This is a section dedicated to Honda four stroke trials engines & technical data

A common point of all Honda trials bikes is their exceptional performance both in terms of mud and wet. Honda engines had an exceptional torque and power at very low rpm.
The inertia of the engine and the perfect runing at low rpm is a typical behavior of Honda engines. The idle always accurate and its precise movement of the valve four-stroke Honda engine seems to emulate a Swiss watch machine.

The history of the Honda Trials is full of anecdotes, problems, glorious moments and many headaches. Since the beginning of serious development of these bikes with Sammy Miller and his beautiful Honda 305 to the best moments that Honda Trials had with Eddy Lejeune and Steve Saundres.

Sammy Miller developed together with the distant and unknown team of engineers from Honda first Honda Trials models, and laid the first steps  for future development than in the first half of the 80's would be one of the best trials machines ever made.

Honda bikes were known for their perfect quality and unique finishes, precise welds, quality components ...

Gear shift was just perfect. No more words.

Brakes: After work on wet conditions they still brake as dry.

If you leave a Honda 10 years stop running, after this time will need no more than two pushes on kick start to hear his great sound and appreciate his idle unchanged.

Of course not all is perfect, Honda also had its problems. Honda trial engines, fosussed in competition had many problems with overheating (at that time was no water cooling system applied on trial machines).

The valve engines, more complex, with different combustion comparing two-stroke engines, generated much more heat and that caused several problems. The carburetor was affected by this overhating and was necessary to add an extra plastic wall between the carburetor and the cylinder body. In some machines the carburetor also was affected for the temperature of the exhaust tube. Some racing bikes were equipped with a direct link from the oil pump to the top of valve and distribution chain.

 

Another problem was the complex exhaust system and muffler. The required size for maximum power and best performance of the engine was sometimes excessively big.

 

The expulsion gases in the four-stroke engines was more complex than in the simple two-stroke ones (we all remember the succcess of the Spanish motorcycle two-stroke engines).

First Spanish two-strokes bikes were a big revolution on 60's International trial competition. Montesa Cota 247 MKI from 1968 was one of the nicest Spanish trials bikes of those times.

 

First wit Sammy Miller and later with the young Eddy Lejeune, History of these motorcycles is full of good times and of course less good ones, but we must not forget that Honda had a few glorious years with an unbeatable Eddy Lejeune, between 1982 and 1984 Honda/Eddy won The World Trials Championship.

In its first serious trial competition beginnings Eddy rode a Seeley (UK Seeley frame with Honda RS200 engine) and the Tl200R, These bikes were ideal because of its lightness and smoothness of riding. So light that Eddy had to add extra weight on the front axle because its TL tended to get up the front wheel (funny but true), this problem was solved later in the RS200 and RS250 models using new Showa front forks, replacing old Showa 31mm to more rigid and precise 33mm new Showa. Also the better balance of the sharing masses was achieved.
Eddy Lejeune rode the RS250 later getting a very well position in the Scottish Six Day Trial.

The Honda trials bike is a good option to race on the Today´s classical trials. Ther most common Honda Trials that we can see on these races is the TLR200 and the TLR250 twin shock. These are a good and competitive machines and no so difficult to find in a good condition. Less common is to see the nice TL250 and TL125 machines, and rare (because small productions) to see RS's.

Iit is usual (too much usual from my point of view) to see a very hard transformations and updating engine or frame to obtain bikes more close than actual competitiion trial bikes.

This is something that usually have an excessive cost to obtain small advantatges, moreover in my opinion we are breaking the Classic spirit for these nice bikes and also for these beautiful races.

In fact the best of these bikes is their originality, with their flaws and advantages. Transform this reality is not to appreciate the value of these jewels that fortunately still survive and can be enjoyed wich we are fortunate to have some of them.

Nice and strictly original restored Honda RS200T

I declare myself as a lover of these beauties intact respecting the spirit of originality and personality.

Chris Stevens from www.classictrial.co.uk was working hard on these machines to achieve a logical and respectful improvement without adding external changes and hard transformations, and in a very honest way. You can learn more thinks about some interesting improvements on the TLR engines without big expenses and without external modifications, respecting the original bike. He made improvements on the carb and exhaust system basically, and the best: no big investments. Chris is sharing their experiences and can help you on your TLR problems or technical improvements like CDI unit for the TLR Honda models replacement. See at: http://www.classictrial.co.uk/hondacdi.html

 

This is also I was shoked in these last years. Big transformations, big investments and the final result was really poor and far to the nice original classic bikes.

Nice Honda TLR 250. This time thanks to Dean Swann here is a Honda TLR 250 with RTL 250 cc engine fitted.
This is an other way to update the TLR engine, obtaining the latest engine modifications that Honda did.

Bike performance by Colin Leese.

Thanks to Wayne Dunn here you can see a special feature. This is a Licensed by Honda 197 cc engine with Honda clutch and some special changes at his primary gears to allow combine a 10 tooth front sprocket.
This engine has also TLR engine covers fitted.
It has an electrical starter fitted. For sure easy to engine start, and confortable to use.
By the oposite side there is an increasing weight.
Anyway an other possibility for the Honda engines.

The bike was built by Colin Leese.