Yamaha TW200 reviews

I bought this '05 hold over in August of '06. It had never been started! There are deals to be had out there! After 15 years on 4 wheels, I decided to get back on 2. It feels great! The TW200 and its 'fat' tires really work well in the soft or where traction is limited. Though handling on the road is a little odd, it's not objectionable. I needed something to get me to work and take me down some trails now and then. I was looking for MPG and utility. Two things motorcycle salesmen just DO NOT understand. The TW200 delivers it. My two complaints: The instrument lights (neutral / high beam / turn) burn out quickly. I've had the high beam go already and only owned the thing for two months. Also, the engine sounds noisy to me. I'm used to my old Hondas and, well, if they sounded like this, I'd tear them down and rebuild them. I can squeeze 98MPG out of it. Yes! Almost 100 miles per gallon! I average 85MPG. Most of my driving is in 45 MPH speed zones. 35 = 95+MPG, 45 = 80+MPG. I'm experimenting with various mixes of E85, No data yet. The bike is great around town. It's fair on the trail. Low speed handling is shakey. It does well on the road but high speed cornering with that fat rear tire is a bit wierd, though, predictable. Show less

I have owned 26 motorcycles so far and this one is the most fun by far. I can ride in the snow, on gravel roads, dirt roads and off-road through the woods or any place I feel like going. It's very reliable and I'm getting 74 miles per gallon. Show less

Meets or exceeds all my expectations. I bought my son a dirt bike early this summer, and realized that I should keep an eye on him. I did tons of research and kept coming back to the TW200. I use it to commute 18 miles on a busy state highway and chase my son around the woods. 80 MPG is a huge plus. Not a ton of power on the highway, but very capable around town and off road. It's sort of like the old VW I had in high school, kind of slow, sort of ugly, but nearly bullet proof and very reliable. It suits my needs VERY well. It is just plain fun to ride. Show less

I just bought a 2005 Hayabusa today but this is the bike it all started on. It was a good first bike with GREAT gas mileage but the power is not much. However, it is possible to do highway riding, but the rpms are very high and you won't do much faster than 70mph. If you're looking for something sporty I would recommend the Kawasaki Ninja 250R. For the same price you can get a much faster bike but if it's off road you want, it's an excellent all around bike. Show less

I bought this bike new in March 2004 and in the past 5 months have used it every clear day (and a few rainy ones) as my primary transportation to work. Commuting through the busy streets of Northern New Jersey and New York City are a pleasure on this bike, although I don't recommend riding it on the highway for more than 10 or 15 miles. Not only will it only do about 60 MPH (and that's pushing it) it's very uncomfortable over rough pavement due to it's soft suspension. This bike handles well considering and is simple to drive. I had my 15 year old sister riding this bike in 20 minutes, and she'd never driven anything with an engine in her life. don't expect to be taking jumps with this off road, but that's not what it's designed for. It's made to be driven at moderate speeds on trails, and power though just about any obstacle you reach. It's also excellent at climbing hills. This bike's true attributes are its user friendly ease of operation and great economy around town. I highly recommend this bike to any beginner, someone looking for cheap, reliable transportation combined with light off road duty or just a fun weekend toy. Take it from me, my other bike is a 2001 YZF R1, and I still enjoy riding the TW200. Show less

This is a great bike for beginners and I should know being a 37 year old mother of 2 who has never ridden an adult sized dirt bike(my kids have a 50(suzuki) and an PW 80). I hopped on and was able to immediately take it for a spin which REALLY impressed my spouse. The fact that I am 5'3" and 130 pounds does make the bike a little heavy and hard to control(such as backing up). My husband is now looking for one for himself since he is the only one in the family without a dirt bike. Show less

This little Yamaha TW200 is amazing. I've been riding forever and race motocross and have skills on a bike so I was surprised with the TW200. I did change to a smaller rear sprocket so I could go down the freeway. 40,000 miles of reliability. Great MPG, will climb anything. Because of its low seat height and fat tires it can beat many bigger "serious" trail bikes, and I often do. Show less

This little bike is great! It is exactly what I wanted to run to the Store, Post office, Check on my Cows, basically to get out to the gorgeous spring day. I hope to have many country road excursions on this bad boy. You will love it!! Show less

This bike is a dream bike... (In the dirt) it looks so small and squeamish, but it's a blast to ride. I can take corners with heavy traction, while my friends with 650's (dual sport) can't catch me. Power sliding is slower than actual traction (in this case). The pavement is a different story though... It moves along with the others till about 60mph, then it's, "see you later guys, I'll catch up to you later... and pass you when you're getting a speeding ticket" I know its just a thumper bike, but I really enjoy riding it...It's loads of fun, because it's so easy to handle. It also seems to run on air, and never fail. It's quite frankly, a little monster. Show less

I bought this bike for a beginner rider. It is kind of heavy BUT I will say that this bike has one of the smoothest power-bands that a beginner will desire. It is designed well and does what its intended for. Trail riding, fire roads, camping, local town riding etc. It's not for jumping, racing, extreme off road. If you want something that is really a fun and simple ride... look no further this is it! Plus for some cool reason a lot of people ask about the way this bike rides/handles... they seem like they never knew these bikes existed. The cool factor is definitely A +. Great gas mileage and reliable. Plus it looks great too! (Not cookie-cutter) Go get one for simple fun! Show less