Honda Big Red

[GTO52]

I purchased a 1984 Honda ATC200ES from a friend.
It has been a farm bike all its life and is in a bad way.
It has a leak on the high/low/reverse gearbox,there wasn't much oil in the sump so I hope they weren't running it without oil.
I couldn't get it started(it seemed to be flooding), so stripped the carb and found no needle jet on the slide?(No wonder)
I found a supplier in the US and have ordered a complete carb rebuild kit.Including shipping it is cheaper than getting the needle jet from Honda here in South Africa.
The oil in the bike is black, the compression seemed so so but when i squirted a bit of oil down the plug hole it seemed to increase quite a bit.
Also the air filter is missing!(just the wire filter is there no foam)
There doesnt seem to be any valve clearance on the intake valve!
Should I flush the engine or just run it on Delo once I get it started?

 

[flacoman]

Sounds like its rings are tired, I'd go with several short change intervals to clear it out. If it's that tired , it'll probably smoke a bit. Keep us posted

 

[nwjones18]

Yeah I've got an 82 atc200. Sounds like they beat the [censored] out of yours. I've always just ran SAE 30 in mine and the only problems I have is I have to clean the spark plugs every six months because they carbon up. I'd get a air filter and do a few quick oil changes and see how it does.

 

[Mr_Incredible]

Don't forget to check the valve lash as appropriate.

 

[GTO52]

Originally Posted By: nwjones18
Yeah I've got an 82 atc200. Sounds like they beat the [censored] out of yours. I've always just ran SAE 30 in mine and the only problems I have is I have to clean the spark plugs every six months because they carbon up. I'd get a air filter and do a few quick oil changes and see how it does.


Once I get it started and determine the state of the engine.
I am going to strip it completely(the bike not the engine hpoefully) and respray it etc.
Tyres are almost new and it has a stainless steel silencer(those are the few good points!)
Second hand parts are very scarce here in SA but I have posted some ads so maybe I will be lucky!

 

[nwjones18]

Well you'll enjoy it when you get it fixed up. I wish mine had reverse and electric start! They are a lot of fun and I've never understood why people seem so scared of the 3-wheeler... Just don't turn sharp at 35mph and you'll be fine.

 

[GTO52]

Originally Posted By: nwjones18
Well you'll enjoy it when you get it fixed up. I wish mine had reverse and electric start! They are a lot of fun and I've never understood why people seem so scared of the 3-wheeler... Just don't turn sharp at 35mph and you'll be fine.


The pull start handle was missing in its place they had a 5 inch nail!
I have never had or ridden a 3 wheeler or a 4 wheeler for that matter before.I have had plenty of 2 wheelers though!

 

[tmorris1]

Originally Posted By: nwjones18
Well you'll enjoy it when you get it fixed up. I wish mine had reverse and electric start! They are a lot of fun and I've never understood why people seem so scared of the 3-wheeler... Just don't turn sharp at 35mph and you'll be fine.

Or hit any sort of bump. They were like riding on 3 beach balls.

 

[IndyIan]

Just keeping the front tire straight would keep the thing upright in most bumps... My buddy had a 250 big red what we rode when we were 10 to about 12. I never rolled it but my buddy would get it on two wheels fairly often and over on its bars a few times...
I think that thing taught me some good survival insticts, if it feels to fast then it is!

 

[GTO52]

My business is a supplier to a local shock absorber manufacturer here in South Africa, I have organised for them to regas and fit new seals in the dampers in front forks.They said they will not charge me!
I have also sourced a headlight, tail light and spare carb.(for free as well)
I am just waiting for them to be couriered to me.
So all I am missing now is the parking/brake lever and cable.
I see the drum casing on the rear brake has a piece broken off it where the cable for the parking brake would have fitted thats probably why they tossed the lever and the cable!

 

[GTO52]

I got another 2 Big Red's this weekend, one chain driven and the other shaft.
The shaft driven one is in pieces and the chain driven one is mostly complete.I am going to try and built up 2 out of the 3 preferably both shaft drive ones.
Anyway I got the first one I bought a few weeks ago started and like I thought it smokes.Not bad at idling but quite a bit at higher rpms I could not hear any piston slap?.I set the valve clearances before starting it, but there is quite a lot of tappet noise?
So time for a top end rebuilt.

 

[Brett Miller]

The shaft drive Big Red is totally different than the chain drive. The shaft drive is 250cc's and has rear suspension.

 

[GTO52]

Originally Posted By: Brett Miller
The shaft drive Big Red is totally different than the chain drive. The shaft drive is 250cc's and has rear suspension.


Both my shaft drives are 1984's 200cc, 250 shaft drive was from 85 onwards.82+83 were chain driven.
There isn't much difference between the chain and shaft drives, frame is different, chain drives don't have reverse, rear drum brake is different as well.

 

[Panzerman]

I have been seeing alot of older quads and atvs for sell lately. Bad economy has everyone dragging everything out of their barn to sell for cash. Those Honda atvs where tough as nails. I can remmember hitting snow drifts with the air cooled engines so hot, you couldnt even see because of the steam. They ran forever with little or no maintence. I had a 1985 Honda 250sx, I changed the oil maybe twice and the oil filter once maybe in 5 years. Still ran like a top when I sold it and didnt even smoke.

 

[boraticus]

"I changed the oil maybe twice and the oil filter once maybe in 5 years."

Blasphemy!

You have the audacity to enter these sacred halls with tales of abuse and neglect??

Repent sinner, repent!!!

 

[Panzerman]

I was like 14, back then more things interested me more then oil. When I did change oil, I think I used Kendall 10w30. I have mended my ways and now change oil more than I have too. I cant let my oil go more than 3000 miles, even with synthetic, makes me crazy.

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: Panzerman
I was like 14, back then more things interested me more then oil. When I did change oil, I think I used Kendall 10w30. I have mended my ways and now change oil more than I have too. I cant let my oil go more than 3000 miles, even with synthetic, makes me crazy.


You had a Big Red when you were 14???

Luxury!!!

At that age, I was lucky to have shoes without a hole in the sole!

If you're changing at 3000 miles, using synthetic isn't really necessary. Right?

That's why I never use synthetics in anything but my snow thrower (I plan to stop using it in that this season). I prefer 3000 mile OCI so that any contaminants accumulating in the oil get dumped sooner than later.

 

[GTO52]

Both my one way clutches need new shoes, I went to a clutch and brake repair shop here, and the salesman said he could reshoe them, I mentioned to him that these shoes run in oil.He said that wasn't a problem.
When I collected them he wasn't there, I mentioned to the other salesman that they run in oil and he reckoned the material they reshoed them with isn't suitable for use in oil?
Do I give it try(it didn't cost much) or am I wasting my time?