honda 2000 xr100r vs. [Competitor]: Which Bike Is Right for You?

Okay, here’s my blog post about messing around with my Honda 2000 XR100R:

So, I’ve had this old Honda XR100R sitting in my garage for, like, forever. It’s a 2000 model, and it’s seen better days, but I figured it was time to finally get it running again. I remember it was my loved motorcycle when I was younger.

Getting Started

First thing I did was just look at the thing. Seriously, I spent a good hour just poking around, seeing what was obviously broken or missing. I noticed the air filter was completely disintegrated – like, it was just dust. The tires were flat, obviously, and the chain was rusty as heck.

Fuel System Fun

Next up, I knew the carburetor was going to be a problem. Old gas turns into varnish, and this bike had been sitting for years. I pulled the carb off, which was a bit of a pain because of those stupid tight screws. Once I got it off, I completely disassembled it.

• I soaked all the metal parts in carb cleaner. That stuff is nasty, so wear gloves, kids!
• I blew out all the little passages with compressed air. You wouldn’t believe the gunk that came out.
• I replaced the jets and the float needle, just to be safe. It’s cheap insurance.

Other Stuff I Did

After the carb was clean and reassembled, I moved on to other stuff:

• I changed the oil. The old oil looked like chocolate milk. Not good.
• I put in a new spark plug. Always a good idea.
• I lubed the chain, even though I knew I’d probably have to replace it soon.
• I pumped up the tires, hoping they’d hold air. (They didn’t, for long).
• I replaced the distegrated air filter with a new one.

The Moment of Truth

With everything (sort of) back together, I poured some fresh gas into the tank, turned the fuel petcock on, and gave it a kick. Nothing. I kicked it again, and again, and again. Finally, after what felt like a hundred kicks, it sputtered to life! It ran rough, and smoked like crazy, but it RAN!

Still To Do

It’s not perfect, not by a long shot. I still need to:

• Get new tires.
• Probably replace the chain and sprockets.
• Fine-tune the carb. It’s still running a bit rough.
• Figure out why the front brake is so mushy.

But hey, it’s running! That’s a big win in my book. It’s a fun little project, and it’s awesome to hear that old XR rumble again. I’ll try to post some updates for the further repairments.