TDM 900 my experience

[Nelly]

I took my bike to the shop today to have the cam chain tensioner changed. I will post results for that in the apropriate thread. Thanks Lugs for recomending Pro-Bike.
Motorcycle Comparison Details

On first glance the TDM looks huge; I was seriously considering asking for a smaller bike. I had a quick look around the 2007 model with 9500 miles on the clock.
The overall finish was pretty good and the factory lacquer was still doing a good job of keeping the shine.
On closer inspection some of the engine fastenings and callipers were showing hard oxidization. This bike looks like it could go any where; it has a real “long way down” feel to it minus the knobbles. I was surprised to find that there is not a centre stand fitted considering its potential to eat the miles. I wondered how easy such a large machine would be to do a simple chain adjustment and lube mid trip.
I took the brave step to throw my massive 29” inside leg over the seat half expecting to fall off like a drunken cowboy. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the ergonomics of the seat and side pods meant that I easily cleared them.
There was just enough give in the suspension to allow me to put the toes of one foot down. The side stand is slightly obscured by the left foot peg and I had to wiggle on the seat to retract it.
The seat is sublime; I had forgotten how firm the FZ6 seat is. The padding runs the full length of the seat so I would assume that the passenger would have the same level of comfort. There is excellent comfort for your bum cheeks and your chaps should an episode of firm braking have you sliding tank wards.
The controls are set out fairy well with the digital Speedo set on the left hand side. Its minor short fall was that the illumination was through a white back light that slightly obscured the display. There is a FZ6 S2 type fuel gauge. The LCD options are limited for such a new bike with only trip 1 and 2 and odometer views. The temperature gauge is clearly set to the left.
The switch gear on the handlebars is easily accessible even with my claw type gloves on. My only minor complaint is that there is only one indicator light on the instrument panel that flashes wether you are turning left or right. At first I thought I had hit the hazard lights.
On the move the bike was light through traffic despite its height. The throttle response is similar to that of the FZ6 with a slight on or off feel to it.
Now here is the shocker. There has been much said about the lack of the FZ6 lack of bottom end. I was surprised at how gutless this big twin is at slow commute speeds. A few times I had to slow in traffic and did not tap down. This was a mistake as the engine became bogged down and required nimble foot work that Nemenoff would have been proud off. I would not have needed to do this on my FZ6. The gearbox has the usual Yamaha first gear clunk but then performed very smoothly going up the box. I felt that in the lower gears more pressure was required to engage.
The front forks has the adjustable pre-load that we would all like on the FZ6 and the rear suspension was firm without being to solid.
I took the TDM to a quite industrial estate to try some slow manoeuvres. Full lock circles were aided by the long bars and a seating position that is similar to an off road bike. First gear did not want to give up wheelies freely (unusual for a twin). The brakes are adequate but lack the hard bite of the FZ6, having said that I preferred the rear brake on the TDM as it has more feel.
On the open road the engine came into its own at speeds over 50mph, the acceleration from 70mph to 100mph really demonstrates the 900cc twin’s torque with the redline at around 10,000 rpm. Wind protection is very limited by the stock screen, I encountered a huge amount of buffering at 100mph and the taller rider would get the full blast in the middle of his chest.
The TDM is not an FZ6 nor was it my intention to make a direct comparison between the two. They both offer different things to different riders. Would I ride 500 miles in one day on the TDM? Yes with ease. Would I ride 500 miles in one day on the FZ6? Yes with a great big grin and a numb arse.
The best part about riding the TDM today was that I realised how great the FZ6 really is.
Neil