@@flat6fever680 Thanks for the kind words! This video turned out to be quite a bit longer than I had planned but I wanted to cover a lot of aspects and things I’d be curious about if I was considering buying the bike.

@@zac_in_ak Uh oh! What happens if that occurs?

@@thatalaskaguy fuse blows but there’s a spare in there lots of people have upgraded to a 10amp or a led headlight

@zac_in_ak Gotcha! Thanks for the warning, very good info. 👍

@@leesops710 thank you! 😀👍

@@SWATT101 I wouldn’t want to hike around in them. I mean they are fine for getting to some scenic attractions and walking short distances to read the signs and whatnot. They’d be hot for walking around in for more than 10 minutes. They are fine for walking around into a store or restaurant but you’d still want a second pair of shoes if you planned to do a lot of walking, especially hiking. Of course if I was planning to hike I’d also want to shed all my riding gear and wear much lighter and comfortable clothes for hiking around.

@@gailmaplesden7380 my daughter was initially looking at a Grom and I told her to check out this bike as it’d be way more versatile. On our last ride I told her I was thinking about how bad the Grom would have been for both the trails and highway sections we rode. Because she’s much lighter than me she can go 60 mph on it. She’s still wide open throttle but it’ll do it. I think it’s a great little bike. Like you said, extremely versatile. 😀👍

I rely on him to alert me to the presence of bears and moose we have wandering around close to my neighborhood. I feel a lot safer with him than I do without. 😀👍

@@John-sn4hl it’s a really beautiful area! 😀👍

@@rockthesix1679 Thanks! I was trying to show the bike in the real world being used in places that can be pretty challenging. I was pleasantly surprised to see how capable a 150cc bike could be. It’s definitely easier to ride off-road than my DR650. I love the fact it’s so basic and easy to work on. It’ll still be running long after many more complicated and expensive bikes are cast off into far corners of people’s yards after they become too expensive to repair.

@@lisafarmer7041 thanks for checking out my video! 😀👍

@@Kristian_Saile I’ve had guys tell me in the comments of my TW videos that I could gear up for highway to reduce the revs and it won’t negatively affect it for off-road. I’ll have to pay closer attention next time I ride my TW to see how much I’m in 1st versus 2nd in tight terrain. I also want to ride the TW back to back with the XR150. I can see how the scallop part of the seat gets in the way. I noticed that too (since making this video) while riding on the highway when I went to stretch out and it wasn’t comfortable to slide further back on the seat. Maybe that’s the nature of things? Cruiser riders don’t have long seats to slide back on, if doing a lot of highway miles on the XR, perhaps some crash bars up in front of the engine would allow for a place to set a guys feet on? Funny how it’s less expensive than a lot of mountain bikes! I too think it’s a fun bike to ride. I hope there will be a trend towards smaller, cheaper, lighter dual sport bikes in the coming years. The UP of Michigan sounds like a great place to ride and explore. 😄

@@thatalaskaguy yeah, on longer rides I will sometimes sit up in the back part of the seat just to stretch out. I am 6’1”. I got this bike for my wife so I am not going to change it too much but I know some bar risers would get it pretty dialed for fit for me. Also swapping the legs made a big difference for confidence. And you are right, it’s such a small displacement that it isn’t really buzzy when ringing its neck on the road. Love the Valdez area, trying to make a trip up that way with the fam in the next year. 👍

@@adrianpozos3498 no, Valdez up at the dam.

@@thatalaskaguy oh dope I just got a Xr150 too! Thanks for sharing

@@chasehartman3719 I bought it from my Yamaha dealer in Wasilla, they weren’t very expensive.

@@paulthisone I often wonder… do people who comment ever bother to read other comments or see what I’ve already said in my replies? Why should I have to keep my dog on a leash in a rural area 100 yds from my house that’s located in a subdivision? This didn’t happen in a remote area in a national park. It’s right next to my house! Hazing these nuisance, dumpster diving bears is what we have to do because our local government views them as tourist attractions.

The tiny battery is my biggest issue with the bike for sure. I did a 12-14 mile ride when it was new using only throttle and it was barely moving that last mile home. I like the looks of the bike and it works great on my 3.5-4 mile long one way commute to work but I charge it there and at home to keep full power in the battery. Otherwise it’ll lose speed if I try doing a round trip without charging.

@@thatalaskaguy yea a charger is a must with this bike. When I first got it I really wasn’t intending to go far at all I really just wanted to go to school, work and ride around a few neighborhoods in my area with it but once I started taking this thing for longer trips like going into another suburb town then I realized this thing doesn’t have enough range to really travel freely without having to carrying the charger along with and Saturday really explained why I really need an ebike that can go at least 25+ miles on one charge because I did a long day trip of grad party hopping which my total mileage that day came out to about 26 miles and with the stock battery full to dead no charger I was only able to get just barely over 15 miles of range. When I went to my first stop which was 7 miles the battery display was only showing 3 bars instead of 4.

@@undergroundcreeper7997 ​​⁠if shipping on batteries wasn’t so restrictive to Alaska I’d have ordered a larger amp hour version for more range. If you’ve got time and can charge in different locations on your ride it’ll greatly help to extend the range on the stock battery but that’s not always possible. I bought a second charger just to keep at work so I don’t have to haul my charger back and forth every day. It was only $20 so that was reasonable. But yeah, my Dad has a larger framed regular ebike that is actually comfortable to pedal, plus can run off the throttle. It was way, way more range than the mini-swell and is way faster too.

@@thatalaskaguy That’s really interesting! How far did that one go and what brand was the bike from?

@@undergroundcreeper7997 I looked and it doesn’t have any brand name on the bike. It’s like a generic version of a Rad Rover, it looks somewhat similar. I’m not sure where the owners manual went for the bike.

Thanks! I went out riding with my daughter yesterday and I got to compare her XR150 to my wife’s DR200. The DR being 50cc’s larger could do over 55 and she got the DR up to 70mph when we switched bikes. She said she’s gotten her 150 up to 60mph. With me on it, 55mph was its limit as we had a head wind. The 150 is sooooo smooth! It was even more noticeable on this ride. I didn’t realize the 200 buzzed so much at highway speed. Even at low speed the 200 had more vibration. The 150 was also more comfortable and had a better ride off road. The ergonomics were more comfortable as well. It’s a nice dual sport bike!

@@thatalaskaguy I've been thinking of getting a Xr150l but didn't know really what to expect, I am 5'10 and weigh 210, most the ppl who review these bikes are 150 to 180 and barely take them off road let alone up a steep incline on gravel, now I have a better understanding of how capable this bike really is, by far the best video out there. Could you do a in depth comparison of the Tw200 and the Xr150 on and off road.

@@travisphelps7922 Right on! I’m glad you enjoyed my video. 😄 Yesterday when we were riding the XR and DR the Honda had no issues going everywhere the DR did even though the XR uses smaller diameter wheels. We were just riding trails, nothing too technical, difficult or muddy. For really technical or soft terrain the TW would still be better and more capable. It’s like a street legal, 2-wheeled ATV as it’s big tires work really well except in mud and snow. I’d have to compare the XR with my brother’s TW as I put ATV tires on my TW 200. As far as on road, the XR 150 is a lot better than the TW200. It’s way, way more comfortable, smoother, less vibration and handles better. With stock gearing the TW sounds like it’s revving it’s guts out on the highway at 55 while the 150 doesn’t. That said I’ve had numerous guys write me in my TW video comments that gearing it up a little but solves that and doesn’t take much if anything away from off-road capability.

@@thatalaskaguy awesome, I think the XR might be the best bike for me here in rural Oklahoma. I want to say the XR has a counterbalanced engine, I may be wrong tho, but that would explain why it is way smoother. 👍

@@travisphelps7922 that would make sense and I’ve been meaning to look it up. It’s definitely smoother at all RPM’s. Switching back and forth between the two bikes made it really noticeable.

None, it’s my daughter’s bike and it’s 100% stock. I don’t see it ever going that fast unless it’s in the back of a pick up truck. 😀 If you are really light and all tucked in behind the tank, maybe you’d see 65 on flat ground at sea level with no head wind.

@@thatalaskaguy I have a big bore kit and a cam, I think with different gearing it’ll do 75mph.

@@thatalaskaguy I have a short that shows some cheap leds, I definitely recommend them.

@@dustysteele5408 I wonder what the long term reliability would be like with a big bore kit?

@@thatalaskaguy i think that depends on the kit. If not a cheap kit then the piston is probably better than stock.

Thanks! I don’t think it’s much different from your DR200 besides being smoother.

60K miles is awesome to hear! I just looked your bike up, looks like the front fender is different and of course the color and graphics. I didn’t realize that Honda had been making this bike for so long. Very cool! I’m glad that’s the case as it’ll then be trouble free over its lifetime as all the bugs will have been long figured out. I think it’s a great move for Honda to offer a smaller, less expensive dual sport for the US market. Hopefully other OEM’s follow suit and we start seeing more bikes in this price range.

@balaxan, what mods do you have done? I’ve seen the 150’s there be turned into awesome street racing bikes.

@@thatalaskaguy 100% agreed, Honda making this step, makes other company's start doing the same thing!!!

@@dustysteele5408 my is most original, the region where I live it's pretty difficult tô make mods without getting in trouble, Brazilian laws for this kind of stuff are very strict, just some grippier tires, handle bar riser, and took of the plastic piece that goes over the air filter! Next I am planning to make a long trip in her so probably will stay stock for some time!!

@@balaxan okay, that’s understandable. A 26mm carb is recommended for stock bikes to stay in regulations. Porting the intake and exhaust really helps and is not something that can be seen/ shouldn’t be illegal. I’m not familiar with laws there. The intake and exhaust are most restrictions for this bike. Good luck on your trip. Ride safe. Cheers!

Thanks! I had a really good time riding it and kept wanting to try it in different areas to see how’d it do. It’s not a high speed highway bike but does reasonably well on the road to keep up with traffic at 55mph. It’s very comfortable and smooth and it feels more torquey than one would expect off-road.

I was surprised by how smooth and torquey the engine was. It’s not a powerhouse, it’s not going to scare any experienced rider but it’s likely not as gutless as a person might expect just making assumptions about the small displacement. It’s limited in top speed so don’t buy one and plan to cruise high speed open highways for long periods of time. But around urban areas it’ll get around fine and the engine had good power for off-road. I was really surprised and pleased with how well it could tractor its way up steep hills. The small size and easy to control power made it fun off-road, kind of the opposite of my DR650 that often feels heavy and clumsy to me off-road in tight areas but does nicely on the highway.

@@thatalaskaguy thanks for the info brother!

@@jameskirk5906it has enough with BBK, cam, and supporting mods.

It does with a big bore kit, cam, and supporting mods. I built an undertail exhaust for mine. Super cheap, no welding. I have a short of it on my channel if anyone wants to check it out sometime.

@@dustysteele5408 I was checking out your videos yesterday, very nice!

Yeah you do!! 🤣

Right on, thanks for watching! 👍😀

Totally agree, it’s an awesome bike! 👍

It doesn’t sound to me like you watched the review.

What!? No one owns a YTM225 DR. They were all crushed in the 80’s or the original owners were hospitalized and then their 3-wheelers were crushed. 😆

I rode my TW for around an hour or so with only the ATV rear tire installed. It was on snow so not the best conditions for the stock front tire as it slipped, washed out and followed ruts like crazy. The ATV front tire worked 100% better in snow. I suspect it’d be the same experience in mud or slick, wet conditions during the summer. The one benefit of the stock front tire is it wouldn’t exhibit any self steer or the vague feeling the ATV tire has on pavement. I think the bike is better with ATV tires front and rear as the traction and floatation is balanced.

@@thatalaskaguy yea the death-wing front tire on the TW is legendary for its willingness to washout with no warning. I was thinking that a front tire like the Big Wheels had 25x8-12 (taller and thinner) would work better on the pavement .

@@microlling3582it’s a compromise as the stock Death Wing is easier steering and more predictable on pavement or hard, gravel road surfaces. The ATV front tire is vague on those surfaces on initial turn in. But it’s completely manageable and night & day better off-road. It makes the TW way more capable off road.

This one has been awesome! 😀

I too have had bad luck with newer batteries. It’s really frustrating!

23 years, WOW! Maybe mine will make it that long? I’ve noticed the same thing over the past few years, the batteries don’t seem to last and I’ve been caring for them the same way. I even bought a charger for AGM, flooded and LiPo. The battery in my Yamaha VK540 started crapping out after the first season.

@@thatalaskaguy It could last more years. With my Suzuki King Quad as soon as I am done running it I put it in garage and plug the pigtail into the battery tender until the next time I take the machine out.

Highly recommended kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3TLiXx8ir1pp7csi=5j7pAflv9b0IhPtW

also, leave the bear and its cub alone, they were far away and not doing anything bad.

Yes, unfortunately there are some downsides and depending on your use and terrain you’ll want to think about how you intend to use your TW. I bought mine primarily to be ridden off-road and for exploring with the very convenient option to ride legally on the highway to get to different trails and places. The issues I’ve noticed the most are vague steering feel from the front end, the lack of instructions to install the front end kit and a very major one, the entire front disc has to be unbolted and so as to be able to remove the front wheel. To install you have to put the disc in the caliber and hold and alight in to the mounting flange and then bolt the disc on. This could’ve easily been remedied by making the triple clamps wider so the disc and caliber was spaced outboard like on every other motorcycle and 3-wheeler front end ever made. That said, with tubeless tires it’s doubtful a guy would ever have to remove the front tire in the field. The vague steering feel goes away as you get used to the kit. If you’ve ever ridden a fat tire bicycle and experienced self steer it feels the same. Or if you’ve ridden an old 3-wheeler with a balloon front tire and noticed the heavier steering feel. I think the vague feeling could be corrected or at least minimized by using a taller, more rounded front tire. The first time I rode my bike on pavement with the kit i had a split second where I felt like I was going to fall over, its like the bars moved at a different speed than you turned. The stock tire didn’t exhibit that feel. It’s not a big deal, just something inherent with a wide front tire and how you lean on a motorcycle. That minor tradeoff is well worth the floatation and tubeless benefits of the ATV tire. I only rode my bike with the stock front tire and the ATV rear one day in the snow. I was constantly worried about my narrow front tire breaking through the crust. It never did that morning but I felt much more confident with the ATV front tire on later snow crust rides. Plus it worked way, way better in the snow not following ruts and slipping. The stock front tire was never good on snow or mud. Plus it used an inner tube so I don’t miss it at all. Overall the kit is quite nice and went together without any major issues. The rear is easy to install while the front is more involved. I’m impressed with the kit and really, really like how the bike works off-road now. It’s way more capable and easier to ride off-road.

Totally agree! 👍 I’ve been very impressed with it as it has performed much better than I ever expected it to.

Thanks! I’ve really been enjoying the kit. I wanted a BW200 in the 80’s when they came out but never got one. The concept never got out of my head. This kit is even better in some ways as I’m street legal and only have one chain to maintain plus a disc front brake. I’m curious to eventually experiment with different tires but that’ll be in the future at some point.

@Dastardly_X Ha ha! 🤣

Helpful also, thanks 👍

@webstella That’s how I’ve done it for years as well. Then last week I’d read about this method… I like it better! 😆😀

@@Dastardly_X thanks!

Right on! That’s awesome to hear 😀, I’m hoping my battery will make it to 20 years. I really like this 4-wheeler, still using the original belt, it runs great, I’ve had no need or desire to replace it with a new quad.

@@thatalaskaguy mine has the original belt as well.

@@duanehamdorf2228 it’s amazing how durable and reliable Yamaha’s belt drive system is!

Thanks for the info! 😄👍

😆🤣

Ha ha! 😀

Dang, that’s both scary and a real bummer he acted like that. A few years ago we finally figured out why ours was so unpredictably aggressive to other dogs. Jealousy. He’s like Fatal Attraction jealous if there is another dog around and we give it any attention. Now that we know that he’s way more predictable when we encounter other dogs. He’s still a jerk but we know why. 😀

@@thatalaskaguy exactly… my kids were just too young to feed him and show him his order in the family hierarchy… so I couldn’t really adapt…. Had to just let him go… plus the new owners love him so much. But man do I love these dogs… I had my first one in 7th grade…. I even hung out in his igloo dog house with him… he would defend me from any and everything…..literally my best friend.

@@UsaamahAl-Haarithi they are an excellent breed of dogs. 👍 Definitely not for everyone, especially inexperienced or undisciplined owners but so worth it if your home is conducive to having one around. When mine passed on and if I decide to get another dog it’ll be an Akita no question.

My Timberwolf is in storage and I can’t easily get to it as I still have snow on the ground (I’m in Alaska). I don’t know the answer off the top of my head, I’ve not tinkered around with this quad for years.

I had broken the cross shaft in the original auger earlier that winter. I pulled the auger that is in the video out of another 1132 I had so I could keep up with clearing snow.

It’s really fun being able to shift it into 2WD! 😀

A 670 would be a very nice upgrade in that sled!

Thanks! I was bummed to discover how the wind affected my audio but I’ll be making future videos about the bike.

They are definitely a bit heavier, I didn’t weigh them compared to stock but during the swap I could feel the difference moving both sets of wheels around. I’ve not noticed any power loss off road but on the highway it might be a tad slower. I went with 25” tall to minimize any gearing difference between stock. The tires seem way heavier and overbuilt than necessary for the bike. But, the kit was designed to mimic the ride characteristics of the stock tires so the ATV tires aren’t bouncy. At some point I want to try lighter weight, 2 ply ATV tires as I think they’ll work better off road BUT… I’m not sure what all the downsides will be?