Skip to content
JAPANESE
MOTORCYCLE ARCHIVE
EN/JA
1985 Yamaha Serow 225 (1KH), first version

YAMAHA

SEROW 225

Yamaha Serow 225

Manufacturer
YAMAHA
Model
SEROW 225
Year
1985
Type
Trail
Origin
Japan
Photo: Kuro8124 / CC BY-SA 3.0

01 — Overview

Named after the serow, a goat-antelope, this 1985 "mountain trail" machine was developed for riding deep into mountainous terrain. A tractable air-cooled 223 cm³ four-stroke single sat in a light, slim chassis with a low seat, giving predictable handling that also suited town riding.

MAKER
YAMAHA
PRODUCTION
1985

02 — Historical Context

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

According to Yamaha, it became a long seller loved by a wide range of riders, including women and beginners as well as off-road enthusiasts.

1980s — Liquid cooling, aluminium frames and full fairings — racing technology flowed into road machines.

03 — Design

DESIGN

Form, read through detail.

Yamaha Serow 225 (XT225)
Photo: Rikita / CC BY-SA 3.0

04 — Engine

ENGINE

Single

One cylinder: light, simple and characterful. Found everywhere from commuters to off-road machines and classics. Intake, compression, power, exhaust — the cycle behind today's combustion motorcycles.General description of the layout

Engine layoutSingle[1]
CycleFour-stroke[1]
Displacement223 cc[1]
CoolingAir-cooled[1]
ValvetrainOHC, 2-valve[1]
Max. power14.7 kW / 8,000 rpm[1]
Max. power20 PS / 8,000 rpm[1]
Max. torque18.6 N·m / 7,000 rpm[1]
Max. torque1.9 kgf·m / 7,000 rpm[1]

05 — Specifications

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Every figure is sourced. Unverified values are not published.

Production1985[1]
Model codeXT225[1]
Engine layoutSingle[1]
CycleFour-stroke[1]
Displacement223 cc[1]
CoolingAir-cooled[1]
ValvetrainOHC, 2-valve[1]
Max. power14.7 kW / 8,000 rpm[1]
Max. power20 PS / 8,000 rpm[1]
Max. torque18.6 N·m / 7,000 rpm[1]
Max. torque1.9 kgf·m / 7,000 rpm[1]
Yamaha Serow 225 (XT225)
Photo: Rikita / CC BY-SA 3.0

06 — Generations

GENERATION HISTORY

19802000

SEROW 225XT2251985–

Generations, model years and market variants (Model → Generation → Variant) are added as they are verified.

07 — Cultural Context

CULTURAL CONTEXT

08 — Gallery

GALLERY

RELATED MOTORCYCLES

09

10 — Sources

SOURCES

  1. [1]1985 SEROW225 (XT225) - Communication Plaza CollectionYamaha Motor Co., Ltd. · museum · accessed 2026-09-26
  2. [2]Yamaha Motor History - Product History (Motorcycles / Commuter Vehicles)Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. · manufacturer · accessed 2026-09-26

11 — Image Credits

PHOTO CREDITS