Tested a tw200
 

threw a leg over a bud's Tdub and MAN it was very sweet! just putted around the hood a bit avoid cars but with the death star tire up front, lotsa GRIP nice bike!! Now i know what all the rage is about. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2a-sUdaNJ8

:clap:
gh426

Several of us have owned or still own them ,I immediately was not impressed with them because of the small engine ,but kind of wished I had kept it and put a bigger engine in it .I will buy another some day to mess with ,and I have a larger ttr rebuilt engine waiting for that day .

I didn't understand the design of the TW200 until I watched that video and it gave me a new appreciation for that bike.

I am going to buy one tomorrow. I will let you know what I think. Seemed like the perfect bike for what I want to do. Just want to ride mainly dirt roads in the NC mountains. I needed something that was street legal and low enough for the wife to get on and off of. I want to be able to ride along and if we see a trail, take it.

I put passenger pegs on my Apollo 250 and we have a blast on the trails. I have modified the rear suspension so it is super soft. We can ride for hours. It just isn't street legal. Sometimes we need to ride on pavement to get to the next trail.

I also looked at the Suzuki Van Van 200. The seat is amazing! I want to put it on my Apollo. The suzuki is geared more for the street. Super soft suspension and not much of it. I could almost bottom out the forks just pushing on them in the showroom.

One ride in the sand dunes with me on my Lifan and my friend on his TW200 convinced me of the value of those fat tires. I do prefer the CG engine over the TW engine though.

Love'em. My son is saving for one and I am thinking about selling off a bike or two and buying a TW or XT250.

I have an old TW that I'm in love with. I intend to poke it out to 230cc and I might swap to a six speed.

The TW would be perfect for Texas beaches. The tidal area of the beach stays packed nicely, but the transition area between the pavement and sand can gobble up normal tires.

The other week I was coming back to L.A. from Yuma on Interstate 10 near Palm Springs, and a guy was on a TW200 hitting about 65-70. A group of us, including the guy on the TW, were cruising along at that speed in moderately heaving traffic, and once the slow pokes were passed, and traffic increased to the 75+ range, the guy had to move to the right-most lane so he wouldn't hold up traffic. He seemed like he was packed for a few day trip, coming in from Arizona or possibly further east (like he was on a road trip, not a short trip to the mountains), but I don't recall seeing which state plates he had on his bike. I know these things are geared to pull stumps out of the ground, but I figured the guy had gearing for top speeds rather than pulling trees; perhaps the stock gearing allows them to hit 70ish?

I also looked at the Suzuki Van Van 200. The seat is amazing! I want to put it on my Apollo. The suzuki is geared more for the street. Super soft suspension and not much of it. I could almost bottom out the forks just pushing on them in the showroom.[/QUOTE]

I owned a Suzuki Van Van for a few months. It’s not a bad bike but doesn’t have strong enough legs for any kind of highway riding. Even with different sprockets there just isn’t enough oomph from the 199cc engine for everyday dual sport riding. Like you said the suspension is way too soft and not adjustable at the front or rear. I did like the fuel injection and oil cooler on it. I didn’t like the tiny gas tank. Why they didn’t just put the 250 in it that they already make is a mystery to me. For what it costs you could get a Kawasaki VersysX 300 for the same price and twice the performance on road and off. I should have bought that instead of the Van Van. You can find last year holdovers for less than $4800 new on the showroom floor.

The ironic thing is that Qingqi, who either collaborate with Suzuki or used to, have their XF250 with a near clone carb version of a Suzuki engine that outshines the DR 200 and the VanVan 200. I have not ridden one but have sat on them at the dealer, and the initial feel is high quality all over. Member dh has a 2015 model and runs it all over the greater L.A. metropolitan area including the freeways, and has nothing but praise about it. Tying it back into a TW200, I guess if finances are not quite there for the TW200, the fat tired SSR XF 250 could be a good substitute.

There’s a Chinese trials bike called TW200 out now - think sold in Canada or company based there

Got the tw200! Haven't been able to ride it yet. It has been raining so much here in NC. I thought about building an ark friday. I live in the back side of nowhere and it is just nothing but muck. Hopefully in the next few days I will get to ride it. I will update.

We need pics!

One of my favorite bikes I've owned and immediately regretted selling it.