1984 Honda XR200R

Here are some shots of my '84 XR 200 in '87.  This is near Socorro, NM.  I liked this bike but was disappointed in two things: wheelies and jumping.  And for a play-bike, that's bad!  It just didn't want to wheelie.  Seemed like all the power went into wheelspin rather than torque.   After riding the tricked-up XL125, this XR seemed like a 2-stroke.  It was very butt-heavy in the air and I never got comfortable jumping it. It also didn't want to turn.  I now suspect that the rear suspension pre-load was too soft, but I just didn't have the kind of suspension tuning information I needed back then. Amazingly enough, I nearly bought this bike back in Sept 2001 from my cousin, but opted for the '96 KDX instead. The XR still ran great and had recent suspension service, and sure enough, turned and wheelied..

As you can see from the above, the rear wanted to drop on jumps.

Compare this shot to the KDX200! Bikes have gotten taller! I still have the High Point boots, too!!

At the same time as the XR200r, we also bought an XL200.  I used this bike to commute to work, and my wife (pictured!) rode it a little.  I kept the XL for just over a year and then sold it.  Good bike for the time.

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