long distance rider
Posts : 2 Points : 4 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2013-09-25 Age : 77 Location : Kingman, AZ
| Subject: New Guy From Nothern Arizona 9/25/2013, 7:40 am | |
| Greetings from Kingman, Arizona. So, my T Dub story goes like this. I am a long time rider that has finally decided to hang up my touring gear. I have ridden mostly BMW's over the past 40 years or so and currently ride a 2012 DL1000, a 2009 DR650, and of course my new to me 96 TW200. I've probably ridden over 400,000 miles during my life and have decided that I need to slow down a bit and enjoy all those back roads I have seen heading off into the distance as I've flown by at 75 MPH......
With this in mind I started shopping for an appropriate trail bike. My first try was a Honda Trail 90. Cute little bike but a bit under powered. Did I mention that I'm 6'2" and 260 lbs......So after a short ride, and wet ride I might add, It's monsoon season here in Northern Arizona, I decided that the little Honda was just not going to cut it.....bisides, it's not really a "real" motorcycle.
This past monday I got on Craigslist and searched for TW200's. As luck would have it a guy in Phoenix had just minutes before listed a 96 that he claimed was in new condition with less that 1300 miles. I called him and he sounded legitimate....which is somewhat unusual on Craiglist in my experience. Anyway, three hours later I'm sitting outside his house waiting for him to show up. When he did show he pushed out an absoutely immaculate 96 TW200 with 1288 miles on it. It had belonged to a guy in Haines, Alaska that used it to get his mail at the end of his driveway.....a mile or so from the his house. At some point, probably his first winter of ownership, the battery froze and in the spring acid leaked on the swing arm and exhaust.....other than that, it's as new. The 17 year old tires even look new.
Evidently this guy moved to Phoenix to retire and simply put the bike in the garage, covered it up, and let it set for years....he must have drained the tank because it is as new as well, not a spot of rust anywhere. The guy I bought it from was helping the original owners wife dispose of his toys after his passing. I handed him 15 hundred dollar bills and put it in my truck.
So there you are, my path to becoming a T Dub owner. From what I have seen so far this Forum should be a great resource for my education about what appears to be a handy little bike.
Mike in Kingman | |
|
R80rt Moderator
Posts : 113 Points : 175 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2011-09-21 Age : 67 Location : Hills of Arkansas
| Subject: Re: New Guy From Nothern Arizona 9/25/2013, 6:36 pm | |
| Hi, Welcome to the forum! the TW is a great bike, you'll love it. | |
|
Tirebiter
Posts : 17 Points : 17 Reputation : 0 Join date : 2013-03-17 Age : 75 Location : West Michigan
| Subject: Re: New Guy From Nothern Arizona 9/26/2013, 4:04 pm | |
| Welcome. You are among the lucky ones that found a seldom used TW tucked away in an old guy's garage. I found a couple like that too (now I'm the old guy with low mile Tdubs in the shed). If you want to slow down a bit and enjoy the scenery the TW is for you. It's surprisingly versatile and reliable. Enjoy! | |
|
Sponsored content
| Subject: Re: New Guy From Nothern Arizona | |
| |
|