Scracha's new Tedium

[scracha]

As some of you may know, I've been wanted one of these for aaaaaages. So got mine today...the nice previous owner even delivered.

2002 TDM 900.

Initial thoughts, compared to the 1998 TDM850 I had.
Brakes waaaay better than the old one (R6 bluespots)
A lot less top heavy.
A LOT lighter overall. Feels like a 250 pushing it around.
Feels like theres a bit less suspension travel. I'm gonna soften her up and see how that feels.
Fuel injection, wee bit snatchy and sensitive but I'll get used to it.
Still deceptivelly fast like the old model. Nearly $hit myself when I saw I was doing XXXX naughty speed around.
Still superdooper comfy.
First bike I've ridden in ages that feels just "nice" at 100kmph.



We realised how scary it is to change ownership of someone's bike online. All you need is their driving license number and DOB.

[scracha]

10...chars....

Forgot to mention...it's farkin huge. Compare with Drew's thou

[kevfromcoro]

Good onya ..
You have wanted one of those for a while.
Heard they are a great bike.
Havent had much to do with them.

[TOTO]

Congrats mate. Looks awesome

[kiwifruit]

Mean Maori, mean!

[sinfull]

Nice looking bike Steve ! Well done !

[martybabe]

Havent had much to do with them.

Not many people have, it's always been hovering around just off main stream radar. It's a bit like New Plymouth, a marvellous city but widely ignored by the general populous. I have no idea why, from what I've read it's a very very capable do anything bike.

Enjoy it mate, I think you've got a cracker.

[scracha]

It looks sunny outside, so after an exciting Saturday spent fixing bloody computers (at least it was pishing rain) I tell the girlfriend to walk the dog for me in order that I can actually ride this smashing new bike that's been ignored in my garage since its purchase.

So I tried catching up with the 2 fiddy ride at Kaiaua. Handfull of miles away and about 15 bikes and a funny yellow 3 wheeled thing are heading in my direction. Must be them. Do a U-turn and follow em. Hmm...don't see many l plates or 250's. Waiting on lights at Kopu bridge "you from Hamilton mate?"..."No, Auckland bro". Woopsie. Didn't get a "join us anyhoo" vibe so when they took a right at Kopu, I headed left. The Coro loop is on the cards.

What can I say. I never stopped once. My back doesn't hurt, my head isn't buzzing from loud Termigoni's. It scrapes its pegs, it brakes beautifully, it's stable on long corners and it'll still crack 200 on bumpy roads. I even took the "309" to test out it's "adventure bike" credentials.....miles better than when I took the CBR600 over the Tapu-Coroglen road. Castle Rock road was tempting but not on road tyres thanks. Pissing rain the last 20k's home and I hardly had to slow. The bike is THAT good. The headlight is like daylight too. I'm in

If there's a better bike for New Zealand roads then I've yet to ride it. I can't see me ever buying another sports bike for the road again.

[scracha]

Sorry, forgot to say that it's stable at 200kmph on bumpy roads according to magazine reviews.

It's bloody nice at legalish speeds too.

[kevfromcoro]

How does it compare to the duc?

also was it ok on the 309....

i took my strom up a few gravel roads. and i really wasnt that impressed...

was doing a job over in Hams
and there were 4 of them in the carpark. TDMs i mean...

interesting report scracha

[Kevnz]

I've always liked the TDM. Don't see alot of them around for sale 2nd hand, don't think I could afford a new one until the kids leave home. Enjoy.

[scracha]

How does it compare to the duc?

It's like comparing a Range Rover to a lotus elise. The Duc needs too much commitment. On long, sweeping smooth roads in Europe where the gendarme egg you on to go faster and pull wheelies as you pass them at 150k's, the 748r is fantastic. On bumpy, blind cornered, fucked cambered, potholed, diesel, pea gravel and cowshit covered roads in New Zealand, where the police ignore burglars but would like to lock you up for doing 112 or accellerating slightly too hard, then the 748r is a piece of shit.

also was it ok on the 309....
i took my strom up a few gravel roads. and i really wasnt that impressed...

It's not as good off-road as a KLR650/DR650/etc but it's miles better on road than them. Had there been more gravel roads around here and if I didn't need decent pillion accommodation then the aforementioned would have been preferred.

It's a sniff under 200Kg and it has road tyres. Hey, it's no serious mud-plugging dirt-bike but for NZ roads it's great. A bash plate, crashbars and set of dual sports tyres and I reckon it'll piss over the far more expensive beemer GS (and unlike a BMW it won't blow up either).

Compared to the V-strom I believe it's got more suspension travel (although the older 850 Mk 2 had slightly more) and the build quality is light years better (bloody well should be as they're farkin expensive when new). Somehow it weighs less than the V-strom 650 too. Less powerful than the V-strom 1000 but they weigh a lot more too. 18" front wheel vs V-strom 19" one. A V-strom was considered (especially considering the price/power) but
1) It's a Suzuki, so it'll fall apart.
2) How can so many Suzuki designers allow a such an ugly fuckin bike out of their factory? I'm surprised the Japanese government didn't intervene out of National pride and deny them an export license.

Honda varadero, expensive, too powerful, FAR too heavy. Needs to loose about 60Kg to even be considered.
XL700 transalp thingie considered but it's ugly, expensive, overweight and under-powered.

KTM adventure...I haven't won the lottery. Not sure they're worth the money either. Kinda ugly. 18" rear a PITA too.
KTM superduke....very cool. If I had the money and could convert the front hoop to 18" or 19" then I'd have one.

Ducati multistrada. C'mon....can you imagine mud n' gravel getting on that engine. I've never seen a dirty one.

BMW 1200GS....I've got rid of the beard and I'm under 50 years old. Plus they're ridden by whingeing Scottish actors.
F650GS...kinda tempting...wee bit lacking grunt Should be 13K not 17.5K
F800GS....yes, very sexy. Waaaaaaay too expensive. I'll wait an see how much a 6 or 7 year old one is worth.

was doing a job over in Hams
and there were 4 of them in the carpark. TDMs i mean...

Maybe dogging or something. They're like hen's teeth in this country. You rarely see 4 V-stroms, never mind Tediums.

I swung by your party shack just after lunchtime but it was all locked up.

[BMWST?]

i looked at these seriously too.Seemed a very good bike,most magazines seem to rate them highly too,dont know why more people dont buy them,wish yamaha made it a xtz 900

[scracha]

i looked at these seriously too.Seemed a very good bike,most magazines seem to rate them highly too,dont know why more people dont buy them,wish yamaha made it a xtz 900

The Kiwi and UK "How much power can I get for my money" biker mentality. "Hmm, I can by an R1 for similar money and it makes nearly twice the power". They sold shedloads on the continent and for some reason only sold them in the USA for a year or two. Most Americans with one have had their imported from continental Europe....can't get enough of em.

If they charged an extra grand for a "TDM Adventure" and did some of the mod's that some of the crazy Germans on Carpe-TDM do then they'd surely be on to a winner.

Agreed on the XTZ 900 too. Actually, fuck the beemer 800. XTZ with the 900 motor and modern suspenders would be the shizzle.

[Mystic13]

BMW GS's don't blow up. They just stop. I see Gunny posting up his one stopped on the Motu Road. Electronics again. Unable to do a roadside repair. It needs an new electronic thingymagig. Last time it had terminal failure was about a year ago.