TW200 vs TTR230 - Which Yamaha Dirt Bike Is Best For You?

There are some similarities between the Yamaha TW200 vs TTR230 because they're both good beginner dirt bikes, but they are built for different types of riding. 

In this article, I'm going to compare these two Yamaha dirt bikes to help you quickly decide which one is right for you. 

What’s the difference between the TW200 & TTR230?

The TW200 is a street legal dirt bike that's good for dual sport riding on and off-road for beginners and short riders. The TTR230 is also good for beginners, but it's a trail bike for teens and adults that strictly want to ride off-road. 

Need more specific details than that? Keep reading...

Engine

The engines are very similar because they're both 2-valve air-cooled 4 stroke engines. What does this mean? They're low performance, but reliable and have good low-end torque, which makes learning to ride with a clutch easier. 

The TW200 is street legal, so the transmission and gearing are a little taller for riding on the road, although it only has 5 gears while the TTR230 has 6 gears. 

The bigger 230cc engine obviously has more power, but it's not a significant difference on the TTR230. 

Suspension

Both dirt bikes have fairly soft suspension, which is great if you're just getting into riding. You only need 'stiff' suspension if you're a heavy rider or if you're aggressive at riding off-road on rough terrain. 

With that said, the TW200 has considerably less suspension travel than the TTR230. This means that the rougher you get riding off-road, the less comfortable it will be on the TW because the forks and shock won't be able to absorb the obstacles and impacts as well. 

Handling

There is quite a bit of difference in handling between these two Yamaha dirt bikes. The TW200 is going to turn and handle a little bit slower with the bigger tires and because it’s setup for street riding,

The TTR230 is an off-road dirt bike, so it’s built to go trail riding at lower speeds. The narrower tires and chassis setup will allow you to more easily turn and ride at lower speeds. 

Weight difference

The TW200 weighs about 30 pounds more than the TTR230, so every type of riding is going to feel ‘slower’ with the extra weight. This is not necessarily bad because the TW 200 will feel more ‘planted’ and balanced because it doesn’t handle as quickly.

Which dirt bike is right for you?

Both the Yamaha TW200 and TTR230 are good beginner dirt bikes, but they have distinct differences for different types of riding. Here are some more clear-cut details to help you decide which bike is right for you:

You should get the TW200 if you:

• Want a street-legal dirt bike to legally ride on the road
• Are a beginner to dirt biking
• Have short legs and need a short motorcycle
• Want a street bike that’s easy to ride

You should get the TTR230 if you:

• Plan to ride trails or casually around your farm/land
• Are new to dirt biking
• Don’t need to ride on the road
• Are at least 5’4” tall

How to become a better and safer rider

While either of these two dirt bikes are good to start on and learn to ride, the next step is even more important if you want to stay safe.

I see so many new riders making the same mistakes and habits, and it’s because they are self-taught riders or they learn from a friend that doesn’t know all of the basics.

I want to send you a free training guide that will get you started the right way so that you will quickly learn to ride with confidence and control to prevent bad crashes. Click here to learn the basic riding techniques.