[Bauerman]

Have been riding dirt for about 3 years now (I'm 52) and have loved every minute of it. I ride with my three sons, my daughter and my wife. Built it riding buddies is literally the best! I have ridden a Yamaha TTR230 for most of that time - with the uncorking mods of re-jetting, opening the air box and removing the baffle, etc. It has plenty of power and has been a GREAT bike.

My legs are short and the 34 inch seat height has been a real boon. I can get a foot down as needed easily.

As I have gotten more and more into motorcycles I have been drawn into dual sport bikes, i.e. riding to the trail rather than trailering to the trail. As part of my dirt riding I started following the YouTube channel of the "Admiral" one of the admins on this site. His TW200 content is fantastic and it's really cemented that a TW was the dual sport bike I should pursue.

Now wanting a TW and actually finding and buying one are certainly two different things. It has taken a significant amount of time and effort, with COVID certainly not helping. When they come up for sale at a decent price they are gone before you can even make a move.

After some time, a lot of offers, conversations and test rides, I was able to get the what I think is the TW for me.
1996 TW200 with just over 1710 miles. Really clean, I think original tires. Looking forward to "making it mine" over time. Also excited to be part of this forum and learn from good people such as yourselves.

 

[SpeedyTide]

Fine looking ride! Congrats!

That’s awesome your family rides as well.

Look forward to seeing some family outings pics!!

 

[Purple]

Nice find .....

 

[Coconut Tree Inc]

What was the reason for taking a drum brake motorcycle rather than a disc brake?

 

[Michael Bryce Winnick]

Drum v disk on these bikes means nothing. He should be asking most of yous guys why you took a bike without a kickstart.

 

[Bauerman]

What was the reason for taking a drum brake motorcycle rather than a disc brake?

It's really more of a matter of buying the best bike that is available and at a reasonable price. Basically beggars can't be choosers at least in my area; I don't have a smorgasbord of options to pick from, I kind of have to deal with what's around and available. I'd love the disk brake in the front as my 230 has that and I know how well it works. But, as has been mentioned, I am lucky enough to have kick and electric start on this year.

Thanks for the reply.

 

[Bauerman]

Drum v disk on these bikes means nothing. He should be asking most of yous guys why you took a bike without a kickstart.

Out of the two, I'd take kick start over a disk brake 6 days a week and twice on Sundays!

 

[Ken]

Welcome to the forum. Nice low mileage bike. A year or two newer than mine. A few less miles on it than my bike also.

 

[Coconut Tree Inc]

Basically beggars can't be choosers at least in my area

I am not surprised ,
I live in a bankrupt 3rd world country. People who ride tdub here are like beggars.
In fact, no special recognition

 

[admiral]

Awesome Mr Baurerman😁👍. Hope you like it.
If you ever need assistance I can help though I think you got this.
Maybe we’ll run into each other out on the roads and trails. Very cool, enjoy.

 

[reddave]

Welcome aboard, Brother!

 

[Mistervelocity]

Very clean example of a survivor. Now quick, unoriginal it and make it your own.

Edit: Just noticed the plates on the cars in the background. Maybe see you out on the trails. There's a few of us in Potadaho, so send up a flare if you need a hand with anything.

 

[PlacerLode]

thats like the 57 Chevy of the TW world definitely a classic !

 

[Fred]

Being able to ride right from your garage to the trails will be a big bonus.

 

[Bauerman]

Welcome to the forum. Nice low mileage bike. A year or two newer than mine. A few less miles on it than my bike also.

Thanks Ken!

 

[Bauerman]

Awesome Mr Baurerman😁👍. Hope you like it.
If you ever need assistance I can help though I think you got this.
Maybe we’ll run into each other out on the roads and trails. Very cool, enjoy.

Thank you Sir, would love to cross paths at some point, as I mentioned in the post, it was your YouTube channel and content that brought me here...thanks again.

 

[Bauerman]

Welcome aboard, Brother!

Thank you much Sir!

 

[Bauerman]

Very clean example of a survivor. Now quick, unoriginal it and make it your own.

Edit: Just noticed the plates on the cars in the background. Maybe see you out on the trails. There's a few of us in Potadaho, so send up a flare if you need a hand with anything.

Thank you much for that offer, we live in Star, but ride literally everywhere around here. Looking forward to Spring and getting back up into the higher elevations.

Jared

 

[Purple]

What was the reason for taking a drum brake motorcycle rather than a disc brake?

There are many advantages to the drum brake model – the kickstart, the slide carb, they’re just more reliable in a pinch – late 90’s are the ones to go for, Yamaha had sorted it out by then

Come the 2001 disc brake models – advantages are the disc brake, and the increase in generated capacity, but it pretty much ends there. No more kickstart, CV carb strangling the fuel thanks to increased emissions regs – but hey, you got a disc brake that you cannot use (without care) in the dirt, a carb that clogs if you even look at it, but at least you can see where you’re going when it gets dark

I guess it depends a lot on your personal philosophy, whether you appreciate an “old school bike”, or go for the “modern options” that never quite got there on the TW. The TW, in all its iterations, reaches for something it sees in the future, but when asked to give up its past in the process, refuses to do so

“Identity” – is the one thing that no amount of modernisation can take away, and whilst we wish for more, if we ever got it, we’d also have to have a TW in the garage as well

Out of the two TW’s I have, the 225 is great on the road, and for some light trail use (try getting spares for that one), but the 200 is the one that creates a grin all the way …..

 

[Bauerman]

thats like the 57 Chevy of the TW world definitely a classic !

My dad having been a mechanic for 40 years and a connoisseur of 57 Chevy's that is a high compliment for this bike no doubt.