XR200 v. DR200 v. TTR225 v. XT225

[KTMrad]

Would like some opinions on the following: Looking for a good bike for my girlfriend to learn on, she has ridden my DR350 a few times, but a bit heavy and big for her, she is 5'8" tall, likes electric start, and we dual sport ride trails and fire roads, this will be for a couple of years until she can upgrade to a bigger bike after getting lots of experience. My thoughts as follows:

XR200 - kick start, 17" rear, small, least suspension travel, but light, needs dual sport kit.

DR200 - OK choice, dual sport ready, electric start, 249 lbs, but prefer the Yamahas .

TTR225 - Good choice, good suspension travel, but the heaviest - 259 lbs, needs dual sport kit.

XT 225 - the lightest electric start in this group - 238 lbs, dual sport ready, same suspension travel as the TTR225

I think it's between the Yamahas, unless I hear lots of different suggestions for something els.

Thanks

 

[jboomer]

You definitely want the electric start. Nothing worse than her losing her motivation because she has to kick start it every time it stalls out.

I bought my wife the TTR225 a little over a year ago and she really likes it. It has a really low 1st gear so it can be lugged through the trails really easy. The weight isn't factor for her. She isn't strong by any means, but the center of gravity is so low, it doesn't affect her. It's really comfortable for her too. It really flies when you wind it out also. I ride it as much as she does. But, it sounds like the XT has all the options you want, including being lighter. Has she seen the bikes? I almost bought my wife the XR, but when she saw it, she hated it. She really liked the way the TTR looked, so that was a big deciding factor for her. (sheesh..)

But, it all boils down to preference.

 

[GETMETOCA]

It seems to me the XR200 is going to be too small for her, she will get bored with it within 3 months I bet. The TTR225 has been described before as a "Pig Of A Bike" by numerous reviews here in the forums, but I have never ridden one. My XR250 weighs 240 lbs dry and I'm not looking for more dead weight to pick up off the ground!

I hope someone else can help you out with the other two models. Have you thought about the KTM's?? Or the '03 WR250? Also, check out the "What Bike Do I Get" forum for more info.

Good luck and BTW, I think its pretty awesome that you are helping your girlfriend find the right bike for her!

 

[firecracker22]

Sounds like the XT is the best bike on your list, but I'd also recommend looking at the KTM 250 or maybe a DRZ 250. I have heard they have decent suspension and power, but Suzuki's website says they're already 253 dry w/o dual sport kit. They do have adjustable suspension though.

Really, I'm out of my depth since I do no dual sport riding and I HATE picking up a heavy bike so I prefer the kick start. My first bike was an XR 200 and I hated it after about 6 months, then went two-stroke. It didn't have enough suspension or handling for me (don't need any more power but it's a package deal with the KTM). The light weight is SOOOOO nice that I won't go back. There were quite a few women here who started on TTR 225s who hated them and ended up getting rid of them.

As long as she plans on getting something different--like a KDX or something--when she starts tackling more difficult trails, one of those wouldn't be a bad starter bike.

Just my thoughts! If being street legal weren't a requirement, that would broaden your options quite a bit.

Hey, isn't the Pampera street legal? Now there's a good bike for that. At 5'8" she's plenty tall but the easy kick and smooth power the GasGas are credited with would be a good idea. And getting ANY European bike street legalized is far easier than a Jap bike.

Good luck and happy bike shopping!

 

[KTMrad]

I checked out the specs on the DR 250 & XR250 & TTR250, she can barely touch the ground on the TTR250, so I think all the other 250's are pretty tall also, plus they're getting up there in weight (except for the XR250 kick). Her whole point is to be able to dab & touch the ground better while learning how to ride better.

She also sat on a 125 2 stroke, that was also pretty tall, again barely touched the ground. I don't think she will like the instantaneous power delivery of a 2 stroke, she is used to the smooth 4 stroke power. She rides a Honda VTR1000 V-Twin street bike also.

Any more suggestions on 2 strokes welcome, but another thing I don't like is that a 2 stroke needs rebuilding quite often, a 4 stroke runs for a long time before needing a rebuild.

 

[Michelle]

A two stroke needs plenty of maintenance. After two years on the KDX, of riding just about every weekend, we finally did the top end on mine. There was a bit of blow-by and it was due (over-due really), but the bike still ran okay. I probably should have done the top-end about 6 months ago, which means 1-1/2 years on a top end (it hadn't been done long before I bought the bike).
My 80 we did the top end 3 or 4 times in the year that I had it, but the KDX does not rev as much, work the engine as much and is very luggable.
I change the oil about every 200k (recommended in the manual is 1000k) and check/clean the air filter after every weekend.
I'm 5'3" (no comment about weight, I've put it on since my op last year, but am working on losing some), have lowered the bike 2cm and love it. It can be heavy when I drop it somewhere dumb, but I can still pick it up (no upper body strength).
I, too, don't like XR200's and agree your g/f will grow out of it quickly. I liked the TTR250, but didn't really ride it long enough to give a decent report on it. If the DRZ250 is a bigger version of the 125, I'd definitely look at that (especially with an electric leg) - I haven't managed to conn a ride on one yet, but was impressed with the 125.
The other thing to look at is a KLX250 with electric leg.
Good luck & let us know how you get on.
Michelle

 

[LoriKTM]

I'd probably go with the XT225. There's also an XT350, but that's going to weigh a bit more. It's interesting that the XT225 weighs less than the TTR225, since the TTR is essentially based off the XT mode. :think:
I'd often considered picking up an XT for zipping around town and stuff on, but never had the extra $$. I'd think they'd have pretty good resale, too, when she decides she's ready for a different bike.

There was an article a couple years back in Dirt Bike, comparing the XT225 and the DR200. If I remember correctly, they preferred the XT for all-around trail use. (FWIW!) I do remember they said to replace the tires though--because they were nothing more than "a rubber band with pimples on it" ! (LOL!)

 

[SpeedyManiac]

XT225 or XR200R.

 

[CJ Rider]

A friend who's about 5'7" really loved her used XT225 as her very first bike. Sometimes she wishes out loud that she still had it. My DR200 is slightly smaller than the XT. I still really enjoy riding the DR dual-sport on the local passes and then into town for lunch type stuff. It's oftly nice to be able to ride into town in fill up. They are both nice easy-to-ride mellow bikes with electric starters. Yup, they are both a little heavy, but at least ya don't have to kick start 'em. You can even find a used one pretty easily.