Commuting: Most of the time I spend on the XT225 is commuting through a fairly busy city with lots of intersections and roundabouts. Right from the start, I have been impressed with how nimble and maneuverable the bike is. It handles the corners around town with no problems and I am constantly...
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Commuting: Most of the time I spend on the XT225 is commuting through a fairly busy city with lots of intersections and roundabouts. Right from the start, I have been impressed with how nimble and maneuverable the bike is. It handles the corners around town with no problems and I am constantly reminded as to why I love Enduro bikes. The upright seating posture affords great visibility in traffic and the light weight of the bike makes parking and low speed maneuvering a breeze. Touring: I have to admit that prior to getting the XT, I had a certain preconception that a 250 or smaller would not be up to the rigours of long distance tours for a long time and that I would be pushing its limits too much. A trip from Hamilton to Waiouru on familiar but challenging roads - very steep hills climbing to the Central Plateau near Mt Ruapehu - changed my mind about the XT225 by convincing me that it was up to the rigours after all - more so than my old LS400, in fact. I had expected that the little 225 would be lagging behind my friends' more powerful bikes (750cc and 800cc) on the steep hills, especially around the Central Plateau. To my great surprise, the XT225 climbed the steep roads around the central plateau at 100km/h in sixth gear and nothing seemed to slow it down, including hilly stretches of road that had reduced the LS400 to 80km/h. I had no difficulty keeping up with the larger bikes after all. The agility I had noticed at lower speeds when commuting was still there at 100km/h on the winding mountain roads and there always seemed to be enough left in the throttle to power around the corners - certainly a lot more than the LS400 had. In my assessment, the XT is more than adequate to climb steep hills and maintain the open road limit for extended periods and its performance (not its top speed) is favourably comparable with far larger bikes. The XT225 is not capable of much more than 120km/h - making it unsuitable for riding on the Autobahn or similar but that just means you ride the slower, and probably more picturesque, roads at a pace more conducive to enjoying the scenery. For my style of open road touring (not desiring to exceed the legal limit) the XT is a great choice. Adventure Riding: The go anywhere factor. As an Enduro, the XT is designed to handle conditions far more rugged than any road designed to accommodate cars, no matter how rutted and gravel-strewn. I feel quite confident I could tour anywhere on the XT225 and take any road or trail that I fancy. Comfort: A frequent complaint about the XT225 is that the seat is not particularly comfortable on long journeys and this is true. A more comfortable seat would be good in many respects but it could also be argued that the pain in the posterior is a good cue to stop, look around, take in the scenery and pause to reflect on where you've been. Personally, I would get work done on the seat to make it more comfortable. Summary: I have often described the XT225 as one of the best bikes I've ever ridden on the road - with a more comfortable seat it would be the best bike I've ever ridden on the road. Fitted with a centre stand (to facilitate road-side maintenance) and proper racks to secure a load, it would be the perfect tourer - light, nimble, economical, goes anywhere. Whether you want a commuter, an off-roader, a tourer or an adventure bike, the XT225 fits the bill.
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