[Bauerman]

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

Huge bonus, half the work of dirt biking right now is loading and tying down everything multiple times....

 

[Bauerman]

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 …..



View attachment 234873

Great response, years of wisdom there. Appreciated. Absolutely spectacular looking bikes as well.

 

[oldworld 124]

Congrats on your new find!!! Let us know if you want go for some rides. I'm in Caldwell. Here's my 96 Tdub after doing a few mods

.

 

[Bauerman]

Congrats on your new find!!! Let us know if you want go for some rides. I'm in Caldwell. Here's my 96 Tdub after doing a few mods View attachment 234877 .

Looks like a great bike! Aftermarket tank has to greatly increase range. Are you in some of the Admiral's videos? Bike looks familiar....

 

[Michael Bryce Winnick]

A Clarke Racing tank is a must have. A bit of fabbing on the right side plastic is needed because of a bad manufacturing issue, but all is forgiven with the manly look and increased range. I use straps with snaps. Some guys like it rough, drill a hole, and use zip ties. Keep your old tank on the shelf filled with oil. This is a true "day 2" mod. Spring for a petcock ($10.00) from Uncle Mao's General Store and you are BMOC. Next...FMF or DG exhaust so they can hear you roar into town for the rumble as opposed to being first in line for Culture Club tickets. Next is a Man Rack with the bracket for Rotopax. Get the spout for the water jug. Between that and the Clarke tank you can outrun a rival gang and get across the state line with enough gas to jump two...maybe 3 school busses. You will need a strap on tank bag. I was a huge fan of Wolfman until I heard they moved their manufacturing overseas. Please double check that and advise us if they are still made in the USA. If not, get a bag made in the USA. Next is a Coleman seat pad. If you buy one used, get an affidavit that the prior owner never rode naked. Next Ascerbis bark busters.
Be advised: If the Wolfman mini enduro bag is still made in the U.S.A. it is the best bag in the world. Every one should buy a made in the U.S.A Wolfman mini enduro bag. Nobody should buy any other bag than a Wolfman mini Enduro bag unless it is not made in the U.S.A anymore...then buy a different bag made in the U.S.A..

Also the Clarke Racing tank, Man Rack with Rotopax bracket and a Rotopax set up with spout for water can, Acerbis bark busters, DG or FMF exhaust, and Coleman seat pad are the best parts of their kind in the world. Nobody should buy any other parts. Everyone should buy these parts. If it helps you decide, I have DG V2 with 1.25 inch quiet core.

 

[oldworld 124]

Congrats on your new find!!! Let us know if you want go for some rides. I'm in Caldwell. Here's my 96 Tdub after doing a few mods View attachment 234877 .

I have been fortunate to ride many thousands of miles with Admiral and also MisterVelocity. They have taught me a lot about riding these machines. Have had lots of great adventures and fun times. We are currently planning a multi day long distance ride in early summer.

 

[Bauerman]

I have been fortunate to ride many thousands of miles with Admiral and also MisterVelocity. They have taught me a lot about riding these machines. Have had lots of great adventures and fun times. We are currently planning a multi day long distance ride in early summer.

I knew your bike was familiar, you are famous in our house!

At some point would love to join in for a ride and buy gas, lunch or both for the group to help repay the great video content and riding.

Be well, stay safe!

 

[Bauerman]

A Clarke Racing tank is a must have. A bit of fabbing on the right side plastic is needed because of a bad manufacturing issue, but all is forgiven with the manly look and increased range. I use straps with snaps. Some guys like it rough, drill a hole, and use zip ties. Keep your old tank on the shelf filled with oil. This is a true "day 2" mod. Spring for a petcock ($10.00) from Uncle Mao's General Store and you are BMOC. Next...FMF or DG exhaust so they can hear you roar into town for the rumble as opposed to being first in line for Culture Club tickets. Next is a Man Rack with the bracket for Rotopax. Get the spout for the water jug. Between that and the Clarke tank you can outrun a rival gang and get across the state line with enough gas to jump two...maybe 3 school busses. You will need a strap on tank bag. I was a huge fan of Wolfman until I heard they moved their manufacturing overseas. Please double check that and advise us if they are still made in the USA. If not, get a bag made in the USA. Next is a Coleman seat pad. If you buy one used, get an affidavit that the prior owner never rode naked. Next Ascerbis bark busters.
Be advised: If the Wolfman mini enduro bag is still made in the U.S.A. it is the best bag in the world. Every one should buy a made in the U.S.A Wolfman mini enduro bag. Nobody should buy any other bag than a Wolfman mini Enduro bag unless it is not made in the U.S.A anymore...then buy a different bag made in the U.S.A..

Also the Clarke Racing tank, Man Rack with Rotopax bracket and a Rotopax set up with spout for water can, Acerbis bark busters, DG or FMF exhaust, and Coleman seat pad are the best parts of their kind in the world. Nobody should buy any other parts. Everyone should buy these parts. If it helps you decide, I have DG V2 with 1.25 inch quiet core.

Mike, has to be one of THE most informative yet entertaining posts I have ever read on a forum. THANK You much for the advice and sarcasm, as I for one, appreciate them both.

Are the Tusk handguards a step down from the Acerbis? And do the Clark tanks come in any other color besides dirty white?

 

[Mistervelocity]

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

I'm just south of Marsing, so if you're headed to the Owyhees, you'll drive right past my house. Admiral is pretty respectful of my privacy policy, but I make the occasional accidental cameo in his vids. I just wasn't born for the spotlight like Oldworld.

Due to the lower elevations, I'd suspect we might do some riding out around Owhyhee Reservoir before we get up in the hills. Still lots of snow up there.

I'm sure you're doing all kinds of reading about upgrades, so feel free to ask lots of questions. We all love spending other rider's money.

 

[Jjona5]

so clean!

 

[David61]

Nice find, I have put 2,000 miles on my TW in the last 8 months.

 

[Bauerman]

Nice find, I have put 2,000 miles on my TW in the last 8 months.

I get the feeling I'm going to do the same. I did not ride it today as it was rainy and cold and it was driving me nuts...

 

[PlacerLode]

Tusk makes great quality products for the money the handguards are nicely built

Clarke has
a nice variety of colors the natural is nice because of the built in analog fuel gauge lol

 

[David61]

Has anybody painted the natural Clarke tank leaving/masking a window gas gauge?

 

[Mistervelocity]

My understanding is that paint doesn't stick very well. I know stickers don't. I think @Fred experimented with flame treating to get paint to stick. Maybe he can educate us.

 

[nelsonj]

Welcome and a very nice find.
If you want to know if they actually are the original tires, below is a "how to" read their age.
I replaced the stock front tire with a Shinko 241. I ride mostly desert and the Shinko does a lot better on sand and loose gravel than stock. I'm not sure what tire will work best for the ID trails.

Peace. Out.

• Locate the DOT code on the sidewall of your tire. The code consists of the letters "DOT" followed by up to 13 numbers and letters.
• Read the last 4 digits of the DOT code. The first 2 numbers tell you the week of the year the tire was made, and the last 2 numbers indicate the year.

 

[Michael Bryce Winnick]

If Tusk is made in the U.S.A., get what you want. You should not have the bike in the woods without the guards.

"Dirty white" is really opaque. It comes with a free gas guage. Paint and stickers are out of the question or I would have the "all seeing eye" from Then Came Bronson on my tank.

 

[PlacerLode]

Has anybody painted the natural Clarke tank leaving/masking a window gas gauge?

I used to restore dirt bikes and many plastic automotive parts and I used Imron polyurethane aircraft paint with great success but thats really expensive and dangerous health wise to smell but it was permanently flexible and had the wet look when fully dry it's amazing stuff

If there is a high urethane paint available today that is a great way to go

 

[David61]

I have sprayed imron and can hang polyurethane without a sag or drip with a cupgun or airless bulldog. Is there a primer thats needed?

 

[PlacerLode]

I have sprayed imron and can hang polyurethane without a sag or drip with a cupgun or airless bulldog. Is there a primer thats needed?

I would not use a primer polyurethane paint, sticks the plastic very well and is permanently flexible. You can literally peel it off in a sheet years later if you wanted to so you would have to be a little careful around the edges if you were pressure washing, most primers are probably not urethane so they wouldn’t have the flexibility and I would be concerned they might not have as much adhesion.