Mono happy XR200

[Curtis]

My latest little toy is a 82 XR200r, I took it for a play on the weekend and had a blast.
I did find that on steep hill climbs I struggled to keep the front end on the ground.! In places where other bikes iv had would be more planted.
Is it just me or the XR??
I might try droping the forks a bit see if that helps?

[smed]

Yep they where known for it , swingarm too short

[80-85 husky]

mate had one for his missus years ago but we all loved riding it around popping monos...in the words of the immortal G Eldridge (or was it honest Muz )we chained a black Labrador to it one day and he was doing 300m wheelies in no time....

[Curtis]

How much more length in the swing arm we talking here? 20mm?

[80-85 husky]

ive never heard of anyone changing the xr 200 other than putting the motor in to 125 mxer frames. the prolink is ok but adding length would put extra stress on it and alter the ratio a bit. wouldn't be hard to do...bike may not turn as nicely tho.

[LWC82PE]

White Brothers sold longer alloy swingarms for these.

They were 35mm longer for the 200 in 82 catalogue and the 83 and 84 catalogues say +1.5" which is 38mm
Usually paired with a Terry fork kit or Simons forks in the front.

[Berwick Boy]

What if you leave it as-is.
And just keep mono-ing ... yeeha!!

[80-85 husky]

whenever I saw anyone try to modify the xr 200..it seemed to loose that "whatever xr 200's had" that made them so much fun...bigger forks .. lost the magic steering, more power? not much worth talking about was ever gained, expensive shocker ..meh...no real difference...  you should be able to find another swing arm and weld a bit of pipe in there to see how it behaves.

I watched one of the chapmans flog an xr around the ol tin mine special test at the foster "devils pinch"enduro in 84...man he held the xr flat and just bashed thru the gears to slow or speed up ( I always maintain he pulled the top of the carb it revved so hard). was a great sight and sound- unforgettable.

[alexbrown64]

My XR500R has about 1.5" of adjustment on the rear axle to adjust the chain. Just get a longer chain or put a smaller rear sprocket on the back "to tame the power" and get the axle as far back as mechanically possible.  Drop the forks in the clamps 10mm to drop the front end a whisker and perk up the steering and that should be a good cheap fix and should help with the hill climbs. 

[80-85 husky]

smaller back sprocket  

[mick25]

Fit the longer swingarm from a 1981 CR250
It's been done on the XR500 81,82 all good

[alexbrown64]

smaller back sprocket

Well, i suppose you have the cost of a sprocket v a new chain.  Smaller sprocket will allow the rear wheel to go all the way back without buying a longer chain.  Cost savings.. ;-)

[80-85 husky]

yeh but the bike wont pull first gear if you go down a few teeth on the back.....only got 3HP to play with

[Hoony]

the 1980 TT250G was a good mono bike for the same reason

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYiwhM23ycw&t=72s

[Tim754]

Hoony  um arr yeah   oh f**k it  ! words have failed me .....Tim754