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Despatchers Don't Use Tdms?


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#1 OldGit

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 08:07 am

Well I've been commuting for a month across London during the rush hour.
What a great commuter bike the TDM is. Massive tank range, economical, comfortable, slim (making for easy filtering).
Why aren't despatchers using them in their droves?

It must be because of the poor fuelling and sloppy drivetrain which makes anything below 25 mph a PITA. IMHO the suspension isn't up to the job of London's potholes either. 4 weeks of it and I can barely stand it any more.
So after a few short and mostly sweet months of ownership I'm selling up. If I was commuting anywhere else, town to town for instance, I'd be tempted to keep it, but I've also come into a little money so I'm going to change.

I'm grateful to everyone's advice on this forum, and wish you all happy and safe riding in the future.

Cheers

Nick

ps please see my for sale ad....
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#2 Catteeclan

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 08:44 am

Just goes to show the TDM just doesn't do everything perfectly. I've got 4 bikes and only one of them does low revs.

What bikes are in the running Nick?

2002 TDM900 Yellow


#3 OldGit

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 08:48 am

R1200GS blush.gif

I should have also said that I will be donating 10 quid to the Kent Air Ambulance as a Thank You for all the advice and friendliness that I have received on this forum.

Edited by OldGit, 22 April 2012 - 08:50 am.

Alright Brain, you don't like me, and I don't like you. But lets just do this, and I can get back to killing you with beer.

#4 futtfutt

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 02:46 pm

QUOTE(OldGit @ Sun 22nd Apr 2012, 09:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
R1200GS blush.gif

I should have also said that I will be donating 10 quid to the Kent Air Ambulance as a Thank You for all the advice and friendliness that I have received on this forum.


So you can't be all bad then (!) good.gif Nice to have had your company
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"The one you feed" replied the old man...

#5 wicklamulla

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 09:16 pm

good luck and well done on buying a better bike than the TDM !!! Regards WiCkY.

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#6 fung

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 06:55 am

QUOTE(OldGit @ Sun 22nd Apr 2012, 09:07 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Well I've been commuting for a month across London during the rush hour.
What a great commuter bike the TDM is. Massive tank range, economical, comfortable, slim (making for easy filtering).
Why aren't despatchers using them in their droves?

It must be because of the poor fuelling and sloppy drivetrain which makes anything below 25 mph a PITA. IMHO the suspension isn't up to the job of London's potholes either. 4 weeks of it and I can barely stand it any more.
So after a few short and mostly sweet months of ownership I'm selling up. If I was commuting anywhere else, town to town for instance, I'd be tempted to keep it, but I've also come into a little money so I'm going to change.

I'm grateful to everyone's advice on this forum, and wish you all happy and safe riding in the future.

Cheers

Nick

ps please see my for sale ad....

1) a power commander can help with low revs and the rest.
2) a G2 Ergonomics street tamer throttle tube 142mm in length (recommended part number 40-4Y-142 for FJR1300A) which modifies the cable travel to minimise throttle twitchiness 0-1/4 throttle.
3) so can slightly shorter final gearing.
4) funny how the majority of japanese bikes are oversprung and underdamped. there is a wilbers for sale here on the forum wink.gif
just my two cents worth.
cheers
fung
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#7 Chris B

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 09:04 am

I've been going into London on my TDM about 4 years I think now, I think it is perfect for it, I have however sorted the low speed issues with the airbox mod and a PC3.

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#8 robelst

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 05:15 pm

QUOTE(wicklamulla @ Sun 22nd Apr 2012, 09:16 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
good luck and well done on buying a better bike than the TDM !!!

GS (all-road) and TDM 900 (tourer) have barely anything in common apart from the number of cylinders (and -wheels rolleyes.gif ), so there is little point in calling one "better" than the other.
One BMW that seemed very similar to the TDM in my view is the F800ST. I really liked it when I tried one, and in many ways "better": no jerkiness, playful handling, belt, apparently even better on fuel, pulls even stronger; very unfortunately, it doesn't suit my overly long legs mellow.gif

The TDM's inprecise injection combined with very light flywheel and transmission play (still better than MK1/early Mk2 but strangely not as good as Mk2a) demand velvet-like throttle control and more gear changes gear at lower speed, but I am not sure if that is why despatchers don't use them? Do we need to care, given that most despatchers ride like utter morons?

That was not a banana, Dougal

#9 AzzA

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 06:40 am

Here's an expert commenting on the differences of 180 and 270 engined bikes. (FYI: 270 = "big bang")

From http://en.wikipedia....der#2-stroke_V4
"
In 1997 Mick Doohan wanted to run a 180° screamer engine. HRC crew chief Jerry Burgess explains why: "The 180 got back a direct relationship between the throttle and the rear wheel, When the tire spun I could roll off without losing drive. The big bang has a lot of engine braking, so it upsets the bike into corners, then when you open the throttle you get this sudden pulse of power, which again upsets the suspension. Mick's secret is corner speed, so he needs the bike to be smooth and the 180 is much smoother."
"

I'm not going to talking about riding on the edge of traction like Mick did... even cornering in low speed roundabouts and intersections on the 900 it is best to slow down and gear down early and stay on power throughout the apex; if you engine-brake before the apex and then accelerate out of the apex you're likely to get the jolt and judder caused by that sudden on-off torque characteristic... and every suspension upset that comes with it too.

So... cornering a 270 is quite different from cornering a 180... but lots of us probably learnt on and/or later had larger more symmetrical firing bikes, so we might have a habit that might be hard to break.

Some of us will not be aware of the technical differences because we've always ridden bigger bang engined bikes and already have the suited technique.

Some of us will be naturally gifted enough to unconsciously adapt our technique to whatever bike we ride, almost instantly.

Some of us will progressively modify our technique, given long enough.

Some of us will consciously adjust our technique, to suit the bike we are riding, provided we can identify the technical differences.

Some of will be unaware of the technical differences and make no, or be unable to make the, required technique adjustments.

Some of the last category will then buy a BMW... or other such bike... and some will even poo-poo their cast-off as somehow inferior. (No way suggesting that's the case in this thread, but there have been some "frustrated" temporary TDM owners in the past.)

Edited by AzzA, 25 April 2012 - 06:42 am.

gallery_10460_302_12664.png


#10 3vd

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 07:13 am

I must admit I like the bottom end response of the MKI and find it better around town. The 9er is a better bike overall and the noise is addictive, I don't ride round 'blipping' the throttle on the MKI like I do on the 9er. But the penalty for the sweet sounding 270' engine is poor low speed response, partly due to the basic fuel injection, although my MKII was much the same......

I've ridden through London a few times on the 9er and found it quite good. Pity there's no frigging free parking, tossers!

I always think the best bike for a big city is a variomatic super scoot!



#11 LewisBlackburn

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 12:13 pm

I ride through Manchester everyday but not the city centre so dont experience this much.

The only thing that annoys me about my TDM is how its not great at low speed. the works car park has a limit of 10MPH, most people do 15 - 20, but its difficult to do that speed in first as your revving quite high, yet in second It jerks unless I use lots of clutch. I put up with it though as I love the bike but I've never been a confident slow speed/manoeuvring rider, and I don't think the TDM helps.

#12 catsbum

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 05:17 pm

Fitting a K&N recently 99% cured mine.

#13 NZTDMGUY

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 08:13 pm

When I fitted the centre stand I had to remove the Scorpion pipes and reinstall the stock ones as there was no stop on the Scorpions for the stand. Even with the power commander and K&N filter the bike is rugged at low speed, especially on corners. Not nerve wracking but it does give a less than smooth rounding of a corner and i have to use the clutch often as a feather.

Need to get off my bum and sort a stopper for the midpipe on the scorpions. It has me looking at Tigers and not in the Zoo ohmy.gif

Off to the Southern Island for a week or so R & R. Not on the bike but will be good anyway.

Cheers from NZ
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Scorpion cans
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#14 jht

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 08:31 pm

Its all horses for courses

never ridden a 900

but did commute during the rush hour period from outta town Surrey/Hants border into London Bridge via Embankment

pretty much covered everything from inner city, A road & Mway

70 miles a day 5 days a week for 4 years (with 4 weeks off in the height of summer, typical)

on a MkII

I still could not think of a better bike to do it on, thing was/is the mutts nuts imho for that type of commute

perhaps that why I still got the bike

but like I said, aint ridden a 900, nor BM

Oh I almost forgot....

The reason despatchers don't ride TDM's?
Because unless you do outta town work a CG125 / NTV650 / scooter is pretty much all you need
Older Fazer 600 are also the bike of choice, but there have been a lot more of those around that TDM's, new & 2nd hand

As an aside, when I was looking for a bike for the commute it was down to a choice of two...

If the dealers had been open on the saturday afternoon I went, I may well have been posting on the Fazer owners site instead

Edited by jht, 25 April 2012 - 08:38 pm.

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#15 erny

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 09:01 pm

Only owned mk2 TDMs since passing my test 3 years ago. I feel that I have become very proficient in riding it. I appreciate what everybody has said , both side of the argument.
I actually time some of my rides now so that I am hitting rush hour traffic. I think the bike is great for filtering and getting through traffic. So much so that I can go from Salford, through Manchester and all the way up to the messy traffic system at Oldham Mumps grinning all the way. That place is a mess now constantly full of traffic. I love it.
But as you know I've decided to move to a completly different bike. A zx636. A completly different kettle of fish.
I expect nothing to be the same and I am looking forward to the education.
I do hope that I learn well.
I imagine myself not liking the change in riding style, change of throttle use and brakes. But I do realise theres a difference and I will persevere.
I do love the TDM though. It's just so easy to jump on and enjoy myself in any situation.

I need a sig. indeed with plenty of frickin polish

#16 harvey krumpet

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Posted 25 April 2012 - 10:42 pm

QUOTE(NZTDMGUY @ Wed 25th Apr 2012, 09:13 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
When I fitted the centre stand I had to remove the Scorpion pipes and reinstall the stock ones as there was no stop on the Scorpions for the stand. Even with the power commander and K&N filter the bike is rugged at low speed, especially on corners. Not nerve wracking but it does give a less than smooth rounding of a corner and i have to use the clutch often as a feather.

Need to get off my bum and sort a stopper for the midpipe on the scorpions. It has me looking at Tigers and not in the Zoo ohmy.gif

Off to the Southern Island for a week or so R & R. Not on the bike but will be good anyway.

Cheers from NZ


Just a tad Jealous......

If ever your up here in the "tropics" let me know & you can have a tootle on my MkII.

I'm doing a lot of gymkhanaesque training & the bike is faultless at low speeds / low revs. I put this down to virtually open pipes & good breathing. Maybe the slightly lower gearing too.

My gravel quota is increasing too, the suspension is a bit chattery over pot holes & corrugations but nothing that getting my butt out of the seat does not help. Speaking of which, time for a new thread..

all the best.

Edited by harvey krumpet, 25 April 2012 - 10:45 pm.

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#17 OldGit

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Posted 03 May 2012 - 08:22 pm

Hiya
I've not gone away, yet.... in fact despite buying a Beemer last weekend I've been using the TDM for work this week. I I am sooooo gonna miss the noise, tank range, usability, slimness, and that noise.....

BTW way you won't find me deriding the bike, or any other that I've owned or ridden. I won't hold back on a machine's bad - or good points - as I see them, no matter what, but I won't rage against the machine for no good reason. I don't regret buying the bike, and if I hadn't come into a little money I would have kept it, bought a Power Commander and fixed what should have been sorted in the factory in the first place. I did this once before with a V-Strom, the fuelling on that bike - from new - was bad enough to spit the throttle bodies off the inlet stubs.... I cured it with a PC and some Scorpion pipes.

Anyway my plan was to farkle the Beemer and fix the problem that it came with (a very stiff throttle) this weekend and start using it next week. So as I was putting the TDM away tonight I thought, let's tighten that very loose chain before the last ride to work tomorrow. It needed a pry bar and a step on to loosen the axle nut, the LHS adjuster freed up nicely and was sorted quickly, the RHS adjuster..... snapped off, leavingit's end in the swinging arm.....

So there it is, the bike had it's revenge on me for giving up on it so quickly. I will take the Beemer to work tomorrow, with a stiffie, no crashbars, no luggage and no glorious noise through the blackwall tunnel. Those things will hopefully be rectified this weekend. If all the parts arrive and I can stay out of tghe pub for long enough.

As for the TDM, anyone got a spare adjuster, or a very cheap swinging arm, for an 52 reg 900 please?

Thanks for reading and take it easy everyone...

Cheers

Nick

Alright Brain, you don't like me, and I don't like you. But lets just do this, and I can get back to killing you with beer.

#18 Minty Hippo

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Posted 03 May 2012 - 09:40 pm

QUOTE(OldGit @ Thu 3rd May 2012, 07:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I will take the Beemer to work tomorrow, with a stiffie,


Gosh you must really like that beemer. wub.gif

I snapped off the LHS adjuster. Replacing the swingarm is a bit extreme. You can drill and tap out below the old one, but you need a long enough drill bit. Not as hard as it sounds.

#19 Robodene

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Posted 03 May 2012 - 10:24 pm

QUOTE(OldGit @ Thu 3rd May 2012, 09:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
the RHS adjuster..... snapped off, leavingit's end in the swinging arm.....


Is there any of the bolt showing? Enough to take a long nut? (which nut then takes another shorter bolt into the other end). I did mine that way.

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#20 leehenty

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Posted 04 May 2012 - 02:45 am

QUOTE(OldGit @ Thu 3rd May 2012, 09:22 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
As for the TDM, anyone got a spare adjuster, or a very cheap swinging arm, for an 52 reg 900 please?


Cheers

Nick

Drill out the old bolt carefully, fit a 3.0D M8 x 1.25 helicoil (alloy thread is quite long and most kits only come with 1.5D inserts) then make some brass 55mm adjusters.
You can get away with normal brass M8 bolts of 50mm long, but file the letters off the heads to get a good smooth surface that won't gall on the alloy block when you turn them to put pressure on the axle. This will make the head 13mm AF though.

Like these:

http://www.ebay.co.u...=item53e3e55e4d

You can turn a better designed one from 12mm marine brass hexagon bar stock. (I'm assuming here you have access to a lathe)

Replacing the entire swingarm seems a tad OTT to me just for one seized bolt.

To use the alloy threads, the drill must be no more than 6.75mm pull out the bits of steel thread left behind if you can with needle nose pliers.
It's my experience that this method seldom leaves a really useable tight thread, bits of the alloy thread come away with the steel which is what caused the problem in the first place.

A far better repair is to use a helicoil insert of the right length making a once and for all job of it.
For a good helicoil fit, drill the hole 8.2mm (twist drills always drill a slightly oversize hole) tap the special thread with a long nosed ratchet tap holder to clear the swingarm slot.
Fit insert, break off tang, fit brass bit described above and the jobs a good 'un.

Thus:


Edited by leehenty, 04 May 2012 - 03:23 am.

2002 900 silver,oil pressure switch with brass 90 degree conversion, RG fork protectors. Wilburs custom made rear Shock with remote hydraulic preload and RG shocktube, Wilburs front springs. Scotoiler with a custom made swing arm delivery unit. Silicone radiator hoses.BMW 1150 handguards with Touratech extensions, Carbon Fibre yoke cover and fender extenda, MRA flip screen, Yamaha Engine bars, SW Motech Centre Stand, Kappa wingrack three box Luggage with E21's as option from the K960 boxes, Zumo 660 satnav on Touratech mount, Led Voltage monitor, Baglux tank cover, Clear LED Rear light, Aux LED brake light, BikeVis bullet LED's under front  nose,Stainless rear axle nut, stainless chain adjusters, stainless wheel spacers front and rear, Probolt Polished Stainless Flanged Hex engine screws, Polished stainless fairing screws, stainless disc bolts. Titanium brake pins front, Probolt Titanium Flanged Hex Front Caliper Bolts & Rear caliper slide pins Adventure Spec Tool tube under rear rack, left and right sides with custom alloy mounts.<p>Top Sellerie double gel pad seat. Carbon Fibre inner dash and side infill panels. Anodised black alloy swingarm pivot bolt covers and footpegs, Nano II Gear indicator.


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