#HONDA ATC 250R DIRT BIKE CONVERSION UPGRADE#
#HONDA ATC 250R DIRT BIKE CONVERSION MODS#

The intake, as well as the exhaust, are rather choked up on almost every Honda XR from the factory.

#HONDA ATC 250R DIRT BIKE CONVERSION MODS#

I wanted to cover suspension mods first because “go-fast” mods won’t help much when you’re bottoming out on braking bumps with a stock suspended XR200. I could go on for quite some time about suspension mods for this bike, but I’ll let you decide and continue the research if needed. These forks will definitely raise the height of the front-end, so you’ll want to move the forks up and/or compensate with the rear suspension or else the handling will suffer. These aren’t technically a ‘bolt-on’ swap, but a specific height for a spacer is the only major part you will need to ‘fabricate’. They also have disk brakes that are leaps and bounds better than the XR brakes. They aren’t inverted forks like modern MX bikes, but they are cartridge forks that perform a lot better than the stock conventional damper-rod forks. CR125 Fork SwapĪnother common swap, and probably the best bang for the buck if you can find a cheap roller, is swapping a front-end off of a late 80s Honda CR125/250R motocross bike. To combat this you can pull the forks up in the triple clamps, or change the rear-end height with a different shock/linkage that will raise it up to level the bike back out. If you do this swap, the front end will be higher, causing a difference in bike geometry and the handling with change. They have a disk brake as well and will require the complete front-end to work on the XR200. They have 11 inches of travel and are 41mm in diameter, compared to the stock 36mm on the 200R. They only have 10 inches of travel (same as the early XR200), but the internals are beefier so it can take more abuse.Ī step up from that would be the forks from a 1986-1995 XR250R. If you go this route, you will also get a much needed front disk brake upgrade. 1984-85 Honda XR250R forks are bigger, but they require the complete front-end to fit on an XR200. If you want to spend a little more time and money, you can swap out the stock forks from with a set from another bike that has better/bigger forks. Servicing the forks and putting some heavier weight fork oil (Amazon) can help slow the damping down, which is probably the weakest point of any stock XR suspension component. However, this isn’t the only option you have (more on this shortly).

The best forks from an XR200 are on the 1986-1991 models, and they can bolt right on to the later model 200’s. It’s not difficult to swap out the internals to bring the travel back up, but it’s just one more thing to do. This was done to make it more of a ‘ beginner bike‘. They were not adjustable, and they lost some much needed suspension travel thus lowering the seat height. Much like the shock, the forks were downgraded on the Honda XR200R after 1991.

#HONDA ATC 250R DIRT BIKE CONVERSION UPGRADE#

While it’s a great upgrade compared to the 92-02 stock pogo-stick shock, it may not be worth it if you’re on a budget and don’t need a full-on race machine. This is the best bang for your buck, but if you want the highest performance, a Works shock will cost you a hefty 500 American buckaroos, give or take. A new head seal kit is a good idea, and if you really want it to perform better you can send it out to get re-valve for your weight and riding style. You will want to service it at the least. They’re not too hard to find on eBay, but a lot of them are in rough shape.

The stock shock on an ’84-’91 (84-85 XR250 shocks are the same and will bolt on) are surprisingly good, and much better than the non-adjustable shocks on any of newer XR200’s after being rebuilt. While it may have the same power-plant throughout the years (except for the ’84/85 RFVC 4-valve engine), many people base the XR200’s capabilities off of the ’92 to ’02 because there are more of them to be had on the used market. Both combine for a lower seat height and an even lower performing trail bike. After that, Honda stuck on a cheap, non-rebuildable and non-adjustable rear shock, along with shorter forks. If you weigh over 150 pounds and are aggressive at all, the stock suspension on any year XR200 is under-sprung, as well as under-damped.ġ981-83 had single adjustable shocks and 1984-1991 were fully adjustable. It’s hard to find used ones in good shape, but with some TLC, along with a little bit of money thrown at it, you can be spinning laps through the woods in no time! XR200 Suspension Upgradeįirst thing to look at is the suspension.

Honda atc 250r dirt bike conversion