The first problem I ran into was getting the engine out of the frame. The ATC 200ES is shaft-driven, not chain-driven. The Haynes manual I bought covered only the chain driven 200's, and I had to guess how to get my engine out of the frame. I ended up loosening the entire rear differential, and pulling it rearward to seperate the shaft from the engine, and then I took off all of the engine mount bolts and wires, and the engine came out of the left side of the frame. After I got the engine out of the frame, the Haynes manual was a lifesaver, with clear, thourough instructions with pictures. I finished the overhaul on 6-5-98. I started it up, and the Cobra pipe gives this beast a brand new growl. It sounds very throaty. The pipe dramatically improved the bottom-end tourque and accleration of my 200ES. You shift so quickly through the gears, before you know it, you are screaming in 5th gear, Hi range, top speed. Cobra did a great job with this pipe. It made my Honda come alive.
For the month of September, I noticed that my stock tires were getting very large cracks in the sidewalls, and my rims were severely dented, and begining to rust. After some research, I decided to buy a set of 25x12x9 Maxxis Sur-Tracks on ITP Steel wheels. When I received my tire-wheel set in the mail, I immediately bolted them on. The rims that I bought are called "offset rims" and they add to the width of the rearend of my Big Red. How do they work? Well, let's just say that you want to stay off of the grass with these beasts. These tires chew up and spit out anything they come into contact with. The tires excel in the mud, and I only got stuck once (mud up to the rear rack). I like the huge shoulder knobs, and the agressive center traction design. They self-clean very well. They can be mounted on the hub either way, one way allowing good self-cleaning in the mud and dirt, and the other way for incredible traction is the sand and snow. These tires are 2-ply, and costed me $185 with rims. Overall, I am extremely satisfied, and I can't wait to try them in the snow.
