2004 Yamaha Dual Sport reviews

Ok bike for the price, little cold blooded, starts hard. Decent power for the size, gets me where I want to go but could be more comfortable. Overall for a starter bike not bad. Having the option to go off road is nice. Show less

I purchased my 225 to replace a '73 Yamaha CT3 175 Enduro. I never knew that 5 months later I would be embarking on a 4,300 mile excursion into the great southwest. I took the trip with friends of mine. Four were on cruisers, one a crotch-rocket, and me on a dual-sport. It took us 10 days and I can say that I was glad to get home and sit on something wider than the 225's seat. The bike did great. On the trip, we tried to run 60-65 mph. The 225 did this with not much problem. The bike is a little too light to go much faster than that on the interstate. (Larger vehicles will make you really squeeze the tank to keep control). I did however find that I could move around on the long seat and find a place that was "less raw" than the others to sit on. I made me a pair of highway bars and installed them on the lower front engine mounts. They were well welcomed on some of those long Texas and New Mexico roads. The bike did exceptionaly well and if it handled all those consecutive miles, then it will certainly hold up for normal riding. I am wondering now if I should sell it and get a cruiser. I may just end up keeping it and getting a Yamaha Virago 250. I think this is a great bike, but hard for dealers to get around this part of the country. 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

I was a little hesitant about buying a 225 and thought I would have would want to upgrade in no time. To my suprise this bike has more then enough power in the city, highway and off road. Handles like a dream and is great on gas!! I would reccomend this bike to beginners as well as veteran riders. Ride smart and be safe !!! Show less

I have had the bike 2 weeks and already have 1100 miles on it. It is a fun ride on the streets and I did a proper engine break in and can travel comfortably at 65-70 on the highway. I can hit 80 if I want with no problem. The bike is very fast and sometimes cars try to race me... but I always blow them away. This is a reliable bike and fun to ride. I even do a little trail riding when I can. Totally cool. Also I take on a rider (my girl) most of the time. The only down side is the rear spring is a little soft (soft ride). So I am upgrading to a stiff rear spring. I gave comfort a 4 star out of 5 rating only because if you ride for a few hours your butt will hurt. I do plan on getting a more comfortable seat one day. But it's not so bad. Show less

I happen to love this bike. It requires ZERO maintenance. It will go anywhere you want it to go, with the exception of sugar sand. Some will say its kind of slow with a top speed of 50-60mph, but with a long flat straightaway I can peek mine at about 83 mph. The lightweight of this bike makes it ideal for younger or novice riders. I love this bike and highly recommend it! 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

Well as my title says I have driven my buddy's bike a couple of times and I really liked it a lot. A couple of years ago I owned a Yamaha TW200 and went driving with my biking partner but couldn't keep up with him going thru the trails. His '97 XT225 really absorbed the bumps while I felt every one on the TW200 so I sold it! But now I just purchased a leftover '03 and can't wait to get out on it in May once all this snow is gone. I know that we'll have a great time riding our XT225's and we're both over 50 years old. I'll do a more in depth report once I get some miles on this little baby. By the way my buddy has put 8000 miles on his bike and hasn't had any problems with anything, he just thinks it's the cat's meow!! 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

It's too cold here now to ride much but I have a few miles on it. I just wanted to say this: I changed the sprockets from 15/45 to 14/55. The dealer said that would be a big difference, but I can't say that I noticed much of a change. I don't have to start in first gear though. Second gear has a lot of power but although my bike is hardly broken in, top speed will not be much above 55. For now, 45 mph revs comfortably. I am pleased with the bike. Most might consider this a girl's bike but I think it's decent. I feel slightly cramped for leg extension but it's not that noticeable. If I had to do it over, I still wouldn't buy the 400 cc bike this one has enough power to be fun, especially since I obey the speed limits. But for someone who likes to rip and tear, maybe the 400 would be a bit more bike for you. Ride safe so you can live to lie about it. Show less