Mark C.

Posts Too Much
Member
Nov 1, 2000
52
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This question is for a friend's '83 XR200. Last week when we went to go riding we took th bike out of the trailer and couldn't get the bike to start at all. We must have kicked it about 500 times and tried push starting it about 20 times. So we finally had her tie a peice of rope from the back of her Polaris 400 scrambler and pull me around while I try to pop start it. Finally I was able to get it to start by putting it into 2nd gear then shifting into 1st and pulling the clutch in and revving it for a minute or two. Bike rode great the rest of the day. Now yesterday (Sunday) we took it for a ride and ran great untill my friend turned the bike off and now it won't start again and the kill switch won't work. What could this be? She just had the bike in the shop a few weeks ago to have them do the jetting, clutch adjusment, and other things. It has spark, compression, and fuel but why won't it start?:scream:

Thanks for any help....:)
 

Yamamoto

Uhhh...
Apr 3, 2001
349
0
Kill switch won't work .....Follow the wires, you may find 1 pinched or 1 that has been pinched. They route close to the Gas tank mounts and I have seen them pinched there before.

Next I would check the coil ground ....I have seen a sometimes sprark type of senerios do to rust under the coil mounts.

after you get more advise take a look and tell us what you find so we can help you a bit more.
 

Mark C.

Posts Too Much
Member
Nov 1, 2000
52
0
For the kill switch wire I checked the 3 wires for it and they seem to be fine and not disconnected or pinched, also checked the ground wire and put it on metal to see if it wa the ground but no luck. I guess its time for a new kill switch. :eek:
 

philb

Member
Oct 28, 1999
61
0
Originally posted by Mark C.
We must have kicked it about 500 times and tried push starting it about 20 times. So we finally had her tie a peice of rope from the back of her Polaris 400 scrambler and pull me around while I try to pop start it. Finally I was able to get it to start by putting it into 2nd gear then shifting into 1st and pulling the clutch in and revving it for a minute or two...

Thanks for any help....:) [/B]

you do realize that this is a good way to bend valves and break timing chains, cam sprockets and cams?
:eek:
 

JavaMoto

Member
May 9, 2001
21
0
Ouch - that sounds like a pretty extreme [and frustrating] starting procedure. When did the bike last run properly? Was it running o.k. before the adjustments, jetting, that you described in your original post - or did it have other problems that required the shop visit? I'm pretty new at wrenching on dirt bikes, so I start my maintenance missions with the last known working "state of tune", as it were.
 

Mark C.

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Member
Nov 1, 2000
52
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Re: Re: XR200 won't start now.....

Originally posted by philb


you do realize that this is a good way to bend valves and break timing chains, cam sprockets and cams?
:eek:

:silly:
 

Mark C.

Posts Too Much
Member
Nov 1, 2000
52
0
Well my friend got it free from her brother that had it for over 10 years and has been sitting for a couple o years. When she first got it, it wouldn't sart at all so after I inspected the bike a few days after she got it I noticed it had a blown left crank seal ( oil was dripping out of magneto cover ), was missing the air-screw, timing was off, and bike didn't wanna shift into neutral. Had all those problem solved and the bike ran great when it cam from the shop. Only had problems that day. went over to try and start th bike today and fired right up for me. :)
 

DualSportr

Member
Aug 22, 2000
527
0
There is no "crank seal" on the magneto side of the 200 - the mag runs in an oil bath. In fact, there's no seal on either side of the crank in this engine.

"Timing was off" how? Ignition or cam? If it was cam timing, was the chain replaced? If not, it needs to be.

If the new kill switch doesn't fix the problem, then it's probably got a few big problems contributing to its poor starting woes.

Unless you're willing to tear into the thing yourself (or a friend will for free), don't think about taking it to a shop and having it fixed cheaply. The 200's run forever, even when they're wounded - if they have problems starting and running, it's normally not a cheap fix.
 

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