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Why are TW's disappearing?

4K views 14 replies 15 participants last post by  TWrider 
#1 ·
So, I have done some searching on Yamaha websites world wide and I have come to find out, that the TW's are disappearing... So what is up with this? I feel like Yamaha is getting rid of the TW, anyone else seeing this happen? Anyone over sea's finding out that TW's are not longer being sold? If they get rid of the TW, my next bike will be Honda CRF250L...



I feel sad if the TW is gone... Like I am loosing my best friend...
 
#5 ·
As I opined in this thread, I believe that the environmental regulations will either force Yamaha to move the TW into the fuel injection world...or kill it. I, personally, would love them to engineer the bike with EFI and keep pumping it out for years and years. I am starting to suspect, with all of the evidence that you all are finding, that we may be seeing the end. I was saddened to see the TW missing from the large Yamaha showing at the International Motorcycle Show in Seattle recently. I hope that I am wrong, but I guess we will know this fall.
 
#11 ·
The good news is that even if the tw does go away from the new oem market. we will allways have tremendous parts availiability and used motorcycle access for decades to come. I predict that if the tw does get discontinued, we will see a dramatic increase in parts availiablity on ebay. Which of course is a double edged sword, sharks will capitalize on a discontinued platform and begin to part out tdubs online with great regularity. and since this bike has been flooding the market for decades, the supply aught to last imho. We could even see a light dual sport revival in the coming years. you never know.
 
#12 ·
Even if Yamaha kills the TW, they really gave us a gift by barely modifying it over almost 3 decades. You'll be able to find parts bikes for at least another decade, most likely two or three, before the price begins to go up. I know it wasn't as popular, but look at the Harley 250 Sprints. They were not as popular as the TW, granted, and they were really rebadged Italian bikes, but they had the HD name. Yet for almost forty years they've been dirt cheap, and only now are starting to go up in price. I suspect the TW will have a similar arc - there are just too many of them out there for us to see a parts supply drought for a while.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Some thoughts....People are wrong about the great parts availability. Yes , you will always be able to find parts to keep the engine running, you will always be able to find metal parts to restore, what you won't be able to find is clean plastics, restoration parts, crash parts, and eventually tires. For instance, pretty much the only thing available, even at present while still in full production, are the late model white plastics called "purplish white solid", in addition black are also available. None of the early blue plastics are available new, every other color is already discontinued. The 2007 blue are still available, but for how long? The 2007 blue exhaust side cover is already discontinued, that's only seven years old! Likewise NONE of the colored seat covers are available, and most of the graphics are discontinued...Most of this was all still available about 5 years ago. I think what is happening is the used JDM models are being shipped to off to emerging markets, then you have this whole new demand for cosmetic parts.

This same problem is happening for the XT225 and XT600 parts, mass discontinuation. So no, discontinuation is never good unless it's a Superbike or MX bike, those markets are heavily supported by the aftermarket, and you could restore those bikes every other week in 10 different colors or designs. We on the other hand would be paying top dollar for scratched up scraps, forced to live with rashed up bikes, naked bikes, or forced eventually to a different model.

So yes, I hear there is a 2015 TW200, and that is a good thing IMO. I don't want to see a run on cosmetic parts, even the ubiquitous white ones.

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On EFI:
In the mid 2000's you could buy a brand new DR650 for about $5000 MSRP, now they are $6500, and the XT250 sells for $5K. you used to be able to get new TW's for just over $3K if you hunted around, now they are $4500. Now try to add EFI to that and you'll have a five thousand dollar entry level camping bike, It's ridiculous. I don't think it's Yamaha's intention to do this, they may be are being forced into it, but if they are going to sell in the US, they are going to sell in California or not at all. I can only hope that the amount of price increase isn't all just economics, but may be preparing the US market so the sticker shock isn't out of control. They need an entry level streetable bike, and the TW fits the niche. If they add EFI, I think they may go with the Brazillian 250 motors like they did with the XT, problem is if they did that then they really wouldn't need the TW unless it was significantly different. Yamaha likes sticking their EFI fuel pumps in the fuel tank, they don't like dangelly things with high pressure flammable things flowing through, this is just not possible with the present design TW frame and tank. So If they are forced to EFI, it could be the end of the TW or we'll see something like the Ryoku.
 
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