When I first saw the Yamaha SDR200 I thought it was a homemade job, something about the thinness of the chrome plated frame tubing convinced me it was a well done back yard special. If the dealer had told me someone had taken a DT200R motor and thrown it into a Ducati-esque chassis then I would have believed him. The reality was that it was a Jap market model from 1987, taking the well worn idiom of a naked TZR125 and making a more road orientated bike out of it.
Power was a modest 34 horses at 9000 revs from the watercooled single cylinder motor. I say modest because I know someone who got more power out of a tuned TZR125, though the peaky result wasn't something any sane manufacturer would dare emulate. The ugliness of the exhaust system vied with the shape of the tail unit for sick bucket status but the rest of the bike was well shapely.
9000 miles on the clock, faded cycle parts and alloy rot ruined engine cases and wheels were just about in line with the £875 ticket price. The dealer must've recognized the lust filled grin as I caressed the bike, no chance of a discount for cash. He reckoned he made even more money on the hire purchase in commission than he made in pure profit on the ticket price. Weird world.
This is a small motorcycle. Anyone over about 5'6'' tall will find themselves all crunched up and most uncomfortable. I was just about able to contort myself into the little stroker gem, being almost as wide as I am tall! The shape of the back of the tank was ideal for resting my extra large belly upon but the seat was the minimal, sharp edged kind of nonsense that soon had me screaming my head off. It was just as well that my marriage prospects were nonexistent, the poor old tackle ended all shrivelled up.
As well as being small the SDR's also very light, as in 230lbs! This makes it illegal in the new licence category because of silly power to weight restrictions, but if you already have a full licence it means their prices are reasonable. The lack of mass is translated into an amazing amount of nervousness, just the slightest amount of pressure on the bars had it skipping all over shop. It felt like some tiny wheeled scooter rather than a proper motorcycle but it did actually run 17 inch wheels, albeit rather thin ones that were shod with ancient, hard Jap tyres!
The tubular frame was undoubtedly strong, the suspension unexpectedly stiff. A combination that resulted in the bike leaping from bump to bump, pot-hole to pot-hole, like some frenzied hare. Once I'd adapted to the minimal amount of force needed on the bars, it did prove precise despite the rigidity of the suspension that really needed a six inch pot-hole to make it move. I doubt if it was standard fare, lightweight Japanese bikes notorious for their soft suspension because Japanese men rarely weigh over 60kg.
The engine ran best at the top end of the power band though it could burble along nicely enough at lower revs. I never had any problems with plug oiling - Yamaha have been churning out small strokers for decades, have sussed the lubrication system. It was just a matter of not getting anywhere very fast unless the throttle was used to the full. Fortunately, the clutch and gearbox were an absolute delight to use, couldn't fault them. Made all the difference, encouraged me to scream around at maximum revs.
Whilst 34 horses ain't very much, allied to an ultra light and precise chassis they can make for very rapid progress up to about 85mph. The most I saw was 105mph on the clock but beyond 90mph the chassis felt like it was going to flop right off the road. Entirely down to the teflon tyres that didn't wear at all and therefore weren't replaced! In retrospect, I should've demanded new rubber as part of the deal but enthusiasm blinded me to everything!
The bike was top dog in town. Rapid acceleration allied with minimal mass and exquisite narrowness made for record times through the heavy London traffic. Single discs at each end could lock the wheels under a minimal amount of pressure. Back wheel slides were a particular delight because some component of the geometry or weight distribution meant perfect control despite the state of the rubber (or perhaps because of it?).
All this action took my mind off the groin and backside pains. It also turned in 30-35mpg, which meant an eagle eye had to be kept on the fuel level as less than 60 miles could leave the motor dying a death. This wasn't a problem on a long run because I needed to leap off and get the blood back into various body parts after less than 30 miles - it was that uncomfortable! The odd tingle from the motor also reached the bars and pegs but compared to the hellish nature of the saddle it wasn't really worthy of note.
The 195cc stroker ran without a hitch for the first 5500 miles. Just add oil to the tank, do the gearbox oil once and kick the tyres. With a single carb, electronic ignition and no valves (except for the exhaust's powervalve, of course) there was very little to do, as with most modern strokers. Then the exhaust haze went heavy and the engine was running very hot, reluctant to start. What the f..k was going down? The oil ring was worn out. A DT200R item was persuaded on and worked okay. The motors aren't identical, the trailster making less power at more moderate revs, but many parts can be swapped over - given the cheapness of SDR's on the grey import circuit, the easy availability of DT200R engine spares makes them a good deal.
I hadn't done much to the finish, as we hustled through autumn it began to go off to a remarkable degree. Only the chrome plated frame managed to escape the dreaded corrosion. I went into a frenzy with the cleaning cloth and polish, got it nicely shined up. Only thing was, the bike was left outside overnight and all it took was a bit of rain to turn it into an old rat again. Too much effort.
Amazingly, the calipers refused to seize up despite riding through the winter months. Pad life was excellent as they were probably still original yet refused to go down to the metal despite the clock showing 19000 miles. Fuel was heavy, oil wasn't; total running costs were reasonable, especially when compared to the Jap fours which go through tyres, chains and pads every 5000 miles, or so.
Despite my own excessive weight, I never really found the bike lacking in performance and handling was fun once I'd become used to its flighty ways. Come the Spring I did a final clean up - it wasn't too bad under all the crud - went back to the dealer I'd bought it off and traded in for a CB-1. Got £900 off its price! I heard later that the motor had blown its main bearings and seized up at 23000 miles. For once, I had good timing!
Mike Jennings