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Is the TW200 a good bike…etc…

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.

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Can replacing rear disc brake pads cause the e-brake shoes to chip and need to be replaced as well?

Jul 10, 2006 by Daniel B | Posted in Maintenance & Repairs

Hello. I brought my 2003 Ford Explorer in to the dealer for some warranty work and was told that they also noticed that my rear disc brake pads need to be replaced. I ok'd the work but got a call from them saying that during a road test they found that my e-brake shoes also needed to be replaced and that was what was causing a knocking noise when I drive (I had *not* been hearing any such noise). He said it was a common problem with this vehicle. I asked how much & was told $190. I said don't repair that because I had not even noticed any noise. Well, I picked the car up and now my car is making a very noticeable knocking noise at higher speeds. So, I'm wondering, did they screw something up when doing the pads and should they be responsible for this cost or is it possible that their work just unmasked an existing problem & I should pay for it? The serv rep acted really suspicous and I have a feeling that something is fishy. Thanks!

Never heard of emergency brakes making knocking noise.

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