Yamaha XT225 Serow 225

Brought a Serow a few years ago just for fun and winter commuting, decided to 'upgrade' to a CRF250L but found that no better than the little XT. Ended up selling the CRF and buying the little Serow back from the chap I sold it to. Says it all really.

Light / fun / and frugal. Other bikes will come and go, but I will be keeping the old goat.

I bought this xt225 in 07 being a 06 left over,So been riding it for 6 years ,The machine is a great all around bike ,Ive had it well over 70 mph,and as slow as 2 mph crawling on steep hillsides and in lots of mud,This boke keeps going ,Easy too handle,it has cold starting problems that can be fixed .Glad I bought mine .

Great bike, very light, with the right tyres will go up steep hills that taller bikes will flip on, I'm 6'4", and although the bike looks way to small for me, if you are on a very rutted green lane and have to stop, you can still put your feet down without falling over. The only fault to watch out for is the ones around "F" reg, as there was a dodgy batch of gearboxes that strip 6th gear (like mine!) but just put on a slightly larger front sprocket and use 5th as top gear. If you want something that is very reliable and better than most in soft mud, go for it.

got a 1992 xt225, runs like a charm, 18000km and only needs the piston rings done

For a guy in His Mid 40's, who has had enough of the Moto- competition, this 2007 Yamahe XT 225 works well. This Cycle was designed to plonk along the trail at an easy pace. And it does so in a nice way. The power is put to the ground evenly with no burps or hiccups. Trailriders cruising along will most likely not get out of third gear but that is plenty fast for someone just out to be-bop down a trail or a stretch of single track. It will pull up a decent Hill even with a maxiumum load of roughly 400 pounds. First Gear is very tractor- like. The bike reminds me of watching a BillyGoat traverse a steep rocky hillside; surefooted and confident. I stalled the bike on a sandy uphill with a passenger onboard. No problem. Just pull in the clutch lever while downshifting into first and hit the E-start! You're off and running again! Forget falling over on a steep hill because the seat height is so low that even someone close to 5'0 can sit flat footed. Being able to touch the ground like that is a big bonus. Remember that you are out for a scenic trail ride.

The steering can be slowed down or quickened by adjusting the PreLoad on the rear shock. when riding out in the desert or long trails, I have softened the preload in order to achieve better stability. This did make the steering much slower when attempting to turn. Stiffen the preload some when riding tight twisty trails. That will quicken the steering.

The maintenance is easy enough with oil changes and filter cleaning. The Airbox is very waterproof and the bike can probably handle a few deep water crossings, although I have not tried this yet.

Since I ride in sand alot, I changed the stock front tire to a more sand worthy Kenda Trackmaster 3.00 x 21. That made a nice solid difference in the sand and it is comfortable on the street for my riding. changing the PSI also helps while offroad; roughly 10-15 PSI.

Overall I think that the bike is a fantastic Trail Plonker and it will provide you and a passenger with many happy times. Just don't think you can go out and blow past all of your buddies because I don't think that Yamaha had that in mind when they put this scooter out on the Market.

i AM 70 YEARS OLD AND HAVE BEEN RIDING ON AND OFF ROAD FOR 50+ YEARS. I MADE THE TRANSITION TO DUAL SPORTS 4 YEARS AGO AND PURCHASED A 1987 YAMAHA TW 200 (LARGE REAR WHEEL). IT WAS A GREAT TRAIL BIKE BUT HAD A LIMITED TOP END (55MPH) ON THE HIGHWAY. LAST MONTH I TRAVELED 5 HOURS TO PURCHASE A SWEET 2006 YAMAHA XT225 WITH ONLY 1300 MILES. IT WAS ACTUALLY IN SHOWROOM CONDITION. THE EXTRA 25CC AND THE 6 SPEED TRANSMISSION SOLVED THE HIGHWAY SPEED CONCERN AND ACTUALLY MAKE IT A BETTER TRAIL MACHINE. I AM A "BIG" GUY AT 6' 225 POUNDS. IT IS CUT RIGHT AND VERY CAPABLE OF HAULING ME AND A LOAD OF GEAR.

bought a used Serow just for the sack of having an extra bike apart from my Harley n custom bobber, but turned out to be the most Fun bike i even have, rode it around town, long distance off-road trip in tropical jungle, she never let me down so far....

I am a Fully Qualified Driving Standards Agency Motorcycle instructor in UK. My wife had an Africa Twin, but standing at 5ft5"- she found it a little heavy, when loaded up with child & provisions. She researched this bike & we bought one...and I'm very pleased we did. It is excellent around town, with a stable presence on the road, but a nibbleness to make progress easily by filtering in town traffic. It's turn circle & manoevreability, coupled with its weight & seat height are fantastic. It lacks power on "A"roads & would be a non starter for motorway work, but this is not what the bike is designed for...so just adjust your route!. The servicing of these bikes are wonderously easy- basic,reliable, sturdy donkies-the countless reviews of it's reliability over unreliable terrain, make for a no no nonsence ride. (http://www.loisontheloose.com/)- The bike is designed for off road work and has quite a few very helpful additions, showing some thought has gone into this understated load carrier. Both brake & gear change selector pivot (reducing the chance of them being snapped off), while the wheels have extra rim fixers- which help prevent the tyres spinning on the rims, when working off road. Regarding fuel economy, I am experiencing 85mpg. To summarise; a good town bike, with a great off road cabability- avoid 60mph+ style routes, but load it up and away you go..I believe its market is both vertically challenged bikers, commuters in cities and finally, trail riders/distance travellers who have not packed their egos- instead choosing to pack reliability & lightness onto the rear rack. Hope this helps!

have a 2007 yamaha treet and trail bike, love it dont have no problems, rides good, great on trails, ausome gas milage, even does good with a passenger i would highly recommend for you to get one

Yamaha XT225 - light, enough power, good trail riding