Agree with many into the Yamaha Trailways 200 [TW200]. Yet: disagree as well!
Placed my money where my mouth now is...chose & purchased a Honda NX-250, circa 1989...low miles, still with me...hope it makes it to Quartzite!
Honda's very first "Adventure Bike". like later TW200's they offer both kick & electric start.
I absolutely love that "E Button" and as I pack on more years of seniority won't go without electric start!!
They [Honda] broke into the then undefined adventure market trying to capitalize on a niche then- undefined.
They hawked both aNX 250 version & an NX 650 model...too heavy as some in the thread state the Why the TW-200 is primo.
Agreed, bigger cc's can be over my own paygrade/given advancing age.
THE DIFF
TW200's are slightly more low-slung than NX's and that should matter to men & women under a certain height...tryem.
The TW200 is lower slung and near impossible to "dump", NX= almost same...favor to TW.
TW200's are, well, 200 cc...and power does matter, especially out-West where air temps can render the output horsepower decisively lower at mid-day temperatures.
Throw on altitude causation of robbing power....a sea level motor might be 200HP, but Flagstaff is quite another story, as Density Altitude causes severe declines in power....can one accelerate and join traffic or avoid a threat; can one hold interstate speed IF necessary?
TW200 is not rated for Interstate Speed. It wont keep up, period.
The NX-250 is with one more gear....HUGE....plus 25% more CC's [200 vs 250].
Further, the NX has legality for two-up riding and: CAN keep up with traffic given more HP & another gear!
They are no longer sold, so I'm not playing huckster.
Caveat Emptor
Duke
{have owned and operated a number of bikes}
