2002 XR 200 help

There are a couple of studs that stick down from the seat, and through the rear fender. So look on the underside of the rear fender and you should see two nuts towards the middle of it. Take those off, and slide the seat back and off.

On my dad's XR200, I put in a Uni Filter, and removed the snorkel. We ride pretty close to sea level, and all I did was put in a 112 main jet. Left everything else alone, and it runs great.

Dunno about the hard starting thing......my dad's is a first kick bike, even if its been sitting for a month. Is it hard to start all the time, or just after a stall?

FT: A hard starting XR can result from lack of "how to start a four stroke" knowledge. I once came upon a person on an XR600 in the middle of no where who looked liked he was ready to keal over from "kick starter exhaustion". I stopped to chat for a minute and he made a comment about how hard his XR was to start - something about it acting like a Yamaha YZF.. I asked him if he knew the drill. He said yea and he started kicking again - over and over like a mad man LOL.. I let him kick himself out (used to say nock yourself out) and then I offered to start it for him. He was gald to share his misery..
Listen carefully to my point here and maybe you will learn something from old woodsy - I brought the crankshaft up to the exhaust stroke (there is a point of resistance on the kicker) and and kept pressing on the kicker just hard enough to get it between the valves (as a four stroke rolls past top dead center the exhaust valve closes and the intake opens) at this point I brought the kicker back to the top and kicked a good hard complete kick and she lit right up... What that sequence does is it gives you, the kicker, the opportunity to give your motor, the kicked, a chance at one good shot at a compete compression stroke to start on.
In the ol days (believe me they are no different then the new days) if you didnt get that drill correct your motor would end up being "the kicker" and guess who got to be "the kicked" LOL. Yamaha actually has been in the process of developing "short learning curve fourstroke drill design" for a number of years. On there TT 500's they had a little window on top of the head that you actually watched the camshaft roll around into the between the valves position for prekick - they didnt want their customers becoming the "kicked" hahahahaha.
If you already knew all that, and are living by the drill be assured that ol woodsy still has more advice!! Check the valve clearances on the XR. MANY fourstroke riders have been plaqued with hard starting bikes just because they have a bad habit of running their motors with the valves to tight!! Any idea when the last time the valves were checked on the XR?? Check'em!
Another thing that my XR expereince has tought me is that they are very sensitive to over choking!! Those little bitty baby plugs doent take to over choking real well (if they blacken they are done). Try a new plug of the correct heat range and only choke if necessary!
Of course there are other simple things like air filter cleanliness and doing a resistance check on the spark plug terminal (hey I am serious) but I cant type all night - I hafta go riding LOL!!
CYA in the woods if ya get it started
Woodsy

Although I agree with the starting technique listed above, it usually isnt necessary with the smaller four strokes (below 250cc). The smaller bikes tend to kick easier and are much easier to kick a full stroke through. I have had an xr200 for a few years now, and havent had to use any "special" techniques. With your boys size, it may be important to use the weight of his body to help kick the bike, as compared to just kicking with his leg. I can almost always tell when the little xr is going to start right up by how the girlfriend kicks it.

if the 200 is like my 250 i took the snorkle off as soon as i got and got a twin air filter on the jetting i run stock 400 jets (i know that was crazy) go to the src website they have jettin recomendations for all xr's

There is absolutely no reason an XR200 should be a hard starter unless you have dumped it and allowed it to flood. My '94 has always started first or second kick regardless of hot or cold. The others are right about removing the snorkel and installing a Uni or TwinAir filter. I also added a Supertrapp exhaust, rejetted and moved the slide one notch, used Synthetic motor oil, added one tooth on the front sprocket and ran a racing type plug. With time and as my abilities improved I went to heavier Progressive Suspension springs and lighter fork oil. Without a doubt this was the most reliable bike I ever owned and fit my 5'6" body and short legs well.

Fred, my son had trouble firing up his XR100 before it loosened up a bit, and especially so after dropping it. I have never had a problem with it, and concluded it was because he was unable to generate enough cranking speed to achieve light-off.

However, we did find one trick that seems to always work. After its warm, if he cannot light it in 3 'full' kicks, he treats it like a flooded engine, WOT, and makes the next kick really count. I have not had to start it since he began using that rule.

I also found, contrary to my KDX experience, his bike was a touch lean as delivered. Raising the needle has helped alot all around. The 200 could be a different animal...

Hope that helps.

These engines are jetted WAY rich from the factory. No need to rejet after small mods (removing snorkle, etc.) - even my 218cc stroked fire breather only ran a main jet 2 sizes larger than stock (all other jetting was stock)!!! This was spot on jetting, done on our dyno at work, with a pyrometer. Sure, they'll run with richer jetting, but they don't need it.

RE: hard starting - one other thing to check after the Valve Adjustment, clean air filter, and new spark plug. Check to be sure the automatic decompressor is actually working.

Kick the engine thru by hand, and you will see a cable from the lower right case move. This goes up to the head. This is a decompressor which slightly opens the exhaust valve for the first few inches of the kickstart. Make sure the thing is actually working, then make sure your son is using it.

By that, I mean that he isn't slowly rotating thru that first soft part of the kick (when the valve is open), then kicking. Have him bring the kicker all the way to the top of the stroke, and start the hard kick from there. Sometimes this is harder to do if you're a shorter rider.