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1983 200 Enduro Shootout

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1983 200 Enduro Shootout f64 make power all the way to the top. Amazing! Running second to the KDX is last year s winner, the IT1?5. The IT still has a good, usable powerband, but suddenly it's giving away 2?cc's to the KDX. In an Open class bike 27cc's may not make much difference, but on a 175 it's a whole new world. For the most part the IT will run right with the KDX through the rocks and trees, but if a hill comes up, the KDX will disappear while the IT rider is still searching for the right gear. This is not bad-175 riders will always have to work Even though the PE is much melloweL The lTl75 is still one of the most liked it's still possible to leap it out of a harder than folks on bigger bikes-but bikes by our fesfa/s. Jim Holley berm. Mike Webb lofts it. the new KDX engine has rewritten the winches up the front end. book on what is best. The PE comes in third. Changing the gear ratios did much to help spread out the power on the Suzuki but it also turn- ed the bike into a slow-revving cruiser in comparison with the other two. Cracking the throttle open will result in a very pre- dictable buildup in speed right up to red- line. Good power all the way through the range, but nothing exciting, and no burst of power to get you out of trouble if you need iL Which puts the XR200 down at the bottom. The XR is never in a hurry. Open the throttle and it accelerates like an electric motor; go through the gears and it will do it all the way to the top. The only problem is, the other three bikes will be so far in the distance, you won't even see a dust cloud anJrmore, But there are places where this type of four-stroke power is the best thing to have under you: tight woods. When the hees get really close together, the XR will give absolutely nothing away to a two-stroke. A good four-stroke rider can get a rhythm going that will send two- strokes into the trees as they try to keep All of the testers agreed that the XR TheKawa forks come set up way too up. In a wide-open enduro, however, the fits a riderwell, although a big person soft. We suggest adding morc oil to story will be completely different; the XR might feel slightty cramped on this the forks. just doesn't have the punch to keep the small200. is a whole new motorcycle, The most rider at the top of his minute. has seen fit to use 35mm fork tubes on its striking change is the new 198cc borejob, FORKS Showa forks (all the rest use 38mm tubes), but comparing this year's spec sheet with Right up front let us say one thing: All and they do have a tendency to flex The Iast year's will find very few similarities. four of these bikes are set up too soft for flex only shows up when the XR is pushed Big differences from one end to the other, hard rurrning right out of the crate. No to its limit, but once there the front end is and yeah, it's really fast! matter what you buy, a certain amount of vague and not very confidence-inspiring. POWER set-up time will be needed before any of Honda should go for the bigger forks. So it shouldn't come as a surprise to the 200s are capable ofblitzing overrough REAR SUSPENSION anyone that the KDX200 is the horse- ground. There's a clear winner here. For the power king for 1983. This new Kawasaki Aside from said softness, the PE and second year in a row, the PE takes the engine is awesome! There is more low- IT have the best action right out of the laurels. The Full Floater system makes end power than any of the rest of the box. They go about the business of soak- 10.6 inches feel like much more, and all bikes, and good acceleration through the ing up terrain with no nasty habits and we needed was a few turns on the preload first part of the power curve. Most people not a bit of flex. ring to make the bike work like a dream. could live with just what this bike puts The KDX forks were the softest of the Kawasaki takes the second spot in this out up to 6000 rpm and be perfectly lot and difficultto evaluate because ofiL competition with the new Uni-tak setup happy. But once the ports really start to The front end alternately bounces and on the KDX. The new system is straight breathe at upper rpr! the KDX is a stunner. wallows, but they can be cured by a change off the motocross bikes and it is an excel- The best word is violent The power comes to lO-weight oil run six inches from the Ient working unit The only reason it's in on so hard and fast that if the rider isn't tops of the tubes, with the forks collapsed. second is because the feel is just slightly paying attention, the KDX will leap right Once this little ritual is performed, they more harsh than the Suzuki action; aside out from under. When the front end comes will work as smoothly as any. from the slight harshness, we had no com- back down, the bike will rev out until it The XR forks suffer from a different plaints-after a couple hundred miles of sounds as if it's ready to explode, and will problem. To keep the weight dowq Honda break-in, it should soften up nicely. Honoa engine is compactand easy to Kawasa ki is th e first m a n ufactu tet to work on, buta few pounds heavier go a full20Occ's on a 2(N class flvo- than the two-stroka engines. Brute stro ke. H orsepower is aw eso m e. N ew horsepower is not one of the Honda's head steady has eliminated vibration stock featurcs. problem. The IT rear end works well just as long never really got the feeling that the front as you want to go slow. For fast riding, a tire was biting, although it didn't do any- very lightweight rider will want to bump thing scary. The PE took the most atten- up the preload, and anyone over 150 tion to ride, as the front end wanted to pounds would be well advised to install hunt around more than any of the rest of the stiffer accessory spring before trying the bikes. to set a land-speed record. The 25-position Obviously, this has a Iot to do with the rebound damping is very sensitive to different tires on each bike. We don't changes, but it is a feature that will allow have to tell you that mounting a Metzeler the rider to dial in just what he needs. will improve every one of them. The same can be said for the XR. The IIIGH-SPEED STABILITY Plenty of clutch action is necessary if action is good, but it's far too soft with the Tied for this are the Suzuki and Kawa- you plan to ride the new PE aggres- stock spring to allow for any fancy riding. saki. The PE has the longest wheelbase, sively. The shocks on every one ofthese bikes, and along with the excellent suspension by the way, are very high quality units. action, it will hold its own over the rough- They all make extensive use of aluminum est sections. Kawasaki has always made to keep the weight down, have adjustable a stable bike, and this year's KDX is no damping controls and are rebuildable if exception. Gung-ho riders have nothing you wear them out. To be totally honest, to fear from either bike. there's not a barker in the lot, and all but The IT and XR had a problem with the most competitive riders will be happy suspension bottoming, just as we've been with the stockers after a little bit of ad- talking about for the last umpteen para- justing time. graphs. They would bang around through HANDLING the bumps, forcing the rider to make direc- Every one of the bikes suffer some- tion corrections all through the section. what because of the soft stock suspen- The good spread of power on the IT sion settings. This is how they came de- really helps in this area, giving the rider a livered to us: The Kawasaki front end was chance to power out of a situation if need much softer than the rear (not enough be. The XR rider, on the other hand, oil), and the front end had a tendency to would find nothing more there when he tuck under. The PE and IT were softer in reached for a little more throttle, forcing the rear (not enough preload or spring), him to slow down. so the front end wanted to wash out. The BRAKES XR was too soft at each end; in the slow Once again, there is more than enough stuff it was cushy and fine, at anything braking power on each of these bikes to over moderate speeds it was a wallowing get the job done. We had no complaints handful.
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