200X + XL600R = CrazY?

[money89tractors]

I purchased my old 200X back a few days ago. I bought it originally for $200 and sold it for $300. The owner after that desided not to keep oil in it (had a bad valve seal/guide) and completely destroyed the engine.

This same guy had an older 600R enduro that i think will be a runner.

Since i cant ride a 2 wheeler, i thought, whhy not make something of the 2? Maybe im crazy. I know the 200x frame is small compaired to the 600R engine, but maybe i can use the swing arm and forks onto the 600R frame and mold it into a decent riding machine.

This plan may never get off the ground. Im layed up in the house for at least another 4 weeks due to a broken leg and ankle and the surgery that put 10 screws and a plate in my leg to fix it. I dont hace access to a machine shop at will, but i can cut, bend, and weld steel.

I think if i use the 600R frame it would make a lot of things a lot simpler for me, like getting the engine to fit into the frame. but at the same time, ive heard a lot of things about dirtbike conversions not riding worth a crap.

Im just looking for a bit of input and thought. Main thing that will determine if i try this is if i can get the 600R running for a fair price.

Thans.

-Phil

[cr480r]

It may be alot of work and problem solving.. but where theres a will theres a way... I personally would try to avoid using a motorcycle frame at all costs, but it may be the only way to make it work.. the ground clearance, subframe higth, as well as the head tube position and rake are typically poor IMO with motorcycle conversions... but any of those problem can be corrected to some degree with enough research, creativity, and fabrication...

[money89tractors]

i have heard that the rake is the biggest, or one of the biggest problems, of a bike conversion. Im not really sure if i could adjust the rake with my limited tools.

I know i can always spread the frame to accept the X swinger. The subframe wouldnt be a large challenge for me, pretty simple to build. I could always cut the subframe off the 200X as well.

The forks are a large concern for me. im not sure if the x forks and triples will work on the rather tall 600R. Im also unsure if i can make the long 600R forks fit into the 200x triples. ill have to take some good measurements when i get up and about.

I could only imagin how this poor machine will be to ride. . . ive never been on anything larger than a 500.. . and that was my Arctic Cat death trap.

-Phil

[Aka_am]

Do you have a welder?

[money89tractors]

I have a small 90amp fluxcore wire welder that i can do small jobs like the subframe with. I have full access to a cutting torch and a larger gas welder.

Grinders and small things like that i have access to.

I just dont have access to fancy CNC machines and mills and so on.

-Phil

[jeddy]

I have an XR600 trike, and I can tell you I won't ever make another bike framed trike. The rake is off, the pegs are really low to the ground, and the seat height is really high (which also makes for a high center of gravity). It is still a fun riding trike, but it's just not great in the trails. A couple weeks ago I was at the dunes and met up with a couple kids on 350X's (I have two 350X's also but didn't have either down there). We did some trail riding and they were killing me in the turns, but I'd quickly catch back up to them in the straights. I'd strongly recommend making it work with the stock 200X geometry. Feel free to hack out whatever you need out of the down tube and below. What year is the 600? Seems like the ones older than '88 are somewhat hard to get performance parts for. What I'd really like to build would be a 400EX in an '86 200X frame...

[money89tractors]

The XL is an 86. Something i was kinda wondering is if i can cut away the entire 200x engine carage and weld in the XL engine cage, keeping the rake and geometry of the 200X suspension.

i can also measure the rake after i get the rear mocked in and see how hard that will be to change. What seems to be the problem with the rake? too much or too little?

I ride hight im sure i could change with the new subframe.

-Phil

[Aka_am]

well since you have a welder. you can change the rake, lower the subframe, change the foot pegs. Check out jason hall's crf conversion for ideas.

I personally would keep it in the bike frame, possiblily to get it street legal then

[money89tractors]

well since you have a welder. you can change the rake, lower the subframe, change the foot pegs. Check out jason hall's crf conversion for ideas.

I personally would keep it in the bike frame, possiblily to get it street legal then

lol that is a good idea, as it is an enduro setup.

-Phil

[sandpuppi101]

I have an XR600 trike, and I can tell you I won't ever make another bike framed trike. The rake is off, the pegs are really low to the ground, and the seat height is really high (which also makes for a high center of gravity). It is still a fun riding trike, but it's just not great in the trails. A couple weeks ago I was at the dunes and met up with a couple kids on 350X's (I have two 350X's also but didn't have either down there). We did some trail riding and they were killing me in the turns, but I'd quickly catch back up to them in the straights. I'd strongly recommend making it work with the stock 200X geometry. Feel free to hack out whatever you need out of the down tube and below. What year is the 600? Seems like the ones older than '88 are somewhat hard to get performance parts for. What I'd really like to build would be a 400EX in an '86 200X frame...

OK I've read enough and have to say something about this.I built my MDR 600X 2 year's ago now and have nothing but sucess with whatever I did with the machine competition wise and trail riding for that fact.And let me tell you I ride that machine like I stole it,Let me put this down I've ice raced mine for 2 year's now ,and it performed awesome,I've Motocrossed it and it did awesome,I drag raced it and it did awesome and I think the best place for performance is Trail riding in Michigan ,and I'm willing to bet at least 43 other people that will attest to the performance in the trails with the set-up that I built for my 600.
I used the bike cradle and built on from there,I see no way as to how you are gonna use that XL 600 motor in a 200X chasis.You'd be better off just starting over with raw pipe and jig's and going from there.You can control the rake with 0 degree tripple's,and the subframe can be built for your particular ride height.Did you check out the build thread on my machine..You mite get a pointer or two if you do,but there is no-way that I can see too put that massive motor in a little 200X cradle,you just have to cut too much out to even do it.And then youd need and oil tank also,correct?? Plus a place to put a battery and that cobbled up wiring hookup,see what I mean and in a littler chasis than what the 600 offer's.Also let me add that if I need to take off the head on the 600 even the rocker box as far as that goes,I have to pull the motor,and that's in the stock cradle.Now I'm not being rude or nothing but how do you expect to do that in a 200X cradle,and even if you cut the bottom of the 200X cradle to fit the 600 motor ,your basically at the same cradle height as the 600 cradle height anyway's.So you gain nothing..Just trying to help ya out ,not burst your bubble. Check out the trike I built..I'm also not running your 600 build into the ground Jeddy but we went 2 seperate way's on our build's,you actually helped me on some of the stuff when I was building mine.I'm also not throwing all praise toward's mine either ,heck I'd change alot of stuff but my build has thus far got me some trophie's and some good riding.

[jeddy]

Yeah, we have two very different 600x's, and no offense taken. I'd sure like to ride your conversion and I'd be more than happy to let anyone ride my 600X if they see me at the dunes at Little Sahara. And don't get me wrong, I'd still prefer to ride my 600X over my 350X because it's a blast and it gets a lot of other people excited about wierd three wheelers...

Phil, I'd say you just need to start cuttin' cause you'll never get it quite right, but that's the whole point: to have something different. You can always change it once it's together. On my 600X I shortened the swingarm, then flipped the forks, and now I'm planning to lengthen the swingarm again, and I'm sure I still won't be happy with that. Good luck, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it comes out.

-Jed