Suzuki DR200 vs. Honda CTX200 vs. Yamaha TW200

cat · 10-24-2011, 03:22 AM

Suzuki DR200 vs. Honda CTX200 vs. Yamaha TW200

Who can tell me?

Please discuss.

Performance? Gearing?
Suspension and handling?
Build quality and "fit and finish"?

kpt4321 · 10-24-2011, 04:42 AM

Performance: Slow.
Suspension: Crappy.

In this market segment, you're not very concerned with performance or suspension.

BikePilot · 10-24-2011, 04:42 AM

The TW200 has really goofy fat tires for wanna-be atv riders (also extremely basic chassis and not much power)

The DR200 is well made, but very old-tech and basic. A good around-town run-about. I wouldn't try to ride one at speed off road.

Never heard of the honda - they don't sell it in the states. From the pictures of it I found on-line it looks a bit more off road worthy than the DR.

Another good aircooled bike of this size is the XT/TTR225. It has a 6speed gearbox which is a big help when you have a small motor.

WR250R instead of the above maybe?

NJ-Brett · 10-24-2011, 05:44 AM

I suppose they are all light, and on the low side, besides being under powered and having poor suspension for motocross type racing.

I am looking to get a used tw200 as the tires will work well in the sand I have around here.
Nothing but thick soft sand and mud pits.
Younger guys will just want more power, and more suspension, so they can blast through the sandy whoops, but that can be a bad combo for older more brittle riders, so I figure I can have fun going slower through just about anything on the TW200.
Up any sandy hill, through any thick sandy mile long stretch of whoops, through mud holes, all with a low seat height and light weight (somewhat), fun without falling and breaking half the bones in your body like you can on big tall heavy fast bikes. Its the really fat tires. If you have to have a tag on the bike, and want to get through just about anything, the TW200 is up at the top of my list.

For places where you do not have a lot of sand, there are other better choices. Much faster choices.
Any and all 200cc bikes have little use on the roads, local riding, up to about 60 mph is ok, and while people do make really long road trips on little bikes, they do not do it at 70 mph.

EastKY_DO · 10-24-2011, 05:55 AM

Hey Brett,

If you don't need a tag on the bike and want to go slow on just about any terrain imaginable look at a Rokon Trail-Breaker. They are the oddest bike in the world. I bought a used one about 3 years ago and I have a blast riding around on old abandoned mine sites here in eastern KY. It wouldn't do for riding on the street though. Not taggable and top speed of about 40 mph.

I second your choice for something that has to be street legal as I'm not far behind you in age and feel the effects more than I used to.

Doc

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

. . . so I figure I can have fun going slower through just about anything on the TW200.
Up any sandy hill, through any thick sandy mile long stretch of whoops, through mud holes, all with a low seat height and light weight (somewhat), fun without falling and breaking half the bones in your body like you can on big tall heavy fast bikes. Its the really fat tires. If you have to have a tag on the bike, and want to get through just about anything, the TW200 is up at the top of my list.

NJ-Brett · 10-24-2011, 06:12 AM

Its not feeling the effects of riding, its the not wanting to get airlifted out of the woods again to spend weeks in the hospital. That cuts into riding time!
Plus, if you get busted up enough to where NONE of your limbs work, how you going to ride at all?
I got one leg left that works right, and want to keep it that way!

In the pinelands, you can go anywhere and do anything, as long as your ride has a tag on it.

Some light little fast bike wont do as they have narrow front tires which love to high side you in the sand....

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastKY_DO

Hey Brett,

If you don't need a tag on the bike and want to go slow on just about any terrain imaginable look at a Rokon Trail-Breaker. They are the oddest bike in the world. I bought a used one about 3 years ago and I have a blast riding around on old abandoned mine sites here in eastern KY. It wouldn't do for riding on the street though. Not taggable and top speed of about 40 mph.

I second your choice for something that has to be street legal as I'm not far behind you in age and feel the effects more than I used to.

Doc

mykdee · 10-24-2011, 04:10 PM

TW200 all the way! I went from a DR350S that was well built up to a 2005 TW200 and cant be happier, the fat tires are what make this bike so enjoyable!!!

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frog13 · 11-25-2012, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BikePilot

The TW200 has really goofy fat tires for wanna-be atv riders (also extremely basic chassis and not much power)

The DR200 is well made, but very old-tech and basic. A good around-town run-about. I wouldn't try to ride one at speed off road.

Never heard of the honda - they don't sell it in the states. From the pictures of it I found on-line it looks a bit more off road worthy than the DR.

Another good aircooled bike of this size is the XT/TTR225. It has a 6speed gearbox which is a big help when you have a small motor.

WR250R instead of the above maybe?

Wanna-be atv riders......TW has plenty in the torque department......climbs around all of the other stuck/wrecked power jockey's.

NJ-Brett · 11-25-2012, 06:09 PM

Wow, old thread!
I did get a TW200 and loved it, but they are different.
Great at going through anything, easy to ride in tough places (I went through swamps), but not like a normal motorcycle.
The front wheel stays on the ground, and you do not power slide the rear, or slide it at all.
The little 200cc motor is quite amazing, you can lug it through all sorts of stuff or scream it, it worked well at all rpm's.

I went places I would never think of taking other bikes, and it was easy.
Another bike might have been able to make it, but it would not have been easy or much fun.
A good bike for the sand/swamps/mud around here.
Not a good high speed bike.

View Results: Which is the best?
Suzuki DR200	6	22.22%
Honda CTX200	2	7.41%
Yamaha TW200	19	70.37%
Voters: 27. You may not vote on this poll

10-24-2011, 03:22 AM	#1
cat ^OP Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2004 Location: Durban, South Africa. Oddometer: 1,291	Suzuki DR200 vs. Honda CTX200 vs. Yamaha TW200 Suzuki DR200 vs. Honda CTX200 vs. Yamaha TW200 Who can tell me? Please discuss. Performance? Gearing? Suspension and handling? Build quality and "fit and finish"? __________________

10-24-2011, 04:42 AM	#2
kpt4321 Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2008 Location: Philadelphia, PA Oddometer: 1,665	Performance: Slow. Suspension: Crappy. In this market segment, you're not very concerned with performance or suspension. __________________ TAT 2008 / Colorado 2010 "Both the man of science and the man of action live always at the edge of mystery, surrounded by it." -Oppenheimer 2007 Monster S2R / 2006 TE610 / 1999 KDX 200 / 2000 DRZ-E

10-24-2011, 04:42 AM	#3
BikePilot Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2005 Location: Tampa Oddometer: 10,901	The TW200 has really goofy fat tires for wanna-be atv riders (also extremely basic chassis and not much power) The DR200 is well made, but very old-tech and basic. A good around-town run-about. I wouldn't try to ride one at speed off road. Never heard of the honda - they don't sell it in the states. From the pictures of it I found on-line it looks a bit more off road worthy than the DR. Another good aircooled bike of this size is the XT/TTR225. It has a 6speed gearbox which is a big help when you have a small motor. WR250R instead of the above maybe? __________________ '09 Buell XB12XT, TL1000S, H1F, M620, CR250R, DR250SE, XR650R, Cota 315R Summer 2009 Ride Report http://advrider.com/forums/showthrea...1509c&t=507038 Summer 2008 RR. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=367703

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10-24-2011, 05:44 AM	#4
NJ-Brett Brett Joined: Sep 2010 Location: Southern New Jersey Oddometer: 4,714	I suppose they are all light, and on the low side, besides being under powered and having poor suspension for motocross type racing. I am looking to get a used tw200 as the tires will work well in the sand I have around here. Nothing but thick soft sand and mud pits. Younger guys will just want more power, and more suspension, so they can blast through the sandy whoops, but that can be a bad combo for older more brittle riders, so I figure I can have fun going slower through just about anything on the TW200. Up any sandy hill, through any thick sandy mile long stretch of whoops, through mud holes, all with a low seat height and light weight (somewhat), fun without falling and breaking half the bones in your body like you can on big tall heavy fast bikes. Its the really fat tires. If you have to have a tag on the bike, and want to get through just about anything, the TW200 is up at the top of my list. For places where you do not have a lot of sand, there are other better choices. Much faster choices. Any and all 200cc bikes have little use on the roads, local riding, up to about 60 mph is ok, and while people do make really long road trips on little bikes, they do not do it at 70 mph.

10-24-2011, 04:10 PM	#7
mykdee Adventurer Joined: Aug 2011 Location: Casa Grande, Az Oddometer: 80	TW200 all the way! I went from a DR350S that was well built up to a 2005 TW200 and cant be happier, the fat tires are what make this bike so enjoyable!!!

11-25-2012, 06:09 PM	#9
NJ-Brett Brett Joined: Sep 2010 Location: Southern New Jersey Oddometer: 4,714	Wow, old thread! I did get a TW200 and loved it, but they are different. Great at going through anything, easy to ride in tough places (I went through swamps), but not like a normal motorcycle. The front wheel stays on the ground, and you do not power slide the rear, or slide it at all. The little 200cc motor is quite amazing, you can lug it through all sorts of stuff or scream it, it worked well at all rpm's. I went places I would never think of taking other bikes, and it was easy. Another bike might have been able to make it, but it would not have been easy or much fun. A good bike for the sand/swamps/mud around here. Not a good high speed bike.