XR200 - finding manfacture year for frame and engine

[glenw]

Hi all,
First post to Kiwi Biker. Having read through a few posts this looks like the premier site for bikers in NZ.
I have just got an XR200 last week (something to do with approaching 40 and harping back to my youth). The bike is in reasonable nick for its age - front pads and rear wheel bearings are all it needs so far - but I am having some trouble identifying its age. It appears to be an '84 (ME05-5000**) frame with an 83 engine (ME04E-5006***) but, after hours of trolling around the net plus ringing a couple of parts suppliers, I still can't figure out exactly how old it is. Can anyone point me in the right direction for finding this info out? 83/84 is when a number of changes happened to the 200's and I would like to at least sound like i know what i'm talking about when getting parts.

cheers.

[merv]

Post up some photos so we can see it.

84 frame has 17" back wheel and annoying frame tubes that stick into your shins of your boots and they used that style from then on. However, they were fitted with the ill-fated RFVC four valve engine which had reliability issues. That was the one called the XR200RE.

So if this has an 83 engine then it has the last of the original 2 valve engines which I reckon were the best of them all with the black painted engine. This was the XR200RD. If it had a D model frame then it would have 18" back wheel and cable operated back brake, not rod operated.

Later models than the E from 86 on reverted to the 2 valve engine but in the frame with the 17" back wheel.

Is this helping you so far?

Check this page out http://www.motorera.com/honda/h0200/xr200r/xr200r.htm certainly looks like the ME-05 is the later frame and ME-04 is the 83 and earlier model.

[glenw]

Wow - Thanks Merv. More than I had hoped for.

I will get some photos tomorrow (bike is in the shed at the monent minus back wheel - expect to get bearings and put it back together tomorrow).
Yep - engine is black painted 2 valve.
Rear wheel is 17" and brake is rod operated

[merv]

p.s. Welcome to KB mate.

[Motu]

It'd be a rare XR200 with a front disc brake! But brake shoes should be the same for all models,same with the wheel bearings....6,000 series bearings available anywhere.As Merv says - the pre RE black engine XR200 was the best they made,later models were softened and weren't as much fun.The early model frames used to crack the tubes just above the swingarm mount.Rear sprocket cush drives flog out in a big way too,wreck the whole hub.I made up some urethane bushes for mine - just ground down some old shock bushes or something.

Oh,and while we are on the subject Merv - I just got given a crankshaft jig for XR200's.....or at least TLR200 in my case.For replacing crankpins.Not likely to need it,but nice to have anyway.What I really need is one for the XT600.

[FlangMasterJ]

I'm pretty sure the year is stamped onto the wheels.

[merv]

Oh,and while we are on the subject Merv - I just got given a crankshaft jig for XR200's.....or at least TLR200 in my case.For replacing crankpins.Not likely to need it,but nice to have anyway.What I really need is one for the XT600.

Good to hear from you Motu - you weren't able to get to the CCA I guess but you see we had a good time. Track was slightly more hard out than last time due to being closer to winter and some new bits 4skins found.

[denill]

the pre RE black engine XR200 was the best they made,later models were softened and weren't as much fun.

Umm, wasn't the RE the RFVC twin carb model? If so, it was imho, a total piece of shit.

It was superceded by the RD which reverted to the single carb and was a little sweetie.

Oh sorry Motu - you wrote "pre RE" !

[skidMark]

Ring a honda shop they will tell you what dgit is year, i used to know.

[merv]

Umm, wasn't the RE the RFVC twin carb model? If so, it was imho, a total piece of shit.

It was superceded by the RD which reverted to the single carb and was a little sweetie.

Oh sorry Motu - you wrote "pre RE" !

The E was preceded (not superseded) by the D as I said above (as in it was alphabetical order) and all the detail he needs I reckon is in my post and that link I gave. The E lasted from 84 to 85 and then they fitted the 2 valve engine in the E type frame for all subsequent models from the 86 model.

It does seem he has an E frame with an earlier D engine fitted.

[denill]

The E was preceded (not superseded) by the D as I said above (as in it was alphabetical order)

Oh yeah Merv. D comes before E.

[glenw]

Thanks for all of your help - I have finally sorted it out ....
81 XR200R engine
84 XR200RE frame
Oddball carb that doesn't fit with either number but seems to go OK

I found a link on kiwibiker (http://www.cmsnl.com) that is really useful for most Honda bikes - Honda parts fiche diagrams are available for a good portion of models. The fiche also has serial number tables to gel engine and frame numbers up with production year.

Cheers again.

[merv]

You mentioned needing brake pads and wheel bearings - for my old Hondas way back I'd bought one set of brake shoes OEM and then used to get the spares relined (at a place in Napier - can't remember their name) and for wheel bearings sourced them at the local bearing shop being Mana Bearings in Porirua - there is bound to be equivalents in ChCh.

The '81 engine then is from a B model which was the first of the Pro-link suspension framed bikes - the very first model the A was a twin shocker, but then you're not worried about frame type as you have an E frame.

[glenw]

Thanks Merv, things are a bit easier now I know what I am looking for - even found a Clymer manual that covers both the engine and frame. I might be shouted at, but I have been surprised at the relatively low cost of standard bits - brake shoes and rear wheel bearings for $42.00 total, reasonable tyres for about $100. Way back in the 80's when I last rode around firebrakes in Nelson it was the cost of bits and pieces that was the killer.
Now I just need a way to get it around (only a fool buys a dirt bike and has two cars without towballs....). thanks for your help - much appreciated.