My Current Bike

2003 Yamaha XT225

The Selection Process:

I compiled a list of criteria to assist in the choice of a motorcycle that would suit my needs:

1) Reliable and economical - self-explanatory, really
2) 250cc or less - so strayjuliet could learn to ride and go for her licences
3) At least 200cc - so it would withstand the rigours of a decent journey
4) Capable of reaching and maintaining 100km/h - the open road speed limit
5) Dual-purpose/Enduro - for off road fun and adventure riding
6) Small, light and easy to manoeuvre - for off-road use and for strayjuliet to learn on
7) Within my budget - again, self-explanatory

With the above image firmly in mind I looked through the bikes listed on the websites of motorcycle dealers in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Auckland.

Very few fitted all the above criteria but there were a couple of Yamaha XT225s - one in Auckland and one in Tauranga - that looked interesting.

I immediately began researching the XT225 and found an extremely useful and informative forum of avid XT225 enthusiasts. From their posts and reviews I learned not only the strengths and weaknesses of the bike, but how to fix the weaknesses.

Everything I read about the bike suggested it would be pretty much ideal for my purposes; the only thing I did not know was whether the physical size would be suitable.

Then I went out and visited the local bike shops, surmising (correctly) that they had bikes for sale that were not listed on their web sites.

At Hamilton Motorcycles on Te Rapa Straight I found a Yamaha XT225 Serow ("Serow" being the name by which it was known in Japan). It was not registered or road legal and did not have the pillion pegs or indicators, but it did give me the opportunity to try one out for size and determine that its physical dimensions would not be too much for me or Juliet.

Later I stopped in at Supacross Cycles in Commerce Street and they had a 2003 Yamaha XT225 - also not registered for use on the road but it at least had the pillion pegs and all the lights.

I asked one of the sales staff, Aidan, what it would take to get it road legal and he didn't even blink. He said, "take the knobblies off and put some Pirellis on it, get it registered - that'd be about all."

I got him to add up the costs and add them and the price of a new helmet for Juliet to the purchase price and tell me the damage. The total price was acceptable and the low-deposit finance was enticing but I held off signing up until I had discussed it with Juliet (unmarried bikers: you have been warned, marriage comes with obligations.)

Juliet was fine with my choice but it was too late to go back that day and I had to make do with continuing my research until Monday.

By the time I signed the papers to apply for the finance, I was convinced that if I did not get that particular XT225, I would be getting another just like it.

The finance was duly approved and I sold my defunct Suzuki GSX250E for enough money to cover the deposit.

Then began the long wait while the bike was compliance tested, and its VIN checked prior to the issuing of a licence plate and registration.

Aidan was going to put pure street tyres on it but we discussed my requirements and settled on Pirelli "Scorpion" MT90 A/Ts - still predominantly road tyres but with a deeper tread to be more use in gravel and on packed dirt.

Finally the bike was licensed and registered for the road and I was able to pick it up and ride it home.

Damage and Modifications:

First of all there were dents on the tank, including one directly above and in front of the seat that obviously had been left by someone's "twig and two berries", and the paint had flaked away in places allowing the metal underneath to rust.

The front brake lever had been bent prior to some Barkbusters "ego" hand guards being fitted and the hand guards themselves showed damage from subsequent crashes. There were also various scrapes on the fenders, frame and engine casing and the right hand air scoop was broken.

In addition to the obviously accident-related damage, the bash plate, chain cover and rear reflector were missing and the side stand return spring did not hold the stand firmly in the "up" position.

Despite the cosmetic damage, however, the frame seemed to be straight and the engine ran faultlessly.

There was also the small matter of the sticking indicator switch - the switch would not automatically return from the left.

Someone had fitted a mud flap on the front fender - a genuine Yamaha part, too - and the rear brake arm had been inverted so that it and the actuator rod were now above the swing arm rather than below it. Brazilian-made XT225s leave the factory with the brake arm inverted and it is a modification that others on the XT225 forum had performed to get the brake arm and actuator rod safely out of the way of rocks and other debris on the ground.

Yamaha mud flap - not standard on the XT

Inverted rear brake arm and actuator rod

The one major, but easily fixed, fault of the XT225 is that it can be difficult to start, especially in cold weather. A simple carburettor modification, involving removing a brass cap from the underside of the carburettor and adjusting the pilot screw, is all that is required to fix it. From day one I never had any problems starting the bike, even in frosty weather, and the aforementioned brass cap had already been removed so I surmise that the pilot screw adjustment has already been performed.

One performance problem I noted with my XT was that in 6th gear the engine would falter as if starving when you suddenly opened the throttle. When I took the bike apart to paint the tank, I noticed that the entire top of the air filter box had been crudely cut away - which I figured would have the effect of making the bike run very lean owing to the increased air flow. This surmise was confirmed when I went on the Cold Kiwi rally - the "starving" symptom went away when I got up into the higher altitudes where the air is thinner.

One of the things about the XT225 forum: you're never short of ideas for modifications and there's usually detailed instructions on how to perform them. Most of my desired modifications revolve around improving the bike as a long-distance touring machine and personalised touches.