Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

inch rear wheels on the 2OOs. Honda reps said they wanted to reduce the seat height, but finding a l7-inch tire, other than the stock IRC, could be a pain. The inside edge of both rims are notched to help prevent tire slippage. Six-ply 3.00-21 and 110/90-17 IRCs come stock on the XR. Unlike the larger XRs, the 200 does not have a front disc brake; instead, Honda stayed with a double-Ieadingshoe brake. The rear brake has a single-leading-shoe with an aluminum backing plate - the 250's is magnesium. Air is filtered by a single polyurethane foam element, well guarded by the airbox. Side panels also act as a sealer. The filter is easily accessible after removing the side panel, then unscrewing one wing nut in the center of the elemen l. The front number plate/headlight com bo is much more sano than before. The headlight is now on the bollom, while the number plate sticks up high enough to protect the speedometer in a crash. The headlight has a 35-wall output, but an optional 12volt, 55-wall quartz/halogen headlights is available from Honda. The XR has a speedometer and trip meter in one unit, and the speedo reads up to 90 mph. New plastic hand guards protect the rider's fingers from tree branches, mud, and rocks. The new-shaped fuel tank holds 2.4 gallons, with a reserve capacity of 0.4 gallons. The XR weighs in at 220 pounds dry, which is two pounds lighter than last year. Starting the XR is relatively simple. It usually takes three or four kicks to fire, hot or cold. Every now and then, the kick starter lever folds underneath the motor and footpeg at the bollom stroke before returning, especailly when the rider jabs the lever a couple of times quickly. Even with its huge muffler, the little XR is too loud. It's not deafening, buta rider's ears ring after a shorL ride. Both the choke lever and fuel petcock are located on the left side of the bike and are easy to get at and operate with gloves on. The XR must idle for a long time with the choke left on before hitting the trails. If it isn't warm enough, it dies as soon as the choke is turned off. The XR is much faster than last year's 200, but that is, unfortunately, still seriously slow. First gear revs out too quickly without gaining any speed; then second picks up where first left off, and it tOO revs out very quickly. Ahh, third gear; that's when the XR begins to hook up. It revs out much longer in third, and the gap between it and fourth is wider. Fifth and sixth gears are really "overdrive." We expected good low-end from the new XR, but we were disappointed. There just wasn't enough. For plonk-around flat terrain it'S OK, but for plowing through sand and mild inclines, the 200 just doesn't have enough power. But while the XR feels like it lacks torque, it will keep chugging up very steep, deep, loamy hills at a slow rate of speed until it crests the top. That could only be done in first gear - nothing else. This is the only situation where first could be used. We often over-revved the XR in search of more horsepower on fast trail rides: That's a mistake. It doesn't like to rev OUl. The XR's power output is best in the mid-range, using third and fourth gears. Only on fast and smooth straights can fifth and sixth gears be used. According to the stock speedometer, we could not quite reach 55 mph on level ground. We found· toe motor to be most ~ITectlve on'triu1s '-.leaving "through The '84 XR200RE share the same frame, engine cases and swingarm as the XR250RE. Internal gear rations are also the same. and both use Kayaba suspension components instead of Showas. A 17-inch wheel is designed to keep the seat height low. The XR has a very short wheelbase at 53.7 inches, which gives the Honda excellent turning abilities. Desert riders won't like the 200 all that much. trees and rocks. On these trails, between third and fourth gears produced about the right speed, and power came on smooth and fairly strong; the bike was easy to manage. In an enduro, this will give the rider more time to concentrate on his route chart and his watch. This is closest to being a wood bike. The people at Honda claim the XR200R isn't a desert bike; we agree, but most enduros in the west are held in the deserl. Special test sections are fast, requiring WFO riding - the XR rider will be late to the checkpoint almost every time. The lack of power makes it difficult to wheelie the XR over rocks and logs. Gelling the front wheel off the ground requires the aid of a small rock or some kind of bump, with a healthy wick of the wrisl. Once the wheel is up, it is hard to keep it there, because the front end is heavy. On the plus side, even with the front wheel high off the ground, the XR doesn't want to loop oul. The XR shifts smoothly. Missed shih's are uncommon and finding the lever is'easy; but the lever is stiscepti~ ble to rocks and logs, because it sticks out a bit too far. On one occasion while weaving through boulders on a narrow trail, we managed to smash the lever on a rock and wrap it around the foOl peg. It bent back into its original position with a few hard kicks, and didn't crack or rebend. Turning is by far the XR's best feature. The steep fork angle and short wheelbase combine to make the XR turn quickly. It goes where the rider points it, but sometimes thilt can be a problelT". When the trails get l"Ocky and slic..<, a rider usually gets a lillie out of shape at times, and the XR is then a bit f1ightly. It turns so quickly it sometimes goes where you don't want it to, especially when the rider sits down and has his weight too far back on the seal. Then the front end dives too far to the sides, sometimes steering the rider right off the trail. To prevent that problem, the rider must put his weight far forward, driving the front end. When ridden the right way, the XR will whip through winding trails. Suspension is another plus. The attion of the rear Pro-Link is smooth and progressive. Although the preload is a tad soft for a rider around 150 pounds, bOlloming isn't a problem. When it does bOllom, it isn't harsh. At speed., the rear will go into swaps every now and then, especially over rocks, tree roots and ruts. At cruising speeds, wapping isn't a problem. The shock remains smooth after many long rides, and we did not experience much shock fade. Jumping off rocks and bouncing off logs, the landings are absorbed quite well. The XRdoesn'tlike to get much altitude, but at least it never feels uneasy in mid air. Sometimes while landing on £Iat surfaces, the forks made a loud clicking noise. It didn't appear to be anything serious, but was annoying. The forks are also a bi t too soft, especially jamming down hills. evertheless, they didn't bollom hard, and smacking large rocks head-on didn't send the rider over the bars. With both fTOnt and back brakes applied, the XR comes to a gradual stop. The front brake didn't have a tendency to lock up, but the back -brake wasn"t as predictable. It seemed

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