SRJ999

Interesting. I keep looking at my oh-so-tatty '01 TDM. Flaking engine paint, rust spots, cracked fairing, it looks knackered. It's only got about 35000 miles and runs well but it's just sitting in the garage looking sorry for itself. I often think about stripping it down and tarting it up. I even designed a paint scheme for it. However, I know that all I'll ever do is think about it, so..... Anyone want a 2001 TDM 900 hack for about £600?

Been away, been idle. Now back and making up for it :

Welcome, ST3V0. I've always had a soft spot for Fazers. Although the current, detuned R6 version comes in for some stick (too revvy etc). I think it looks gorgeous. There's something about that underseat pipe that finishes it off so well. You'll need to prove your worth in here, mind, if you persist in devotion to any Honda. Sorry - I'll need to wash my mouth out now..... .

Welcome, Midnite. You may have a lot of bother with insurance, I think. As an example, I returned to biking after a 12 year absence, rode a TDM for 3 years then went for an R6. Despite having no claims, some insurance said they wouldn't insure me, even at 43 years. The reason "We don't consider the TDM to have given you suitable experience for an R6". Twats. Still, I did get insurance (thanks to Carole Nash), so that was all right. As far as getting an R6 for a first bike? Noooooooooo!! (in my opinion). It's a lairy bike to start with, the pre-2004 models especially so. If you want something that sort of size, I would rather recommend the 600 Fazer. Decent handling and economy, plenty of poke for a first timer and, because it's not an arse rocket, unlikely to worry those nice insurance people.

ditto to all the above. Lots to see, lots to learn.

hi Hobbo. Welcome. There IS a bit of a clique in here but only of the generous-hearted, jolly type. Plus miserable, pedantic old geezers such as me, occasionally popping in Clique: also defined as "A small, exclusive group of individuals", which is no bad thing.....

What ho, youngster. Welcome. Any age below 40-something constitutes kid, as far as I'm concerned. Yours, old gittingly, Steve

Welcome from a former '05MY R6 owner. Sadly, it's just the TDMs for now. That is until I can convince t'other half that getting the R1 really is fully justifiable.....

Sorry it's late. I don't log in as often as I once did. Pip pip, young lady. Welcome aboard and all that.

Where did the belly pan come from? I know this is topic'd elsewhere but I'm still considering said article for the old TDM.

"Lest we forget"? Hear, hear that man. Another lost legend.

Hi Rob. This is purely my opinion, from personal experience. I took my first TDM round Cadwell on a MCN track experience day (not a track day) and thoroughly enjoyed myself. We were allowed on the circuit as often as we liked but each time were resticted to three laps; out lap, hot (sort of) lap and in lap. It wasn't a track day and no one was allowed to hoon on the track. However, taking the R6 round on a pukka track day (with Focused Events) was a completely different experience. Cadwell is amazing but (allegedly) the most dangerous track in the country. Whilst the park section (after the start-finish straight and up to the Mountain) is fast and flowing, the wooded section is very technical and can easily catch you unawares. The track is also VERY skinny. Having had a couple of lunatics on hire bikes pass me on both sides coming out of the hairpin did nothing for my confidence. I am aware that this sort of thing is generally policed by the organisers but it freaked me out big time. Later, I later had the joy of another hire bike actually forcing me off track at 90+, up the grass at Coppice. Fortunately, I rejoined the tarmac safely (but slowly) on the Park Straight. Personally, whilst I'd like to return to Cadwell, I don't have good memories of that day. Silverstone, on the other hand was a riot. It's sheer width gave so much confidence and novices wobbling round had plenty of room to stay clear of Rossi wannabes. I really don't think Cadwell is the right place for a first timer. It's only a personal opinion but there you are. Cowardly Steve

A little delayed, I'm afraid. What ho.

Hello there. Welcome, welcome, welcome, etc. I saw your XS 650 SE avatar and came over all nostalgic, like. That was my first "proper" bike, albeit an '82 model. It differed from the earlier ones by having a drum rear brake ('70s disc were cr@p, after all. Yamaha acknowleged that by putting a drum brake back in) and handlebars with less wrist-breaking twist on them. Handling was terrifying but that old beast could tow a caravan. The exhausts rotted a month after the warranty ended (standard stuff back then), so I replaced it with an Alpha 2-1 lunatic exhaust. My old man was NOT pleased. Happy dayz

Good advice, so long as your local track isn't Cadwell. I guess it depends on: 1. How confident you are and 2. What bike you're using. Assuming it's an arse rocket, I'd suggest Silverstone as a first track. There will doubtless be many to disagree but it's a wiiiiiiiide track, allowing for the occasional safe screw-up, plus a lot of the run-off is tarmac; far less risk for your pride and joy. There's plenty of garage space and the food facilities are ok, too. I took my R6 for it's first track day hooning to Silverstone and caned the nadgers off it. Fantastic fun. Alternatively, try a Ron Haslam race day at Donnington. You don't even have to take your bike. Or your lid or leathers, come to that. It would at least give you an idea as to what it's all about. You'll also learn just how to get a bike round the track properly, too; no bad thing to practice before you take your own pride and joy round a circuit.

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.

It's a regularly misconceived notion in this country that a city has to have a cathedral. The title of city is conferred on any town of significant importance and is given that title by the reigning monarch. This situation is unique to the UK and defined thus: "City status is a rare mark of distinction granted by the Sovereign and conferred by Letters Patent. It is granted by personal Command of The Queen, on the advice of Her Ministers. It is for Her Majesty to decide when a competition for city status should be held, usually on occasions such as important Royal anniversaries." Another dull post. I'll get me coat.

Thunderfat or Chunderace, huh? Frankly, I'm with Alex on this one. An R1 would be a better option, although I'd not get the first model unless you're particularly brave ('tis a might lairy). Yamaha's design was allegedly never really satisfied with either the 600 or 1000 (both a bit too podgy-looking for them), which is why the R6 & R1 came along so quickly to replace them. Look at even the Mk1 versions of the R's against the Thunders an dyou'll see why. However, there is also the small matter of personal preference. If you like the a Thundercat/ace, take one out for a test and see how you feel afterwards. Do try an R6/R1 as well though, as you may grin with the Thunderace but you'll be cackling like a maniacal goon when you go out on the newer models. In my R6 days, I was ALWAYS laughing out loud on rides - the only bike ever to have done that for me every time I took it out.

I'm based in Hastings but, having spent an hour trying to ride to the seafront where the May Day festivities were going on, I took the TDM across to Kent for what turned out to be a looooooooong old ride. There didn't seem to be anything particular going on on Hastings seafront, other than the annual Jack in the Green Morris men lookalike festival. As far as bike-related stuff was concerned, Hastings just turned into one huge bike park/police traffic control nightmare. Unless anyone knows differently, of course. So it was that we rode the coastal road to Dungeness for lunch by the beach, followed by a trundle up to Canterbury via Folkestone & Dover for coffee in the city centre. The weather remained at about 23 degrees with ne'er a hint of cloud. Taking the route we did also meant that we were riding in the opposite direction to pretty well every other bike we saw. Outside the urban areas, the roads wer mostly empty, winding and fantastic. The TDM is now up to the 600 mile first service point, so I'll want to get that sorted before I ride to Brands on Saturday. Happy days.

Geez, man; why are you bothering? I know this puts me into boring old fart territory but how the feck can you justify spending that much on insurance? NINE GRAND? Forget it. Get a cheaper category bike and build up at least a couple of years NCB. The robbers, sorry, insurance companies are always going to target young, inexperienced riders/drivers. However, doesn't having a restrictor (which I presume you will have to fit) make any difference to the quote? Personally, I think that paying that much would be utterly stupid. Nine grand buys a brand new R1, for God's sake. Oh; I did both the online and the phone option and found that online was generally a little cheaper. However, when I needed to ask anything, rather than send emails and wait, I would first phone to check and then finish it all online. For me, Carole Nash came out cheapest but my premiums are always going to be less (see boring old fart reference above).

Town confusion is easy to aquire in this country. What can you expect when there are (for example) THREE Ashfords (Kent, Surrey & Middlesex) within 70 miles of London?

Ditto to all the above from another newbie.

Ditto. Passed on to the Shakey.com site for more sigs, too.

Try looking in the Yamaha Past Masters racing club site, YPMRC. I'm not sure whether they'll be able to help but the site is populated by racers who know the bikes inside out.

Geez. I wonder how the yoof of today can afford to ride/drive at all. My 2 TDMs together cost me £330 comprehensive. When I had the R6 ('05MY) & TDM, the price was the same but the excess was £450 for the R6 and £350 for the TDM. then again, at 45 I'm also an old git and live well away from the Smoke. Conversely, my daughter paid £1200 when she was 19 for a base model Corsa Merit, for crying out loud. The car wasn't even worth that. Apparently, as it was a 3-door version, the insurance companies claimed it constituted a sports car..... Age-related high risk or not, that still constituted daylight robbery, as far as I'm concerned. Is your £3K budget just for the bike, or does it have to cover insurance too? An '03 model should be well within reach if it's just the bike you have to pay for. The later the model, the less lairy, too. I believe that 99MY bikes are the wildest ride/worst handling, with the models getting "softer" as the model developed. My '05 model (USD forks, radial brakes) was allegedly the tamest of them all but it was more than enough for these old bones. Supreme grin factor built in every moving part, too.