Yamaha TDM900 Owner Review
Introducing a passionate story of "Sukusuke" who rides TDM900, from Webike Community's "My Beloved Moto" campaign.
He shared his review of the TDM900 including the advantage and the disadvantage, which he understands well because he is the owner.
Brief self-introduction
Motorcycle history and how I usually enjoy my motorcycle.
I've been riding motorcycles for about 30 years. My love for motorcycles has grown and I ride them for work. I ride my motorcycle to the site, do various work, and get paid for it. The motorcycle is a means to eat, to enjoy the fun, and to be a reliable partner for each other to go to a higher level.
Recently, I've been enjoying customizing it so that I can work comfortably. I've been pursuing a number of unusual customizations, such as using a chaincase I made myself, a tool case on the market as a side case, and a blind spot monitor for my motorcycle. I'm hoping to introduce this area in the future.
How long have you been riding this motorcycle?
This TDM900 is my second motorcycle, the first one was bought in 2002 and scrapped in 2013 with 250,000 miles on it when the engine broke (probably a broken valve). After I scrapped it, I wondered what I would ride, and finally, I chose the same motorcycle.
Motive for purchase
My initial motivation was to fall in love with the design, which also led me to get a large driver's license. At the time, the multi-purpose genre was new to me, and although we see a lot of them now, there was no on-road multi-purpose other than the TDM. My motivation for purchasing the second motorcycle was that I had a lot of spare parts left from the first motorcycle and there was no other motorcycle to replace it, so I decided to ride the last model of the same motorcycle again.
When I was quoted in June 2013, I was told that there was only one black color left and I would get the last one in the manufacturer's inventory.
If the MT-09 or Tracer had been sold at the time, I would have switched, but now I have the fire to customize the motorcycle to my liking to the point where I don't feel like cheating on my new motorcycle, and it is finally taking shape.
Satisfaction
For applications
There is no motorcycle that is as dependable a work partner as this one, with good loadability, good durability, and good maintenance. There's plenty of room in the cowl shape around the gauges, so it's a convenient canvas for those who want to attach a radar or voltmeter or make a mess of it.
Personally, my favorite part is the overall width, most of the multi-purpose vehicles nowadays are over 90cm, but the TDM900 is 80cm. The benefit of this is immeasurable, and if it's wide enough for a moped to fit, it's easy to get in and out of the motorcycle, and it's also very helpful when parking the motorcycle in a tight space or when parking in a garage.
For riding
The sales pitch "from mountain winding to city cobblestone streets" is well said, and with the big twin's slim body and up position, you can go anywhere. Not only on winding roads and highways, but also when turning on narrow roads and straddling bumps, the King of the Mountain Road is everywhere.
The variable intake ducting changes the character after 4000rpm. At low rpm, it has a pleasantly smooth heartbeat, but above 4000 rpm, the acceleration is so sharp that it becomes difficult to position. It is generally said that low rpm is difficult to handle, but with proper maintenance (cleaning the throttle valve), it is not a problem.
For appearance
Nowadays there are more and more multi-purpose and adventure vehicles, but TDM has been doing this style for 30 years, so the overall form still looks good. It's a bit dated, but maybe the times are finally catching up with TDM.
Dissatisfaction
For applications
As for the problem of sticking at low speeds (combustion imbalance and stalling), I personally think it is a dirty throttle valve. The throttle valve tends to get dirty because the blow-by gas is not handled properly. It is recommended to clean the throttle valve once every six months to improve the low-speed response and make it easier to ride.
For riding
The high center of gravity makes it susceptible to the wind.
For appearance
Nowadays the front and rear of the motorcycle are slim and sleek, but this motorcycle is the exact opposite. It is heavy and sluggish.
Summary
I wasn't sure if it would be a good idea for someone like me, who rides for work, to introduce it in a forum like this, but I still thought it might be helpful to some people, so I posted it. The TDM900 has the silky pulse of a big twin at low speeds, and the sportiness comes out in the mid-range and changes dramatically at high rpm. It has many different expressions and I think many of the owners of this motorcycle have been riding it for a long time. And it's quite slim among the many multipurpose models, so if you're worried about the size of a multipurpose model, I recommend you take it for a test ride.
Thank you, Sukesuke, for a narrative that really conveys your love for the TDM900!
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