Hi-

New member here.

I'm an enduro rider, but looking to dabble a bit in trials.  My enduro riding buddy just got a newer Beta 300 Evo, and I'd like to pick up a cheap trials bike so we can go do some trials play riding together.  Thus, I am considering buying a 1986 Honda TLR200 that won't start for $1000.  It has 1200 miles on it, and is in good condition cosmetically.

My biggest concern is that I'll need an electrical part that is discontinued to get the bike to run.  This could be the pulse generator, CDI, regulator, or what have you.

The seller claims that the bike ran last year, but that he hasn't tried to start it since then.  He seems trustworthy.  I tried to kick the bike in his driveway, and it didn't hit at all.

I know that there are clearly better used trials bikes out there than the TLR200.  But at this point, I am just looking for something cheap to play on.  

Thanks!

 

Go for something newer that runs $1000 sounds too much anyway 

11 minutes ago, Nebulous said:

I would look at a 2-stroke , water-cooled , monoshock trials bike of around 13-18 years old.   A Sherco 290 is smooth. They are relatively cheap for a lot of bike. At least then you can begin to approach the same obstacles as your mate - once you get the skills.   Better than spending months waiting for parts and grazing knuckles on something that someone might have loved 40 years ago - but not lately.   The summer is ticking away.  Make the choice . You can either end up with a red-neck and a red-face - or have an all-over tan instead.

Used bikes are quite a bit more expensive and thinner on the ground in the USA than here, Nebulous. What I would be more wary of is if it was a "proper" TLR or a Reflex

Take the plug out, does it spark ? Put some petrol down the plug hole, does it start and run, even for a few seconds ? Take it from there (if its a tlr )

17 minutes ago, petert said:

Used bikes are quite a bit more expensive and thinner on the ground in the USA than here, Nebulous. What I would be more wary of is if it was a "proper" TLR or a Reflex

It's a Reflex model.  How is it different from the regular tlr200?

11 minutes ago, b40rt said:

Take the plug out, does it spark ? Put some petrol down the plug hole, does it start and run, even for a few seconds ? Take it from there (if its a tlr )

Seller, who I trust, said that if you spray starting fluid in it will it go for a bit.

Sounds typical of a bike needing a carb clean, good news. Bikes of that age tend to hold their value, assuming you haven't paid over the odds. You can always sell it on if you don't like it.

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by b40rt

ethanol fuel has closed off the pilot jet, that's a great deal for that bike. I would buy it and soak the carb in hondabrite for 24hrs and install new jets and enjoy a great running honda. after the carb is done use the hondabrite to wash the bike and find out how a proper bike wash does for removing dirt and grease. full strength hondabrite will strip varnish from inside the carb. with the 24 hour soak.

Edited June 25, 20188 yr by maxwell smart

29 minutes ago, maxwell smart said:

ethanol fuel has closed off the pilot jet, that's a great deal for that bike. I would buy it and soak the carb in hondabrite for 24hrs and install new jets and enjoy a great running honda. after the carb is done use the hondabrite to wash the bike and find out how a proper bike wash does for removing dirt and grease. full strength hondabrite will strip varnish from inside the carb. with the 24 hour soak.

Probably take all the paint off too! Sonic cleaning of the carb will restore it back to unclogged condition, willunblock jets too! Oh the Reflex was the trail TRAIL orientated model with road geometry. The TLR was a proper Trials TRIALS iron.

That bike makes a great hobby to throw money into, but not a good trials bike!

 

12 minutes ago, Nebulous said:

Take more than some carb cleaner and Hondabright to keep up with an Evo 300!

Maybe you should just ditch your friend. If that’s how things are always going to be - him on a new bike , and you on a hand-me-down with a shopping-basket.  He’ll probably steal all your girlfriends too.  Get rid whilst you can , find a nice , shy girl - buy a Prius , settle-down - and forget all this wild talk!    $1,000 is a month’s rent on a nice little flat in town - well away from Evo-face.  And every time you look at your girlfriend , you can be thankful that at least there was something in your life you got to have the first go on.

Ha. Is everyone in the trials world this much of a jackass? Maybe I'll just stick to Enduro after all.  Just kidding.  

No idea what a Reflex is worth - they are more street trail than trials with smaller forks.  A real TLR 200 in good nick is worth well over $1,000 - more like $3,000 in the UK

$1000 is rich for a running Reflex, no matter what the Craigslist/Fleabay dreamers think.  A non-running Reflex is worth considerably less.  If you truly wish to dabble in Trials, buy a Trials bike, not a Trials-styled trail bike. 

I recently picked up a really decent RUNNING 1989 Fantic 305 for a whopping $600 out of your end of the country.  The Fantic is a 100 times better Trials bike than any Reflex that Honda ever barfed up, and it competed a week after I got it.  The deals are out there.   

 

I agree that it has a plugged pilot jet.  It is only about .014" in diameter so plugs fairly easily.  Drilling out to about 0.016" (#78) will get rid of the pop and stall.  They take an odd pilot jet so sizes other than original can be hard to find.    Multiple people in this area ride a Reflex in trials.  I have done it too.  They are no modern bike but are fun to ride and very quiet.  The only change really needed is lower gearing.  A 9 tooth front with the OEM rear works well.  But in addition to old technology, they are about 50 pounds heavier than a modern bike.           

3 hours ago, Nebulous said:

Yes. This is Trials Central after all - not the Antiques Roadshow.  Every rubber part on that bike will probably need replacing. A new Oko carb is $120 so that’s not too bad. But the rest is.  All seals and bushes. Hoses. Filters.Re-valved shocks. Forks? The frame may be cracked. Bearings and spindles will need looking at - and greasing. Then we look at the engine - Crank and top-end. (Rings , piston and Gaskets if you are lucky?) Brake shoes , hub re-facing. Frame alignment. Buckled wheels , missing spokes? Seat recover? New control-cables. Possible new clutch? Gearbox and starter mechanism inspection. New tyres and inner-tubes. Exhaust clearing and re-packing. Purchase of a spark-arrestor.

Apart from the recovered seat - all the above is only to get the bike fully working. You won’t even see much of this stuff , except for the gleaming new carb and nicely black tyres and cables. Expect to double your investment - on a bike that won’t be any fun at all , compared to a $2000 Sherco 290.  The first time you jump off a 3ft ledge - expect the frame to fall apart , or the tiny pegs to be ripped off.  Metal fatigue is not a figment of some engineer’s imagination , after all.

For trials , you will need more flexible trials-boots and a proper trials helmet. 

Still want the bike? Then go ahead.  You’ll find a wealth of information on this and other sites - and a whole host of friendly , like-minded enthusiasts , with all the experience needed to tackle such a project.  Most , if not all parts - can be sourced and found - and a properly restored bike can be worth more than what it would cost you to sort , if it is a TLR200.  Have a good think on that - and do price up some proper-trials alternatives.  Such as the 315r , Beta Rev3 , Scorpa 250 , Sherco 290.

Next time you buy a bike take a mechanically minded friend, not Stevie Wonder.