My Seven Motorcycles, From a DT200WR to an X-ADV: Why Weight Mattered Most

Since I started riding, I have owned seven motorcycles. Today I have two: an XR BAJA and an X-ADV.

Looking back, my choice of bike has always been torn over one thing: weight. I went from a light bike to heavy ones, back to a light one, and in the end I chose a bike that is easy to ride.

In this article I go through my seven bikes, why I chose each one and why I let each one go.

My seven bikes

First, here they are in the order I owned them. The years are as best I remember.

Years	Bike	Why I let it go
About 2006-2010	DT200WR	Moving to a residential area
About 2010-	XR BAJA	Still own it
2010-2012	Transalp 400V	Weight and a tip-over
2012-2015	TDM900A	Weight and vibration
2016-2020	Tiger Explorer	Too heavy, so I stopped riding it
2020-2026	G650GS	Parts and the effort of changing gear
2026-	X-ADV	Still own it

DT200WR: a light, fast two-stroke

My 1991 DT200WR was passed on to me by a friend. I rode it from 2006 until about 2010.

It was light and powerful, and like other bikes from the era when Yamaha put real effort into its machines, I could feel its quality. I also liked that it was a two-stroke, something you rarely see now.

On the other hand, parts were getting scarce, and at 167 cm tall I struggled to reach the ground. The two-stroke exhaust smoke bothered me a little too.

When I was moving to a residential area, I worried the noise and smoke might bother the neighbours, and I reluctantly let it go. It is still the one I wish I had kept.

I wrote about working on the DT200WR in this article.

XR BAJA: the light off-roader I still ride

Around the time the DT200WR went, I bought a used 2000 XR BAJA. That was around 2010.

I have changed between several big bikes since then, but the XR BAJA has stayed with me the whole time. It is light and easy to handle, and a bike I can keep riding for years while maintaining it myself.

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The XR BAJA's 14 L tank vs the XR250's 9.7 L: about 120 km more range at my BAJA's 28 km/L, the real benefits on tour, the extra front weight, and model-year fitment cautions.

Transalp 400V: well made, but heavy

The Transalp 400V was also passed on to me by a friend, and I rode it from 2010 to 2012. It was my first bike that needed a shaken (Japan's periodic roadworthiness inspection).

It was easy to ride, with a soft seat, and a well-made bike that didn't tire me out. But I was used to the light DT200WR, and it felt very heavy to me.

Once, when I dropped it, I had a hard time picking it up. That stayed with me, and I let it go.

I wrote about restoring the Transalp from a rusty state and letting it go in this article.

Honda Transalp 400V Memories: Rust Repair, Spoke Lacing, an Öhlins Swap and a Tip-Over

The Transalp 400V I was given was covered in rust. I repainted the swingarm with POR-15, laced the rear wheel for the first time, fitted an Africa Twin Öhlins shock, and rode it from 2010 to 2012 until a tip-over on a slope.

TDM900A: the twin I chose with my big-bike licence

After getting my large motorcycle licence, I fell for the looks of the 2005 TDM900A and bought it. I rode it from 2012 to 2015.

The 900cc twin had plenty of torque and it was easy to ride. But it felt like I was throwing a heavy lump of iron around, and the twin's vibration was too strong for me.

Tiger Explorer: happy with it, but too heavy

I had always wanted to try a litre bike, and when a bike used by a dealer in Gifu that took maintenance seriously came up for sale, I bought it without hesitation. I rode it from 2016 until about 2020, covering about 15,000 km.

I was very happy with its power, its quality, the pleasure of owning it, and its shaft drive, which meant no chain to look after.

But it was heavy, and I could only ride it when I psyched myself up. I rode it less and less, and decided to let it go.

G650GS: the BMW I chose looking for a light big bike

Having had enough of heavy bikes after the Transalp, the TDM and the Tiger, I went looking for "a big bike under 200 kg" and chose a 2012 G650GS. I also wanted to try a BMW at least once. I rode it from 2020 to 2026.

It was light, had all the power I needed, and was easy to handle.

But parts were expensive and often didn't arrive quickly after I ordered them, which was stressful for someone like me who does his own maintenance. I also came to find changing gear a chore.

Why I Sold My BMW G650GS: What I Liked, and the Cost and Wait for Parts

Why I sold my BMW G650GS after five or six years: moving from a heavy Triumph Tiger Explorer, making it just right with small mods, then expensive, slow-to-arrive parts in Japan.

X-ADV: I chose a DCT so riding would be easy

Just as I was wanting a bike that was easier to ride, Honda's DCT (a transmission with no clutch to operate) had come a long way. So I switched from the G650GS to an X-ADV.

Honda X-ADV First Impressions: Why It’s the Ultimate Adventure Machine

Hello everyone! For any rider, delivery day—the moment a new machine arrives in your garage—is truly special. I have finally become the proud owner of the long-awaited Honda X-ADV (Special Edition)! "It looks like a maxi-scooter, but can it really handle adventure riding?" "An open-class bike without a clutch lever (DCT)—is it actually fun to ride?" Before making the purchase, I wandered through the depths of the internet, harboring those exact same questions and anxieties. With its one-of-a-kind concept, the X-ADV stands completely apart from conventional motorcycles. That is probably why so many of you are hesitant to pull the ...

What seven bikes taught me

Looking back on seven bikes, the reasons I let them go were almost always weight and effort.

Weight decides how often you ride

The Transalp, the TDM and the Tiger were all good bikes. Even so, once the weight started to bother me, I rode less and less, and in the end I let them go.

I started to think not just about catalogue figures, but about whether I could pick the bike up myself after a tip-over, and whether I would happily head out on it.

If you maintain it yourself, parts matter too

With the DT200WR, parts were getting scarce, and with the G650GS, parts were expensive and slow to arrive. Riding and maintaining bikes myself, how easy it is to get parts is an important condition for me.

Being easy to ride became important too

I came to find changing gear a chore, so I chose the X-ADV with its DCT. Now I switch between the light XR BAJA and the easy-going X-ADV.

How you sell matters too

Each time I changed bikes, I let one go. The price changed a lot depending on how I sold it, and there is one sale I still regret.

Summary

• After seven bikes, I know that weight matters most to me
• If you do your own maintenance, look at how easy it is to get parts
• I have settled on the light XR BAJA and the easy-going X-ADV

There is no right answer when choosing a bike, but I hope my history helps if you are thinking about your next one.

*This article is a summary of my own experience with the bikes I have owned. Some years and dates are from memory.