86' 200x running very hot

[Matrix]

I recently put a new clutch in my 200x and went to get oil and I didn't have much to spend so I just bought a gallon of GN4 for $23. Looks like nice oil and I heard multiple time that if you ride you're machine hard (or how you were supposed to) then its perfect if you change it often. The HP4 I have heard isn't for driven hard and what not.

My bike is not lean by any means. In fact my plug is black as night but hardly sputters and just goes so I am happy. I have a clean(ish) uni filter with stock jetting and a DG pipe. I rode today around the yard with my shorts on and my leg was BURNING. When I had my o'neal pants on I feel fine but I can feel the heat radiating from the pipe and engine.

It's so hot in fact that at the end of my ride today I noticed my plastic were the pipe meets the head pipe was melting!! I cleaned my card with compressed air and sprayed the heck out of everything with carb cleaner and sprayed more compressed air everywhere.

I am stumped. I have checked carb jetting 101 in world class help multiple times but I just cant find out why its so incredibly HOT!

[yaegerb]

Its common for the plastic to burn or even melt because of how close the pipe is to the plastic. You can apply some heat shielding material to the underside of the fender. Its sticky on one side and looks like aluminum on the other. Also, I would not advise to run synthetic oil in your bike. You never said, but most GN4 I see these days is synthetic. Your model of bike was never built to run on synthetic. In my 200x I run Maxima, premium 4, petroleum based. The reason you want to run petroleum based is because it is helpful in older style four strokes where you have many of high pressure metal-to-metal contact areas - cam and rockers, cam and head, etc.

Your plug shouldn't be "black as night"...that means you are running rich. So you can get away with leaning it out a bit. There are no specifications for how "hot" a 200x should run and the manual makes no mention of this, so putting a heat gun on it won't do much good. My other 200x's always ran hot, its just the nature of them.

[Matrix]

Ok thanks. My GN4 is not synthetic if I am correct. I know I need to run a lot more lean but the honda shop isn't open until Monday and they close before I return from work which is why I have ran as rich as I am. The guy at the Honda shop also told me to not run any kind of "moly" type oil in my bike. What is moly in regards to oil?

[yaegerb]

"Moly" is molybdenum. The only time I use moly (Moly Paste) is when I am lubing the camshaft before an installation. Manufacturers put "moly" in oils as emergency lubricants. This is typically zinc, phosphorous, and molybdenum. These chemicals are present in case your oil film completely breaks down, due to extreme temperatures or pressures. These chemicals are supposed to be a last resort defense against metal to metal contact in your engine. Oil companies are cutting back on zinc and phosphorous, as these metals are hard on catalytic converters. Now, they're substituting molybdenum disulfide, which lowers friction and improves gas mileage. Although not specifically proven (arguments on both sides) it has been known to cause problems for people with wet clutches, that is, most, if not all of our ATC clutches. At the end of the day I would just run a good petroleum based oil, moly IMO, is not a bad thing.

[atc007]

Yep,DG pipe and shorts,,96 degrees ambient temp.. You're gonna FEEL the heat!! And you're gonna MELT a $1000 set of plastic,,if it's nice Honda : )

[Matrix]

Yep,DG pipe and shorts,,96 degrees ambient temp.. You're gonna FEEL the heat!! And you're gonna MELT a $1000 set of plastic,,if it's nice Honda : )

When I bought it the plastics were cracked pretty good. After I started jumping it they cracked even worse. It would appear that the owner before me had placed some sort of putty like substance where the plastics just started to melt. I am not to concerned with the plastics right now. Maier makes the plastics for my 200x for around $230 if I remember right. BUT if you're interested in a set of plastics that were "$1000" just let me know and I can knock a few dollars off : )

[dougspcs]

Yep,DG pipe and shorts,,96 degrees ambient temp.. You're gonna FEEL the heat!! And you're gonna MELT a $1000 set of plastic,,if it's nice Honda : )

Totally agree with Bill, I took my 200x for a quick ride in shorts..

90'F with shorts and I had to spread my left leg to keep if a comfortable distance from the pipe..a big red mark on my calf when I got back after a 25 minute ride and didn't even get close to touching the pipe.

Matrix, there is nothing wrong with your machine..don't sweat it, just wear pants!

[Dirtcrasher]

What exactly is your main jet size? I know you claim it's dark black but what size?

Does any of the exhaust leak??