mikenunan Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 I have just got my full licence. I live in south west france near the pyrenees. lots of mountain roads, occasional dirt track,occasional short motorway trip. i plan to ride the bike with a pillion alot of the time. I looked at the BMW f650gs and was cramped two up and didnt have the power i want. 750 Xtz super teneres are very popular here it is easy to find low milage bikes in great nick can anyone tell me more about these bikes, How comfortable are they? is it a good alrounder, what are its shortfalls, ect What about the TDM would this be a good bike for around here can it handle a track road? Love the Fazer 600, would this bike struggle in the mountains. Tanks for any advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda Posted May 12, 2008 Share Posted May 12, 2008 Welcome to the forum! For bike seat comfort, only you can tell whether it is right. If you live in a mountainus region, you will need a bike with alot of torque (Nm) so two up on a fz600 would not be ideal. I suspect that a 1000 cc bike might be what you need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiCkY Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hi the XTZ is a good bike but they can burn/use alot of oil, strip their output shaft and loose the front sprocket, and the frames can crack in extreme cases. the bike you need is a TDM 900 as they are excellent and cheap to buy (in the uk anyway)and are great on the road and good enough on a dirt track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenunan Posted May 13, 2008 Author Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hi the XTZ is a good bike but they can burn/use alot of oil, strip their output shaft and loose the front sprocket, and the frames can crack in extreme cases. the bike you need is a TDM 900 as they are excellent and cheap to buy (in the uk anyway)and are great on the road and good enough on a dirt track. Thanks for the advice. I am going to look at a 93 850 TDM with 33000km this evening! is there anything in particular I should watch out for! Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRJ999 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Thanks for the advice. I am going to look at a 93 850 TDM with 33000km this evening! is there anything in particular I should watch out for! Michael Hi Michael. Welcome. I too would recommend the TDM. However, be a little wary of the 850, which is not the bike the 900 is. Handling is not so good (steel frame on 850 vs aluminium cast frame on 900) and the gearbox is a bit poo, if truth be told - very agricultural. Make sure you're happy with the gear selection, as it can be very crunchy on an 850. Also check for the suspension condition. Both versions have buckets of torque, though. My 900 is all-day comfortable and can be ridden 10+ hours at 80 mph/130 kph with no ill-effects. My other half has no complaints about the rear half of the saddle, either. The bike is barely affected with passenger and luggage and returns 50+mpg (5.1 l/100 km), giving me about a 230 mile / 370 km range. Finally, I would recommend you check out the Carpe TDM website, too; it's devoted entirely to all versions of the model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikenunan Posted May 13, 2008 Author Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hi Michael. Welcome. I too would recommend the TDM. However, be a little wary of the 850, which is not the bike the 900 is. Handling is not so good (steel frame on 850 vs aluminium cast frame on 900) and the gearbox is a bit poo, if truth be told - very agricultural. Make sure you're happy with the gear selection, as it can be very crunchy on an 850. Also check for the suspension condition. Both versions have buckets of torque, though. My 900 is all-day comfortable and can be ridden 10+ hours at 80 mph/130 kph with no ill-effects. My other half has no complaints about the rear half of the saddle, either. The bike is barely affected with passenger and luggage and returns 50+mpg (5.1 l/100 km), giving me about a 230 mile / 370 km range. Finally, I would recommend you check out the Carpe TDM website, too; it's devoted entirely to all versions of the model. thanks for the input. the 900 is a bit out out of my budget at the moment. I dont have the patience to save for a newer bike whilst watching the spring and summer slip away without a ride! I will let you know how i get on with the 850. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thundercat6000 Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 My uncle has a FZR 600. He loves his. He has had it for a good 5 years probably more and he has been many places on it. He has been to france a few times from Manchester right down to the south of France and his bike is still fine! He also goes to Wales a lot throught the hills etc. Hes actually thinking of buying the new model of the FZR so i think this bike would be good enought for the hills and very long rides!! not to sure about dirt roads though... He also takes his MRS everywhere on it (south of France) so its ideal for 2 people travelling far. Hope this helps!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnie Posted May 17, 2008 Share Posted May 17, 2008 i like the fazer but ive not ridden one yet ,,,,,,,,,,,, i think the tdm maybe to high for me & my o h we are both short . best off luck finding the bike you want Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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