Didn't ride it today although I did go look at it. Did about 4 hours of shovel work this morning and was a bit wore out plus it was windy and cloudy and chilly this afternoon. I did sit on it as well as a TT-R230 which is a full on trail bike. Small differences in seat heights are really noticeable, 31.9" for the XT250 and 34.3" for the TT-R230. Of course the true trail bikes are several pounds lighter without the highway stuff, and while you can put a usable rack on the back they are covered in plastic bodywork with a big plastic bumper.
The Honda dealership closed too early today but will be open Monday so I want to look at the CRF230F and the CRF250F & L. Those are all taller motorcycles with seat heights in the 34.4-34.8" range. Both F models are the trail bikes while the CRF250L is the dual purpose.
Also keeping my mind open and looking at the Honda Recon ATV and looking around at others. It's only a 229 cc 2WD but that's basically what my old Yamaha was and I had a blast with that. It would go anywhere I wasn't scared to go and being so light and small it was easy to ride. These smaller ATV's are a lot more capable than people give them credit for, one night that little Yamaha carried a large man, his teen age daugher and half an elk back a few miles back down a rutted with some fairly step portions. You just hit the gas and keep up the momentum and it would climb most anything that wasn't total loose gravel - or snow, it wouldn't go over snow for anything. The Honda MSRP is exactly the same as the TW200 which is nive. Would have to get a trailer which is a whole 'nuther expense and a PITA so this is just a thought, but considering all options.
Mostly narrowing in on the TW200 or XT250, one of these definitely seems like the best way to go for me,
One thing I noticed yesterday and today, I don't know which is worse, car or motorcycle salesman. Talked to a fellow in his late 20's or early 30's yesterday and today and you could see he really didn't want to waste a minute of his time on an old geezer like me. He made some excuse and walked off today and another guy came over, a fellow in his 50's, and the bullsh*t just spewed from his mouth from the word go. The second guy directly contradicted the first one at least twice.
If you are going ATV I wouldn't go less than a 350. My son had a 250 recon and although it would run it was just a little under powered and small and I'm not a big guy. That's just my opinion and worth what you paid for it though.
