kit Palmer Even though Honda's XR200Rs were designed as full-fledged enduro bikes, they became popular not as a great gold medal getter, but because they appealed to a wide variety of :24 people. In the past, the XR200s were just too underpowered for the serious enduro competitor. But, for·ttt~ riders.who wanted something that had suspension and reliability and was easy and just plain fun to ride, the XR200Rs were a hit. The new 1984 XR200RE looks more serious than ever. It features many new hi-tech changes that seem to be aimed at the rider who wants a little bit more than just a playbike. Although the '84 XR200R's styling is quite different from last year, most of the major changes are internal, and the single cylinder, air-cooledfour-stroke engine received most of the attention. Like its bigger brothers the XR350 and 500, the 200 now has a dual carburetor. Instead of a single 26mm Keihin carb supplying the combustion chamber with fuel and air, there are now two 20rnm Keihins with l8mm slides. This system is supposed to make the powerband broader, by supplying the cylinder with just the right amount of fuel/air mixture at all times. When the first half of throttle travel is used, only one carb is at work; the second carb opens up when the second half of throttle rotation is used. The slides are activated by two separate throttle cables; when the first slide is almost wide open, the second slide starts to open up, but at a much faster rate. So, by the time the first carb is fully open, the second one catches up and they both reach maximum opening at the same time, supplying the cylinder with 40mm worth of fuel and air flow. All new is the Radial Four Valve Combustion chamber (RFVC). Last year's motor had only two valves; while the '84 XR has four, one coming in from each direction in the hemispheric cylinder head. The intake valves are 27mm, the exhaust valves 23.5mm. Intake valves open 5° BTOC and close 35° ATOC; exhaust valves close 5° ATOC and open 35° BTOC. Both intake and exhaust duration is 220° with 10° overlap. Valve angle is 22" from vertical for the intakes and 23° for the exhausts. Even bore and stroke is changed. Bore is increased I.5mm to 67mm, stroke shortened I.3mm to 56.5mm. Actual displacement is bumped up from 195cc to 199cc; compression ratio jumps to ll.l: I from 10.2: I. The engine still has a wet sump, but the oil (iJter is relocated on the right engine case, vs. last year's location hidden underneath the shifter. After removing three bolts, the filter is in plain sight. There are now two exhaust headers, one exiting the cylinder head on each side of the single frame downtube. The dual head pipes snake around to the right side of the engine, then merge into one. A heat shield on the pipe prevents leg burns, and there's a huge, rebuildable ForestService-approved spark arrester/ silencer. A six-speed, transmission is hidden within the same engine cases as used on the XR250: not only are the cases the same but so are the internal gear ratios. Final drive is a #520 0ring chain. The countershaft sprocket has 13 teeth, and the rear sprocket has 50. The XR has a primary kick starter with an automatic, cable-operated decompression release - which lifts one exhaust valve - the same as last year. The new motor is surrounded by an all-new frame, the same one used on the XR250. Steering head angle is two degrees steeper than on the '83 200 at 26°, and wheelbase is 0.4 inches longer - thanks to a"lengthened swingarm - at 53.7 inches. Overall, the wheelbase is still incredibly short. Although the XR350 and 500s are suspended by Showa forks and shocks, the 200, like the 250, uses Kayabas. The forks have 36mm tubes and 10 inches of travel, which is 0.2 inches more than last year. There are aluminum triple clamps and tapered roller steering head bearings. The forks are leading axle and air adj ustable with no compression or rebound damping adjustments. Basic black fork boots protect the seals from debris. The single remote-reservoir rear' shock has 16 compression and four rebound damping adjustments; spring pre-load is also adjustable. Pro-Link parts are made of T-6 aluminum, instead of cast iron used in the past. Theswingarm is the same as the 250's and is still made of steel. Rear wheel travel is 0.2 inches longer at 9.6 inches. Rims are aluminum with straight-pull spokes. Each wheel has only one rim lock - normally the rear has two Honda decid¢ to ~se ~?

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