Yamaha TW200 VS Suzuki VanVan 200 

Me too :-)

Awesome! Keep enjoying, have a great day!

Great to hear that it made that much of an impression! Something amazing to be said about a bike you want to go back to that strongly!

No worries Domingo, have a great day and thanks!

I owned the grandfather to the VanVan, the RV-90. it was my first bike.

Awesome! Enjoy!!!

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I've had my VanVan for 2 years. No issues. Love it.

@@danstromness5165 I remember them. Dual range transmission? 2 stroke heavy beast!!

Right? I try to ride my Burgman 650 to work as much as possible, and on occasion my TW. To me, a motorcycle should be able to take you places cars can't. You don't have to have a car engine in a motorcycle!! 500cc's will get you anywhere 2300 cc"s will!! Ride to work! It's a little taste of the weekend every day!

I figured there must be a need for it because I get SOOOO many questions and requests to do the small cc stuff haha

I see a purple TW125 locally, looks great. Not common here in Scotland

Give it a shot! Not like they are expensive anyway hahaha

Yes get one , trust me .

They look so cool haha...I for one am a fan.

I just sold my cb500f and now I want a vanvan200 but I want to buy used and the tw200 is the only option around ke

How hard was the VanVan to find? I'm having a hard time finding them here or even in neighboring states.

Same，”Lot's of people stop and ask about the bike”

Thanks Sam! I agree it's super fun and needs to be given a chance by almost any rider haha...there's a reason people who get one tend to keep it or get another one!

I'm 40 on a yz80 watch out!!!

Hi Sam lol 😆

@@dualdorks Hi Dustin! 🤘😂

Yes indeed... I remember when a buddy of mine [who rides a Ducati litre bike] asked me why I bought a little Yamaha XT250. Thats a noob bike right? Well, no. I'm in my early 40's and started riding at 8yo. Spent over 2 decades on fast 2-stroke MX bikes. Rode on the streets as well since the early 00's. In that time, I have learned to appreciate the value of a good trail bike... especially for dual sport riding.

Thanks! The positive feedback always means the world in a sea of negativity on the internet!

That fuel economy is a huge plus to both hahaha...it's hard to ignore to legendary status and history of that TW...

I get great 85+ mpg on my Kawasaki KLX250 dual purpose bike with road tyres. Love the mpg. Would love a new TW200 but they don't sell them in the UK

@PineyRider, while riding the Pine’s, you didn’t happen to see that interior designer who killed all those Czechoslovakians, did you?

@melodymakermark Never heard about that one. When was this? I did know Heather Lee Armijo, who was murdered 25 years ago around April 29th in 1999. Joseph T Austin, her killer is eligible for parole in 10 years. She'll still be dead. He tortured animals and moved on to an innocent 20 yr old girl.

@PineyRider, 🤣 It was from a Sopranos episode. Being a Tennessee boy, it’s what comes to mind when I hear “pine Barrons”.

Seems to be the thought from most TW owners, what a loyalty inspiring machine :-)

Thanks for the added thoughts Javier!

Awesome to hear it Turvyjj! Keep riding and enjoying, no reason to go bigger when it does everything you want!

I also had the candy red vanvan 125 it sold it 2 years ago, I wish I had kept it now

I own a VanVan and that 10mph would make a difference to me. When I drive the backroads in my small Nevada town I have to constantly look for cars tailgaiting me ebcause I can't break 50ph on flat ground. It's a case of where going faster would be safer.

Awesome bike, enjoy it and ride safe!

@@AlexSimmons11c Cant ride yet. All the Hills where we ride are on fire!!!! Its Brutal.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CEzPi7SbxoY.html

BMW long distance and some off road fun. I have been riding my TW way more than my 1250, it's actually collecting dust. TW i go everywhere except long distance (400 miles+). I am thinking about selling my Beemer.

It's been a minute, how do you like the TW200?

True enough! Great little bike :-)

The TW has been around since 1987 (1986 manufactured), the VanVan since 2017-2019 (?) right?

@@papatorr3669 yes VanVan has only been in NA 2 years. I was talking about the DR200... Meaning the VanVan Engine has been around as long as the TW

Thanks for the input from someone who owns both!!

It sure is hahaha

From what I understand that 125 is quite the little scrapper itself haha

Well sorry to hear it is not available, hut glad to hear that you are going to customize a GN250 to make it work! That is part of what makes motorcycles fun!

Hahaha rock on!

Even a TW250 would be nice.

same

It would be much heavier n take off that off road easy capability it now has

Like a 200cc dual purpose couch :-)

If you do so you will have to let me know what your thoughts are as an owner of both!

@@AlexSimmons11c I certainly will! I’ve ridden a VanVan, and from what I could tell in an afternoon, it was essentially a super-(too) quiet, slightly smoother (EFI), TW with higher gearing and less suspension travel (not by much). Seemed to make power higher in the rev range, too, but that could’ve been an illusion due to the gearing. I think it could be made to be as capable off-road as most casual riders would realistically need. We’ll see, if I go that route. The TW is SOOO perfect, though...

Great choices, both of them!

Haha, never messed with the Beta, very possible!

@@AlexSimmons11c for the shorter rider the beta is faultless , or if you want more power the there is the 350, both using Suzuki engines

Thanks for watching Paul, and for adding to the conversation :-). Stay safe my friend!

@@AlexSimmons11c YA... I APPRECIATE YOU IM GONNA SUBSCRIBE JUST CAUSE YOUR COOL!!!

I did think that was interesting on the 125...but maybe they thought it needed one more? Or they got lazy and reused the gearbox from the DR200 on the VanVan 200 since they also borrowed the engine :-)

Thanks for watching Aldric!

Well the VanVan is just a larger version of the bike Suzuki has been making outside the U.S. for a long time, but that's why different people buy each one, to each their own!

True statements haha, I wonder if the TW250 issue is emissions or something else stupid. There are a lot of bikes that don't make it to the State simply because they A) Don't think it will sell here, or B) can't make it fit with U.S. emissions at a decent price point.

Trying to find one to ride as we speak :-)

We've had both TW200's and older Honda Trail 90 and Trail 110's and have ridden them extensively. Used the TW's to introduce new riders to motorcycles, for around town riding, and even gave them a pretty good workout doing dual-sport trips. The Trail 90 and 110's, while not exactly the same as the new Trail 125, but I think will be pretty similar to the new 125. It would be fairly difficult to do a true head-to-head comparison of the TW to the Honda Trail bikes as they really are quite different. That said, here are some of the differences we noted in riding both: The TW is highway and even Freeway legal in all 50 states. Realistic max speed for the TW varies a bit with rider size and riders tolerance for instability, but 65 is do-able without changing the sprockets to get more speed. We really would go to some lengths to limit time on high-speed highway and freeway segments when riding the TW's, but again could do so when needed. The Trail will not be Freeway legal, and is iffy at best on major highways due to it's low top speed and low power and torque. The realistic max speed for the Honda Trail bikes was around 45 mph. Yes, ducking down (streamlining) we could wind the Trails out and maybe get 50 mph, but if you are north of 170# don't count on it. The difference in the power and power delivery of the TW vs the Trail is really apparent, and a very big difference between the two bikes. The TW just feels "usable" and more motorcycle-like, where the Trail models felt more scooter-like Next, off pavement capability- The TW's really work well on gravel/forest-road type stuff, and do well in sandy loose conditions. The wider tires float over most stuff, and if you can keep your weight back, they just feel like they are floating over sand and silt. The Trails, well, not so much. The skinny front tire does what you would expect, plowing a lot, and the narrow rear sinks in. The lack of torque of the Trail really shows in sand and silt, especially if you are used to blasting through soft sand segments. The low gear range on the older Trail models helped at bit, adding torque in low range, but the speed limitation limits the usefulness for longer rides. Technical riding: The suspension on the older Trail models was anemic at best. Travel, dampening and rebound all were lacking. This made technical segments, especially larger rocky patches, well, miserable. I think the name says it best, the Honda Trail bike was designed for trails, fairly smooth and not too rocky. The TW do much better in technical riding, but the stock suspension is also anemic. The smaller diameter front tire tends to follow ruts and twist-off large rocks, but that is off-set a bit by tire width. The torque is adequate but expect to feather the clutch a lot when the going is really rough. Gearing down a tooth or two on the front sprocket is an option, but does lower top speed. That said, the TW really is very capable on rough, tough, rocky and sandy roads, trails and paths. We rode the Old Mojave Road with a couple of guys on TW's and they had no problems keeping up or getting through anything. In many instances the smaller, lighter and wide tired TW sort of out-did the bigger dual-sports. We rode the TW's over quite a bit of the Old Spanish Trail through eastern California and Nevada, and they did great. Next, carrying gear/camping- The Trail models had the little cargo rack on the rear, which you often see fitted with an old plastic milk crate or Rubbermaid crate. Those worked fine for light stuff, and excelled at a quick trip to the grocery store for a couple of things. But once again, the limited suspension really limited how much weight you wanted to carry back there. I don't remember seeing much in the way of pannier racks or other cargo racks for the Trail models, but they may be available or become available for the Trail 125. There are lots of options for racks for the TW's including front racks that go below the head-light for smaller stuff, to full rear racks suitable for panniers and top loads, The suspension seems to do OK up to a modest load on the rear, and size-wise there was enough room to pack out for a weekend or modest multi-day trip. Suspension upgrade is an easy option for the TW as well. Passengers- We very quickly decided that we just would not attempt to carry passengers on either bike. Too little room, too little suspension, and just never felt safe. I'm sure I'll get flamed for saying that, and someone will surely post an image from Southeast Asia showing a dad, mom and three kids all riding on a Honda Trail or Cub probably carrying a few chickens in cages as well, but for us, a passenger just wasn't in the works. Range- both the TW and Trail models were gasoline sippers. The Trail would go about 100 miles or so depending on speed. At 35-45 mph the range really went down. The TW's would go about 130 miles or so dependably. Both bikes have very small fuel tanks. A big difference is that there are a number of optional fuel tanks that will fit on the TW's, and just a quick bit of research on the TW forums will point you to them. Getting double the range on the TW with a bigger main tank is fairly easy, and with a bit of work and fitting even more is possible. There was just no way to increase the main fuel tank size on the Trail models. We have seen several Trails with auxiliary fuel tanks fitted at the rear. Don't know how they plumb them in, but I guess it is possible. Last, general impressions and fun factory- Here is where one bike really outdid the other. The Trail feels like the small, low power step-through that it is. Sure it was fun to putt around town and on trails, but just not thrilling. The TW on the other hand was just a hoot to ride. I often would talk one of my riding buddies into putting on a disguise so as not to be recognized, and going on a ride on the TW's, usually heading for some tight twisties right-off. Well, the grin-factor charging around the tight-twisties on a TW is about an 11. The sensation of speed is there, without really going fast. Rolling out of a tight turn and grabbing a full twist of throttle, well, yeah, just a hoot. Not really fast, just a hoot. Same to be said for riding the back-roads and lanes. The TW's just were FUN. Wish I could put it into better words. I often would walk past the other bikes in the garage (some with well-over 100 hp and neck-jerking acceleration) and take the TW out for a while when I just wanted to unwind a bit. Never did that with the Honda Trails. At one point I actually put a street oriented 60/40 tires on one TW instead of the knobbies just for winding around the back roads. Really didn't make that much difference as the stock TW tires actually work surprisingly well on pavement, but the TW was so fun I just had to try what I thought would be grippier tires. I don't think comparing the TW200 to the Honda Trail is fair to the Honda. The Honda is designed for a different purpose than the TW, which it does well. I am thinking that the new Trail 125 will be much the same as the old Trail110, which really is a good thing.

@@taildown Yeah, I just bought an 02 Honda Nighthawk 250 so....

StickPeopleAndPuff- The best bike in the world is the one you get to ride. All the others don't really matter. Congrats on your new bike.

@@taildown I fell in love with it and its a fun little bike. I look forward to getting my feet wet with it.

Agreed!