Long question needing a short answer
 

Next year I'm doing a 3-month european tour with a guy from HU (others still welcome http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...starting-48701) and need a bike.

We are still 'negotiating' on a route but its going to be a road-based tour rather than off-road, and I want to carry camping gear etc, especially as I'd like to also attend some overseas HU meetings as well.

Now that I have sold my fireblade the cash is burning a hole in my pocket. I've considered sports tourers but don't really want the head down aching-wrist scenario again, and besides which I want to see the places we travel through this time instead of breaking my neck trying to look up so I want to sit more upright. I don't need a proper trailie for tarmac and besides they are a bit gutless on the faster roads if I want to 'make some progress'.

I considered a BMW GS etc (doesn't everyone?), but why pay all that money for a big expensive thirsty bike that I don't need back in the UK to go to work on and attend race meetings etc. I also don't want huge servicing bills as I want to do it myself.

So, minded to get something a bit out of the ordinary, does anyone have any experience of the Yamaha TDM850? Looks to have the right sit-up style, decent size engine, good carrying capabilities, easy to service, and probably reasonably frugal on fuel. But why are they so cheap and unloved? I never see any ride tales on here with folks using them. Don't want to make a bad decision and regret it so figured you good folks would have an opinion as to whether it would make a decent road/camping tourer...?

Don't know why they are so cheap secondhand, maybe just seen as a bit of a "non-specific" bike so goes un-noticed. A friend has a TDM900 and has been all over the place with it and rates it highly for comfort.

I have never owned or ridden one, but from what I have read it should be ideal for your requirements, As far as I can remember they were quite popular over on the continent, they just never caught on here, despite being a very capable bike.

Have you considered the Kawasaki Versys? Superb bike, 19 litre fuel tank gives you a 220 miles range before going into reserve (you can probably push another 50 miles in reserve at least - never tried), great fuel economy, confortable, excellent tourer.

I rode mine all the way to Tallin and Back last summer and had a great ride. I've had it for 2 years now and I love it! I can't fault it.

Worth taking one for a test ride. :thumbup1:

Steve/Jon, thanks for the positive replies guys.

Maria, you must be a mind reader. That was rapidly becoming the other option. Apparently quite a few London dispatch riders are now getting them for reliability and ease in traffic etc.

norfolk Guy..
 

I attended my first HU meeting in Ripley last year, and I would recommend you coming to next years event, and what I learnt from it was that if you want to travel you can do it on any type of bike.
Its more the mind set of the rider than the type of bike you ride. Yes ther were somes nice GSes there and even a new Tenere but the majority of the presentations were given by riders who owned neither of these bikes.

One gut had used his VFR, Lois used her small Yam, Vince used a small trailly bike and another wonderful lady had ridden her small Enfield India for 5 years.

As for me I ride a Honda Blackbird and given I never go off road that is fine,although if the wife would let me buy a GS I must admit if the wife would give me permission I would trade it in for a GS. Mind you now that I have fitted bar risers with VFR Bars I am not sure that a GS would be anymore comfortable.Whatever you choose to ride good luck and enjoy your travels.

---------------=I never see any ride tales on here with folks using them. Don't want to make a bad decision and regret it so figured you good folks would have an opinion as to whether it would make a decent road/camping tourer...?[/quote]------------------

Here's one RTW report :

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tst...isa/000593.php

Get the TDM over the 850.. Its a HUGE improvement. Way worth the money. I had the 850 and wasnt impressed at all. I used the 900 at work a few times and it was lovely and gave fantastic mpg.

If you want fabulous handling, stunning brakes, excellent power and lovely British character ... you really can't do a whole lot better than the 1050 Triumph Tiger. I love my '07.

I owned a TDM 850 and from what I've read and seen the 900 is better. But ridden against the Tiger its a bit of a barge. But TDM's are still common in France ... I saw lots there. Screwed up chassis, poor suspension.

The Versys is a great bike but won't have the kind of Steam you may want after coming off a Blade. The Tiger has that. Its fast, smooth, super comfortable, carries a good load very well .... and a bargain. If you ride one you'll be hooked ... the Triumph howl is unmistakable. Fantastic triple torque makes low effort riding all day long.

Hondated, I did consider a blackbird, especially as coming from a fireblade I'm a Honda fan, but a big heavy bike. On tarmac and moving no problem, but as lots of folks of the hubb have pointed out even just going onto grass on a wet campsite makes it an ordeal with a heavy loaded road bike. Put a blackbird down and you need to be a russian docker to get it upright? Interested that you can fit VFR bars with risers though.

Dodger, thanks for the write up link.

Ted, isn't the 850 also a TDM? Take your point on the newer 900 engine though.

Definately will be at a Hubb meeting when next UK one occurs. This touring lark sure beats blasting round on one knee watching out for the law!

MickeyD, now that is surely a lot of bike. last time I threw a leg over one it was very high though and would be top-heavy with luggage I suspect? Can you lower the seats on them? I'm just 5'9".

I'm just 5'6" and not too bad. Triumph have a low seat and lowering links.
Keep in mind, the 1050 is lower than earlier Tigers, about 30 lbs. lighter weight, much less top heavy. At 5'9" should be no prob. Give her a try anyway, just an idea. Have fun! Feels about half the size of a GS. Lighter than a TDM as well.

ive just bought a faired cb1300 and i have to say it is one of the best bikes ive ridden...and ive had 12 dofferent ones over the past 3 years alone!

150m tank range, very quick, comfy.....and id put it nearly on par with my 1150 GS...added with honda reliability, should b a good buy....will let u know in 6 weeks when im back from my europe trip ;0)

i have heard stories of the tdm's having electrical probs and one of my mates (was the 900 tdm) had his rear shock snap...not nice!

Triples have often been a bit thirsty (Laverdas, Tridents, XS750 etc.). Is the Tiger OK on fuel, I must agree, it does look like a good bike for the money.

My Tiger has been really impressive on fuel. I had read several tests were MPG was in the low to mid 40's but I've managed 50 MPG (Miles per US gallon) on several long rides. (3500 miles) If I'm hammering it in the mountains it drops down to about 45 MPG, but even making "good progress" the Tiger does very well, usually above 48 MPG. Highway cruising at 75 MPH its around 50 MPG. I ride with a friend who has an aftermarket Pipe, modified air box and different F.I. "Tune". His mileage is about 45 MPG, but he's got about 10 more HP on tap. So, make your choice.

Sorry, I've forgotten how to convert MPG to Kms per Liter. Sorry, math is not my strong area. :helpsmilie:

Dividing the MPG by 5 & multiplying by 8 will give you kilometres per gallon.

Divide that result by 4.54 to give km per litre if you're using Imperial gallons or divide by 4 if using US gallons.

Most Euro types work on how many litres per 100km. To get this, divide 100 by number of km per litre.

45mpg (Imperial) divided by 5 x 8 divided by 4.54 =
15.86km per litre.

100(km) divided by 15.86 = 6.305 litres per 100km.

As a rough guide, 57mpg (Imperial) equates to approximately 5 litres per 100km which is considered pretty good. My partners DRZ is currently returning 70+mpg in South America which is just over 4 litres per 100km.

They're not necessarily expensive or thirsty.

My 1150GS can return 55mpg fully loaded & is pretty easy to service. We have one each, I service both of them including the valves every 6,000 miles which is very easy. Tyres (Tourances in our case) last 9-10,000 miles.

Parts are not particularly expensive either, there's plenty of aftermarket support also. If you get a non-ABS version, you can bleed the brakes by the roadside with ease, they're no harder to service than most bikes and easier than many (my KTM 950SE springs to mind..).

Sure they cost more but they also hold their value well. Note that I;m not trying to talk you in to getting a GS, merely countering a couple of misconceptions in your opening post.

Enjoy your trip. :thumbup1:

Tks Steve, I agree I may have misjudged the GS costs just by looks. They certainly do hold their price though.

It appears this thread has become the Triumph Tiger appreciation page judging by the comments (and thanks for them) so I am going off the TDM idea and I'm tracking a couple of Tigers (on EBay not in the jungle..) but some of the colour schemes are hideous!

Thanks for all the input. Shame there isn't a UK Hubb meet to attend and get some first hand looks at various touring bikes together.

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_pXs6Z_85Tj8/TH...75_EA5xy-L.jpg
The Tiger devouring Nevada roads.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_pXs6Z_85Tj8/TF...0/P1010722.JPG
Here are few guys I ride with ... good representation of what we ride. R12GS, DR650, DL1000 Vstrom, 1150GS. Any and all can do the job in spades. Below see the new Ducati 1200S Multistrada and Tiger compared on tough California roads. Don't leave out the Yam 1200 Super Tenere ... I think you can buy it now in the UK. Bit pricey. doh
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_pXs6Z_85Tj8/TF...0/P1010744.JPG

Vstrom
 

Hi

Take a look at the Suzuki Vstrom.

We have done europe, bits of russia and san francisco to usuahia (spelling!) on ours (we have 650)

It stood up to two up on ripio and was fantastic in the not so good roads between bulgaria and turkey

It ain't no looker and it really isn't good at any one thing but it can do everything

Great pictures Mickey, what a setting! No waterproofs for you guys then?

Thanks Tina. I did look at the 'weestrom' but I just have a thing about Suzuki's for some reason. Can't explain it, and no doubt they are great bikes, but can't see myself on one.

It will probably be a Tiger, or maybe even a BMW 800GS which I'm now considering - too many choices!

I don't know how old a bike you are looking for,but have you looked at the Cagiva Navigator?
Fitted with a (slightly) de-tuned TL1000 engine it has all the go you need,is fairly comfy with a decent seat height and a wide pillion seat.
Even the electrics seem ok for an Italian bike!

Andy

Hi would suggest any of the following
Suzuki Bandit good reliable bike (I have the 1250)
Suzuki V Storm quite a few rate it on the forum here

I have looked at one of those Andy, but not knowing anything about them I was nervous of getting stuck overseas with no-one having any parts etc.

Selous, the bandit is a good bike all right, but my preference is for something that can do some mild off road as well. Nothing too adventurous as I'm not going into Africa or anything but I have done some off road in my earlier years, and had a Jeep Cherokee that I did off road with, so always up for seeing 'where those paths go..'.

What about a Triumph Scrambler? I have not read that much about them, but people seem to like them. And I think they look great!

Triumph Scrambler?

What's that...?

come on, now, google it! I would post a link but a simple search will get you the same thing. cool retro-looking bikes, if I needed another bike it would probably be a Scrambler, but as mentioned I haven't done a lot of research on them.

CB1300S Rocks!!
 

Best road bike I've ever had. Put the ole' girl in top gear and leave it there. And you can get 200 miles out of a tank if you're not riding like a spanner. Great 2 up, great handling, just a bloody great bike.

Ah, OK - you mean a Bonneville with upswept exhausts....

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b4...hScrambler.jpg

Honda Transalp XL700V.

• Solid.
• Road biased but with adequate off-road pretensions (especially with the right tyres).
• Comfy
• Economical (very, if ridden with that in mind)
• Planted on the tarmac.

Thing is, if you are riding solo and not riding on the motorway all the time (although this bike can do it) you don't need to go into 4-figure engine sizes. It will be cheaper to run on fuel and tyres than a bigger bike and still do most of what a bigger bike can do.

Either way the answer to your initial question could essentially be any bike, bar a race rep.

Perhaps you should now be doing some test rides to see what sort of power and weight category you can or can't live with, especially if you've been used to a Fireblade.

Way back, I went from a Suzuki TL to a Yam TDM. It was the right move for me at the time, but by goodness did I miss the TL's engine for the first few months. After that, though, I got used to the TDM and found that it was perfectly good for the job: it was only a case of getting accustomed to it...

Yup, that would be it...great looking bikes!

Trans Alps and Bonnies are OK bikes and the T.A. has a great RTW resume', but read what the OP said in POST ONE.
Something about "make some progress"? Me thinks that's Tea Bag speech for a bike with a enough HP to get out of its own way? :innocent:

If you wanted a Bonnie, this is the direction I would go! Most amazing Bonnie I've ever seen!

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_pXs6Z_85Tj8/TI...0/IMG_0034.jpg

This bike was recently for sale over on ADV. To see more pics and read up on it go to:
Triumph "Trouble" - ADVrider

Here are a few basic specs and comments from the owner ... check out the price!!! too bad, its S O L D!

"What it is: 2002 Triumph Bonneville motor with 2 35mm Mikuni Flat Side Pumper carbs, 4130 Cromemoly TIG welded frame with 46mm KX500 Forks (10.7" travel), Rear single shock CR500 (10.8" travel). Hand made Aluminum 5+ Gallon tank. & Side panels, Two sets of wheels, street & Dirt on Excell rims (have their own sprockets & rotors), Scotts Steering Stabilser, ICO Speedo, hand made High pipes with Jardine mufflers. Renthal Bars."

"This is the bike Triumph should have made, in dirt mode it weighs 382, in street 394. This bike is a "one-off custom" and always gets lots of attention, besides being an awesome bike to ride. CA Titled & Tagged till March 2011. $5900 obo"

That's certainly different all right.

Great in Africa I bet, but not sure how it would fare on a more conventional european 'tarmac tour' though....

I own a TDM900A,now done 27000mls,it as never droped below 60mpg (13 per Ltr).Bar from regular maintenance it as not wanted anything.Service intervals are 6000mls for oil & filter,24000mls for valve checks & air filter.Rear tyres are averaging 7000mls.I toured Scotland in June for two weeks done 2500mls,the bike didn't miss a beat,it also doesn't use any oil.The only downside its a bit heavy wheeling out of my garage.I was considering a MOTO GUZZI BREVA 750 as its 33Kg lighter but i just might get a newer TDM.Cheap as chips to run.

Well, I made up my mind and got a perfect 'tarmac-tourer' which will be a great luggage carrier while still putting a great big grin on my face every day.....

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b4...R1300SP003.jpg

Nice bike, these carb models run a lot nicer than the newer F.I. models i.m.h.o. and look better too.
Really good, proven engine, (derived from the old XS1100!)
Lovely colour aswell.
Well done.
Hope she gives you many happy miles.:mchappy: