Published on March 25th, 2025 | by Joe
Honda ATC200X Motocross Project Test: VIDEO
Produced from 1983-1987, the Honda ATC200X carved a place in ATV racing history unlike any other entry level sport ATV since. The 200X was a fun, reliable, affordable three-wheeler that garnered lots of aftermarket support for upgrades. At that time, Honda understood the importance of a thriving entry level sport ATV segment, bringing younger riders and racers into the sport. This was a big reason Factory Honda was so involved in supporting 200cc pro class racing. Top pros like Curtis Sparks, Tommy Gaian, Steve Wright, and Mickey Dunlop added legitimacy to the little 200X as a race machine, providing young riders with racers they could look up to and a level of racing to which they could aspire.
With ATC250R and ATC350X motocross projects in the books and our Classics ATC200X test receiving over one million views so far, it was past time for us to see how far we could take the 200X for the track without wrecking its vintage appeal.
Our test machine is the Gen-1, 1984 ATC200X featured in our Classics v test series. We chose the first generation 200X due to its greater horsepower potential for racing, very important in a class with limited horsepower where every pony counts.
Mud Motorsports in Martinsville, Indiana has experience building custom race quads and are a great place for help building a new or vintage ATV. They completed the final assembly, checked things over, and got the trike dialed in for testing.
For the test, we met up with rider, John Pellan, at Briarcliff MX, located in Nashport, Ohio. We used less technical sections of their main track, a favorite among ATV MX racers, along with their Vet track, consisting of more forgiving doubles and tabletops. Both tracks were plowed deep, really putting our ATC200X’s upgraded engine, suspension, and handling to the test. John did sneak onto the water truck track surrounding the vet track to feel out the trike’s handling on some dry, hard-packed turns, which are more in line with the conditions a three-wheeler excels in.
Handling and Suspension Upgrades
Handling and suspension are the starting points when building a race machine, especially a three-wheeler. With a straight, crack free chassis and plans to pump up the engine we thought having the frame gusseted was a good idea. HRE manufacturers chassis and other parts for both vintage and modern ATVs. They went to work adding a substantial number of gussets to the fame to improve strength and rigidity. After which, we had the frame powdercoated.
To improve high-speed stability, make the back end easier to break loose aand maximize front-end grip, we installed a +2” swingarm from HRE. The added length also slightly increases rear suspension travel. The robust looking swingarm is made of 4130 chromoly. We ordered ours to work with the stock 200X brakes and axle carrier with a black/silver vain powdercoat finish. Although HRE offers swingarms with round-housing chain adjustability, compatible with TRX450R brakes.
We were fortunate enough to purchase a brand new PRM frame and swingarm skid plate just prior to the family retiring and closing the business. They look great, fit great and add the protection we wanted to protect the underside. A DG Alloy Series aluminum grab bar replaced the broken stock grab bar in our vintage test. It’s light, features a whip flag mount, and does the job well.
Using offset wheels, or wheel spacers to widen the back end for improved stability, increases leverage on the stock axle, While you might get away with this on a TT build, If you’re planning on jumping you’re only increasing the chances of bending an axle.
DuraBlue continues to offer their Eliminator axle for the 200X, which we installed in our machine. It’s constructed of chromoly and zinc plated for corrosion resistance. Claimed to be four-times stronger than stock, it’s covered by a limited lifetime warranty against bending or breaking. To achieve this, the axle goes through a number of heat treatments to maximize strength. It’s adjustable in width, adding a maximum of 2” per side, 4” overall. It includes wheel hub rings for adjustment, DuraBlue’s Posi Lok lock nut and a new sprocket hub, requiring the use of a 1981-1982 ATC250R sprocket. For longevity, the rear end was assembled with a new Tusk axle bearing and seal kit.
The stock rear wheel hubs were traded in for a new pair of standard width DuraBlue wheel hubs. They’re constructed of 356 heat treated aluminum to keep weight down. A steel insert offers improved spline strength to reduce wear. New lug nuts are included.
With the lightweight, 11” stock front wheel in excellent condition we utilized it wrapping it in a 23×8-11 Kenda, Max tire. Long, vertical tread blocks sllow the tire to cut through loam. The knob’s surfice is grooved vertically providing additional biting edges on hard pack.
Wanting to keep rotating mass down and strength up, OMF built us a set of DWT’s lightweight, Blue Label, 8” rear wheels. OMF installed a set of their lightweight reinforcing rings on the inside and outside edge to reinforce the bead making them stronger yet very light and cool to look at. 18×9.5-8 Kenda Scorpion tires performed well on our ATC250R and 350X projects. They feature diamond shaped, dimpled knobs that offer more forward and braking bite, with less traction on side loads allowing them to slide a little easier than most modern sport ATV tires. They’ve proven to be a good do-it-all tire for track conditions from loam to hardpack.
The longer DuraBlue Eliminator axle greatly improved stability in corners. The wider stance reduces weight transfer in corners making power-slides easier. It also makes the 200X more manageable in uneven bumps.
The Kenda Scorpion rear tires delivered great grip under acceleration and braking. With the tracks plowed so deep it made breaking the rear-end loose harder than usual. On hard packed surfaces or loose over hard, the Scorpions slide easily and predictably while still delivering excellent acceleration and braking grip. The Kenda Max front tire delivered excellent directional control and braking in all conditions.
HRE’s +2 swingarm performed as we’d hoped. It transferred more weight to the front tire, improving front end grip and steering predictability, especially with a full-size adult rider on board. The transfer in weight bias reduces weight over the rear tires making the back end easier to slide through turns, essential for going fast on a three wheeler. Added wheelbase also improves high-speed stability.
Chassis upgrades only work with suspension that’s upgraded to match. With motocross intentions and a +2 swingarm the suspension demanded attention. Race Tech did an incredible job with our ATC250R and ATC350X motocross projects making them the obvious choice to handle the 200. We had them setup both ends for a 210 pound, expert level MX racer.
Race Tech tore down and inspected the fork and shock. Starting up front they installed their Gold Valve Emulators which mimic the performance of a cartridge fork. Race Tech’s Emulators separate the compression and rebound circuits allowing them to custom tune each individually for the significantly stiffer spring setup. The forks stock dual-springs feature a 449mm, .85 KG main spring and 84mm, .64 KG secondary spring. Race Tech shortened the secondary spring from 84 to 40mm, increasing its rate to 1.34 KG. This transferred bottoming resistance from the primary the now stiffer secondary spring. Overall fork spring rate increased from .75 KG to 1.095 KG according to Race Tech. The fork conversion was wrapped up with 10WT oil, new dust seals, and bushings.
The shocks received a Race Tech, Gold Valve pistons providing unrestricted oil flow to prevent high-speed harshness while placing all the damping duties on Race Tech’s custom built shim stack. The shock was valved to control the stiffer 21.4KG spring up from the 18.97KG stock spring. They wrapped up the conversion with fresh oil, dust seals and a new bottom out bumper.
Race Tech’s revalved suspension continues to be plush on smaller hits like braking and acceleration bumps without wallowing deeper in the travel like the stock suspension. Small to mid-size bump compliance worked with the increased footprint providing a more planted feeling in uneven bumps.
In stock trim the rear shock tended to bottom a little easier than the forks landing from jumps. However, it wasn’t difficult to find the limits of the travel at both ends. The Race Tech, upgraded suspension offers a very noticeable improvement in bottoming resistance, but with limited suspension travel you have to make some concessions between small bump compliance and bottoming resistance. We were happy with Race Tech’s balance between the two. John only bottomed the suspension at either end when going a little big on a double he had no intention on clearing, but that’s expected.
The 6.7” of rear suspension travel from the factory was increased a bit by the +2” longer HRE swingarm. Although, the rear end felt like it gained a lot of travel, due primarily to the shock’s improved performance. While the forks were noticeably improved, they don’t quite deliver the feel of the rear suspension, due to their limited travel and flexy, small diameter fork tubes. They had us wanting to try the Race Tech upgraded forks off our ATC350X project on our 200X, a common upgrade by top-level racers back in the day. Overall the Race Tech suspension and other chassis upgrades had our 200X handling night and day better than stock and ready for additional power.
Pro Level Motor Upgrades
Four Stroke Tech, gave our ATC200X a motor makeover that would have been 200cc Pro Class worthy back in the day. As a top 200 pro class racer back in the 80s, we were excited to have Four Stroke Tech owner Mickey Dunlap handling our engine upgrades.
Four Stroke Tech did a complete tear down and inspection of the entire engine. In excellent condition they went to work modifying and reassembling. To enhance top-end efficiency Four Stroke Tech performed their Big Valve port and Flow head and valve work, accompanied by a +1mm intake valve. Four Stroke Tech’s, Stage 2 cam was chosen for good power gains across a wide RPM range. To allow the valves to keep up with the more aggressive cam, stiffer valve springs were used.
Compression was bumped from a mellow 9.6:1 from the factory to a strictly race gas burning 14:1, with the use of a Four Stroke Tech, Stage 2 Full Race piston. It’s lightweight for faster revving while punching harder. Stiffer clutch springs were installed to prevent unwanted clutch slippage with the significant power increase.
To feed the thirstier engine, Four Stroke Tech utilized their 30mm carburetor kit. It comes pre-jetted to match their different aengine kits. Air is drawn to the carburetor through the stock 200X intake with the airbox lid removed. A UNI foam filter provides the flow needed for a race engine, with the fine dust particle protection we aren’t willing to sacrifice.
333 Motorsports custom built an exhaust for our 200X, built to Mickey Dunlap’s specifications to maximize performance. The stainless steel and aluminum exhaust is a work of beauty. Sadly, their pipe builder passed away. 333 motorsports recommend looking at Empire for a high quality exhaust for your 200X.
Final drive to the rear wheels was handled by a pair of Sprocket Specialist sprockets. Our DuraBlue sprocket hub requires the use of a 1981-1982 ATC250R rear sprocket bolt pattern. To complement a set of 18” rear tires we ordered a 12 tooth steel front sprocket and a 36 tooth aluminum rear sprocket. Their steel sprockets are made of premium grade steel, rolled in the U.S., CNC machined to exact standards then case hardened. Sprocket Specialists’ rear aluminum sprockets are constructed of 7075-T6 aluminum, available in a number of finishes. We’ve trusted Renthal chains for years without failure. Working with a small 200cc engine, we went with Renthal’s R1-MX 520 chain on a non-O-ring design for this build, due to its reduced friction and drag compared to an O-ring design.
Firing up the engine the 333 Motorsports’ exhaust delivered a raspy snare drum like four-stroke sound seeming to deliver all the exhaust flow needed by our race-built engine. The Four Stroke Tech engine was the star of the show. Power compared to stock is amazingly different. Low-end power and throttle response are undeniably improved. Lugging the engine a gear high exiting corners it pulls with a bit more authority.
The stock linear power-band now features a noticeable surge in power entering the midrange. The difference in midrange high RPM acceleration is dramatic. Midrange power is much stronger pulling far beyond where the stock engine signs off.
Just as noticeable as the increase in power is how much faster the engine builds RPMs from the midrange through the top-end. No-longer a low-end and midrange lugger, Four Stroke Tech turned this engine into a proper little ripper.
There was a small blubber from the engine while weightless in the air off jumps that could be tuned out with little more than a float height adjustment in the carburetor. It wasn’t an issue on the ground. Overall, this engine Is easier to slide, pulls way harder exiting corners and is a lot more fun to ride.
Brakes
We wanted to modernize the 200X controls so we needed a more modern front brake master cylinder. We acquired a good used 2004 TRX450R master cylinder from Power Sports Nation. They specialize in quality used ATV parts at a fraction of the price of new.
With the stock rotors still in good condition, we installed a fresh set of Tusk brake pads from Rocky Mountain ATV. To improve baking-power and accommodate the longer swingarm, Mud Motorsports ordered a set of steel braided, universal brake lines and fashioned them to the proper length front and rear, handling installation and bleeding. The result was good stock power and feel turned up a bit to deal with all the extra engine performance.
Updated Controls
To maximize comfort and control, the contact points were updated throughout. Renthal, Vintage Desert, 7/8” handlebars offer the wide clamping surface needed for many three wheeler’s wider handlebar clamps. An 850mm width and relatively straight bend offer plenty of leverage and put your elbows up in the attack position. They’ve proven strong on other ATC projects, surviving rollovers, thanks to their 7010-T6 aluminum construction. For the drier conditions we ride in we wrapped the bars in a set of soft compound, Renthal, Full Diamond ATV grips.
Made in the USA, like most of the components on this build, ASV clutch and brake levers are part of all our three-wheeler builds as their nearly unbreakable in the event of a roll-over thanks to their pivot design which allows the lever to bend in either direction. With a TRX450R front master cylinder installed for easy aftermarket brake lever integration, we ordered ASV’s F4 Series Quad Clutch and Brake Lever Pro Pack for our 200X.
Upgraded from their F3 model we used on our ATC builds years ago, they feature forged aluminum construction with stainless steel fasteners used throughout and are covered by an unconditional a 4 year warranty. The pro clutch lever features an ASV rotator clamp, dust cover, and on-the-fly quick cable adjust. Both levers are rebuild able, featuring precision-sealed bearings at the pivot and chrome silicon high-tension springs. The biggest mechanical upgrade over the F3 are on-the-fly adjustable micro-indexing dials that allow you to adjust the reach of the over a 4” range. They’re available in a number of anodized colors, in standard or shorty versions.
The stock foot pegs were narrow and dull. We swapped them out for a pair of HRE steel foot pegs. They’re around twice the width of stock, providing a substantially more supportive platform that disperses impacts over a much broader surface. The peg’s teeth are a little on the aggressive side. They’ve done great on other projects of keeping your feet from slipping but you wouldn’t want to land on one.
Cosmic Quads replaced the seat foam from 1984 to a fresh Hi-Flite seat foam. We then had them design us a new custom logoed, Honda red cover to go with it. We started off with a taller desert foam making it easier to transition from sitting to standing. However, test rider John Pellan was worried the taller seat would make controlling the machine in corners more difficult so we had Cosmic Quads redo it with a stock height foam and cover. It’s the fourth custom seat they’ve done for us and we’ve been happy every time.
John had nothing but praise for the ergonomics of our 200X. The factory height seat allows you to make the most of the machine’s improved handling. The bars, while a little wide for John, put him in a good attack position, elbows up. The Renthal grips were easy to hold onto with no blister causing pressure points. ASV’s F4 levers allow you to put the levers perfectly within reach without tools. HRE’s foot pegs spread out impact on hard lndings with plenty of grip to help keep your boots in place. Comfort equals speed and this 200X is easy to hang onto and move around on .
Full Body Makeover
Maier Manufacturing offers plastic for many vintage applications. Their body parts are thermoformed from TPO polypropylene with a high-gloss cap sheet. It’s tough, resisting minor abrasions better than any OEM plastic we’ve seen. It also does well at resisting cracking when things go wrong.
Maier’s front and rear fenders fit beautifully. The combination of the wider foot-pegs and Maier rear fenders leave the rider’s boots a little cramped so Mud Motorsports trimmed the lower part of the fenders behind the rider’s legs.
We didn’t want to trash our stock, dent free factory gas tank in the event of a crash. Clarke has a 3- gallon plastic tank that reduces weight, It mounts like the stock tank and comes with a new plastic gas cap. It’s a little taller with its added capacity but it doesn’t look completely out of place on a track machine in our humble opinion. It doesn’t seem wider between the rider’s legs, so it doesn’t impede movement. If you have a rusty old tank it’s a must have upgrade.
Conclusion
The chassis and suspension upgrades from HRE and Race Tech along with the proper wheel and tire setup from OMF and Kenda left us with a machine that could easily let you ride the 200X far beyond the limits of the stock engine. Our ergonomic upgrades from Renthal, ASV, Cosmic Quads and HRE left us with an ATC200X that we could more easily control for longer periods of time. Fresh brakes from Tusk and Mud Motorsports had the X stopping faster than ever. All of this allowed us to take advantage of Four Stroke Tech’s radical 200X engine transformation. The new look from the Clarke tank and Maier plastic were the icing on the cake providing a 200X that’s a fun to look at as it is to ride. Of-course, this project would never come to completion if it wasn’t for the ATV experts at Mud Motorsports helping out with the build. We’d certainly recommend having them help you with your next ATV project.
With builds on the Gen 3 ATC250R, ATC350X and finally the Gen 1 ATC200X we’ve had the pleasure of testing and producing full builds on the greatest three-wheelers Honda ever produced. Of all three machines, perhaps the ATC200X has proven to be most fun of the bunch.
There will be more vintage builds to come so make sure to subscribe to ATV on Demand. Thanks for watching.
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