Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Small dual sport motorcycle

It is spring and the wild hairs are growing out my ass again... Seriously, looking to get a small dual sport motorcycle just to tour the country side and know there are a lot of dirt bikers here so looking for experience and experienced opinions but will accept snide remarks, whatever.

Main requirements are:
- Total noob at any kind of off road riding so it has to be easy to ride, emphasis on easy.
- Getting older so don't need or want to go fast or long distances off road and don't want to go on long camping trips, just putt putt at 10-25 mph on logging roads and trails for a few hours. I quit being immortal 15 years ago so not gonna do anything crazy.
- I'm only 5' 9" so a lower seat height is better.

Want to emphasize fun, easy off road riding but you have to get there first which means at least some time on 60-65 mph highways, maybe 10-15 miles at a time tops. Most paved roads would be 45-55 mph.

Have narrowed the choices down to a Yamaha TW200 or XT250 and kind of torn between the two.

Rode a TW200 today and liked it. Low seat at 31.1", single cylinder 4 stroke with very low gearing so good low end torque and fairly light at 278 lbs., it has those fat tires which apparently make it very easy to ride. Suspension travel is not great at 6.3 and 5.9" front/rear. Biggest drawback is that it is really underpowered for the highway. Reviews say 75 mph top end but you're screaming it at that speed, most folks say 60 mph tops.

Yamaha XT250 - need to ride this tomorrow, only sat on one today. A bit higher seat and heavier at 31.9" and 291 pounds. Another single 4 stroke with low gearing so good low end torque. More sophisticated with EFI, disc brakes front and back and bit more highway capable plus it has longer suspension with 8.9/7.1" travel front/rear. Gearing still keeps it from being a highway motorcycle but a few more horses would let it go 60-65 for 10-15 miles without trouble.

TW200 - carburetor instead of EFI, drum rear brake, old school tech, lightest and supposedly easiest to ride. Big cult following since it's been around since 1987. Biggest drawback is pavement speed.

XT250 - just a bit "more" of everything but still rated a good beginner or old guy takin' it easy bike. Highway performance still isn't great but incrementally better.

So - thoughts on the overall criteria and/or these bikes in particular?


TW200 with the fat tires - some reviews call it a cross between a motorcycle and ATV.



XT250