Your thoughts on a TW200

[Andrew Walcker]

Alright, you guys talked me into it. I called the owner and have an appointment to check it out next Thursday since he is out of town. Correction, it has 185 miles:ylsmoke:

I'm thinking since I'm a total moto newbee this might be a great way to get into it for a small amount of money. He also told me he was flexible on the $2,000 also, but the clincher was when I read these things get in the 80s mpgs:exclaim:

 

[Andrew Walcker]

Also just read over on the TW forum that the TW rated second right behind Toyota Landcruiser as the best form of transport in a South African Safari magazine last year.

 

[peekay]

Alright, you guys talked me into it. I called the owner and have an appointment to check it out next Thursday since he is out of town. Correction, it has 185 miles:ylsmoke:

I'm thinking since I'm a total moto newbee this might be a great way to get into it for a small amount of money. He also told me he was flexible on the $2,000 also, but the clincher was when I read these things get in the 80s mpgs:exclaim:

My father has had a tw200 since 93. We even rode it to San Diego once when I had my KLX650. Needless to say, it wasn't the best on the freeway as the top speed is about 65 on level ground. Nonetheless, it is entirely adequate for surface streets. Put it this way, I can still out accelerate most cars at the stoplight (they're not racing me, just driving normal). The mpg will depend a lot on riding style as the motor is underpowered so you may really need to flog it, ie kill your mpg. The greatest weakness imo, is the brake, which are all drum on the earlier models.

 

[Hltoppr]

Buy it. You'll love it.

-H-

 

[\\'anderer]

Alright, you guys talked me into it. I called the owner and have an appointment to check it out next Thursday since he is out of town. Correction, it has 185 miles:ylsmoke:

I'm thinking since I'm a total moto newbee this might be a great way to get into it for a small amount of money. He also told me he was flexible on the $2,000 also, but the clincher was when I read these things get in the 80s mpgs:exclaim:

sooooo? did u get it? I am still looking around. There were a couple out your way recently.

After reading at the tW forums, the only real issue anybody seems to have with them is the small fuel tank.

 

[LUISJG]

im also looking in to this bike as my FIRST motrcycle.
I want to keep it at our cabin and only use it for offroad trails.

right now im about to enroll on a motorcycle riding shool.

 

[HenryJ]

I have been watching for quite a while now and making offers as they came around. I finally ran across a seller willing to deal.
Timing is wrong as it is just before Xmas, or maybe that makes it right? I will have to store it all winter and wait until spring to ride it, but I bought it anyway-

2006 TW200

It has quite a few additions that are just as I would have done. A small fairing, battery tender, rack, short lights and 1" bar risers. I'll probably add a set of soft bags that I have had for years , a mount for my GPS and maybe a driving light.
It should make a nice commuter bike and trail bike too.
I love the huge tires and 80 mpg will be nice.
I have a V65 Sabre that I bought new if I want to take a road trip. It is aging and I wanted to keep down the mileage on it. This TW200 fills a void in that I can use it to make the short ride to work and a reasonable trail bike. It is light enough to use a hitch carrier for transport. I like that option. Timing should be about right for my son to learn to ride this in the next few years.

Parked in the garage waiting for spring.

 

[HenryJ]

I'll probably add a set of soft bags that I have had for years , a mount for my GPS and maybe a driving light.

The soft bags are MIA. I must have given them away some time ago. I took the 130/90W bulb out of my flashlight and installed it in the headlamp of the TW200. Then I added a 9 LED driving light/strobe that has been sitting on the shelf. Lights are up to par now and visibility improved.
Next up is new taller handlebars to which I will attach the power port for the GPS and a GPS bracket.
That should about do it for now. It will then be ready to ride for spring.

 

[Rhode Trip]

Nice bike, Henry! Congratulations...I'm sure you're going to enjoy it. My suggestion is to replace the little stock footpegs with a pair of D2 Moto ones you can pick up on Ebay. One of my favorite mods. :roost:

 

[Trail Monkey]

Nice bike. kind of funny i bought one today on ebay. same year 06 with 700 miles on it. its only an hour and a half from my house and i was looking for a clean one for my wife to learn to ride. i think i paid a bit more than i probably could have. but i really wanted a clean one and they dont come up often in my area. plus i really didnt want to spend for a new one. paid $2750.00 will pickup this week. should look nice next to my wr250r in the garage and on the trail..

what did you pay??

 

[HenryJ]

My suggestion is to replace the little stock footpegs with a pair of D2 Moto ones you can pick up on Ebay. One of my favorite mods.

Thank you! I have heard that is a top five mod. They are ordered. Best price I found was $21 shipped. That seemed reasonable.

what did you pay??

$2400, but mine has twice the miles. That is about $200 more than planned, but the guy was haggling and that is where we ended. These things really seem to hold their value. I think we could all make a buck or two if we sold them this spring. They all seem to be right around $3000 for 2001 and newer.
I am like you, in that I wanted to find a clean one. I will admit to having the "rose glasses" on. It looks like mine might have been dropped once. I could not find any damage except the left grip is cut on the end of bottom side. I didn't notice it until I rode it a little farther down the pavement that one bar seems to be back a little, like it is bent.
Thats ok, since I really need higher bars. Those are ordered. To limit vibes I ordered aluminum. I plan to fill them with BBs or lead shot too. I will install Emgo handguards, since that was another thing on the top five mod list.

I have been doing lots of reading on the http://tw200forum.com/forums/ and http://www.thumpertalk.com/forum/

The consensus is that the fuel tank is a little small and these things last forever. I like the latter. Over twenty years of testing. I think this should be a good little bike. Funny how many went to big bikes and miss riding the TeeDubs.

 

[motoexplorer]

Congrats on the TW adventure bike.

I have bigger bikes including a Vstrom 1K and a KLR650, but love riding our DR200S too. We bought the 200S this year - a very clean '05. My wife, kids, and I often fight over who gets to ride it. The previous owner dropped it on its right side, no visible damage. Like yours though, one side of the handlebar is noticeably bent back. Stock dirt-bike handlebars bend like cheese sticks. I've put pro-tapers on the Strom and KLR and will do the same to the DR this winter.

 

[grahamfitter]

Off topic handlebar question

Congrats on the TW adventure bike.

I have bigger bikes including a Vstrom 1K and a KLR650, but love riding our DR200S too. We bought the 200S this year - a very clean '05. My wife, kids, and I often fight over who gets to ride it. The previous owner dropped it on its right side, no visible damage. Like yours though, one side of the handlebar is noticeably bent back. Stock dirt-bike handlebars bend like cheese sticks. I've put pro-tapers on the Strom and KLR and will do the same to the DR this winter.

Off topic handlebar question

I'm going to replace the stock handlebars on my DR200 (they're not high enough and the PO screwed up drilling the ends out to install bark busters) but since this is my first bike I'm clueless as to what to get. I've heard of pro-taper, even people using ATV handlebars. Help?

Cheers,
Graham

p.s. TW looks like a great moto!

 

[HenryJ]

I used MSR Dominator Aluminum Handlebar - ATV High Bend . They cost $41.99 shipped.
Ordered from http://www.rockymountainatv.com/

The handle turns back slightly more and they are 2" higher than the stock bars.

I too was confused as to what would be best, so I did lots of reading. These bikes are "thumpers". Aluminum is said to reduce vibration. Also filling the bars with lead shot was recommended as is soft grips. I did all three.

2" is as high as I could go. The cables and wires were too tight to fit without rerouting and adjusting to make some slack. They fit, but it is close.

Installing the throttle there seems to be two trains of thought. There is a pin to locate the throttle and control switch. Some say grind the pins off, some say drill the bars. The new bars do not have the holes. I chose to drill. The aluminum bars are thick enough that I did not drill through, thus retaining all the lead shot inside. I am pleased with the results. The left side of my bars are knurled so the grip does not slip. If your bars are smooth, use hairspray to install the grip. It will slip right on and glue it in place. When you need to remove it ,some soapy water will help bring it right off. No messy adhesive.

I have not ridden it yet, as winter did arrive here, but now I am looking forward to spring.

Today I finished up most of my modifications. GPS is mounted to the new bars and power wiring run to the battery. Mount for the quick connect dune flag is on the rear rack. Bigger foot pegs are installed. Stearns seat cover is on. All back in one piece. I still await the Emgo handguards and folding shift lever, as well as the hitch carrier for the truck, but I am mostly done.

 

[motoexplorer]

Off topic handlebar question

I'm going to replace the stock handlebars on my DR200 (they're not high enough and the PO screwed up drilling the ends out to install bark busters) but since this is my first bike I'm clueless as to what to get. I've heard of pro-taper, even people using ATV handlebars. Help?

Cheers,
Graham

p.s. TW looks like a great moto!

The type of bar to use depends on a lot of things. Aftermarket handlebars come in all different shapes and sizes and are made out of different materials. You can buy aftermarket bars made out of steel or aluminum. The primary advantages of an aftermarket bar are reduced weight and a stronger bar. Stock bars bend extremely easily. At some point in their life a dirt bike WILL get dropped on its side. A stronger handle bar can more easily survive such a fall and even protect the bike.

The bulk of aftermarket bars are made of aluminum. Aluminum is lighter and flexes less than steel.

The dimensions on a handlebar are its width, height, and pullback (how far the handlebar's ends bend back towards you). Stock handlebars attempt to be a one-size-fits-all-the-world-over sorta deal, so inevitably you'll probably find that the stock bars are too high or too low or too far away or too close. So again the aftermarket provides all sorts of variations to fit different body types and personal preference. For most casual exploring and cruising around you're probably going to want a taller bar with more pullback to put you in a more upright and comfortable position.

Most aftermarket bar manufacturers lists their dimensions in the catalogs, but usually refer to their various sizes of bars by some "name." Like Honda CR High, Honda CR Low, YZ Med, etc. Or even have bars patterned after the dimensions that famous racers have on their MX bikes like Ricky Carmichael or Chad Reed.

Most MX bends are going to be too aggressive for dual sport bikes. So what many dual-sporters have found out is that the aftermarket manufacturer's ATV bend handlebars actually work pretty well. These are bars that are intended for sports/racing ATV's such as the Honda TRX450, Yamaha YFZ450, et al. The headstock on an ATV is lower than a dirt bike and therefore typically you need higher rise bars and different pullback.

On both my Vstrom and KLR650 I have Pro-Taper "ATV High" bars. For my height and arm-stretch these work great. I know others who use the ATV Low and ATV Medium pro-tapers. Search the web and you'll probably find someone with recommendations for the "hot setup" for the DR200. I want to get aftermarket bars for our DR200, but want them sized for my wife rather than me, so I'm thinking ATV Low or ATV Medium will work. I like Pro-Taper bars even though they are more expensive.

There are many manufacturers of bars: Moose, MSR, Renthal, etc. Very popular (and more expensive) bars are Pro-Taper. Most bikes use 7/8's diameter bars unless they've been converted to using something else.

Joe