New to me 2000 EC 200?

[VTMTcowboy]

New to the forum and will be picking up a 2000 EC 200 this weekend and wondering if there is anything I should look out for and do to get it going correctly. Got a pretty solid price on it, but don't want to spend a ton of money on it either as I run a Beta majority of the time. Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Ben

 

[Zman]

It is a solid designed bike and it also tends to wear pretty similar to other dirt bikes.

I would put the bike on a stand and check the headset bearings and check the rear suspension linkage for play. Look for loose pivot bolts in the suspension. This is a sneaky way to hide bad bearings.

Maybe pull the ignition side cover and look for rust and smell for gas.

Kick the kickstarter several times. A known issue is slipping of the kickstart pinion gear. Not super expensive but it will run you between $60 and $120.

It may needs crank seals if they have never been changed.
Bent shift shaft.

If it has lots of miles on it look for loose elongated foot peg holes.

Sloppy kickstarter pivot.

Subframe cracks or bent.

Look in the oil sight window for milky oil. The waterpump seals can fail after a while.

Look for wet spots around the gas tank where the radiator shrouds are screwed in. Sometimes people use wood screws that are too long and create a leak.

I have a 2000 XC300 which is very similar and it has been AWESOME reliable!

 

[VTMTcowboy]

Thanks Zman! Once I get it in my garage Ill start to check into all that you mentioned. Is there anywhere directly that you get parts from or just search the internet abroad?

 

[Zman]

You are very welcome! Getting parts depends where you are located. I am in the Midwest and get GG parts from Halls-cycles in Springfield, IL Note there are many crossover parts to other brands. You can find details throughout the forum.

 

[GGRider01]

If you're pretty well removed from any dealers, motocrosscenter.com in Spain is not a bad option. I spent a long time looking for a good online source of parts before coming across them.

 

[VTMTcowboy]

Thanks fellas. Ill take a look into both. I am out in California but planning on moving back to Vermont within a year or so. Im pretty excited to get the bike in my hands so I can start to put some wrench time into it! It will be my first 2-stroke as well! Always grew up riding 4-strokes. I don't even know what ratio of gas-oil I have to run haha. I've done a bit of reading and seems like 40:1 is right. I'm going to run Motul as that's what I run in my Beta and might as well kill two birds with one stone if you will.

 

[Rick]

Where in CA??

 

[VTMTcowboy]

I'm in Napa. Just back into riding after 5-6 years away. Mostly just ride to work and back with a few dual sport spots. Haven't hit a real trail, but looking forward to it as I get a more reliable vehicle other than my Beta haha.

 

[RBrider]

I'd pull the swingarm & rear linkage & clean, lube &/or replace as needed.

I did the same on my new to me '01 XC200 and it was dry as a bone, bordering on starting to wear out. I was able to clean, lube & re-use everything, except the shock needed servicing. It was time & money well spent.

I love the bike, I'm sure you'll like your's too.

RB

 

[VTMTcowboy]

RBrider,

I've never gone that deep into pulling apart dirt bikes, only snowmobiles. If I'm remotely mechanically inclined is it something I can do fairly easily haha? What do you run for oil and at what ratio?

 

[firffighter]

Congrats on the gasser! The 200 is a fantastic bike, had 2 of them with a '99 EC200 still in our shop.

The 200 is one of the best handling bikes on the planet. Solid motor that varies in performance based on pipe selection, jetting and gear ratio. Lots of good reading on this site on how to set one up for your preference.

Might see if you can pick up a shop manual to help with some of the maintenance. Check Youtube as well as there are many good videos on bike maintenance. Some may not be specific to your bike, but they are very helpful.

What oil to use and the ratio is a well documented battle Any quality brand at a 40:1 or 50:1 ratio will suffice. Lots of guys have their favorite brands and prefer them. Motul is one of the best.

The 200 is absolute blast to ride and a great woods bike. You'll love it!

Enjoy and have fun!

 

[VTMTcowboy]

firffighter,

Yeah I am real excited to ride it more, especially once I start tinkering with it. Probably should be saving my money, but felt I couldn't pass it up haha. Yeah no doubt you might be getting some questions coming from me about your setup,parts, advice, etc. Take care.

 

[Rick]

RBrider,

I've never gone that deep into pulling apart dirt bikes, only snowmobiles. If I'm remotely mechanically inclined is it something I can do fairly easily haha? What do you run for oil and at what ratio?

I'm down in Lodi, bout 40 miles from Napa. I prefer to run Motul 710 @40/1 in my 200.

Plenty of good riding area within a few hours of Napa to get a feel for the bike.

 

[firffighter]

firffighter,

Yeah I am real excited to ride it more, especially once I start tinkering with it. Probably should be saving my money, but felt I couldn't pass it up haha. Yeah no doubt you might be getting some questions coming from me about your setup,parts, advice, etc. Take care.

No problem. Love to help. Lots of great 200 guys on here who are valuable resources. Rick, whose had his 200 for a long time and Liv2day are 2 that come to mind right off the bat.

There's some nice little mods that really help the 200 in terms of performance, and they are a blast to ride. I think over the years on all the bikes I've owned, I was probably the fastest through the trees on the Gasgas 200, which isn't very fast .

 

[mwinschel]

I just wanted to shout out my .02 worth and I apologize if I am hijacking the trhread, but it was already a bit askew. I am also a new to me 2011 ec200 owner. Have been planning on putting a little write up on the bike for others who may be looking. I am an eastern single trail rider and this little bike is hands down the most fun I have ever had in the woods. Past bikes include the likes of KTM 400 exc, 300 xcw (slavens mule), and 350 xcfw to name a few. The bike was a bit of an abused pig when I picked it up but some carb work, a new top end, some suspension work and a little elbow grease and It is hard to pry it off my bottom now .

This bike is a JOY to ride. Smooth, well planted, more than enough power to pull my 220 lb 6 ft frame around and the most nimble thing I have ever been on (less maybe that ballerina from way back when I was in college ).

I would not hesitate to recommend one to anyone for woods riding as it is has been a shear pleasure for the last few months. I immediately felt at home on this bike and I still think I can tune the suspension a little more.

A BIG thanks to all the forum members for all that they have done in laying service groundwork and the answers to the somewhat questionable questions that I have posted. You guys (and gals?) rock!

 

[firffighter]

I just wanted to shout out my .02 worth and I apologize if I am hijacking the trhread, but it was already a bit askew. I am also a new to me 2011 ec200 owner. Have been planning on putting a little write up on the bike for others who may be looking. I am an eastern single trail rider and this little bike is hands down the most fun I have ever had in the woods. Past bikes include the likes of KTM 400 exc, 300 xcw (slavens mule), and 350 xcfw to name a few. The bike was a bit of an abused pig when I picked it up but some carb work, a new top end, some suspension work and a little elbow grease and It is hard to pry it off my bottom now .

This bike is a JOY to ride. Smooth, well planted, more than enough power to pull my 220 lb 6 ft frame around and the most nimble thing I have ever been on (less maybe that ballerina from way back when I was in college ).

I would not hesitate to recommend one to anyone for woods riding as it is has been a shear pleasure for the last few months. I immediately felt at home on this bike and I still think I can tune the suspension a little more.

A BIG thanks to all the forum members for all that they have done in laying service groundwork and the answers to the somewhat questionable questions that I have posted. You guys (and gals?) rock!

That's awesome! Great endorsement for 200. Very underrated bike for sure.

I too have had a lot of bikes over the years, including a few KTM 200's, and the Gasgas EC200 is just a killer woods bike. Planted and nimble at the same time. Great motor, not a powerhouse, but very capable and puts all of the power to the ground.

 

[RBrider]

RBrider,

I've never gone that deep into pulling apart dirt bikes, only snowmobiles. If I'm remotely mechanically inclined is it something I can do fairly easily haha? What do you run for oil and at what ratio?

It's doable, but a little bit of a PIA. If you can dig into snowmobiles then you can do bikes too. Make sure you've got a stable work stand when you pull the swingarm. Maybe even use a safety strap hanging from the shop or garage ceiling or rafters.

I'm using BelRay H1R at 50 to 1 and premium pump gas. Working well so far, with very little drooling or smoke.

RB

 

[barossi73]

i ran h1r for 1st 60 hrs 40:1,engine protection is very good,but i did have excess spooge and smoke.if you ride wot its a fantastic oil,if you ride tight,technical not so much.Found castrol tts runs noticeably cleaner,less smoke and spooge.briefly tried mobil racing 2t,runs really clean,but changed plug colour and accumulated deposits quickly on plug(1-2 tanks and plug was ugly)