I have had a number of people ask me this question over the past months. So instead of replying to each request ad-infinitum, I thought that putting a post on the topic with the most common questions made a lot of sense. On top of that, the comments from others may also prove to be useful for prospective TW200 owners.

Basic specifications

The TW200 is a dual purpose motorcycle developed by Yamaha. It has an air-cooled, 196cc, four-stroke, petrol engine with a five-speed manual transmission.  The petrol tank has a capacity of seven litres and you will need to activate the reserve switch when you have two litres of petrol left.

My bike (a 1993 model)  is equipped with drum brakes for both the front and rear wheels. The current models are equipped with a disc brake for the front wheel.

The most distinctive feature of the TW200 has to be the rear wheel. It is a super fat 180mm wide wheel with a high profile. This is why some people refer to the TW200 affectionately as the “Fat Donut”.

My experience

Since different riders ride bikes differently, the information in this section has to be digested with your own riding style in mind. I am typically light on the throttle, I change gears sequentially and usually ride below 70kph. I also like to ride smooth and do not accelerate (or decelerate) abruptly.

I use 92-octane unleaded petrol for my bike and generally fill up about 80-100miles after each top up to avoid having to activate reserve. My fuel consumption averages to around 35km per litre. Bear in mind that I do have two side-boxes attached and they usually carry about eight kilograms of stuff. I weigh around 75kg (with full gear on). So your mileage might vary.

The TW200 has loads of low end torque. This makes it great for going on trails. I can ride over any terrain without the need for constant switching of gears. The fantastic torque also means  the bike will take off speedily from standstill without going hard on the throttle. However, top speed is limited to 80kph unless you like your joints vibrated out of their sockets.

I especially like the up-high riding position of the TW200. This gives fantastic visibility and comfort. The bike is very stable on road and trail, giving me confidence in every corner that I had to take. The fat rear wheel holds up very well even in the softest sand.

This is a very reliable little bike. Maintenance is a simple affair of changing engine oil, checking brake pads and clutch free play, plus the usual check on tire pressure, chain tension, and ensuring that the usual places are regularly lubricated. In fact, I did not have any problems with my bike until some shop (which I will not mention here) screwed it up for me.

Bottom line

I really like this bike. I think it is a fantastic bike for the price. Plus it is a fantastic platform for beginners to learn more about bikes and biking. The ability to ride both on and off road is a bonus. I highly recommend this bike for trouble-free and reliable use.