im going to pickup a trx200sx this weekend and was wanting a lil input on what to look out for as far as problems with these quads i know that it throws the chain from time to time but i figure that its just an old chain an sprockets but any input would be greatly appreciated

 

Yes, keep the chain and sprockets up to date and adjusted correctly. If you throw a chain you'll put a hole in the case and they are hard to find. The swingarm has bushings, not bearings so check that. But, some of them had a grease fitting on the swingarm. 'Course, that doesn't mean the guy used it. Good old quads. A little rough riding though. The front suspension system was poorly designed. Also, they were a little light in the front and since they are a pretty short wheelbase, they didn't turn good. Not bad....just not as good as todays Recons. The 200sx is the predecessor of the Recon. They had excellent mud protection. Also, make sure the clutch is adjusted correctly. Get a manual. Has no oil filter, just a screen. You have to take the right case off to get to the screen. Might be a good idea to do that just to have a look at things. The screen only needs to come out every few hundred hours if I remember. Get a new gasket in case the old one doesn't come off clean. Adjust the valves. It's very easy on the 200SX. What I would do if I were you, and it will take the better part of a day, is to take all the a arms, shocks, kingpin, and swingarm off and lube them. Since it's an old quad, the grease may be original and it might be hard and dry. Not good to run it like that. You can do damage very quickly. The front shocks don't actually pivot around the bolt, they twist around the rubber gromet, so there really isn't any reason to grease the shock bolt other than to make it easier to remove the bolt the next time. The rear axle bearing is a pain to get to. All in all, there were no problem areas on these quads that I am aware of. They were bulletproof. Especially the engine.

 

thanks alot i was hopeing to hear good news i plan on stripping it all down an doing all the basics change the oil an all that good stuff just wanted to make sure i checked for any known isues with these i rebuilt my blaster with out any problems so im hopeing this one will be just as easy and seing how its a honda it shouldnt be to hard since hondas are built like tanks lol thanks again for the quick response

 

We have a 1991 200 in our fishing group and it was throwing chain, we changed the two sprockes and chain and it is fine now, just make sure there is no play in the rear axle bearings and swing arm bearings causing it.

 

im hopeing its an easy fix my first guess was the chain an sprockets also they look like they might be the originals that came on it its spent a good part of its life sitting in a barn so im guessing it hasnt had much maintenence the chain is dry an rusty so that will be the first to go

 

mine poped a small hole in the case years ago- i just threw it on its side and used epoxy to fix it. I retired the atv to my fathers house for yard duty. still fires right up with 12 year old yuassa battery

 

im actualy suprised at how good of shape its in mine still has the same battery as yours was that stock for these? i havent got my manual yet so i dont know whats what yet but over all i think it will take quite a beating with no problems it needs outer a-arm bushings but thats all ive noticed so far

 

Three things combined contribute to the chain throwing problems on those old 200 models.

The first is the chain adjustment procedure and it is very easy to have the axle mis-aligned when tightening the 4 axle carrier bolts back up.

The second issue is the suspension design. For whatever reason, Honda went way out of the norm on this one. The position of the swingarm pivot bolt in relation to the front sprocket is downright awkward compared to any atv on the market till this day. It causes the "chain torque" phenomenon to be very bad on this machine. It's so bad that you could likely remove all slack from the chain and it would tighten if you bottomed out the rear suspension. It's the same reason this machine "bucks around" on rough bumps rather than the suspension absorb them. It binds up the suspension. Oh, it works,..just isn't the best out there.

The thrid issue is the sprocket carrier on the axle. It is paper thin and if you hit something with the rear sprocket, chances are that the hub will warp before the sprocket does. It really is that weak. The only fix is to remove the axle and hammer it out when it bends and re balance the axle. I've seen many of these over the years where owners place thin washers on the sprocket bolts to help fix the problem but it's just a bandaid fix. I would recommend having a heavier skid plate made for it to prevent it in the first place.

All 3 of these problems can crop up without the chain or sprockets being worn or too loose. It's a design issue that really can't be 100% prevented. I remember years ago when I was a parts manager of a dealership, those left side cases for the 200SX were the most popular movers in Honda OEM parts selling for over a hundred bucks. Crazy.

 

thanks for the info i might have to take off my skid plate an reinforce it a lil bit just to be safe

 

my front end has had slop in it for years, never botherd to repair it