No Frills and Cheap Thrills: Yamaha XT225
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ค. 2024
- The Yamaha XT225 is probably one of the most beginner friendly dual sports available on the used market. First time buyers can get caught up in a lot of the intricacies and specifics of the bikes themselves rather than just taking the plunge and taking the opportunity to learn as much as possible while having fun.
This Yamaha XT225 is not my first bike, and was not my first dual sport. Everyone will always lust for more power, speed, and suspension travel, but are you actually good enough to use it all? The no frills, nothing fancy nature of the XT is perfect for beginners to focus on technique and use everything (even if limited) that the XT has to offer.
Overall, if you grew up riding motocross this bike will be severely underwhelming. It is definitely catered to the more casual and beginner rider to learn on.
0:00 Intro
1:29 Basic Specifications & Stats
4:33 Reliability and Issues I've Experienced
6:11 Modifications that I've made
8:35 On Road review
10:50 Off road review
12:45 Outro - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
Overall, a pretty accurate review. I have about 9,000 miles on my 2001 XT225 which I bought new. I would say that, yes, it is an ideal beginners bike but it is much more than that. I have owned many other motorcycles over the years and have to say that this bike is my overall favorite. It is an absolute pleasure to ride. Extremely compliant and it is very user friendly. I even rode it on a portion of the Trans American Trail from Idaho to Oregon in 2021 and it performed flawlessly. The suspension is quite good, front and rear. For me, anything heavier when taken off road is a limitation in itself. This is a relatively lightweight bike when compared to just about all "modern" dual sports and it is lighter than the 5 speed XT 250 as well. I have had zero maintenance issues and I average about 87 MPG on regular fuel. I have seen 107 MPG on occasion. I recommend the XT225 to anyone interested and I am confident that you will not be disappointed.
Everyone that I've seen/read that has an XT225 really loves it, including me. It's hard to describe how the size and light weight really make it fun. I have sent this bike over some gnarly terrain, bashed the skid plate over rocks, dumped it in a mud hole, and every time I was thankful the bike wasn't heavier.
I didn't go over it to not drown in details but I think I get around 70 mpg because I re-jetted to a #132.5 main jet. No idea why the previous owner did it but there was a #150 jet in there and I was wondering why it bogged sometimes. Normal riding is a little above sea level and riding in the mountains of Appalachia is just simply not that tall so that jet seems to work well for me.
Nice review. I have 54+ years of experience off road riding and am still riding regularly. I'm now riding an XT225 as my primary dual sport bike.
At 71 years of age, I felt it was time to get off the too tall and too top heavy modern bikes and go for a lower/lighter bike in the effort to add more riding years to my riding journey. I made an excellent decision with the XT225: It's perfect for the way I ride now. Plus, I can flat foot on both sides when stopped. This alone adds so much confidence for riding slow, rough going. I no longer need to attack it in order to keep momentum as one has to do on a too tall/too top heavy modern bike. Instead, I can simply clutch and paddle my way over rough stuff to hold down speed/etc, thus reduce risk of a fall over onto bone breaking rocks/etc. The XT225 is way underrated as a trail bike. It is an EXCELLENT trail bike. (Note I did NOT say trail racing bike, which it is not.)
One minor point, the rear suspension is 7.5" of travel, and not the 5" or so you mention. The nice smooth (soft) suspension, coupled with the wide, soft, and comfortable seat, makes the miles far more comfortable than the brick hard narrow seats of a modern bike and their ggressive (firmer) suspensions.
Thanks a lot for the comment. I am definitely a casual off-road rider, and all the reasons you listed are why the XT225 works really well for me.
Can't remember where I got my rear suspension spec from, but thanks for catching that error.
beautiful xt225! wonderful insights!
Hi, I love this bike, it's good. Someone sold me in pretty bad shape and I have been working on it and it's soo nice now. Am Kenyan and this bike serves me well. I liked your review. Thank you
Thanks a lot. I'm glad you enjoyed the video
I would agree with all of your comments and observations. I bought a 2005 in late summer of 2004 and it's my all time favorite bike. Definitely not for sale. It is the Willy's Jeep of the motor cycle world. With good tires it will go pretty much anywhere but don't be in a hurry. With some simple maintenance it is absolutely reliable. Still running the original Yuasa battery after almost 20 years.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed. Mine is definitely not for sale either
Exceptionally well stated..I have had many, many bikes, currently a Vstrom 650, XR650L and the XT225. Vstrom for street/trips, had the 650L 18years, picked up the XT a while back to hang on the back of the camper and has become my go to for trail/forest road/exploring.. the 650L will likely find a new home soon...on the XT I've upgraded the fork and shock springs, added a Seat Concepts seat, Clarke 4 gal tank (nealy 300mile range)..it has a kick start backup..crazy pleasant/capable bike. I feel the secret sauce is the light weight and 26 degree rake angle-it tracks/steers beautifully-way better than the 650L..just remember it's not a KTM enduro and embrace it for what it is..I imagine the XT250 is quite similar too..
I love the light weight of it. I'm really tempted to get some suspension bits to upgrade the ride offroad because that's most of my riding now. What spring/shock set up did you end up getting?
@@Dan_And_Daves_GarageI'm +/_ 185lbs "dry", for the forks RaceTech .48kg/mm springs from ProCyle, for the shock, I don't recall the kg/mm, but I ordered direct from Cogent-the fellow I spoke with recommended the spring, he stated it was optimized for the stock shock..VAST improvement..that and the Seat Concepts seat foam/cover kit..the Clarke 4gal tank gives me stupid range..plus, the bike looks more classic trailbike with the Serrow decals removed and the natural color tank-can also easily see fuel level..full up it's 275lbs (bathroom scale) with a rear rack and knock off Pelican case from Harbor Freight, Kenda K-760's and heavy duty tubes..
@@Dan_And_Daves_Garage stock shock-Cogent heavier spring, forks RaceTech .48kg/mm springs, 15w oil..
Great review on a great bike
Thanks for the honest review, this bike is on my short list of possible dirt bikes due to the seat height.👍
Thanks! I still have it and ride it around town and on forest roads. The seat height is definitely a plus
Good vid!
Love mine. Have ridden several thousand gravel, trail miles here in Tn/NC...like a big mountain bike overall. Have broken a few spokes here n there, but basically bulletproof and rideable truly anywhere...easy to pickup even after a long long day.
Thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed
I live in California and i have a 2001 yamaha xt 225 i ride it daily and a 06 model with 800 miles that i keeping for vintage
I absolutely love my xt 225s and they have been the most reliable bike i have ever owned and extremely simple love the review it is very accurate
Thanks a lot. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I'll have some more XT225 content as the riding season goes into full swing here
I have this bike, its super easy to work on, and low cost to own. It's great for country roads & trails. Not great for interstate or challenging off-road. Great bike to start on if you are a smaller/lighter rider. I swapped in a smaller front sprocket which made it much better off road, better all-around for my use. I love it!
The trail riding I do is pretty casual, so it would be a waste to get anything more aggressive. I've had this one for almost 5 years now, and I still have fun every time I'm out riding, so no plans on upgrading just yet.
Nice to see a fun bike that's not trying to pretend to be a motorcrosser, I have a bike for that already and ones that scare me, I want one that's for poking around fun.
You might be bored if you are used to that riding style haha
Good review of a good tractable Dual Sport. Precisely what people want to know, not what is in the new bike brochure but, how it holds up and lasts after some time in the real world. Yamaha should hire you to do this to several of their rides - long after purcahse. BMW should too! :-) Next, find a buddy who will let you compare their Suzuki, Kawasaki and Honda similar sized ride.
I first need to find some more friends who also have bikes for me to ride and review. Otherwise, I'll be stuck buying them for myself, which isn't the worst idea.
I'm picking up an 87 TT 225 on Sunday. Really clean and a sweet deal! I've looked for an xr200 forever but no dice. I'm more of a Yamaha guy myself. I'll post a video as soon as I pick it up.
Nice. As the weather warms up I'll have more video of actual trails. I'll be sure to check the video out.
Good choice ! The xr suspension doesn't have alot of room for growth imo
Great review! Found it to be very accurate .
I’ve upgraded the front brake pads and changed fluid on mine but still find the front brake very underpowered..
Would love to hear others ideas on helping the braking..
I have some EBC pads in the front but would also be interested in an overall upgrade. Would make an interesting project to find a donor bike that would work for a swap.
hey man ,I really like the bike and just got one. could you tell me where you got the hand guards/bark busters from?
These are the Acerbis Endurance handguards in blue. Rocky Mtn ATV actually has the blue ones on closeout and cheaper than what I paid which was close to MSRP.
www.rockymountainatvmc.com/parts/acerbis-endurance-handguards-p
Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed!
98 xt225 Canadian model I have bored to 71.25mm with new piston and nibbi pwk 28mm carburetor 1.75 in diameter exhaust tip no baffle tube raw power I gained max 252 cc very awesome ride 3rd gear max power band 74kmh 6 speed I changed whole wire harness upgrades yes.
Nice, I would totally build up this motor to be a little spicier if I had the time
Has anyone found a mod to replace the plastics on these things? Everyrhing is so hard to find on them
I haven't really looked, but the best bet would be to cross shop with the TTR225 or modify XT250 plastics. For fenders, you could probably get away with modifying YZ dirt bike plastics but I wouldn't expect much else to fit
I’m planning on buying a 96 xt 225 from my cousin, it needs a little bit of work but that’s the least of my concerns. All I want to know is if it’s got a key or kick start. I’m 14 and have been looking for a dirtbike to buy after I make the most money possible over the summer and this one has caught my eye since it was my cousins, thanks.
Oh nevermind I’m blind, it’s literally in the first few seconds of the video
If I recall all models came with the easy button. There is actually a provision in the engine case to add a kickstart if you wanted to.
The only bike with a gas engine I’ve ever rode is a Yamaha TTR125L, I love that bike and will probably keep it the rest of my life because my dad bought it for me as a kid and it’s sentimental, but it’s time for me to upgrade, I’m 6’ tall and 175 pounds, do you think this bike is enough of an upgrade for me to start getting thrills from riding again? Or should I go up to 350cc range, I found a pretty good deal on one of these 225s but don’t want to buy it and it be underwhelming to me, again I’ve only ever felt a single digit horsepower 125 and don’t get me wrong it’s still fun to me, its just that I’ve completely mastered it and am starting to get too heavy to get it going very quick, I definitely don’t wanna jump up to a 500cc from a 125 that would be overkill and I have no experience on a bike that heavy although I’m sure I could handle it with some practice
The XT225 has enough get up and go for around town and twisty back roads. It's great casual fun. Emphasis on casual. I''m 5'8" 170 so weight wise, it has no issue with me. Height may be an issue so the only thing I can suggest is to go sit on it and see if you feel cramped.
Otherwise, the only other 350 I have ridden is my brother's DR350. It's great and all and is obviously larger in every capacity. Sometimes, I'd like the extra power, but other times, the light weight and small size of the XT225 has been handy. In reality, there is no free lunch when it comes to whichever option you choose.
Hey Dan and Dave! I am a newer (and shorter) rider and picked up a Honda CRF300L Rally thinking it had everything I wanted. After a couple months of riding around on it, it still feels too top heavy and too tall, and a pain to load in and out of my truck. I'm looking at selling it and picking up either a TW200 or an XT225. I rode my friends TW200 last month and it was very confidence-inspiring and I was having a blast, but I haven't had the chance to try an XT225. Have you ridden a TW200 and would you be able to compare the two?
I have not ridden a TW200 but from what I've read they have allegedly a tractor-like riding experience. The XT225 is 22lbs lighter, with more suspension travel and more "performance" (I can't believe I would even say that) oriented wheel/tire combo compared to the TW. I've only seen TWs used around me locally on farms for chasing around sheep and goats, and they are great for that. The XT is very confidence inspiring and still easy to ride. It's light, nimble, and has just enough power to get out of its own way which makes it a great learning/beginner bike or casual rider.
Man you can probably sell the 300L for just as much as you bought it for
Do they make motorcycles or enduros that go fast enough for the high way but not too quick for an intermediate rider that also look like late 80s early 90s dirt bikes like these? I really love the look but my commute to work is 45 mins everyday and this wont due
Brother has a DR350 that he enjoys and is better at highway use with a top speed of 87mph. Only issue is those bikes are now really showing their age and parts are getting hard to find if not impossible. DRZ400 may be an option as well but I don't have any experience with them. The "fast enough" isn't too much of an issue, it's the stability and buzzyness you get with smaller cc dual sports compared to 650's or higher. Hope this helps
@@Dan_And_Daves_Garage i just dislike the big body style of more capable bikes like the ninja or even the classic look of honda rebels and such
@@garrettprosser7336 We had a 2005 Ninja EX250 and it was good fun. Really light, nimble, with great fuel economy along with the classic 80s styling and could actually go highway speeds. On the other hand also had a 2013 BMW G650gs that was also a great bike and had all the bells and whistles. Really comfortable but sold it because it was too nice to go bash through the woods. We actually have two Suzuki GS750's, one that David is restoring now and one that was previously fixed up. Rode it around a bunch and as it sits has 87k miles on it. Tons of options for older bikes and so many styles to choose from, you can always sell it if you don't like it.
Do you know the footpeg upgrade? What brand, where to buy? Ive been wanting to do the same.
I haven't looked to deep into it but I know that there is a guy on the forums "DMO" that offers a bolt on option. Allegedly the XT225 pegs are a little whacky and difficult to find bolt on solutions.
DMO Specialties, very well made and a small USA business.
I’d love to see what you do about the foot pegs, I am on that journey now. DMO seems to be out of business, I am currently struggling with the ttr set up.
What thickness or grade of shell diesel oil do you use?
Just the standard Rotella T4 15w-40. It is cheap and also JASO MA/MA2 certified so its safe to use for motorcycles. I would recommend a high quality filter, preferably oem.
Hi would you recommend it to a beginner dirt rider who at least has many years of road riding experiences? Not even thinking to try pretending to be a motocrosser but still would like to learn and practice crossing over small logs and doing brake slides elephant turn and just having fun alone that way without getting competitive..
Depends on your size/height. If you are shorter, like 5' 8" and under, then this is a good option. These are great fun to putt around on trails and just have fun time exploring the forest roads casually which is what I use it for. I've done some technical trails with the bike and you find the limits very fast with its suspension and power. It's doable, but not something it's meant for. I'd say maybe find a slightly more modern 250 or 300 of the Japanese makes if you want to try out any of the enduro tricks you see online.
@@Dan_And_Daves_Garage I am 5'11" but I am not used to sitting so high making me feel a bit awkward. So on a trail, I assume it could still do what dr650/drz400 could pretty much?
To get an idea of what it can do and keep up with, look up the "Shenandoah 500" that's held here in Virginia. Trail difficulty goes from maintained gravel to deeply rutted and muddy with large rocks. This XT is able to keep up every year. Tons of riders out there on DRZ400s, and 650s. I understand the part about being spooked by the height. From here, just find one for sale and test it out to see how it feels.
@@Dan_And_Daves_Garage many thanks for your prompt and insightful reply. I actually test rode one the other day and I liked the way it feels and handles. Seems like a good old friend even though I havent ridden it before. It also feels like a bicycle compared to my current roadbike? Just wanted to ask how it handles offroad. I will try dr650, drz400, crf300, klx250 etc. before deciding then.
The down side is now this model is older and discontinued in 2007 it is hard finding parts both in plastics and engine, and hard get upgrades that fit being older bike. If find one thats reasonable priced used get the crash bars all over front rear so dont need buy parts when gets beat up.
What engine parts are you concerned about finding? I'm getting by just changing oil and filters. I'm not sure what else I would have to worry about. This also shared the engine with the TTR225 so parts like clutches and carb kits are available. Plastics are certainly a consideration as used on ebay is pretty much the only option.
bro if your vertically i must be vetically disabled im 5'5 XD do you think i could fit on this bike?
Haha I'm 5'8" and I fit really well. The XT225 and next generation XT250 are probably the most recommended for beginner shorter riders. I can easily flat foot the bike with flex in the knee with dirt bike boots and a 30" inseam. I believe you should have no issue.
What’s the top speed on these are they air cooled?
I think downhill with a tail wind, I hit 70 once, but the max comfortable speed is about 60-65. Any higher and the vibrations are a little rough, and it struggles with wind as it's not built with aero in mind. These are air-cooled, so that helps keep them simple.
12:25 $1400. Wow, good buy.
Pre-covid pricing and it needed tires and a few small things to be rideable and pass state inspection. At the time it was still a great price
I have a 2001 xt225. Runs like a sewing machine. I put a Clarke tank gas tank . So I have 4.1 gallons of gas.
Nice. If I was in the desert I'd really consider one. I just have an MSR fuel bottle for emergencies right now, and that gets me everywhere I want to go.
What are rpm’s like at 60?