Why the Serow, pt 2

OK, back to the question at hand, namely, why the Serow?

It’s really pretty simple: it’s the bike that fit me. 😀

Once I decided that I wanted a dual-sport, I began the agonizing process of researching dual-sport motorcycles. And I’d thought finding a sport-tourer that fit me was a pain; well, let me tell you, that shit was nothing compared to finding a dual-sport.

I poked around on the World Wide Interweb for a while, and pretty much decided that I wanted something that was, at most, 400cc. I didn’t want another touring bike; I wanted something as light and bounceable and maneuverable as possible.

I think I first found mention of the XT225 on BeginnerBikes.com. One of the reviewers mentioned its short seat height, which piqued my interest. I did a Google search.

That Google search pretty much nailed it for me. Without even trying, I found:

• Lois on the Loose, who rode her Serow from Alaska to Argentina
• John Hutchinson, who took his Serow to Iceland and also trail-riding in Spain.

I did more research. Motorcycle.com likes the Serow. People on Epinions like the Serow.

The Serow has a yahoo group. It has a message board. I lurked on both for weeks, listening for common problems or repeated complaints. There weren’t any. There were, however, ride reports, photos, and stories from people who really seem to love these bikes.

Then, November brought the bike show. I finally sat on a 2005 XT225, and really liked it. Sure, I was tiptoeing, but far less so than on other dual-sports I tried. The reach to the bars was comfortable for me, and the dashboard was laid out well.

My first sit on a Serow, at the bike show

Peter and I poked around the show bike, looking for potential deal-breakers. I was a little nervous about the rear drum brake, but some more research on the mailing list showed that (a) most people don’t have a problem with theirs and (b) those that do have been able to whip up a drum-to-disc brake conversion without too many difficulties.

So, that was my thought process. If I’d been born with a 34″ inseam, would this have been the bike I chose? I don’t know. But, short I am, and thus, the Serow and its 31.9″ seat height seem perfect for me and what I want to do with the bike. 🙂