Honda Xr200r
HONDA XR200R
CYCLE WORLD TEST
It's a Serious Enduro and Super Play Bike
Big isn't necessarily better, especially in enduro competition. Unless you are built like the new Tarzan, an open enduro mount mired in mud up to its axles and wedged between six or seven competitors quickly turns from grin to grim. And what about the person who's smaller in stature, the rider who measures five-foot-six? Trying to ride a bike with a 38 inch plus seat height through dense woods and over trails strewn with logs isn't fun. And fun is what we’re all after when we ride. Even some of the enduro bikes in the 1 75-200 class have had their seat height pushed out of sight by too-much suspension travel and by development riders with legs like Mike Bell.
Enter the Honda XR200. Originally a 185 and designed for the play rider, it soon became serious machinery when modified. Many an XR1 85-200 racer has thumbed his nose at riders on full-fledged race-bred open and 250cc racers when the going got rough. Honda watched the play bike 200 as people modified and won many an enduro. Last year the XR200 got many improvements including single shock rear suspension. And Honda started treating the XR200 as a bike with a dual personality. The XR200R is one of those rare bikes that can really be used for serious competition or all-out play.
The transition from dual shock to single (‘81 model year) didn’t adversely change the size of the bike. Shorter riders still fit even though the seat height grew from 33.9 in. to 35.6 inches. Still, the new XR200R retained the ability to be a super play bike while becoming much faster on an enduro course.
Many parts contribute to the newer bike being more competitive; the new frame is the most easily noticed and it benefits from the boxed steel swing arm that replaces a rather wimpy tube job. The frame is made completely of tubes, gone are the stamped main backbone parts that were cleverly hidden under the gas tank on the dual shock models. And the XR200 has its very own frame, not being shared with another size as the 250 and 500 are for example. The serious nature becomes even more evident when digging into specs; the swing arm pivots on needle bearings and the steering stem uses tapered rollers. Add a frame design that incorporates the engine as a stressed member in place of bottom frame tubes, the better to keep ground clearance high without raising the seat height, and generous gusseting around high stress areas like the steering head and swing arm pivot, and the message starts coming through loud and clear—serious competition was a major consideration when designing the XR200R.
The large bodied Showa shock, placed in rising rate linkage between the rear tire and engine, complete with remote reservoir and screw-adjust spring preload reflect the same message. Internally the shock is somewhat different. Valving has changed; a floating spike load valve, designed to open and relieve sharp blows, has been replaced with stationary valving that doesn’t add heat from friction. Damping characteristics are also different; the compression damping is the same but rebound damping has been softened so the rear wheel can move quicker and thus react faster to high-speed whoops. Additionally, the remote reservoir is newly designed. The material is different and the finning has been removed. Since the reservoir is almost completely filled by a rubber bladder and nitrogen, containing oil in great amounts only when the shock is fully compressed, the fins were mostly decoration anyway.
Front suspension is also handled by Showa. Stanchion tube size is adequate, measuring 35mm. Dual low friction Syntallic bushings let the units react easily to small bumps and travel is 1 in. more than the back at 9.8 inches. Lower legs are aluminum with a leading axle that’s clamped tightly. Triple clamps are strong and the lower has double pinch bolts. Fork damping has also been changed for ’82. The springs have been softened and rebound damping reduced, for the same reasons the rear damping was softened, so the wheel can react quicker to highspeed bumps. Air caps are fitted although most people won’t need the assistance from air pressure. Still, it’s nice to have. Steering quickness can also be adjusted by raising or lowering the stanchion tubes in the triple clamps.
Wheel sizes are normal 21 at the front, 18 rear. Both assemblies are designed for lightness and are fitted with rather small hubs and brakes. Spokes are also on the small size although we didn’t break any. Rims are lipless aluminum fitted with good six-ply IRC tires.
The rear wheel is designed for quick removal and replacement. The axle can stay in the hub when the wheel comes off, there’s a lip on the swing arm to guide axle and hub as they’re pushed back into place, the brake cable unhooks without tools and the backing plate has a groove that slips onto a peg on the swing arm. This is obviously the work of somebody who knows the importance of being able to fix tires in a hurry.
Chain tension is taken care of in the same way, with snail adjusters that have numbered notches. Details like this are vital for enduros, but they’re just as good for the play rider. Searching for missing axle parts in the dirt is no fun even if you don’t have to worry about houring out.
The heart of the little XR200R, the engine, is unchanged from last year. It’s compact, weighing 59.6 lb. complete with the 26mm Keihin carburetor. Bore is slightly more than stroke measuring 65.5 x 57.8mm for a total of 195cc. Compression ratio is 10:1 but we didn’t have any problems with detonation. CD ignition won’t need adjustment or require maintenance. An automatic compression release, operated by a cable from a cam off the kick start lever, makes starting easier. Six transmission gears are standard and all of them match the engine’s power perfectly. Low is a stump pulling 35.46:1 meaning the bike will go almost straight up when needed. The rest of the ratios are spaced closer as the higher gears are reached, with 5th and 6th closely spaced so the engine doesn’t bog when shifted on grades. The multi-plate wet clutch is strong and shouldn’t give trouble. Primary kick starting is standard and primary drive is through trouble-free straight-cut gears.
Creature comfort is nicely handled on the XR; the seat is thick and properly shaped, the tank is narrow, placed low on the frame and has a large filler neck, the single shock lets the center of the chassis stay thin so the rider doesn’t need bowed legs to put his weight to the rear of the bike, control levers are dog-legged and the throttle has the cable routed next to the bars and out of the way of tree limbs and other hazards. Shift and brake pedals have folding ends to prevent damage when unmovable things get in the way. The peg to seat relationship is sized so large adults fit without knees-in-thechest. The speedometer has large mileage numerals and a flexible reset knob. Fenders are large and keep most mud off the rider. A small headlight and front numberplate make the bike enduro legal and means you can get out of the woods after dark, and the control cables are carefully routed.
Other enduro items include a waterproofed air filter box and a spark arrester/silencer. The airbox contains a good foam air filter but it’s a minor hassle to service, requiring removal of the left side numberplate, then three screws from the side cover before a wing nut hold down plate can come off. Regular service in your garage won’t pose a problem but if the box becomes submerged in a river that’s deeper than it looks, it’ll be time consuming. A quick detach cover like the IT has would be much better. The silencer/spark arrester has a removable secondary core that’s in the tool bag when the bike’s delivered. The engine loses a little power at the very bottom of its power band with the core in place but the exhaust noise is much more pleasant. We put it in, and left it in.
The XR200 has a rear fender mounted tool bag like all XRs. Inside there’s only one tool, a six-day style wrench that fits several different parts. One end has a deep socket that fits the spark plugs, the back side of it is a box end wrench that fits the front axle, the other end has a box that fits the rear axle and an open end 12mm and a somewhat clumsy spoke wrench. The 12mm open end will stretch out of shape the first time it’s used, making it worthless, but the spark plug and box end axle wrenches work fine. Don’t try to remove the front wheel without extra wrenches though. The front axle clamps with four 10mm screws and the wrench doesn’t have a 10mm on it! The wrench will remove the rear wheel without extra tools however. We don't recommend tightening the spokes with the spoke wrench end either. It’s like using a club, especially around the rim locks and valve stem, and it offers too much leverage. Rounded or broken spoke nipples are a sure thing if you start cranking the spokes tight with a wrench with so much leverage. The bag does have room for the tools you’ll need to add, though.
A 200cc engine should be a breeze to > kick start and the XR is easy, if not as easy as a comparable two-stroke. The 10:1 compression ratio can be felt even with the automatic compression release. Even so, most starts, warm or cold, are a one kick affair. The choke control lever is easily reached and has two position clicks; one at the halfway point, the other full-on. Full choke is usually needed when the engine is completely cold. Warm-up is rapid and the choke can be returned to off as soon as the engine fires.
First or 2nd is clicked into without any sign of clunk or lurch. First will only be needed if you’re starting on a grade or side of a cliff and 2nd pulls the bike fine from a dead stop. Upshifting through the six-speeds is smooth and positive with or without the use of the clutch lever although it’s best to use it. Power is smooth and the power band is extremely wide for such a small displacement engine, disguising the power. Drag races against 175cc two-strokes prove the XR200R has about the same speed.
Top speed in 6th varies with terrain and rider weight, but you can figure between 65 and 70 mph in an upright position with a fully outfitted 170 lb. rider on hard ground. Speed naturally increases when tucked in and we actually got it up to a speedo indicated 76 mph on pavement. Fuel mileage also depends upon how it’s ridden. Hard riders got as little as 35 miles per gallon, easier riders as high as 70 mpg. So, the little 2 gal. plastic tank has a practical range of 70 to 140 mi!
Fike all modern dirt bikes, the XR works best if the rider takes time to dial the suspension. As delivered our bike had air pressure in the forks and too much rear shock spring preload. We let the forks down to zero psi and softened the rear spring preload. Still the overall suspension was a little stiff with a hard riding 170 pounder aboard. The rear softened up after 300 mi. but it still feels as if the compression damping is too stiff. Front damping was softened by changing the fork oil to 5w.
HONDA XR200R
SPECIFICATIONS
$1548
We liked the rider position of the XR. The seat top to footpeg relation is sized the same as most 250s, so tall people fit quite nicely without having their knees in their chests, yet shorter people don’t have to stretch. The only thing Honda seems to have missed on is the handlebar width; stock they measure 33 inches. We cut an inch off each side. If you ride in dense woods you’ll want to trim them even more. The center section is narrow enough to allow trimming to about 29 or 30 in.
The XR200R looks like a natural for use in the woods and it is. It’ll dart down twisty trails like magic, yet stay stable through whoops and deep sand; quite a feat for a bike with a short 54.5 in. wheelbase. More amazing is the way the bike climbs hills. It stays straight and doesn’t try to loop or do other nasty things, and
2nd gear will climb incredibly steep hills.
We didn’t encounter any enduro situation that the XR didn’t handle superbly, including sliding fire roads. The only problem, and it’s not a harsh one, deals with the brakes; the small hubs and brakes work fine at woods speeds but they’re just barely adequate at speed on fire roads.
As fast as the XR is on an enduro course, it can be used as a serious play bike or non-serious camp bike. And any member of a family can be comfortable and have fun riding it. It won’t load-up, isn’t pipey or temperamental, and makes a great learner bike. With a retail price of $1548 it’s a little pricey for a camp bike but Honda still makes the dual shock model if you’re only interested in a camp bike and it costs many dollars less. The point we’re making is the truly dual purpose nature of the XR200R. We can’t think of another bike that’s capable of winning an enduro in the morning, being used for a trail ride in the afternoon, then as a trainer for a new rider. EB
