Ha ha! It’s a fun bike when you just want to get out and ride and explore and look at the scenery.

Yep. And everybody gets old.

It's a great bike

@tomjones8876 Absolutely 100% 👍

That’s great to hear! 😀 I think a simple, two valve, air cooled Japanese 4-stroke is the pinnacle of reliability for motorcycles and older ATV’s.

Thanks! Isn’t it weird how the dealerships do that? I remember getting shit back in the 80’s when I got my first brand new dirt bike, a leftover ‘85 Yamahs IT 200. It was perfect! I’d researched the bike and read all the shootouts before I got it and it worked perfect for my riding area. But I got crap at the dealer for not getting a YZ 125 and my friends gave me a hard time about not getting a YZ. Later that summer one of my friends wanted to get a dirt bike so I stupidly sold him my IT and bought a YZ 250 and then discovered how much it sucked for tight, technical terrain. Sure, riding fast open trails was fun, so was jumping but most of my area is technical terrain where speed/power/suspension has limited use. Long story short, four YZ 250’s and 37 years later I’ve finally discovered you need two dirt bikes. The practical bike you ride all the time, explore and enjoy yourself on (TTR) and the bike that goes fast, is hard to control and can be scary in certain conditions (YZ). The YZ 250 2-stroke is fun when you want to rip. If I lived in an area that was mostly sand I can see how it’d work really well. But if I could only have one dirt bike it’d be the TTR. There are plenty of things to learn how to do better for riding skills in technical terrain and the TTR really doesn’t hold a guy back. It was really cool to read your comments and I’m glad to see another rider gets it. Dirt biking as a sport would likely be more popular if dealerships would drop the attitude towards the trail bikes. The vast majority of my teenage riding buddies quit riding dirt bikes decades ago. I wonder if the stigma towards trail bikes didn’t exist if they’d have stayed with it?

@@thatalaskaguy Right on! I actually bought my then 6 year old a TTR-50RE at the same time and we both learned to ride together, it was an awesome experience and has certainly 'lit the fire' in both of us to get him further into the sport. He has very quickly out skilled me due to a combination of fearlessness and competitiveness which I absolutely love! I had originally planned to pass the 230 onto him once he's tall enough but I can honestly say I love riding it too much for that to happen lol. The reality is he'll likely move onto a KTM 65 so that he can get more into the junior racing scene here while dad happily plods along on his 'old mans bike'. In Australia we have an insane amount of laws that restrict 'legal' trail riding to road registered bikes only in most areas (Fire trails in the State Forests included, which is bonkers). That's not to say everyone listens, but if you get caught there are pretty hefty fines involved. Getting him into casual competitions will allow him to ride at dedicated Moto X parks at least. Thankfully Australia is a big place and there are still a decent amount of quiet single trails out there if you look hard enough. We regularly load the bikes into the back of the ute (pick up truck?) and drive for 4 hours or more just to get to the spots that are suitable to ride without fear of the council rangers! Can't complain though, we pack the swags and camp while we're there. Really is the stuff memories are made of! No bears to worry about here though lol. I honestly believe that none of this would have happened had it not been for the mighty 230! There was a road legal version released here back in 2007 (TT-R230A) but alas, they have stopped making them now. Used versions command a premium due to being perfect for the Forest trails and legal to ride! Dealerships would make an absolute fortune if they could lobby to bring that model back onto the showroom floors instead of making people feel small for wanting one in the first place! Anyway, enough rambling from me, will keep an eye out for more content when you get to it mate!

@Addicted2LeTube Very nice! It’s crazy to see how quickly kids progress in their skills and abilities. We’ve got a small, home made MX track here in town and my YZ is naturally excellent for that. I’ve taken my TT-R out on it as well and it’s still fun, just a different level of speed and capability. On either bike I tend to ride on it for a few laps and then ride off somewhere else. I’m fortunate as I can ride from my house and as long as I don’t ride down the highway the cops don’t tend to hassle you. I didn’t realize that Australia was so restrictive. That’s a bummer! You guys have some great riding terrain and areas. I like watching Cross Training Enduro and the trails are much different than what I have. Really cool to see! Your kangaroos seem diabolical! I watched a CNN news story about a kangaroo drowning a guys dog. I was like “What!?” Then they showed a photo of it waist deep in water and it was ripped! They had a good joke that it looked like a deer that was just released from prison. 🤣😆😂

dude , I have been riding a long time, I rode junk when my friends had the latest . and I've had the latest and greatest. Don't let ANYBODY tell you what or what not to ride go enjoy it. eff em ! I learned that a long time ago. When i go into a dealer I TELL them what i want. based on reviews like this guy and people i trust that ride.

@@Barefoot-Bob yet again the comment section here does not disappoint! Thanks for the encouragement and words of wisdom 👍

Ha ha! 😀

I love the fact they’ve been making this bike forever. If it had any, all the bugs are worked and it’ll just run & run & run. I’m not opposed to a transition to battery powered electric dirt bikes. But I firmly believe any TTR-230 will still be running and riding around long after many of the new e-dirt bikes are rusting away in people’s yards due to prohibitively expensive battery replacement costs.

Oh I fully agree

It’s a great bike! The TTR is perfect for riding around with kids and exploring but it’s capable enough to take on tough trails and is fun to ride. It’ll run forever with just oil changes and clean air filters. 😀

Totally agree! 👍 I’ve been very impressed with it as it has performed much better than I ever expected it to.

Thanks! We don’t have a ton of places we can ride dirt bikes because the mountains are so steep and the brush is really thick plus lots of impassable creeks and rivers everywhere. I still really enjoy riding dirt bikes and will cut trails through the woods just to make new places to ride. Dual sport bikes make things fun as they provide access into new areas I’ve not explored yet but usually aren’t fun or big enough to justify the effort of Hal piling a dirt bike to them.

Thanks! I was disappointed that the wind was so noticeable in the audio, I didn’t realize that while filming. I completely agree, it’s a great bike!

Right on, thanks! Even though I bought it with a certain use in mind, I’ve been caught off guard by how capable and enjoyable it is to ride. I’m sure a lot of it has to do with my rocky and forested terrain and riding conditions but it’s a really good bike and so far has not held me back from getting to places. It climbed a huge hill that I wouldn’t have thought it could do and the soft suspension is actually a lot more practical for everywhere except the small MX track we have, big jumps of course, and riding it at high speeds through the whoops and rough sections of the ditches. Even in the ditch it is still fun as you have to ride it differently and focus on being smooth and use the terrain to your advantage. It’s certainly not a YZ but it’s a lot easier and more enjoyable to ride in a wider range of conditions than the YZ.

I really like the lack of modern technology on this bike as it has all it needs to make for a good reliable trail bike. These TTR’s will still be running 30-40 years from now with minimal maintenance. The same won’t be said about so many fuel injected performance bikes whos electronics and fuel injection parts will,have long been discontinued and no longer available. I’d like to pick up another TTR 230 and have been checking out what available used in my area.

Thanks! I was bummed to discover how the wind affected my audio but I’ll be making future videos about the bike.

Thanks for the info! 😄👍

I really like my TTR! I was daydreaming about riding motorcycles again today. 😃

I think you’ll really like the TTR. No overheating at slow speed, no radiators to damage, no tedious and expensive valve adjustments requiring new shims, lower seat height and super easy maintenance. The CRF will have much better suspension and the power will be better for wider open terrain but the TTR excels in tight, technical, wooded terrain.

i am going from a CR450f and a long spell of off 2 wheels and looking at this bike.

@@Barefoot-Bob I’ve never ridden a 450 MX bike so I can’t provide a direct comparison. But, one KZfaq video that really stuck out to me featured a trail ride with Shane Watts and he owned a TTR-230. He preferred to ride it due to the low maintenance requirements and that he could spend the majority of his time riding. He was leading the group he was with and they were all riding higher performance bikes. The TTR wasn’t holding him back. I find the TTR to be a far more fun bike to ride on trails and exploring than what the common perception it’s given.

Totally agree, it’s an awesome bike! 👍

Thanks! I’m still enjoying the bike, no issues with it.

@@thatalaskaguy glad to hear!

I agree 👍. The only places this bike isn’t as much fun as my YZ is on our local MX track or ripping around in the ditches along the highway. We don’t have many areas with tons of deep, loose sand so the power of the YZ generally isn’t needed.

@@thatalaskaguy exactly, all about purpose! 👍🏻

Thanks! My family also has a TTR 125 that my youngest daughter just learned to ride earlier this summer.

@@thatalaskaguyhow old is your youngest? My daughter is 13. Would you recommend 125 or 230f? She rides atv but never rode a dirt bike.

@@JP-fo8ld my youngest is also 13. She can touch with the balls of her feet on the 125 but the 230 would be too tall. Depending on the size and inseam of the rider, the 125 can get outgrown but the 230 will fit adults. It’s not like a larger teen or smaller adult can’t ride the 125, they just may feel a bit cramped and the suspension will be soft. But, the 125 is lighter weight and a bike that fits the rider will build skills and confidence way, way faster. I learned on bikes that were too tall for me and it sucked. I always feel way more confident on a bike with a lower seat height even though I’ve been riding motorcycles for 38 years now.

⁠@@thatalaskaguyThe 125 seems like it will be the better option for her then. I really appreciate the info. Thanks.

@@JP-fo8ld Right on, glad I could help!👍

I agree! I’m really glad I bought mine. I prefer the ride and feel of the TTR over the CRF. I rode my YZ the weekend before last and definitely noticed the vibration a lot more than I used to. Part of me wants to time myself riding both bikes a couple laps on our small, local motocross track just to see what the difference is. I don’t think I’m significantly faster on my YZ as I’m not very good riding on a track. This is kind of giving me some ideas for a video. 🤔

Do itttt!@@thatalaskaguy

Nah.. everyone needs a wheelie here and there!

@@comebackseason11 the YZ is definitely way easier to pop the front end up at speed. It’s power is very, very fun in the right conditions and mindset. If I lived in the desert or sandy area the YZ would work amazingly well. The sand really makes a 2-stroke shine and they are super fun to ride in those conditions. 👍

I’ve found they often make a lot of noise crunching through the brush when it’s dry. They are big, heavy animal and our woods are quite dense with Alders growing out at a 45° angle due to our heavy snows that squish them down. It could’ve also been a moose. Didn’t matter, whatever it was sounded big and I was outta there! 😄

I just looked up that movie clip. 😀 I’ve not watched that movie before, I’m going to have to check it out. 👍

@@thatalaskaguy Definitely worth checking out! You have an amazing spot to trail ride, I sure am jealous… lol. Ride safe!

I ordered the least expensive one that popped up on Amazon. I’ve had two others that looked the same over the years but were made by different brands. They’ve all worked fine so far. No batteries which is great! Magicalmai Inductive Hour Meter... www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y3ZYBLW?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Totally can and will! 👍😄

It depends a lot on what conditions you ride in and how good your buddies are. If you guys are riding in the wide open desert, sand dunes or MX tracks the 230 won’t be the best choice as they’ll likely leave you behind all the time unless they aren’t good riders. But if you ride mostly trails and woods, tight muddy or rocky terrain you’ll likely leave them behind or at least have no trouble keeping up and have more fun while riding. The TTR will be worlds more reliable than their bikes, be way easier and far cheaper to maintain and will run forever with regular oil changes and air filter cleanings. For a first bike the TTR is excellent. Are your buddies good, experienced riders or are they learning too? Are they riding old, used, roached out 250 & 450 bikes?

@@thatalaskaguy yea I’ve got a lot of open muddy fields and trails they been riding for 5-6 years now they got 22-23 years

@@numerokix1849 Are you in the Midwest or farm type country? Are the trails tight and through sections of woods? An MX bike sounds totally overkill for that type of riding. The TTR won’t be able to accelerate as fast as those bikes in the open fields but with its 6th gear it’ll have top speed, just take longer to get there. You’ll learn how to become a good rider much faster on the 230 compared to their bikes. I’m trying to envision your riding area if mainly what they are doing is riding as fast as they can through one field to another which are linked together with grassy one lane, tractor width trails though the woods? A rule of thumb I’ve always had is rides generally go better when you are on the same size, type of machines your friends have as you are then close to equal. I remember in high school getting a Honda XR250R which I loved but it wasn’t as much fun to ride when going with my buddies who had 2-stroke bikes. I ended up getting rid of it (still regret that to this day) as I convinced myself I needed a bike like theirs.

@@thatalaskaguy yea I’m in farm type country some trails are wide like logging roads and some are very narrow. Usually riding around fields one to another hitting jumps and stuff sometimes going to the tracks

@numerokix1849 The TTR is an excellent first bike and would do fine in your riding terrain. My concern is that once you get good at riding you will find its limitations and may end up regretting your purchase if you and your buddies mostly ride at tracks, on soft, wide open fields and jumping. They probably like trying to do high speed wheelies and riding around as fast as they can go in the fields and the TTR isn’t great at those things. A YZ250X is awesome for those things and the soft ground soaks up the power and you can pop the front wheel off the ground pretty much whenever you want and jump as high as you dare to go. Problem is it would suck for a first dirt bike but makes for a great (but scary) 2nd dirt bike after you’ve learned how to ride. It doesn’t require the expensive maintenance as your buddies 4-stroke MX bikes but will require more maintenance than the gas and go TTR. If you mostly rode woods, tight narrow trails and technical terrain the TTR would be ideal. The ideal scenario is getting a used TTR, learning how to ride it, sell it for what you paid for it and then buy a YZ250X. Unfortunately that plan has a lot of moving pieces. Whatever you do, don’t buy a used 4-stroke MX bike unless you know it’s history and a kid or some clown didn’t own it as they like to blow up when not maintained properly.

I’ve got a set of ProTapers coming from Amazon. They should finally get here sometime next week.

Like for a used one? I’d want to pay $2500 for a gently used older bike that mostly sat around unused or was a guy’s wife’s bike who seldom rode it. Since they’ve not changed for years and years, used TTR’s are pretty common and good deals can be found.

Seat height has everything to do with inseam and leg length. I wear 30” inseam jeans.