From: svoboda@rtsg.mot.com (David Svoboda)
Subject: Re: Yamaha TDM 850, comments wanted.
Organization: Motorola Inc., Cellular Infrastructure Group
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 16:23:11 GMT

In article <1993Jan7.140003.6743@eua.ericsson.se> trsajo@eua.ericsson.se writes:
|
|Is there really noone out there that has any experiance, firsthand or not, with
|this bike??? 

I test rode on a while back.  I don't have one, but I was actually tempted.
Not many bikes do that to me.

|Is it really that ugly? (I think NOT!).

Well, yes, but so?  I mean, some of us are of the age and literary maturity 
to *like* a bike that resembles a Bug Eyed Monster. :-)

-> The TDM appears to have the same riding position as an off-road bike, but
-> how does it handle bumps and unpaved roads? 

The suspension is sort of like the R100GS; long throw and cushy for a street 
bike, with a lot of clearance, but probably not up to much offroad punishment.

It's *really nice* for potholes and frost heaves.  (To our more southerly 
readers, frost heaves are NOT a result of drinking too much Scotch on ice.)

->Should I get a Transalp instead?

I sort of like the looks of the Transalp, but everyone with one that I 
have spoken to didn't like it much.  I suspect the wonderful TDM motor 
would give it an edge, in my book.  Also, I don't know how well that 
big fairing and windshield on the Transalp would handle offroad spills.

|> Two cylinders is better than one (less vibrations I hope :-), and 850cc should
|> provide enough pover (77hp i think). 

The power is wonderful.  It feels more like a literbike than a middleweight, 
actually.  Lots of low end, and very linear response.  With the 
counterbalancers, not too bad on the vibes, either.  I could see taking it 
on the highway, cross-country.

|> Any comments on the good's and bad's of the TDM 850 would be appreciated.
|> Especially the following:
|> 	-Can it handle both paved and unpaved roads? preferences?

Well, Road Rider compared the TDM with the BMW R100GS, and found that they 
both handled dirt roads just fine, notwithstanding the TDM's street tires.  
The GS had an edge in the slippery stuff, due to it's tires and low CG, 
but the TDM has a horsepower edge.  Oh, and the TDM has a street first 
gear, rather than the low- ratio, stump-puller first gear of the GS.  That 
would be a disadvantage in dirt.  But the power is great, and the TDM is 
considerably lighter, I believe.

|> 	-Vibrations? At what speeds?

Well, I had it up to 90mph or so (effortlessly), and the smooth breeze 
from the little fairing sort of drowned out any intrusive vibes.  You can 
tell it's a twin, but it won't put your feet to sleep.

|> 	-At which speeds does it cruise happily? (I hope up to 80 mph)

No problem at all.  That is one impressive engine.

|>-How long can you cruise at 60 to 80 mph before getting tired of windblast
|>	and vibrations? (I'm 5'10" , 176cm, tall).

Well, the fairing is pretty small.  Windblast is just something you deal with.  I
think vibration would be no problem.

|> 	-What mileage can I expect?

Oh, geez, I don't remember that.  Offhand I would guess 40mpg or so.  I 
suggest you find someone with a review.  Several of the rags talked a 
lot about the bike last year.

|> 	-Is the engine torquey or peaky? (Displacement and bhp is similar to R100RS,
|> 		which leas me to suspect similar, ie nice characteristics).

Torquey, definitely.  Reminds me of a lot of bavarian twins we won't 
mention, except that instead of the torquey power easing off as the R's 
build, it just keeps getting stronger.  Really nice.

|> 	-Does it break down often? How?

Dunno.  I wouldn't expect so.  The motor is not new, it's from some 
Paris-Dakar race bikes.  (God, I want a Super Tenere!)  I haven't seen many 
complaints in the mags, but that could just be because few people own the bike.

|> 	-How easy is the maintenace to do for your self? Do I need lots of Yamaha
|> 		special tools and very small fingers to get at things hidden behind
|> 		layers of other things, ie bike always seems to be built around
|> 		the faulty part? ;-)

Aww, if dismantling things upsets you that much, hire a mechanic!

Seriously, I don't really know the maintenance characteristics, except that in 
general it's a water-cooled vertical twin with many (10) valves, meaning the 
valves are probably not too hard to get to, but they would take a relatively 
long time to adjust.  Shims under buckets, if I remember.  It has a chain, so 
you have that headache, but it also has a stock centerstand, as aspirin.  The 
lack of full-coverage fairing would certainly suggest that maintanance might 
not be too bad.

|> 	-Does it hold its value, or should I look for a cheap almost new bike?

No japanese bike holds it's value.  Get a used one, if you can, unless a new 
bike cranks your motor.

|> I just have to find one of these for a test ride, as soon as the winter is over!

Do, definitely do.  I wish my testride had not been chaperoned. Course, the 
shop guy on the Seca II was trying to impress me, so I had to work to keep up.  
He took us through some 80mph (peak) twisties, so I got to test the threshold 
braking (wonderful-dual front disks, except the big front suspension dives a 
lot, of course) and to notice now nicely the front wheel floats off the ground 
on accelerated turn exits.  The bike leans WAY over, due to the big ground 
clearance.  But I would have appreciated being able to run through a few ditches 
to feel the suspension, off-road.

I would like to see someone offer hard bags for it, but I don't have my hopes 
up.

I suggest you be rather tall to ride this bike.  I am about 5-10, and ride 
a Concours, so I like to balance on my toes.  The TDM is a tall bike.

Dave Svoboda (svoboda@void.rtsg.mot.com)    | "I just can't take
90 Concours 1000 (Mmmmmmmmmm!)              |  this weird shit
84 RZ 350 (Ring Ding) (Woops!)              |  before breakfast!"
AMA 583905  DoD #0330  COG 939  (Chicago)   |   -- Evo Woman