Awesome Rick. Great to hear your impressions on the 200 and the different pipe options over the years. Interesting that you've modded your pipe for more performance as well. Steve Berkner also mentioned this and he added 10mm to the 200 pipe and found good bottom end results with that mod.
I also found this post you made a while back:
This got me to thinking a bit about my experience so far with the EC200. Before going to the 200's, I was riding 250's and 300's for about 3-4 years. That ability to lug and pull a gear or 2 high all day long was the norm. I could idle up hills and just roll on the throttle without any issues. I went to the KTM 200 about 2 years ago and loved the change. But, that bike had a Rekluse, so I was able to lug that bike without issue as the Rekluse would just keep grabbing and pulling for you. Now on this EC200 I think I have a tendency to want it to pull like those other bikes and it really isn't made for that. I have been telling myself to get it higher in the rpms and let it do its thing, but it is hard to make the transition some times. I absolutely love the light feel and know that the bike make life so much easier on long technical rides because you aren't fighting the bike and it wont wear you out. Heck, we have guys riding Husky 125's in the steepest stuff we have here in the PNW and they are able to tackle that terrain without issue as they are letting the bike sing.
I think I'll get better at it with time and will be trying a few other little tweaks: 12T sprocket, 40 pilot down from 42 and will give the older Gnarly pipe a try.
IMHO riding a 200 or 125 take a little different approach. Again, I have always like small bore bikes and find that there are advantages and disadvantages to the small cc'ed motors.
I can see where you've being on 250's & 300's and adapting to a 200 could bit of a challenge. You just don't have shear grunt that that the bigger bore bikes have, so you have to adjust mentally and with your right wrist to compensate = carring more speed, using the outside lines more so than inside lines, proper gear selection is one of the bigger challenges and not being affraid to lay down some wood. Dragging rear brake while keeping the rpm's up in turns, more aggressive riding stance, if that means more standing to use more body english along with riding on the balls of your feet in turn it all = being aggressive.
Suspension also play a huge role, your having to be more aggressive, so therefore your body input into the bike is more aggressive, your moving around more, sitting to standing and vise a versa. What worked for the slower speeds and less rider input might not work for more aggressive style. All of this comes into play when your trying getting the bike up on the pipe and banging through gears, you have more wheel spin on the 200, as to where the 250 and 300 used shear power to move the bike. You need to play with the oil heights, clickers, sag, static sag to find that point to where your more confident at hitting trail trash at high speeds... The 250's and 300's are much more forgiving and can be rode "lazy" yet to ride a smaller bore you can't be lazy. That means looking further down the trail, looking for smoother lines, predicting what to do and scanning ahead for options.
If you get a chance find a local offroad pro who offers classes and take a class, you'll be suprised how you can pick up some really great tips and drop some bad habits and lean new stuff. Even if you don't race, it will overall help your trail riding ability and confidence.
Thanks
anyone know if they can be swapped? '99/'03
Where should I look to know if our bikes have the 2K2 or 2K3 ignitions? When you say it exits at 2 o'clock...where's it exiting from 
