Did a few things on the bike today, new spark plug, valve adjusted and changed the oil. The oil was quite a surprise, it had no viscosity at all, it wasn't even that burned. I'd read about chinese engines coming with fake oil in them, maybe the previous owner never changed it. It was the consistency of chocolate milk, it didn't drip out like oil just splashed out.
So new oil, new spark plug, new air filter as the cloth one was a pain in the butt and choking up the bike (wouldn't start until I removed it), and valve adjust.
Here's some more photos.
These are what you need for valve adjustment, it's very easy. These are the motion pro tools. The wrenches hold the lock nut in place and the little post looking things move the adjuster. I had this kit from doing valve adjusts on my DR250/350 and it makes life so easy, it's definitely worth the price. You only end up using one wrench and one adjuster per bike so if you're traveling or something you can carry those two in your tool kit. It's nice to have the whole set as I didn't know what size they were going into this valve adjust but was confident I'd have the right stuff.
Another thing is a feeler gauge, you need one that goes thin enough. Available at harbor freight and pretty much anywhere...
When you use them they get some grit on them, can wipe them down and put new oil to make them last. I am going with .1mm valve clearance, the .102 will be fine...
Take all the plugs off, the rocker covers are 24mm, the same size as the oil plug. There was plenty of room to use a wrench. An adjustable wrench could be used if you're careful.
The cover bolts are 8mm and the rotor port plugs with the big slot can be opened with a tire iron or large screw driver. Another thing that works well is a coin of appropriate size held in a pair of vice grips. Just be gentle on them as they strip and become useless if they're mistreated.
Once you have all the plugs off you'll put a 14mm socket on the nut that is inside the hole where my thumb is. Get ready to look through the hole where my pointer is
As you rotate the engine with that nut clockwise, you'll see two lines like || and then shortly after you'll see this | with a T above it. If you look close in the picture you'll see it. This should be top dead center.
The cam should look like this with the marks level or nearly level.
The reason for doing this is so that you move the cam into a place that they are not pressing down on the rocker arms which are pressing on the valves. You can't measure valve clearance when the rocker arms are pressing on the valves because there won't be ANY clearance. duh! they're touching.
An easy way to know you're in the right spot is grab the rocker arm with your hand and wiggle it. If it moves you know you're in the right spot. I had to move the adjustment back to the || lines for the exhaust valve because it wasn't moving at T.
The reason for this I assume is the decompression system hold the exhaust valve slightly open. However it works it is going to be pressing on the valve to hold it open so you'll run into the same problems.
I just did the adjustment on the intake side at T and when I was done I rotated the engine and did the exhaust at || worked the treat.
This is the pair that matched the adjusters on this bike
They go here. The little square headed thing is what you're actually adjusting when you do a 'valve adjustment' the nut there is the lock nut that keeps the adjuster in place.
What I do is I loosen the lock nut with the wrench part. Then I back out the square adjuster until I can slide the feeler gauge of the size I need in.
Then holding the lock nut in place with the wrench, I use the finger tool and tighten the square-headed-adjuster down on the feeler gauge, as you get it tight move the feeler gauge and make sure it can slide freely, if its too tight, loosen up, if its too loose then tighten it a little more.
This tool is accurate and you can get within a 1/8th or less adjustment and find
where the adjuster is just barely still letting the feeler gauge move freely.
Then you simple tighten down the lock nut with the wrench, locking your settings in place, pull the feeler gauge out and youre on to the next side.
When you do both sides you're done!
I took this opportunity to wipe down all the gasket surfaces, clean the threads on the bolts and plugs. I put moly grease on the bolts on the cam cover and put it back together. Remember the case is aluminum so go easy on the torque for all these bolts...
New air filter is nice
UNI air filter. Came with it's own inner cage as the XR200R stock is a cloth K&N style. I like the feel, well made. I wish the inner cage was all plastic as the expanded metal drags on the foam a bit and I feel like it will cause premature wear... with all the plastic they used already I don't really see the point of having the metal there anyway...
I put the bike together and started it up. It idled better and I had to adjust the idle speed a bit. The exhaust was much louder. Which surprised me. The tapping of the valves greeted me as well letting me know they were loose and happy.
The bike still didn't pull amazing like I'd hoped. It definitely felt better but I think carb settings are wrong. It just bogs when I give it gas and feels very under power in first gear, like no torque is being produced. It's not until I'm riding along about halfway through the rev range in second that it starts to gain momentum and pull. I thought at first that my gearing was asking too much and that the motor is just weak but you all say you run higher gearing than me so I wanna figure it out.
Unfortunately I think I have to bite the bullet and buy a replacement exhaust and header as I don't know if I'll ever be able to get these sorted out with the modified pipes.
I have about $600 in it now and even if it is kind of a Frankenstein of different bikes and parts I think it has the ability to be a very reliable simple good running little dual sport for my sister to learn to ride and enjoy.
Hope this helps someone, thanks for reading, ride safe!