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เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 1 ก.พ. 2008
I post videos about motohiking on my Yamaha XT250, Suzuki VanVan and others.
My Perfect Motorcycle must be able to handle Any Road. Any Time. Anywhere.
1. I promise to give you an answer. I will not end a video with "it depends..." conclusion. Every review or comparison will always have a clear winner.
2. I promise not to trap you. You won't see "watch this video to the end to find out..." trap. I'll state the most important things first.
3. I promise not to sell out. If I say that something is good - that means it's good. Period.
"Gene, we manufacture product X, how can we make sure you give us a great review?" - Simple, make a great product.
4. I promise to be accessible: post comments, ask questions - I'll reply. You are close to Montreal and want to ride together? Come join me for a ride!
Subscribe and join me on my motorhiking!
My Perfect Motorcycle must be able to handle Any Road. Any Time. Anywhere.
1. I promise to give you an answer. I will not end a video with "it depends..." conclusion. Every review or comparison will always have a clear winner.
2. I promise not to trap you. You won't see "watch this video to the end to find out..." trap. I'll state the most important things first.
3. I promise not to sell out. If I say that something is good - that means it's good. Period.
"Gene, we manufacture product X, how can we make sure you give us a great review?" - Simple, make a great product.
4. I promise to be accessible: post comments, ask questions - I'll reply. You are close to Montreal and want to ride together? Come join me for a ride!
Subscribe and join me on my motorhiking!
Join me (virtually) as I ride my Yamaha XT250 offroad in Laurentian mountains!
This is my typical ride. I am a spontaneous rider: I just decide on a high level direction and then simply ride any road that looks worth exploring. So most of my rides turn into true adventures with lots of unexpected situations, real challenges and rewarding beautiful previously unknown destinations.
I usually ride alone, but I thought it would be great to ride with somebody this time. So I invite you on this virtual ride! Pick your favorite bike (if you can't think of one, pick Yamaha XT250 as it's perfect for this type of riding) and imagine that you are riding these trails with me.
Let's go!
I usually ride alone, but I thought it would be great to ride with somebody this time. So I invite you on this virtual ride! Pick your favorite bike (if you can't think of one, pick Yamaha XT250 as it's perfect for this type of riding) and imagine that you are riding these trails with me.
Let's go!
มุมมอง: 772
วีดีโอ
What makes YOU want to ride a motorcycle?
มุมมอง 3604 หลายเดือนก่อน
For me, it's like a meditation. A way to disconnect from overthinking and just focus on the Present moment, enjoying nature, the stunning views and the physical exercise in fresh air.
I took my Yamaha XT250 too far offroad...
มุมมอง 1.5K4 หลายเดือนก่อน
A few times I found myself riding in the places I shouldn't really be riding based on my skills level and risk tolerance... This usually happens when I pass the Point of No Return and then I am forced to find a way out. The Point of No Return, sometimes I also call it a "one way door", is some massive offroad obstacle that I can only pass in one direction. It can be some massive slipper curvy h...
Motorcycle Dashboard - how important is it to you personally?
มุมมอง 4345 หลายเดือนก่อน
I've been riding bikes with very complex dashboards and now I'm riding a bike with probably the most basic one. Not even a gift indicator. And I don't care one way or the other. I only glance at the dashboard to check the speed. A great bike is a great bike for me, even if it comes with the worst dashboard ever. How about you? Does dashboard matter to you? Would you turn down a great bike if it...
Yamaha XT250 - How far offroad would you take it?
มุมมอง 8K5 หลายเดือนก่อน
This video is about Total capabilities of a bike vs its Available capabilities. Total Capability: what a bike can do in theory, when it's ridden by skilled professional with pre-planned stunts and a support team nearby. Available Capability: what a bike can do for you. How far you personally can take this bike. This is the only thing that matters. If you have a super capable bike, but you can o...
Yamaha XT250 - first ride of the Season
มุมมอง 1.2K6 หลายเดือนก่อน
Before the new riding season, I usually do warmup riding practice to refresh my riding skills. Safety is important. This small "warmup" practice can make a huge difference.
My channel is 2 months old: number of Views, Subscribers, Likes, Comments...
มุมมอง 2186 หลายเดือนก่อน
My channel is about 2 months old now, so I wanted to share the key statistics and what I learned during this time. I have a total of 4 videos, 28,000 views, 1,000 likes, 140 comments, 200 subscribers and 200 shares of my videos.
5-minute video that may help protect you and your money
มุมมอง 3.2K6 หลายเดือนก่อน
Edit: I want to clarify what I wear in this video. This video is just about the armor layer and the layering approach. I have a button up shirt in the video just to show how small and invisible the armor is: if I can wear under a formal shirt - I can wear it under anything. I don't usually ride in the button up shirt. On top of my 'armor layer' I usually wear abrasion resistant layer, warm laye...
Can Yamaha XT250 handle Highway? I went on a 500 km ride to find out...
มุมมอง 18K7 หลายเดือนก่อน
I took my Yamaha XT250 on a 500km ~300miles trip to see how it could handle highways. At least a few hours were covered at about 110kmh ~68mph - and Yamaha did super well! Much better than I had expected from a 250cc bike. 9 hours. 500km - Yamaha XT250 was very good! Yamaha XT250 vs BMW GS1250 video: th-cam.com/video/UdgvXHvvw08/w-d-xo.htmlsi=kRZ3qVIgF6DqyZMW I installed Prabellum Rally Windshi...
SH2 - Yamaha XT250 vs BMW 1250GS? Does this make sense? Yes. Let's do it!
มุมมอง 6K7 หลายเดือนก่อน
I want to make an unusual comparison: I am taking two bikes from completely different classes and compare them based on one simple criterion - how suitable are they to go "Any Road. Any Time. Anywhere." I ride motorcycles for the sense of freedom they give me. The freedom to explore the world around me without limitations. Highways, mountain roads, local roads, forest trails, places without roa...
I Downsized to Yamaha XT250. Is this the Perfect Motorcycle?
มุมมอง 19K8 หลายเดือนก่อน
I always rode big bikes... bigger bikes = more fun, isn't it? I thought so, until I went to Japan and rode a tiny 9.5 hp Honda Trail 125 on mountain trails in Japan - I had the most fun I ever had on any motorcycle before! Back in Canada, I knew exactly what I needed: the smallest lightest dual sport bike. Highway legal would be a plus. So I got a Yamaha XT250 - and I really love this bike! It ...
Hey. New to your channel. I thought this was a really good, well reasoned argument in favour of the XT. Cheers.
I agree. The xt250 is a great bike. Very capable. My wife rides the xt250 and I ride the Klx300. I can climb all kinds of stuff, ride in rocky conditions, pop wheelies and very capable on the road. These are not 80 mile an hour bikes but they are 65 mile an hour bikes and get great mileage. The xt gets 80 mpg while i get 65 to 70 mpg. I ride mine harder than the wife so thats a bit of the reason for the slightly less gas mileage.
Yes! Thank you!
I took last year my XT250 on a trip from Toronto past QUBEC city. Out of that about 1k was on highway with speed limit of 100 kmh ( 62 mph). I was carrying light tent and some tools etc. The bike did just fine with speed somewhere in the 100-105km/h ( GPS ) most of the way. The only thing I could feel was that had to get gas about every 200km ( typically hitting reserve aroud that time , 7.3L to hit reserve ) .
Used to take my XT250 all over the Ouareau forest on the other side of the Government bridge. Lake du Pin Rouge and Paul were my favorite spots. Mine was the 1982 fitted with Cheng Shin tires. Been comparing dual sports lately and compared the old and new XT on paper. Turns out the current xt make a little less power in a 22 pound heavier package. You seem to do the same king of riding as I used to and yes, I've dragged my bike out of messes too. Now, other factors play a role too; center of mass, power delivery, reliability. The 1982 could climb anything in first gear but could climb nothing serious in second. Bikes have generally gotten fatter since the '80s. I'd be really interested in a comparison between these two if there is still an '82 out there.
Nausicaa of the valley of the wind soundtrack!
Yes!!! I love anything Ghibli!
I hear you. The XT is a pleasure to ride and own. I changed the front sprocket to a 15T that bumped the top end up a bit for the highway, but still enough low gear torque to do business off road.
I bought a rough looking well used ct110 from a co worker back in the 80s for 100 bucks. Took it home cleaned up and rode it on trails for 2 years and have since been through many high powered street bikes over the years but none of them ever supplied close to the enjoyment I had on that little CT. I pine for those days. I am 58 now and looking at a xt250 to take exploring again. Thanks for the video!!
Great video. Thanks for taking the time.
Lightweight is king. I definitely go places that are way beyond my skill level with my TW(I know). But I can always wrestle it out or up. It isn't easy,but I can't imagine if it was 100 lbs more and I couldn't plant my feet. I will never be a high skilled rider. These bikes are great for us regular humans.
Dude, that wasn’t even a road. They just cleared the trees underneath the powerlines and Call It good.
The simple answer is, Yes! I ride my 2022 every day the weather allows. I have 14/51 sprockets, vs the 16/48 stock. I still ride very comfortably at 67mph, with a top speed of 74. Thanks for all the videos on this bike!
What was the top speed with the stock sprockets??
@@7x779 About 78mph, which was too fast for the bike. It would begin to get squirrely. I rarely ever go above 68 now. It is quite comfortable at that speed.
@@chadm1969 thanks. What tires were you running when it began to get squirrely? I found the more off-road orientated they are, or the more new soft and Squishy the tread blocks are, the more squirrely it is. My xt600 is like this because of the more off-road orientated tires on it now. When I think back to the OEM tires they came with, I don't recall it being squirrely even at 95 mph
@@7x779 stocks, but the state hiway I was on is pretty rough
I've been riding 41 years. I've had my 2022 XT250 for a few months now and I think it is the best all-around bike I have ever owned. I am on stock tires and suspension, and it is crazy how easily I go from road to gravel to no-man's land and back to road again! PS. I am no MX guy. Most my previous riding was all street.
Nice video and naration. Keep going! :)
@@Antoxas12 Thanks, man! I'm glad you liked it! And narration too 😁 I love this bike and this type of riding - so wanted to share that experience as it is.
hey man, I usually don't comment, but having just moved from france to canada, almost exclusively for the nature, seeing your stuff warms my heart. I had to sold my Honda CMX500 before leaving, I deeply miss riding, your simple yet enjoyable journey is exactly what I'm looking for, thanks for making me discover that yamaha, I was previously looking at a bigger DR650 but will definitely settle for smaller, it's just wiser.
@@lokopixo2338 welcome to Canada! I'm glad you liked the video! As for the nature - there is SO much to discover here. Just outside of any city there are endless forests, trails, and fields. I will post another video with the detailed map of some trails where I ride - if you are in the area - you can try them. I think you'll love it! Regarding the bike, it all depends on where you want to ride. In my experience, the harder the trail - the lighter the bike should be. I love XT250 for my "motorhiking" purposes. Thank you for the comment! I hope you get a bike and enjoy Canadian nature!
You need Handguards ASAP. I broken the clutch lever 3 times before mounting a pair. Getting home was a nightmare each time. I Love the videos. I also have an XT. I can highly recommend the Shinko 244s for the type of riding you do. Almost as good as the Trailwings on road (after break in) and MUCH better off road. I climbed a hard endo trail this year full of "baby heads with them on. I also live in Canada. Where do you ride?
@@josephlacroix9493 I plan to get barkbusters. It's been suggested a few times here - I must buy them now. I have no idea why I haven't bought them yet. Thank you for the tire recommendation! I think I'll start a list for myself of all the improvements I can get. It's the best to get a suggestion from someone who rides the same bike on similar trails! I ride in Val-David, Saint Adele, Saint Donut, Mont Tremblant and everywhere in between and around there, going as far as Eastern Townships. This year I started more FQMHR riding. Some sections are amazing! Thank you for the comment and tire recommendation! By the way, what handguards do you have?
I wonder what you'd think about a 2-stroke trials bike for off roading? They're *very* misunderstood machines. Super quite, engines last a really long time, very gentle on terrain, *CHEAP* and extremely lightweight & maneuverable. Now that I think about it I really *really* pretty please want a video of you riding one!
@@carllinden533 wow, I think you just got an idea into my head that I can't seem to leave now. After your comment, I took some time to look into this... and I feel like it may be worth looking down to smaller lighter bikes instead of up to something like Tenere. I think I would be able to take a trials bike all the way up that mountain, where I had to turn back on xt250. The downside would be inability to go on highway, but for my forest trails - I love the idea! Do you have any bike in mind that I could look at?
TH-cam compression hates trees, leaves and confetti. All the more reason to get out there!
@@carllinden533 😂. Exactly!
I like the video i just bought an xt 250 ans i love it
@@nicolasalary7372 congratulations on your purchase! I think you'll love it even more with time. I'm glad you liked the video! Ride safely
I dont recommend you go on a heavier bike if you are going to do these type of trails. I started out on a cb500x(434 pounds)) ,,, took it off road and hated it. Then I switched to a dr650(366 pounds). Loved it and still love it however on slow technical stuff it is overwhelming. I have made the decision to switch to a klx300 for next year. I already know it will make a lot more trails accessible to me. Anyway what a lovely sport ! Great vid, good comments.
@@ericcournoyer1595 great comment! I think that's what has been stopping me from buying Tenere... It's like a loop: I look at Tenere and I want to buy it. Then I go on my trails and I'm scared to think of having a Tenere there... I haven't tried klx yet. I would love to - I heard the suspension is great there. Thank you for your comments!
A set of good Knobby tires will make that trail so much easier, it doesn't really dawn on new riders just how important good tires are. Good video, always love to see new riders getting out on their bikes and going on adventures.
@@lancemartin7584 I bought Dunlop P606 for the rear - just hadn't had a chance to put it on. You are completely right - the stock tires are not good for these trails: they get clogged with mud and lose any traction. I'll post an update video on new tires soon. Thank you for watching and for comment! Also, if you have recommendations for tires for this bike - please let me know.
I think you found the worst place for the stock tires. As you said. Certain kinds of mud will totally clog the treads. Once that happens. It's like being on ice.
You're a brave man riding this terrain without handguards haha. Thanks for your video.
Man, I know it's well overdue... Sometimes we get stuff only after something bad happens. I already broke front break lever once and bended clutch lever too... Anyway, what handguards would you recommend? I heard Barkbusters are ok, but some models have terrible reviews. I can't seem to decide which ones to get. Thank you for the comment - I am now determined to buy them!
I have barkbusters on my cb500x and I love them. Heavy duty and not hard to install. Confidence inspiring in all riding conditions. I recommend them highly.
@@SquareHelmet I have some aftermarket Amazon ones on the XT, but I like the quality of plastic and metal of the barkbusters. That and a skid plate are essential mods for XT250, in my opinion.
@@anarsamedi7358 I'm getting barkbusters! Thank you for the recommendation guys
Reminds me of when I got my start riding dirt on XT250 nearly 5 years ago. You’re progressing nicely and building your confidence on a right bike. I love my XT250 and added T7 over 2 years ago. T7 feels completely different on dirt and it took some nerve and more than a few drops to build up the skill to handle it, but it is rewarding. I wouldn’t recommend to take the T7 on some of the very technical trails like some of the ones you show in this video, but I’ve done a lot of fairly technical ones and it is satisfying to build your skills and confidence. I enjoy having both bikes and the variety of experiences each affords. Love the power, versatility and long distance prowess of the T7, and love the go anywhere ability and lightness of the XT.
Your comment is SO useful for me! I love Tenere and keep coming back to the idea of buying it, but I also know how big/tall/heavy it is for some of the places I absolutely love to ride... You have a dream garage! I hope I improve enough to be able to handle Tenere soon... Or maybe Yamaha would gift us an XT400/ Tenere 400. Thank you for the comment and for "riding" with me this time! Ride safely.
I like your pronunciation, brother. Russia or Eastern Europe?
Yeah, man. Hard to get rid of it after certain age. Plus I usually narrate the videos late at night half asleep, so you get what you get. Anyway, just having so much fun riding this bike - and love that I can share the emotions with others. Спасибо за комментарий!
@@SquareHelmet That's what makes us all unique👌
Love it. I learned to ride on an '82 Honda CT110 Trail bike, and now I'm looking to go back to the fun stuff. I've got a line on a '23 XT250 and I'm just trying to talk the dealership into taking my '09 Harley Softail off my hands as a trade. (I don't have room to both, and my riding habits have changed over the past few years)
If you liked Honda CT110 - I think you'll love XT250. My offroad riding also started on Honda Trail 125, and now I'm having a blast on XT. I hope you get XT250 at a reasonable price. Take it slowly, refresh/build your skills - and I think you'll love this machine. Thank you for the comment! Ride safely
Bought my first bike, an XT250, a few days ago. Found your channel today and am loving it. I hop to use my 250 as much and as well as you use yours. Keep up the great work.
Congratulations! I think it's a great choice! Just take your time with it if you never rode offroad before and definitely consider doing offroad exercises to improve your skills. It's the 2nd season for me riding it - and as my skills improve I enjoy it even more. And I am not even close to its limits. Here's my recent adventure close to home - last year this would not be possible for me. th-cam.com/video/k_bIiqIOZBI/w-d-xo.html Ride safely and enjoy your XT250! If you like the trails where I ride - you'll absolutely love XT I think.
You nailed it, stay in the moment.
Thank you! I'm glad you liked the video. Offroad riding is very different from road riding. Offroad shuts off the entire world around me - just me and the trail. Love it! Thank you for the comment!
Well, one thing I've noticed with the dashboards on 4 motorcycles I've ridden is how inaccurate the speedometers are! They all read about 5-8 mph faster than you're actually going. I'm starting to think it's a gentlemen's agreement for safety but it's stupid and just makes people follow too close behind you which is arguably more dangerous. Of course you can just ride faster but I don't want to do math while I ride, just tell me exactly how fast I'm going for pete's sake!
Spot on! I should have mentioned it. Yamaha's speedometer is about 10 kmh higher than actuals speed at 110 kmh. I also would prefer an actual speed read. I don't want to do mental gymnastics reconciling the speedometer with the actual speed. Good point, man! Your comments here are great.
Dang I've hardly thought about this! My Aerostich suit is super convenient, but obviously too hot off road. The two times I have gone off road with it falling was painful, the armor simply moves at the worst possible time. Thank you *very* much for this. I have some searching to do for my specific body type.
@@carllinden533 I'm glad you found this useful. I learned the hard way... Ride safely!
People say it's important to take risks. If I had to choose between a street bike going faster than my subconscious can process or a dirt bike moving at a human scale. I'll take the second personally.
@@carllinden533 very well said!! Exactly my thoughts. Falling on a highway on hard asphalt going 80 mph is very different from falling on a forest road into dirt or grass going 15 mph... Both involve motorcycles, but it's two very different risks. Thank you for the insightful comment!
How do they do on 2 lane highways? I don't want to go fast, just 60-65mph/100-105kmh for 20-50miles/45-95kms to get the dirt roads and trails.
It's WAY better than I had expected. I made a video on highway riding: th-cam.com/video/nWBueshP2Tc/w-d-xo.html Note on the video: I realized XT's speedometer is a bit higher at 100 kmh speed, so 110kmh by speedometer it would be going close to 102kmh. Several things: it can keep 110 kmh for hours easily. And, surprisingly, it has less vibrations than even Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE (around 5-6K rpm it has strong vibrations). Yamaha's 250cc engine is surprisingly well-balanced. A windshield would improve highway riding even more. I added one and it makes a HUGE difference! Overall, I love this bike. I have several, but I ride this the most and it's the one I would keep if I could only have one. Thank you for the comment!
Great video! I agree with your philosophy of the perfect bike going anywhere. I'm just discovering off-roading thanks to my XT. What wheels are you running on yours? I want to replace the stock ones with something that can handle mud and wet leaves better.
I am still using stock tires. I bought "Dunlop D606 Dual Sport Rear Tire 120/90-18" specifically to better handle bud and wet leaves (and also to easier climb some of the crazy hills on snowmobile tracks). But I haven't installed them yet. I'll post a video when I try the new tires. Thank you for the comment! Ride safely!
@@SquareHelmet Thank you! Great to hear the stocks have served you well getting to amazing spots.
I am the same. I have owmed sport bikes and Harleys yet have never recaptured the joy of riding my ct110 back in the 80s. I am wanting a xt250 and am looking forward to getting one! Passing up trails on the road riding a harley or a sport bike gets old oretty quick
XT250 gives so many options for riding! I also own Ninja 400 - it's a great road bike - but often I ride it and see some amazing forest trail and I feel the bike is limiting my riding options. XT250 lets me go anywhere whenever I want: I just came back from another 4.5 hour trip mostly on the roads on XT250 - had no problems keeping at 110 kmh for hours. And when the time came to explore a tough forest trail - Yamaha shined bright there! Thank you for watching!
What is your email address?
Sorry, I didn't have my email listed before - but I now added it to me Chanel details. I don't want to post it into the comment (don't want to be spammed), but it's there on the Chanel page now.
Well said, my friend. I own this bike and love it. This coming from a rider of 30+ years and owner of many bikes. This one is a winner.
Thank you, I'm glad you liked the video! The best bike for spontaneous explorations - I take it anywhere! I still have several bikes, but I like this one the most. Because I can take it to absolutely any road. Thank you for the comment! Ride safely
Japan 35 mph
XT250 can easily keep 65 mph all day. I was actually surprised how little vibration it had.
Best riding experience I ever got was after losing my drivers license. I bought a TOMOS Targa 50cc moped & I rode her for 3 yrs. After market exhaust & electronics let me go 45mph. You learn how to ride defensively & to share the roads even when you are able to go the speed limit, you still should allow other vehicles to pass by you but this was quite a lesson on riding safely. I think we are talking about the same thing here ; safety, respect, & common sense will take you anywhere you ever wanted to go & it'll take you there in one piece. Good video
Exactly! I rode Honda Trail 125 everywhere (only excluding highways as it was illegal) and I love it! XT is as much fun, but it can also handle highway. Perfect! Thank you for the comment!
Salvation is come to the Bike Rider..... lol, the sermon about utilizing the bike you have is an important concept that many do not understand. The terrain, the weight of you/bike, the power of the bike, and you ability to use everything you have to push thru the set of circumstances you're looking at is paramount to being a successful rider. Knowing your own limitations is key as well & I know I couldn't pick up much more than a 400lb bike 3 times before it might kick my arse? But the way you presented this info & framed the XT250 into the picture was spot-on..... I'm actually looking for a dual sport & this bike is on my list & I've seen a lot of guys berate this bike while they ride along w/ a KTM but I don't care to spend that much on a bike or get the top-end checked for valve clearances 2-3 times per year at a dealership. That's like $600 a pop 3x's a year, being w/o the bike, and that's if no problems present at that time. I like checking valves after 15k-20K miles but I'm stingy w/ money & greedy w/ my time..... I guess I'm all about ME = damn right & if this is the story about the Little Engine that Could, I'm buying the book thanks to your pov & ideology about properly making what you have work for you ! Anyhoo, thanks Preacher ! peace
Lol, great comment! And you are spot on - forget about KTM with their issues and maintenance. XT is an honest bike that will handle absolutely any road you'll throw at it. Any road. And it's so simple - there is just not that many things that can break, and those that can break are made in Japan from highest quality materials - so you will have to try hard to break it. I love it and I can push it further than any other bike. And I've been pushing it far - and I'm still not even close to its limits. Thank you for the comment! Ride safely
I don't have a bike yet..... lol, I'm saving right now($2,000 saved) & as I save I've been keeping up w/ 10-11 dual sport bikes, all the needed MOD's that I'll want including the cost of those mods for each bike. I've figured out the post purchase mods for all the bikes on my list so no matter which way I'll know what I'm in for money wise. Also if it happens that I look at a used bike, any of my picks, I'll know what most the mods on each one already & roughly what he spent making it easier to know the real value based on what he did. I've broke all my choices down but I'm still saving & you inspired me to post. Thanks for that, peace man
@@diggy-d8w Having knobby tires for off-roading it the only mod you really need. A cargo rack and plastic storage container to tye to the cargo rack, is the other thing that makes the bike useful all year round.
I love the bike & haven't got the money to pick one up yet. Bought new, I agree, the biggest MOD for this bike is that you have the suspension "sprung" for You & they'll do it at purchase and then tires. You might break in the bike w/ the factory tires but then get a decent set of rubber that meets your needs for Road / Dirt riding. These 2 things are the most important things as my research is showing. In fact on any bike you don't need to open the airbox or anything else until you break her in, after that you might consider it & as for carrying the bike, a strap & a milk crate, and very basic stuff is all you need. Thanks for posting ! peace
No the TW is
@@s.porter8646 I know TW well - I started with it. Great bike! I loved it so much - I got a very similar bike from Suzuki (VanVan, injection and design skewed my choice. Put TW tires on VanVan and it will go step in step with TW). My take on TW: if you never rode a bike, or never off-road - TW would be the easiest to ride anywhere. It's like tractor off-road, but extremely easy to handle. Once the skill go up a bit, XT250 will go anywhere TW will and more. And it will handle faster roads and longer trips much easier. But overall, I love TW! I'll make a full comparison between TW, XT and VanVan to discuss which riding fits the best each of these great bikes. Ride safely!
@@SquareHelmet I have a 2005 (bought new) and a Beta 525 RS....guess what I ride more of...in Japan ...the XT is overall awesome, but I love how you never grow out of the TW...yea it's small and slow, but versatile. Great vid brother keep posting mahalo
@@s.porter8646 I'm with you there. I love TW. I love smaller bikes - Honda Trail 125 is still one of the best bikes I rode. And if you compare it to TW - TW gives you even more, while it's probably as easy to ride as Trail. If not for VanVan (again, the retro design won me over), TW would be in my garage next to my XT! Great choice man! Thank you for the comment and enjoy TW!
@@SquareHelmet my neighbor has the original XT350, he races, won put on display, let me ride it, cause I loaned him the beta so he could learn to work on them, we took the TW up some mountain trails, love it, specially when you have to throw over something. Keep videoing
Great observations about theoretical capacity and available (or attainable) capacity. I started riding several months ago and bought a 20 year old TW200. It’s a great little bike for me to start on and it’s been the exact same model since 2001, so buying used made sense. Its theoretical capacity still far exceeds my abilities. I mostly ride on dirt and gravel roads, and occasional single track. The next step for me, if I get there, will probably be an XT250. I have only heard great things about it. It has a little more speed for highways when I need to connect from trail to trail. Thanks for the great content!
You made a great choice with TW200! If you never rode offroad before, this is a great bike to start. Side by side with XT250, XT requires more attention and it's a bit harder to start on. But it's not because XT is hard, it's because TW200 is so amazingly easy! I also strongly believe that to start offroad you should pick the easiest possible bike (I first tried Honda CRF250L and I was scared and did not enjoy offroad riding one bit. I concluded that offroad is not for me and went back to road riding... Until one day I picked up Honda Trail 125 and enjoyed offroad WAY more than any other bike. I also got some initial offroad riding feel and skills. Then XT250... Now I can handle most bikes offroad, including big Tenere. So, starting small is important). And yes, XT250 is much more capable overall than TW200 on highway and in some places offroad (using both bikes, I can go further and faster on XT). So, switching to XT later may be a good option. But it's just an option - TW200 is amazing too. Thank you for your comment! Ride safely!
My son just bought a 2005 XT250 as his beginner dualsport to join me on my DR650. Im so relieved to see this video and read all the positive reviews. Thanks for sharing!
In my opinion, your son made a great choice! I think he will love it. Thank you for watching - I'm glad you like the videos! DR650 is a great one too. It felt a bit too tall for me when I just started riding, but now I think I can handle it better. Ride safely!
Also the scott jacket has abrasion resistant materials on the outer arms, which will be useful when you go on the street
I didn't know - thank you for the info! I'll take any protection I can get. Thank you for watching!
I've owned a lot of bikes in 50 years of riding. Four BMWs, and two got badges for going over 100K miles. Clocked over 600K miles on all the street bikes and I don't know how many miles on the dirt bikes. Covered all but two US states and all but 3 provinces/territories including an R100S ride from Los Angeles to Inuvik above the Arctic Circle. I even had the XT250's grandfather, a late 70's XT500. I sold my R1100R 5 years ago and gave up riding. Or so I thought. I got the itch again and decided a small dual sport bike would be just the ticket. All my research points to one bike for what I want. Some off road, milder than my younger years. Some street, maybe 3-500 miles. The XT250 came out the clear best choice for me. And I just found your channel with all the proof that it is the bike for my intended use. This video captures the important details, but also the emotions involved in making the decision. Now I just have to find one...they aren't easy to find right now. Will probably have to wait for the 2025 model year to come out.
Wow, what a great riding experience - the stories of those travels would probably support a few travel books! Traveling above the Arctic Circle is one of my dreams - I hope I'll find the time and courage to venture that far up North. Tuktoyaktuk is one place I would love to visit. As for XT250 - I meant every single word I used to describe it. Simple, reliable, fun bike. I call it an "honest" bike, as it does not try to look like something that it's not. One thing it will do - it will take you anywhere you point it and back. I love it! I hope you find one and I hope you continue your adventures! Thank you for your great comment! As for me, I hope one day I would be able to experience a similarly impressive travels.
Exactly why I love mine, great vid!!
I'm glad you liked the video! It's an amazing bike - I only wish I had discovered it much sooner. Ride safely!
If I get out of high performance bikes, Im getting one of these to do everything on.
I stepped down from high performance bikes. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I want to experience that rush of power again. But the ability to go absolutely any road on XT250 is so great! My absolutely favorite bike. And as a small consolation, I also bought a small displacement 'sport' bike - Ninja 400. The two bikes in price and maintenance are cheaper than a true high performance bike, but the riding balance I get with these two is amazing! I can go absolutely anywhere on XT250 and when I want to have a bit more fun on paved roads - I take Ninja for a 11-12,000 rpm flyby. Thank you for the comment! Ride safely!
Dig it. All we need is a gas gauge. On hiway, are you going slower, faster than traffic? Go have fun.
That's pretty much it! Gas gauge would be useful though - I always reset the trip meter when refueling to know when I'm running out of gas... but it's such an inconsistent measure: 20 km of highway on 5th gear is not the same as 20 km in extreme offroad on 1st gear. And I really hate range anxiety, especially when I am deep in the woods with no gas stations around. Thank you for the comment!
I love my XT 250. I mostly ride off road in the Mojave Desert in Utah and Arizona. It’s always an adventure riding this Yamaha dual sport bike. It’s very dependable and reliable.
Yes, it's a great true adventure bike! For me, the real adventure starts when you pick some unknown road and something does not go according to plan. From that point of view, I get plenty of adventures on my XT250 too. Thank you for the comment! Enjoy your XT250!
I have a 2021. Excellent bike, love the broad powerband and it is a great around-town bike with crazy great gas mileage. Also super-easy to push start should your battery become deceased.
Broad powerband - that's a great observation! I should have mentioned it in one of my videos. Compared to some other bikes (and to my Suzuki VanVan), XT250 has nice power in a wide range. Thank you for the comment! Ride safely
Have you unpgraded the rear shock? or if not is that in your future plans? I love your content.
Everything stock for now. For my weight it works quite well - I never had an issue with it. Or maybe I just don't go fast enough... The front and rear suspension is very basic, but somehow it just works! I'm glad you like the content and thank you for the comment! Ride safely