200x alternative engine replacement

[Solid Snake]

I am definately excited because I have 2 old 200x engines, one of which is all busted up internally, and the other needs some minor work....but if I could get a new engine and bolt it in, price aside, I would definately go for it. These 20+ year old 200x engines have seen better days, and I think it would be well worth it to have a completely new engine. I'm not looking for a performance gain, that's why I asked if xr200 engines (relatively new ones) would fit as well. I just want a new engine that I don't have to tear into for another X amount of years. See what I mean? Anyway, anyone else know about the CRF230 engine going in a 200x?

[Solid Snake]

A piped crf230 makes less then 13hp at the rear of the bike! Replace the rear bike tire with a set of atv tires and that number will go down. Unless a modded 200x makes 8hp then it hardly seems worth the trouble.

How much power does a STOCK (not interested in modded/modding) 200x engine make?

[OldSchoolin86]

How much power does a STOCK (not interested in modded/modding) 200x engine make?

That is the question I've been wanting an anwser to for a long time. I don't think a rear wheel hp number has ever been backed up with a dyno in here. What would be real cool is a dyno at TF so we can get some real numbers on these trikes.

[thefox]

OK, let’s review what will bolt in and what needs to be done.

ATC 185, 185s, 200, 200s
These bolt in giving you an auto clutch instead of manual but you will need to fab up a rear brake peddle. It is the most popular switch so do a search and you can find anything you need to know.

XR200, XR200R all years except '84 & '85 XR200R (this is the duel carb. model)
This is a bolt in engine that is almost identical to the X engine except for a 6 speed transmission and it is rear kicking. To fix the rear kicking you will have to split the case and replace the kick start shift with the longer X shaft, then use the X clutch cover assembly.

CRF230
Appears to be another bolt in engine BUT I haven't seen it done yet (these engines are fairly new and not cheap). Here you gain the electric start but again you will need to make a rear brake peddle. It APEARS that you can use the X intake and carb. to align the carb. to the air box (I would use the larger XR intake and carb. though)

Cheap generic engines (Lifan is a popular one)
There are a few of these out there that you can get for not much money. The Lifan APEARS to be bolt in, has electric start, manual clutch. You will need to make a rear brake peddle. The big thing that stops most people form this option seems to be that the engine quality has not been proven yet.

[Solid Snake]

Make a rear brake pedal? How come? Is it because the rear brake on all these models is a drum brake and somehow the mounting angles make the stock pedal interfere with the engine?

[thefox]

The rear brake mounts on the clutch cover for the 200x were for all the others it mounts on the frame.

[brendan802]

Yeah you can find the lifan 200cc and other generic 200cc motors that will bolt right in on ebay. I wouldn't trust the quality of those motors though but will bolt right up and have both electric start and kick. Like thefox said you'd have to mod up the rear brake pedal somehow. I was watching one of those motors on ebay last week and it sold for 235.00 and usually they have the buy it now for 600.00 or something like that.

[darrel632]

If you look at the history of LIFAN you will see that they manufactured engines for Honda KIA ,Polaris Kawasaki et al, using OEM tooling (cheap labor) for more than 20 years. I don't know if the changed metalurgy to make their own engines, but most Honda light plants, water pumps, lawn mowers, leaf blowers and weed wackers have / had Lifan manufactured motors in them .Lifan is now the largest manufacture of small (Under 1000 cc) engines in the world, and warranty most of their 4 stroke engines the same as Honda Kawasaki etc. would have. Unless they changed the metallurgy these really are old style 4 stroke Honda engines with some upgrades.


______________
83 klt 250
85 klt 250
87 mohave 250
83 ytm 200 L
78 ATC 90
85 Tecate 3 285
87 Tecate 4 303
70 US 90 DOA

[Solid Snake]

What about the right side case cover swap someone metioned a little bit back? This was to correct the kicker direction by using the 200x clutch cover on the xr200 bottom end and the kicker shaft from the 200x rather then the xr's so that the kicker would kick forward rather then into the fender. If I had an xr bottom end and swapped the clutch covers, would I still need to rig something for the brake pedal?

Also, I would like to know more about the CRF230 engine and possibly how to deal with the same problems that come up with the xr bottom end like the kicker going backwards (although I heard it is electric start, not sure if it's only electric or electric but also with a kicker).

Does anyone know roughly how much HP a 200x makes at either the engine itself or the rear wheels? I realize these numbers will be drastically different but I just want to get an idea.

[thefox]

What about the right side case cover swap someone metioned a little bit back? This was to correct the kicker direction by using the 200x clutch cover on the xr200 bottom end and the kicker shaft from the 200x rather then the xr's so that the kicker would kick forward rather then into the fender. If I had an xr bottom end and swapped the clutch covers, would I still need to rig something for the brake pedal?

Also, I would like to know more about the CRF230 engine and possibly how to deal with the same problems that come up with the xr bottom end like the kicker going backwards (although I heard it is electric start, not sure if it's only electric or electric but also with a kicker).

Does anyone know roughly how much HP a 200x makes at either the engine itself or the rear wheels? I realize these numbers will be drastically different but I just want to get an idea.

If you swap the kicker shaft (this is the main one in the trany) and cover then you can use the stock 200x brake peddle. The 200x peddle goes on the kick start shaft.

I don't know too much about the CRF engine, although that is now my next look up project . It is electric start only but still very similer to the other 200's so I wouldn't be suprized if you could put a 200x kicker in it, but again that would involve a complete tare down.

[Solid Snake]

ok in the 84 200x you have a few choices, any of the 185lr or xl motors before the rfvc head design, and as far as new motors the xr100 will bolt right in but all these motors require frame or fende rmods, due to reverse kickstarters, somethiogn i ahve done that IS possible is to use an xl200 motor but replace the kicker shaft with the 200x one and use the 200x clutch cover this solves the reverse kick dilema and it is an almost direct bolyt in, and then you have a 6 speed trany also.

Almost direct bolt on? What modifications had to be done to get it to bolt on/in or whatever?

Another thing....if the CRF230 engine is electric start only then I guess I wouldn't need to worry about the kicker unless I really wanted it. All I would have to worry about is the brake lever apparently and where to mount the battery for the electric start and I already have an idea for that formulating.....

[thefox]

Hey Solid check out these links..

http://www.3wheelerworldforums.com/s...ghlight=auto-x

http://www.files.3wheelerworld.com/MagScans/autox.pdf

They have some good info. on swapping to a different engine and making a peddle. Now you have me thinking about doing this for my 200x project. I was planning to use the XR 6-speed, with some port work, race cam and springs, and a few other things but electric start would be nice! Too bad a CRF230 seem to go for around $2000 .

Darrel said that the Lifan engine are supposed to be good which I have hear that they used the same specs as Honda from others too so maybe that would be a good route. I guess I should buy a few random Lifan parts and bring then down to the lab to so some hardness testing and get a crash course on metallurgy.

[leprogle]

I talked to the person selling the lifan engines on ebay, and he said all parts, and cases interchange. I had mentioned the kicker swap, and that's what he told me. I wonder if the crf230 cases are the same as well?

[Solid Snake]

I guess we won't know about the 230 until someone else does it, I am talking to another dude on these forums about it though just because I think it would be damn cool to know that a new engine could go in the old 200x's.

[willcamach]

i remeber reading a few threads on here stating that the 200x put out something like 12-15 hp stock. not sure how correct this is but its whats been posted. id like to know what #'s my x would put out. although im sure its not much more than stock if any gain at all.