Are there any potential mechanical issues with riding an XT225 in the rain?

For example, KLR650's have a known issue with a small hole in the swingarm pivot that allows water to enter which, over time, causes big corrosion issues with the left-side bearing (where the water collects when the bike is on its side stand). The remedy is simple-- just plug the hole.

Is there any similar issue with the XT225-- some aspect of the bike that is known to have a problem when the bike is ridden in the rain?

I'm an everyday MC commuter, rain or shine. I plan on riding my new (to me) 06 XT225 every day, which means it's going to get wet on a regular basis. So, I want to take whatever measures are recommended to deal with any moisture issues proactively.

Thanks!

The only issue we had was the horn's diaphragm seizing up. In our case, water, mud and silt got in there and the horn didn't work. Not much of an issue for us given we rode trails. You'll want to check this and perhaps upgrade to a better horn. The other issue was the headlamp socket gets corroded, introduces resistance which creates heat and melts the plastic connector. We also had problems with mud, water and silt inside the brake drum which would cause it to lock up. Water alone might not be a problem. Otherwise I'd say the bike does well exposed to the elements. Others, I'm sure, will add their experiences. I think you'll find the bike provides reliable transportation.

Great to hear that there's no major rain issues.

Thanks for the response!

The rear brake shoes delaminating and causing it to lock up is the one I recall. Our friends in the rainy UK seem to have experienced that the most. I don't ride in the rain if I can avoid it, but I did spend an entire day in the pouring rain a few year ago. The bike was fine, I got very cold.

Relatively clean rain shouldn't be a problem. Mud and silt are a different problem. Unlikely contaminants riding on the road. As for the XT225, its rear brake doesn't have primary and secondary shoes. Both are the same size. As I recall the shoe plate is on a slight angle. My theory was the lack of a primary shoe + mud + silt + muck caused the lockups. The front shoe's leading top edge tends to dig into the drum. This is exacerbated as the drum sleeve wears into a larger diameter. Unlike a car, there is no star wheel adjustment. All that BS said, I wouldn't worry about riding on the road in rain. I think the bike will be fine. You should, however, be able to manage a skidding stop under control. We had to do this during our motorcycle driver's test. The instructor asked us to hit 40 MPH then lock the rear wheel and come to a safe stop. Ride safely.

Bit more than rain, riding through rivers caused the linings to fall off. Did it on my '79 DT175mx & did it just the same on my 2005 XT225, the one that got nicked. My current '97 Serow is a Japan model so has a disc both ends.