Names.
 

I don't pretend to be an expert but know the following: The bike is correctly called a TT600R (Kick starter and tall, quality suspension) and TT600RE (Electric start and lower quality suspension). The TTR600R has a bigger exhaust valve than the 3AJ engine in XT and that's about the only alteration. I assume the RE and R have identical engines.

A gel seat insert would be REALLY good. I find the seat hurts at 100km, then I forget till 200km and stop for fuel but I have a high discomfort threshold.

www.offroad-the-road.de offer accessories. Lindsay.

I've ridden both the shorter electric start one with the poverty suspension and the other one with the ohlins rear shock and upside down forks,but not for a huge amount of time..the electric start ones steered a little odd and rode just a Bit different from the kickstart one,two of the 3 had an odd flat spot at part throttle,which my ancient tenere doesn't have although carb is similiar?..
The kickstart one is better off road than you would expect for the bulk of it...if you've got long enough legs for it,or if your a short arse like me at 5.6ish it's a matter of twisting throttle,aiming,and just not stopping so you don't have to attempt to touch the ground..but they are nothing like as good as the drz on the bumpy bits,after a few races around the woods and up and down Side of a big hill the result wasn't in any doubt.
I would travel on either and not worry too much about it...

..on the subject of seats.........
Worse seat ever....300 gas gas 2 stroke enduro from dieppe to south of France..ouch..
Slightly better....drz 400 with bubble wrap parcel taped to it,was bearable from Spain to uk..
Complete luxury...tenere 34l with a foam that's gone bit squidgy,just ride it all day no problem.

Und noch....
 

Hi Ted, you'll like this more: I am searching for a German bike magazine I have which tested the TTR and DRZ to see which was better. I'll post the gist of the conclusions here but I don't think it mentioned loaded performance unfortunately. I use a filing system called chaotic! It'll take a few days. Lindsay.

Thanks :thumbup1:

Seems a bit of an odd comparison - A 600cc trail bike being compared to a 400cc dirt bike? :(

I suspect the conclusion will be simple - the DRZ is better offroad whereas the TT600R will be a better allrounder. The XT6 will be a better RTW bike. Nevertheless it will be interesting to see the report here...

Have we got to the bottom of the TTR600RE/TT600RE/TT600E question yet? It strikes me that some posts state the TTR does exist and others say only a TT600 RE/E was ever made. doh

Maybe the TTR was never imported into the UK and thats the reason I have never heard of one.

For what it's worth, I have only ever heard of a TT600 and it's best described as an rarer upmarket XT600E (worth a bit more too). I have never seen one myself which goes to show how rare these things are.

I had a mate with a Yamaha SRX600 which had the same XT6 lump in it (cafe racer style like my XBR500). The SRX 600 was a good bike but it didn't do anything more than Honda's XBR 500. The extra cost wasn't worth it.

Name.
 

The bike is a Yamaha Belgarda TT600, it was made in kick start in 3 versions originally with a squared off rear seat. They were R, E and S versions in varied tune. I might be wrong in detail of these models. In about 1999 the rear was made more pointed, and less pillion suitable. This was the kick start TT600r. In about 2003 it became electric start as the TT600RE. I think the TT's were so popular that Yamaha took over production themselves from Belgarda (Italian firm). They have only ever been grey imports and all come with KPH speedos and odometers with hard to see MPH markings. I think they are brilliant bikes that are well worth searching out. I'll post up as much information as I can. Lindsay.

Thanks for that helpful info Linzi you're a: :D

So it would appear there NEVER has been a Yamaha TTR 600 just a Yamaha TT 600 or similar R/RE/E/S derivative. :thumbup1:

That's cleared that one up.

I believe the TT600 continued to be manufactured after 2003 when the XT600E stopped being made (because of naff EU imposed laws). It was a loss to us all because this engine is so damn reliable (and simple) compared to a XT660 oil cooled engine. The Chinese might consider bringing out their own version of the XT600E and to hell with damn EU rulings!

I'm sure as time goes by the XT600E will become a true classic and it's value will increase tenfold. Early XT600's are already fetching silly prices - in excess of £3,000 for real minters. I have also recently seen low milage mint XT600E's with a price tag of £2,300 plus! In my opinion this is somewhat greedy.

I think my own mint XT6E's are worth £1,600 tops as a private sale but hey, maybe I'm wrong? doh

Touring Ted -

We can certainly say that a TTR600 RE was made in SPAIN (Lindsay is right - BELGARDE).

The following service manual is in English so I presume this was the version imported throughout Europe?

Yamaha TT600RE Service Manual

bier

Oddly as it may sound the the little drz 400 has dragged me from figueres in Spain back up to dieppe in one day,where as both times on my xt600 it's taken 2 days?...maybe I'm a little less sympathetic to to drz as its not as ancient and ring it's neck up the motorway a bit more..I realy would consider another drz if I didn't already have too many bloody bikes..I'm tempted to do a trip on the 350 lc but the fuel cost would be crippling..

Indeed, I have heard the DRZ400 is a lovely little bike. BUT I have heard it can be a little highly strung compared to other (simpler) bikes?

I have heard they make an awesome choice if you want to go on a hard-core offroad adventure.

It suprises me a little that it took you longer to travel that distance on an XT600! Surely the little DRZ was more far more stressed and buzzy at those motorway speeds?

I have always been of the opinion that ANY single cylinder bike will eventually run out of puff when travelling on the motorway at high speed. The DRZ produces much less raw torque than an XT.

The DRZ is also much more complicated than a XT600 in terms of cooling and electrics.

My XT600E's are brilliant machines until they get above 60mph. :(

I get upto 75 mpg from both my XT's. :thumbup1:

Interesting topic to discuss...

The TTR600 existed.

The TT600RE existed (based on the TTR600, but with e-start and cheap suspension and several more differences)

The TTR600RE never existed, but the TT600RE did have the letters „TTR“ and not “TTRE”on the tank as they use the same gastank, I guess Yamaha had lots of the old ones in stock.

Yamaha made some earlier versions of the TT some of them had upside-down front forks. Don't know much about them but one was called TT600S if I remember correctly. There were other models as well.

I agree 100% about the EU ruling, I like simple, rugged, fix-by-the-side-of-the -road bikes. No FI/sensors/ECU/Tiltsensors/higpressurepums etc. for me thanks. The XT600E is just about the perfect bike for my needs..

Almost finished a 20,000 mile round the world trip on a

2004 Yamaha TT600RE

Would I do it again ???

Oh yes ! BUT NOT ON A TT600RE !!!!!!!

This bike might be great for the odd weekend trip but try riding it day in and day out !
I dont think the numbness on my hands and butt will ever go away !!

Despite fitting, Gel pad to inside the seat and sheepskin cover, when in California I fitted Grip Puppies to eliminate numb hands.
Next year I will fly back out to the US and buy a V-strom 650 and ride up to Alaska !
Hope this helps
Cheers
Geordie aka Will

I think the later xt600 has slightly longer legs than my 84 tenere for bigger roads,I've usually sat at no more than 110 kmh when on longish trips a long way from home,if its been in uk and it wouldn't be a complete disaster to have to collect it in the van if it crapped itself I've maybe ridden it a little harder..
The upside of riding it pretty steady from terifa in southern Spain up to catalunya is that it done 70 odd to the gallon,which I think is more than I ever got from the drz..
The 700 quid tenere that was bought as get home bike after selling an r1 has remarkably carried me around quite a bit of Europe and to morocco,and I've probably had more fun out of it than some of the newer bikes I've had...just that it owes me a bit more than the 700 quid now...If you set off on a new bike with European warranty an all the rest I'm thinking it would be a little dull....I almost now seem to enjoy a bit of uncertainty at there's always the possibility of having something in bits on the side of road...just another little challenge realy..

More.
 

I find a numb left hand a problem too....I thought it was a wrist problem. Gel cyclists' gloves are sold by LIDL from time to time. They are a cheap solution worn inside bikers' gloves. I can't dispute info on models as I was going on research and don't know who knows best but....Spares in UK are only listed under TT600 variants and my owner's handbook lists my 2001 model as a TT600R. Still a bundle of fun to ride though. Lindsay.