11 replies to this topic

[Marky G]

Hi Guys,

I'll soon be in the market for a T/S bike, I'm not sure to go two stroke or four stroke, the obvious one is price, the old TLR's seem to hold good money where as I can get a good two stroke bike for a third of the price but, I must admit I do like the look of the Honda's .

I've had a couple of TLR 250's at least 20 years ago and more recently a TLR 200, the smaller bike seemed very underpowered compared to the 250's...to the point where I pretty much sold it on as soon as I'd bought it......I guess I didn't really give it a fair outing but I couldn't get over how flat the bike felt.

From what I can remember the 250 was quite sharp but it was early days for me, they certianly wern't novice bikes to ride, there seem to be alot more 200's around than the 250's these days and I was wondering what if anything can be done to make the 200 as 'good' as the 250 in the power stakes or is it better to save the extra dosh and get a 250?

Cheers
Mark

[NZRalphy]

I brought both bikes new many many moons ago. The 250 was so completely different that i wouldn't bother with the 'flat' 200. M Lampkin gave the 250 a very good review when it was a new bike.

[4stroke]

It mostly depends on your own ability or the level at which you want to compete.
I have both bikes and seem to have better results on the 200. But when the going gets tough I do miss the extra grunt of the 250.
Get a 200 and spend a little money on improving the ride!

[Marky G]

4stroke, on Feb 14 2010, 10:43 AM, said:

It mostly depends on your own ability or the level at which you want to compete.
I have both bikes and seem to have better results on the 200. But when the going gets tough I do miss the extra grunt of the 250.
Get a 200 and spend a little money on improving the ride!

I want to ride some of the twinshock rounds next year, I only ride the clubman route these days but I like it when it's on the tougher side like some of the twinshock rounds can be.

I know the 250 is probably the bike I should get but there isn't many for sale and the prices are creeping up and up, the 200 does seem to be the cheaper option.......... is there a simple big bore kit out there / carb kit etc etc.
Surely someone has had a play with the engine?

The 200 I had was a Jap import fitted with lights, steel tank etc, it did have alloy wheels so it wasn't a reflex.

[PaulB]

I've had both in the 80's, The 250 could be a bit of a handfull, and are expensive now. Where as, with a few mods the 200 can be prefectly competitive. Use a Honda stationary motor (ditch pump!) piston and bore out the standard liner out to give you 225cc. Move the footrests back 2" and down 1". You can buy brackets that bolt on to the old footrest mount to do this. You could tighten up the steering head angle which is a pretty straight forward job, and If you have the funds available, you could add a WES or DEP alloy exhaust and some rock shocks, and then if you are capable, the bike good enough to win. The great thing about twinshock or pre 65 is that once to your liking, you could ride this bike for years and still be competitive, and the value will only go up, meaning spending a bit to make it how you want will be isn't a big deal

Good luck

[4stroke]

Has anyone fitted one of the replacement carbs that are now advertised?
Carb wear can to be a real problem on these older machines.
They range from £30 to £80.

[jimmyl]

classictrials web site has loads of useful tips - have a read

[jon v8]

I dont know why you dont just get a 240 Fantic - its about the only bike that is what you keep asking for without a load of money or mods.The Tlr 250 looks and sounds nice but needs alot of sorting to be as good as a Fantic,or even a TY.The 200 is a better bet as stock but its still alot of money for a tidy one.

[Marky G]

jon v8, on Feb 16 2010, 01:23 PM, said:

I dont know why you dont just get a 240 Fantic - its about the only bike that is what you keep asking for without a load of money or mods.The Tlr 250 looks and sounds nice but needs alot of sorting to be as good as a Fantic,or even a TY.The 200 is a better bet as stock but its still alot of money for a tidy one.

Hi Jon, trying to find a decent 240 Fantic is getting hard, I've been checking out ebay for months now and they rarly come up. the 200 Fantic's seem to be out there though, are they as good as the 240?

[bobtlr]

hey,

i've been riding the 200 for 2 years and now 2 years on a 250, the 200 is the easier bike but the 250 has more grunt and better brakes and front forks. if you are a capable rider you can beat any twinshock on a tlr. moast people say a fantic is the better bike and that's probably true but i ride a lot better on the honda. Most 2 strokes i've ridden feel lasy and miss the agressiveness of the 250 honda in lower revs, this is what makes the 250 a bit harder to ride but i like it that way. I often compete in modern trials on my honda and that works fine.
my bike has a tubeless rear wheel and i've dropped the front yokes a bit ovet the fork (front of the bike is a bit to light) other than that its in stock condition
i guess you could make a 200 go really good (see classic trial website) for less money a 250 would cost you to buy.

regards bob

[Brian R]

I'm wondering if the CRF 230 crank and piston would work in the TLR200 motor.
It would give you 223CC but a lot of work to do. Ditch pump piston wouldn't
work in conjunction with a stroker because of ring placement.

[Marky G]

Jesus, looks like I spoke too soon on the 200 Honda being the cheaper option!

Ebay TLR 200

Another TLR