2023 Yamaha TW200: Performance, Price, And Photos

With its chunky tires, and a grunty carburetted heart, find out why the time-tested TW200 remains one of the best trail bikes on sale even today

Yamaha continues onward in the dual-sport category with its little DS that could, the Tuning Fork Company's TW200. A straight-up rollover from last year, the TW200 continues the family tradition as a bona fide go-anywhere bike with its fat, dual-purpose knobbies, and street-legal lighting package.

The low seat height makes it friendly for shorter, and younger, riders with plenty of leverage once you deploy your training wheels at stops and in the parking lot. This bike first saw the light of day back in 1987 and would see a revision in 2001 that replaced the kickstarter with a push-button starter and updated the front brake.

RELATED: Motocross vs Trail vs Dual Sport: Which One Is Right For You?

Power for the TW200 comes from an air-cooled single-cylinder plant that has a 67 mm bore and 55.7 mm stroke for a total displacement of 196 cc and mild, 9.5-to-1 compression ratio. With that kind of compression, you won't have to bother with high-octane fuel, and it should help extend service life because the top end isn't constantly beating the tar out of the bearings in the bottom end.

A single over-head cam times the two-valve head, and induction control falls to the 28 mm Mikuni® soup can. Yes, it's carbureted. It's not easy to find a bike that still has a carburetor so fuel-injection-heater rejoice.

The Yamaha TW200 produces 16 horsepower and 11 pound-feet of torque. That power flows through a wet clutch and five-speed transmission with a chain-type final drive that turns out a TW200 top speed range of 66 mph-to-73 mph. Surely depending on maintenance, road conditions, and how much you had for lunch.

Engine & Drivetrain

Engine

Air-cooled Single-Cylinder, SOHC, 4-Stroke, 2 Valves

Displacement

196 cc

Bore x Stroke

67 mm x 55.7 mm

Compression

9.5:1

Power

16 HP

Torque

11 LB-FT

Fuel System

Mikuni® 28 mm

Exhaust

Final Drive

Chain

Clutch

Wet Multiplate

Gearbox

Constant Mesh 5-Speed

RELATED: 10 Best Dual Sport Motorcycles Money Can Buy

The layout of the TW200 has the essentials and little else for a rather Spartan overall look. The front fender has a compound shape for rigidity and comes bracketed by bellowed fork-gaiters. The gaiters protect the inner fork tube and its associated seal from damage due to rock impacts and grit. I'd say that's pretty important given the stated use of the thing.

A rectangular headlight and flyscreen complete the front end, and the front blinkers mounted nice and high are probably safe from harm when you dump the bike. Let's be real. It's a dual-sport. It's not if you drop it, it's when you drop it, right?

Behind the flyscreen is an old-fashioned instrumentation setup. It includes an analog speedometer, trip meter, and trio of indicator lamps to make the instrumentation as essential as the rest of the build.

The cockpit features a 1.8-gallon fuel tank that has very little rise to it. This means the bench seat can extend forward to accommodate some pretty dramatic weight shifts for technical off-road work. It also comes with flip-up footpegs, so you can share the fun with a friend. Taillight and turn signals ride up high with a short mudguard/tag holder to finish the job.

Yamaha TW200 Specs

Length

82.3 in

Width

32.3 in

Height

44.1 in

Seat Height

31.1 in

Wheelbase

52.2 in

Ground Clearance

10.4 in

Fuel Capacity

1.8 gal

Curb Weight

278 lbs

RELATED: 10 Best Dirt-Bikes For Beginners

The frame on the TW200 is a tubular-steel construct with a single-downtube build that uses the engine to complete the structure. It carries a vented bash plate to protect the bottom end from brush and terrain strikes.

Rake and trail measure at 25.8 degrees and 3.4 inches respectively to make the TW200 quite nimble indeed. Ground clearance is decent at 10.4 inches high, which naturally improves its terrain-tackling abilities.

The seat rides 31.1 inches off the deck, which is a little on the tall side, but necessary to accommodate the ground clearance and suspension strokes. Up front, the 33 mm forks have a 6.3-inch stroke, while the rear shock has 5.9 inches of travel to collectively tolerate some pretty rough areas.

The brakes are a mixed bag with a modern, 220 mm disc and twin-pot anchors up front, while out back, an old-fashioned, 110 mm drum-style brake takes care of business. Laced wheels play into the TW200's off-road chops, and come shod with a 130/80-18 and 180/80-14 on the front and rear, respectively.

Chassis & Suspension

Frame

Tubular Steel

Front Suspension/ Travel

Telescopic fork/ 6.3 in

Rear Suspension/ Travel

Single Shock/ 5.9 in

Rake

25.8°

Trail

3.4 in

Wheels

Laced

Front Tire

130/80-18

Rear Tire

180/80-14

Front Brake

220 mm disc

Rear Brake

110 mm drum

RELATED: Top 10 Off-Road Motorcycles For The Trails

The 2023 Yamaha TW200 costs $4,899. There's only one colorway, a carryover from last year, monochromatic Radical Gray to go with the generally dark overall look.

Pricing & Features

Warranty

One-year limited factory warranty

Colors

└ 2015

Charcoal Silver/White

└ 2016, 2017

Mineral Blue

└ 2018 - 2020

Sandy Beige

└ 2021 - 2023

Radical Gray

Price

└ 2015, 2016

$4,590

└ 2017 - 2020

$4,599

└ 2021

$4,699

└ 2022

$4,799

└ 2023

$4,899

Yamaha's TW200 finds itself with little company from the big manufacturers. Perhaps the closest we will get is the Suzuki DR-Z400S.

Built for the same sort of use, the "DR" carries itself more like an enduro bike proper with the high-mount front mudguard, and dirt bike-like bodywork and proportions overall. Its stealth knobbies are definitely skinnier, so it lacks that low-down visual weight that the Yamaha carries so well.

The Yammy also comes with a 398 cc mill and greater output with 39 ponies and 29 pounds o' grunt against 16/11 respectively. This leaves Yamaha looking pretty good in the power department.

It goes down for Yamaha in the suspension. The strokes on the "DR" are much longer at 11.3 inches and 11.6 inches on the front and rear, respectively. Plus, the Suzuki comes with the full trinity of tweaks against fixed values on the TW200.

Naturally, the trade-off is at the checkout counter. Suzuki gets $7,099 for its dual-surface model, which leaves a lot of money on the table by comparison.

"With such big tires, it's no wonder why it's nicknamed the 'two-wheeled ATV.' I expect those tires to absorb some of the shock just due to their voluminous proportions, just like a four-wheeler. This is a good trainer for riders looking to get into adventure bikes later."

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, "This is a torquey little fun bike, though the carburetor and drum brake are a little dated. Honestly, that's reflected in the price, so for a raw, down-to-earth ride, you'd have a hard time finding something to beat it. I do miss the kickstarter, though. It just needs a kickstarter."

"That fat rear tire puts me in mind of a Rokon, which has to be the best zombie-apocalypse bike. Long before there was a 'Long Way Round' there was a motorcyclist named Shinj Kazama that in 1987 rode a new TW200 to the North Pole. If the TW200 can take a rider to the North Pole, it can take you just about anywhere."

The Yamaha TW200 is a dual-sport motorcycle from Yamaha. Launched in 1987, the "Trail Way" 200 is a basic, 196 cc no-frills motorcycle with a carburetor and rear drum brake.

The TW200 has a curb weight of 278 pounds before adding options or accessories.

The TW200 is a no-frills motorcycle. The small displacement engine, lightweight chassis, and manageable power make it an attractive choice for new riders. Without higher electronics, a person new to two wheels learns to operate a motorcycle without rider aids.

Yes, the TW200 is a street-legal motorcycle. The TW200 has a rear-mounted license plate holder, front and rear lighting in compliance with traffic regulations, and rearview mirrors.

TJ got an early start from his father and other family members who owned and rode motorcycles, and by helping with various mechanical repairs throughout childhood. That planted a seed that grew into a well-rounded appreciation of all things mechanical, and eventually, into a formal education of same. Though primarily a Harley rider, he has an appreciation for all sorts of bikes and doesn't discriminate against any particular brand or region of origin. He currently holds an Associate's degree in applied mechanical science from his time at the M.M.I.