XR200 problems

[Lurcher]

I've got an 1995 XR200 cylinder which is flogged out. One option would be to get a wiseco sleeve for it off ebay and get the old sleeve pressed out and new one pressed in. Who would be a good outfit to do the sleeve swap?

Also looking to improve the saggy old front forks which bottom out real easy. Anyone got any tips?

[Motu]

Dunno who to go to down there,but any engine reconditioner can do it.Put an XR250 front end on,that's what I did to mine.

[rudolph]

I just did the sam job for someone about 3 weeks ago the wiseco sleeve was about $160 and an after market piston was $180, the ond sleeve has to be bored out and pressed in and faced witch cost $65 done by a mate

[XTC]

I just did the sam job for someone about 3 weeks ago the wiseco sleeve was about $160 and an after market piston was $180, the ond sleeve has to be bored out and pressed in and faced witch cost $65 done by a mate

So what's a new honda barrell worth?

[rudolph]

So what's a new honda barrell worth?

It cost $300 in parts all up for a complet top end over haull on this XR200, i gave it a set of valves to

[rudolph]

So what's a new honda barrell worth?

i looked every where for one but couldn't find a good one

[F5 Dave]

Yeah, check the head isn’t cracked while you are in there.

Forks. Well just drop in some progressive brand springs, they are pretty cheap. I usually cut springs down though. Example cut & pasted below. If anyone tells you to just fire in a spacer & more oil then they haven't been listening.

Basically the less active coils (all the ones that aren’t touching at either end) a spring has the higher (stiffer) the spring rate. (Bend your ruler at far ends then move your hands closer & it gets harder right?).

So how much to cut off?

(Old spring rate x active coils)/desired spring rate.

That gives me the number of coils I want left. In my case I had .3 springs & 33 active coils & I wanted .33 springs. (works with pounds as well). This = 30 coils so I cut off 3 from the original 33. (Usually the numbers aren’t this round, with rear springs be more accurate).

I just used a disc grinder to lop the coils off & then GENTLY using a bit of heat from a handheld propane torch or whatever bend the cut part down to touch the lower coil & dress it up to look like it did before you cut it.

The springs measured 495mm before & 440 after, so we have to make up the difference to keep the preload the same. The std spacer was 85mm so a new one 140mm was cut from a piece of 34mmID (37OD) plumbing pipe. (OK so I spent $2 so sue me!)

Job done.

You can stiffen Front springs, Rear springs, even clutch springs, as long as you make up a spacer to retain the preload. Just beware if you are going to lop off quite a bit -that there is still room so the spring doesn’t coil bind.

[crazyxr250rider]

umm wont that just lesten travel? id just put thick oil (see you shop for that as gear oil is too heavy) in and put 10psi in each fork

[F5 Dave]

. . .
The springs measured 495mm before & 440 after, so we have to make up the difference to keep the preload the same. The std spacer was 85mm so a new one 140mm was cut from a piece of 34mmID (37OD) plumbing pipe. (OK so I spent $2 so sue me!). . .

umm wont that just lesten travel? . .

Crumbs have you been getting your suspension advice from some of those dodgy boy racer types.

But even then the travel isn’t affected. The travel is the length the fork is allowed to move which is constrained at either end by the length of the damper tube.


Thicker oil is a bad idea as it just increases compression (& rebound) damping across the range. Damper rod forks are orifice limited so lock up under high speed compression if you put too thick an oil in. Air assist was given up on years ago, air is a non linear spring & is too progresive, makes the forks bouncy & likely to blow seals as well.

[Oscar]

Waaaaay back when, we used to stiffen up the suspension on our Xr200/185's (twin shock models), by fitting Ford Escort valve springs on top of the fork springs - 1600cc interior valve springs if memory serves.

[F5 Dave]

Sorry dude, another myth from the past.

The extra spring preload makes it seem like it is stiffer while pushing it in the garage, but in actual fact the spring rate has decreased as you have increased the amount of active coils.

Think of it this way. If you hold a ruler at the ends & bend it it is easy, but if you slide your hands closer it gets harder. Just extra leverage & a spring is the same.

[Oscar]

Sorry dude, another myth from the past.

The extra spring preload makes it seem like it is stiffer while pushing it in the garage, but in actual fact the spring rate has decreased as you have increased the amount of active coils.

Think of it this way. If you hold a ruler at the ends & bend it it is easy, but if you slide your hands closer it gets harder. Just extra leverage & a spring is the same.

Yabbut - you've increased the length of your ruler...