NGC-31 YEAR OLD ORPHAN IS RE-HOMED

[SIR REAL ED]

Not a classic, or even popular, but one I was interested in buying, when I couldn't afford much.... so.... no time like the present.....

[Guzikid]

  Good for you !  That Yamaha was a real good bike at the time.  I even considered buying one back then.  Have fun !     The Kid

[Phil/TX]

Looks great.

[tommy2cyl]

I was drawn to those back in the day but my motorcycle type/ affinity wasn't firmly established and my riding pals at the time didn't "get" why I was interested in that bike.  I finally bought that "type" of bike in 2002, my DL 1000 VStrom, my pals all said the same thing but I was further along my arc of what type of bike appealed to me and I have never waivered since.  Bike appears to have been well cared for.  Congrats.

[Anomaly]

Congrats! There is a guy in the village here who has one (1998? I think he told me), that he keeps in immaculate condition and he rides it all over the place. He and his wife take it to the beach in the summer with her holding the beach umbrella on the side... He wants to do a "giro" of Tuscany with my wife and I on the T3. I'll need the itinerary in advance because there is no way I'll keep up with him. Enjoy that bike!

[tazio]

SCORE Looks clean!
I bought one brand new, same year.
This and my current bike (GRiSO)
had been the two favorite bike I've ever owned. Norton club guys love these things too. NEVER had issue with 2nd gear (as I've heard about).
Never caught on in the States.
Advertised as "New Sports" whatever that was. Europe "got it", it sold well there and continued to grow/develop.
Longish wheel travel was great on crappy roads..
Still have detailed Service manual for it.

[Huzo]

Is that the one with the 360 or 270 degree crank ?
Either way, looks like something you could go around the world on. Put some gear and some miles on it…

[Scout63]

Great looking bike I had never heard of.  Nice score.

[Huzo]

Being the 850 cc, I think it will be the same as the TRX motor

and as such will be fabulous.
Looks like a “1000 k in a day” type bike. Why the bloody hell it can look so tour worthy with a low(er) seat height and great ergonomics, when a “modern” V85 has to have a seat that you need to be an NBA basketballer to be able to reach the ground…
Mirrors are a bit Pee Wee Herman, but easy fix. So damn simple and clean lines.
Nice bike…

[SIR REAL ED]

SCORE Looks clean!
I bought one brand new, same year.
This and my current bike (GRiSO)
had been the two favorite bike I've ever owned. Norton club guys love these things too. NEVER had issue with 2nd gear (as I've heard about).
Never caught on in the States.
Advertised as "New Sports" whatever that was. Europe "got it", it sold well there and continued to grow/develop.
Longish wheel travel was great on crappy roads..
Still have detailed Service manual for it.

Thanks.  Where are you located Tazio?

[SIR REAL ED]

Being the 850 cc, I think it will be the same as the TRX motor

and as such will be fabulous.
Looks like a “1000 k in a day” type bike. Why the bloody hell it can look so tour worthy with a low(er) seat height and great ergonomics, when a “modern” V85 has to have a seat that you need to be an NBA basketballer to be able to reach the ground…
Mirrors are a bit Pee Wee Herman, but easy fix. So damn simple and clean lines.
Nice bike…

It is the 360 crank.  The US only got the Mark 1 model imported during 1992 & 1993.  The US was in the middle of the sport bike craze and the manufacturers were producing awesome crotch rockets.  TDM's were priced like BMW's and sold like lead balloons.  Me & the misses test rode a TDM at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1992.  I liked it a lot!

https://www.tdm-yamaha.heliohost.org/index.php?page=HST

I always wanted a TRX also.  They were never imported into the US.  Wonderful looking bike IMO.

There is a TRX for sale (imported from Japan) about two hours from here but is has been butchered and the guy is asking $5500.  It is hacked up enough that I would only be interested in it at about $1000.

Also a nice TDM for sale in New Rochelle, NY right now.

MY buddy from England who now lives in Canada said:  "I often go by what the Strayans say!  They ride the Hell out of their bikes.  They like the TDM."

This one had a bizarre problem.  Just found the cause yesterday.  Will post photos later.

[tazio]

Thanks.  Where are you located Tazio?

Acworth,Georgia.

[SIR REAL ED]

Acworth,Georgia.

Cool.  I've never seen a TDM on the street.

[tazio]

Mines long gone.
Let a family member take it for a ride.
He wrecked it, and that was that..

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

A friend had a "rode hard, put away wet" TDM that then sat in his barn for about a decade before he decided to get rid of it. Sold it to another friend for $50 before I even heard about it.

I always thought the TRX would be great fun.

[SIR REAL ED]

A friend had a "rode hard, put away wet" TDM that then sat in his barn for about a decade before he decided to get rid of it. Sold it to another friend for $50 before I even heard about it.

I always thought the TRX would be great fun.

I agree.  I have always liked the concept of a Japanese Ducati.  I looked at about 3 TRX850's over the last 25 years.  All cost big bucks but not completely unreasonable.

But after owning an SV650, I suspect the TRX would not compare well to a SV650 due to weight.  I had a Zlock racing 744cc kit with 12.5:1 compression in an SV650.  With a 2 tooth smaller rear spocket, the 744 wheelied as easily in second as the 650 did in first. 

Hard to beat an SV650 in my mind.  Especially the looks of that oval tube Aluminum frame!!!

I suspect if the SV1000 had the oval tube Aluminum frame (not TL1000 ugly frame!) like the first generation SV650, Suzuki would have had a massive seller and an instant cult classic on their hands.  Or for that matter a nice looking space frame.

[bobrebos1]

Nice Bike!  Congratulations!

[chuck peterson]

Cool bike! There’s one currently for sale on CycleTrader out of Freemont. CA. 22k miles, red, $4299

[SIR REAL ED]

Cool bike! There’s one currently for sale on CycleTrader out of Freemont. CA. 22k miles, red, $4299

Here is another:
https://plattsburgh.craigslist.org/mcd/d/malone-1992-yamaha-tdm850-vintage-sport/7572037805.html

Nice SRX600 and 1976 XS750 in the background.

Fits in with my experience of growing up in Rochester, NY.  If you want to find low mileage used bikes, look in places with long winters with deadly temperatures!

[s1120]

I test rode one back when they were new. It was a cool bike but at the time I just could not get past the style. It was just too soon for me. Holds up well in todays world, and looks much newer then it is.

[tazio]

Funny you mention "orphan" as one of my other new bikes was the Yamaha Vision..
That's the Corbin seat I had on my TDM.
Wonderful investment.
Miss the old girl

[SIR REAL ED]

Funny you mention "orphan" as one of my other new bikes was the Yamaha Vision..
That's the Corbin seat I had on my TDM.
Wonderful investment.
Miss the old girl

For some reason I have always had a soft spot for Yamaha's experimental bikes that did not sell.  The SRX600, the TDM850, the Seca 650, the Seca 900, and the Vision 550.  I lusted after a 1983 Vision for many years.....

[Moparnut72]

I am surprised the Secas didn't sell, I thought they were pretty cool bikes. But I am here aren't I. 
kk

[tazio]

Ed, be checking that mailbox.

[SIR REAL ED]

Ed, be checking that mailbox.

I got it today Tazio!!!!

Mucho thanks!   

I didn't find a bill in the package..... If you find it lying around, please let me know how much I owe you!

If you are ever in the Lynchburg, VA area, you have to at least let me buy you lunch or a dinner.

Or we could get new on a trials bike for a couple hours...... just in case you need a new vice, er, uh, I mean hobby! 

[tazio]

It's a gift my friend.

[SIR REAL ED]

It's a gift my friend.

It is much appreciated!!  Thank you!!

[Tusayan]

I agree.  I have always liked the concept of a Japanese Ducati.  I looked at about 3 TRX850's over the last 25 years.  All cost big bucks but not completely unreasonable. But after owning an SV650, I suspect the TRX would not compare well to a SV650 due to weight.  I had a Zlock racing 744cc kit with 12.5:1 compression in an SV650.  With a 2 tooth smaller rear spocket, the 744 wheelied as easily in second as the 650 did in first. 

I have a oval framed SV650 and a nearby friend has a grey market TRX.  He’s the principal at a BMW dealer so has a lot of bikes to ride and I’ve never seen the TRX in the wild.  We should do a ride with both, swapping back and forth.  The TRX seems to me more like my Ducati 900 SS CR, which is quite different than the SV, less refined and more powerful.  The TRX would be quite a bike if it combined the best of both.