The comments re: build quality are absolute rubbish. VanVans might be an unknown entity in North America, but in Europe & Asia we have been abusing these things for decades. They are bullet proof. And your arguments in support of your assment are equally ridiculous. Regarding the shifter peg ... there is a basic engineering concept where by you intentionally make a component of limited strength so that it gives before it causes damage to the next mechanism it is attached to. Long story short, if you drop the weight of your bike (and you) on the shifter peg - do you want the shifter peg to bend, or do you want it to stay perfectly intact but instead transfer that force into the clutch mechanism ? ... naturally, you want the easily repairable/replaceable peg to bend rather than transfer that force into the clutch. This is smart engineering. Amazing that you have such confidence trashing the build quality of the VanVan based on such flimsy, ill conceived observations - and in stark contrast to the decades of abuse these things go through in other vast areas of the world whilst maintaining a stellar reputation for ruggedness.

I bought a used van van two years ago. I put a sub frame under the motor (a Suzuki OEM part). Then, I installed a DR200 skid plate from Ricochet. I had to reshape it to fit. I've taken this bike on forest service roads, and through the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. Next year, I plan on riding it on the Alpine Loop in Colorado.

I like it, especially for beginners

Van Van competition? Definitely not the Ducati, its the Yamaha TW200.... The VV 200 really are cool bikes.... I have a few bikes (2 HDs, 2 Suzukis, Yamaha and a KTM).... The VV 200 is definitely a slow boat, but I always smile cruising it to unwind and getaway. I leave my VV 200 at a So Cal mountain home for an around town cruiser / trail bike when I visit... Rode it today on & off road to waste a Saturday. The little guy always gets smiles and thumbs up when riding. Even non riding people say its a cool bike. Even cooler is it was only available here for 3 years and are pretty rare to come across.

for me, that is the best bike ever made, such fun, chill bike

I have RV 125 van van, and I love it. It's great commuter and slow trail bike. Super reliable, easy to maintain and cheap to run. Just awesome.

My tips for anyone thinking on getting a Van Van: This is not a fast motorcycle, this is a motorcycle to go slow and enjoy the view. It can totally handle rocks and off-road, mud, sand... It would surprise you. But dont over inflate the tyres! Talking about tyres, swap them for the Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross Scrambler AX41S. They're so much nicer on the road and off-road than the Dunlops. It doesn't have ABS and the rear uses a drum brake, so go to a parking lot and practice some emergency braking with each brake and both to get used to it. Really, do practice emergency braking. And finally... Have fun 😊

I picked up a Van Van this summer for a fun goof-around bike. So far, it's been great. The extra CC's above a Monkey / Grom make it a lot more usable around town. Definitely not fancy, though, like the Monkey. Just a basic, fun bike. Looks like it'd be perfect for an MSF class!

Crashbars on a Van Van? Superb old-school dash.

Thanks! Lee... SO Helpful to learn of this... Fragility... Planning on the TATrail... As you kindly say, I better get the TW200 (though only 15 pounds heavier?/less fragile?)... (Or even Honda's Trail 125 has already done the TAT, unscathed)...

Wish we could get these in Australia!

i have a 200 Van van, good review, i would beg to differ on the robustness of the bike. it seems able to hold up pretty well so far, i did have a Honda 400/4 which frame snapped whilst parked with camping gear on, left it a side stand, and when i returned it was on its side... so Honda build quality does'nt impress me lol... the key thing with the van van is just how much it is to ride, i can honestly say i get more joy from riding van vans than every other bike i've owned.... and it looks brillent to, rember its better to ride a small bike fast, than a fast bike slow, have fun

Do you have a link for the crash bars? I got a vanvan myself and wouldn’t mind putting some on. I also have a rack in the back and wondering about good ideas for hard case or so

Where in the world did you find a VanVan? They stopped importing them years ago and I've been looking ever since. I wanted one for trail riding in the mountain fire roads and general commuting around the city. I also considered it for the TAT because of the EFI, but they stopped importing them before I could buy one. As for fragility? No way. Don't know what you've been doing to your bikes, but I've seen videos of what the folks in Europe put these little guys through off-road and it's easily comparable to what we in the States put the TW200 through. If I can find a VanVan before I find a TW, the VanVan just might win.

I like Suzuki bikes .....they put a lot of thought when designing them .... I used to have an ER185 two stroke model .... Which was possibly more powerful than the new (4 stroke ?) .....If commuting on sealed roads the bulky off ride tyres tend to skid more and can be dangerous especially in wet conditions. so I had two sets of tyres .... I am 84 in a couple of weeks and ride Buell firebolt, BMW gs650 of/on road bike, and my favourite one (in my pic) is a 1984 GSX-R 400cc four stroke which is a dream to ride in every respect.I have aso owned a GS 500cc bike which handled like a super sports bike on bends etc, yet was a cheap bike sometimes used by parking meter staff employed by local government.... GO SUZUKI 🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍

The seat needs to stop at the tank and it needs to be about 2k cheaper.

You do realize that Suzuki is rated number 2 in the world rite behind Yamaha for reliability. Honda is 3rd, Kawasaki is 4th, Harley. Is 5th etc. Suzuki is the king of real world motorcycles.

I just bought one never learned how to ride a normal bike so i may die

Love the 200 Van Van, but they are scarce and hold their value. 😢

The narrator is on pretty thin ground claiming that the Suzuki's build is in any way frail because of the dimensions of the swing arm or the look of the gear shift lever. In fact if he's an instructor of impressionable young motorcycle student learners he should probably be given a mild slap. Is the Suzuki VanVan world full of bikes with bent, buckled, broken or corroded swing arms and/or shift levers? A: No, no, no, no and noooooo! PS - Is the Honda Grom a silly little motorcycle designed for gawd knows whom to do gawd knows what?