Honda TLR200 Reflex
Mon, April 5th, 2010
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| 1986-87 Honda TLR200 Reflex | |
|---|---|
| Performance |   |
| The Reflex shares its motor with the XL200. To call it mild mannered would be an understatement, but at least it is predictable and has an idiot-proof powerband. You can't pick a wrong gear or throttle setting. | |
| Handling |  |
| I've gleefully blasted around the parking lots of suburban shopping malls and fast food restaurants on a Reflex, and the sensation is uniquely fun. The weak brakes combine with with the sluggish engine to make acceleration and deceleration unhurried affairs. In stark contrast, the ultra-narrow, low, lightweight observed-trials-derived chassis can change direction as quickly as an angry cat's tail. 'Reflex' is the perfect name for it. | |
| Looks | |
| It may not be pretty in the classical sense, but looking at a Reflex makes me think, 'I wanna ride!' | |
| Reliability | |
| The engine is under-stressed, the chassis parts are durable and nicely tucked in, and the whole thing is simple as a stone ax. The only things that can kill a Reflex are (of course): time, abuse, and neglect. | |
| Practicality | |
| The pokey engine and marginal ergonomics mean that the TLR is only good for short hops, but its miniskirt-sized bodywork means that it is not very utilitarian: everything you carry must go in a backpack. And the design compromises that allow it to work as well as it does on the street mean its not actually very good for observed trials competition, either. | |
| Desirability | |
| It gets points for being delightfully funky, not for being useful. | |
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Wait...a street-legal trials bike in the U.S.? C'mon, get happy! | |