Which bike Yamaha AG200 or XT250 2008 model
AG200 http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/yamaha_ag_200_e_2007.php
XT250 http://www.bikez.com/motorcycles/yamaha_xt250_2008.php

I will put aluminum panniers on the bike.

Route: round Africa for 18 months and off the beaten track as much as possibly.

So which one is it

Any help would be much appreciated
Thanks Antony

I know this doesn't answer your question but in my opinion you'd be better off with an XR250 and soft bags if you wanna do heaps of off-road. Agricultural 200's only have about 14hp I think, the XR250 has about 20hp and creates lots of torque. I am unsure about the XT250 though.

Although they're much dearer, I'd have to agree with Pockethead - go for an XR250 if you can spare the dosh. If not, consider a TTR250 - it will be a bit cheaper and, IMO, much better off road than the XT. I have ridden AG bikes around on farms, and although they're tough and cheap, they are also heavy, gutless with very limited fuel range - more designed for lugging hay bales and dead sheep up hill and down dale at 20kph than serious touring...but of course, it can be done.

__________________
BD.

The only benifit of the Ag bike is its sturdier frame.
If you are gonna go the pannier box route then fitting to the ag bike will probably require less structural reinforcements than the others.
Weve found the front rack over the headlight evens the bike up and is better in handling under acceleration... Given the acceleration on our bike is almost non existent!!!

Heavy offroading is dangerous and more difficult with boxes.
Soft pannier bags are the go and dont require too many structural mods.

As stated the XR is solid. Pricey but will handle evrything you can throw at it, also Honda has a worldwide network.
The TTR250 is a bike Ive considered and will definately try out in the future. Yamaha doesnt have the network honda does though.

The Suzuki 250DC Dejebel is a great bike that I highly recommend if you can get your hands on one, wish I hadnt sold mine. Superb on and offroad.

That being said, even with horsepower in the single digits, you can go anywhere. Its just a matter of time and effort.

N+A

__________________
Round the world on a Postie bike, 2-up
Bilingual Blog (japanese and English)
http://faster-than-walking.com

Hi Anthony,

well my XT250's passed 56,000 miles and the only problems have been as a result of accident damage.

Lois Pryce test rode mine before she went trans Africa and the only reason she didn't go for one was that they were too new and she was worried about the lack of spares.

Austin Vince rode mine and described it has having the weight of a Serow but the go of a DR350.

I have no experience of the AG but really rate my little XT250.

Hi!

AG200!!!
A really good thing (maybe the only one;-)) ) is you're the only Traveller wihtout problems for spareparts!!!

That Bike is sold allmost all over Afrika......
We travelled in Guinea with 2 Priest 2up on a AG and they had no problems to keep up with us!!

I don't know how funny it is...but it works!!


Greetings from Perth Werner+Claudia

__________________
Just traveling
www.horizonsunlimited.com/tstories/longwayhome

Hey everyone thanks for the replies,
i now think ill go with the dr200 Trojan http://www.suzuki.co.nz/motorcycles/...00sek9.800.jpg

Was thinking of an Ag bike myself and something I noticed was that the Honda boasted that it was a fully road register-able for australia (indicators etc). Are the others only for farm use and not able to be registered?. Don't know what it would be for other countries.
Bigfoot.

__________________

I rode 5 weeks and 4500km in Mongolia on 2 AG100's with my brother. The 100 is 2 stroke and smaller than the 200 but very similar. We gave those bikes an absolute flogging over the worst roads i have ever been on fully loaded with fuel and luggage (Andy strapz soft panniers and a barrel bag strapped to the back rack including 10L fuel). Both bikes were faultless and survived. For lots of off road work i would definately opt for soft panniers over aluminium panniers, although i understand they are less secure. It was very common with people i met to crack mounts and a couple of guys had injured themselves getting their legs stuck under the pannier when they crashed (common).

I love my '2001' DR200 Djebel,
its used 100% tarmac on my commute, and gives effortless riding.
I get a consistant 72MPG, and thats going 60-70MPH Daytime,
and 47-55MPH Nightime (no traffic so i chill)

I am looking for the rack off a trojan as they surface in the UK sometimes on other DR's and have more girth to them than my Djebel rack
(or did they give bigger racks to all DR200's after a cirtain date?)

It has an irritating reserve and comes on with loads left in tank so I only get 150 miles res comes on then I worry, so fill up (though1/3rd tank left)

They have over 25kilos less weight over a DR250!!! ouch
but the weedy 125cc based frame may req bracing for heavy use

the only better bike for dead on reliability I had was my superdream,
i even ran out of bike oil so topped it up with veggy oil, clutch was fine and even smelled gr8

any questions just ask, dimensions etc
as I can't see them being so different

take it easy ks.

__________________
and for all you americans out there....

bababooey babbabooey bababooey!

The DR 200 is an incredible little bike.
We bought one for my wife in April 2007.
As opposed to many Ag bikes it's a true DS in bonsai size. Very light (108kg), low enough for people in the 1.6m height range, and it makes the Yammie TW200 feel like a 125.
The 13l tank gives an excellent fuel range. (close to 400 km until dry).
The suspensions are very good for a bike of this class and cope very well on dirt roads.

The Trojan is the AG version of the DR200SE with an additional oil cooler (not necessary for DS / touring). It comes with cheapo chromed steel rims (Aluminium on the SE) and you will have to throw th three square metres of mud flaps and the right side stand into the bin as quickly as possible.
I also don't like the solid hand guards as they tend to produce broken wrists in an off. Rather go for flexible plastic hand guards and take one or two sets of levers as spares.

I don't think the DR200's frame is a problem at all as long as you load it properly and don't take the whole household.

Only weak points on the DR200 are:
The tiny oil volume of only 1100ml (it says 850ml on the engine). Once the engine uses oil you will have to check on a very regular basis.
The swingarm pivot bushes. Two pieces of fibre reinforced plastic c**p. They are soft and cause slight instabilities on hard, fast cornering (see what I do to a bike like that ;D )
Best to get them replaced as long as the bike is new as you will be able to reuse the hardened steel pivot spacers. I have fitted sintered brass bushes and grease nipples into my wifes DR200. You can also use the needle bearings from a Kawasaki KLR650 swingarm pivot (any model, all the same)

It's been my dream for a long time to get either a Serow or a Super Sherpa. I've ridden the Kawasaki Super Sherpa all over Levkas Island and that is one fantastic little bike. It just isn't as common as the Serow though and I think these are two similar bikes.

Tell me, is there much difference between the 225 and 250 in terms of mpg? A big factor in getting a small bore is to be frugal. Also I'd need to get myself a rack, are they available in the UK?

Thanks

__________________
A ship in the harbour is safe, but that\'s not what ships were built for. Anon