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Life Expectancy Of A 9'er


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Poll: TDM 900 life expectancy

What do you expect from your/a TDM900?

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#1 SeizedBalt

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 05:21 pm

OK, folks.  So a bit of a rollercoaster day for me. Bike-wise particularly.

 

I've just had my tyres fitted but since ordering them, I've learnt I needed a new rear disc and thus pads. And on top of that the rear wheel bearings were toast and so what should have been €100 in parts and labour ended up as €195...

 

Add to that the fact that the (most likely) camchain started slapping about this morning and at 45,000 miles, that probably means the tensioner AND the chain: another €400-500, unless I can get the shop I bought it from to accept it as a warranty issue.  That is 50/50.

 

All the above came up in a conversation with the bike shop owner that did the tyres and he started explaining how a most bikes will never see 100,000km (60,000 miles). 

So, now, I've just bought my TDM with 74,000km ( 45,000 miles) on the clock and while it's no spring chicken, I really don't feel it's 75% done.

He then proceeded to show me an entire collection of shagged TDM cam chains, proclaiming with pride "These are all TDMs!"

 

I've not bought bikes with veeeery high mileages, but I've bought some with significant mileages as well as low mileages and I've been confident they could reach decent figures: my GS, my CBRs, my Transalp and, I'd like to think, my TDM, to mention but a few.

 

And so my poll: 

 

I know that bikes will not manage car mileages as a rule, but I'd like to ask the TDM illuminati of Carpe TDM: is the bike shop owner correct? Or should I trust in my well-founded optimism and, with regular maintenance, expect many more happy years with my middle-aged TDM?


Edited by SeizedBalt, 13 May 2020 - 05:23 pm.


#2 dapleb

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 05:40 pm

http://www.carpe-tdm...7502&hl=mileage

My MK1 has no life expectancy....it will last forever.
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#3 dablik

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 05:50 pm

Think CB on his old 9r was up around 130,000 miles, Matlock is at 100,000 plus and it's his commuter........think he's talking shoite :) look after it and it will go forever.....


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#4 fixitsan

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 06:27 pm

I'm at 107000.(miles)  I replaced the cam chain at 100k. I felt i should reward the bike somehow for it's good service to mankind, but actually it probably could have lasted much longer

 

I've also got another with 60k miles. I just replaced the cam chain on it and again I found the old one wasn't too bad

 

A tip with the tensioner is to slacken off the two bolts about a turn each and pull the tensioner away from the block, it will usually let the tensioner take up the next tooth of the ratchet, listen for a little click, and then just nip it back up. That was told to me by an ex Yamaha trained engineer who ran his own shop, said they did it on a lot of bikes which came in with a strange rattle.

 

Obviously the tensioner has a life expectancy. The few I've removed for checking have been in good enough condition to warrant only stripping it down to clean and grease it.

 

 

"Hhmmm yes you're right, that's quite a rattle, that sounds like the cam chain to me. I wouldn't leave it for much longer, D'ya see that pile of chains over there ?"   ......the hard sell


Edited by fixitsan, 13 May 2020 - 06:30 pm.

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#5 Favs

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 06:34 pm

Dealer talking bollox 4 sure cos they rarely or never see high milers - everyone knows that they A don't want em even in PX, and B if they do take em, they want to pay buttons as warranty issues could be a nightmare, look bad in showroom, easy route to a bad reputation etc.


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#6 leehenty

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 06:53 pm

With good oil and regular service 100,000 miles easily. Niner cam chain tensioner has a sprung quick screw arrangement no ratchet. Make sure you have the later long nosed tensioner fitted.
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.

#7 AliG

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 06:57 pm

Dealer is talking bollocks. I have one with 60,000 and one with 20,000 and if they weren't different colours I would have a hard time telling which was which. Fixitsan says it all. The tensioner has a life expectancy, but take heed of Lee's advice and you'll be fine.


Edited by AliG, 13 May 2020 - 06:58 pm.

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#8 fixitsan

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 06:58 pm

With good oil and regular service 100,000 miles easily. Niner cam chain tensioner has a sprung quick screw arrangement no ratchet. Make sure you have the later long nosed tensioner fitted.

 

 

 

Wooops, I was confused having had all of them. 

 

When I stripped and lubed my 900 ones they seemed to free up a bit afterwards, I suppose they could still stick

 

Did the later long nosed one have the same spring as the earlier one ?


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#9 SeizedBalt

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 07:18 pm

Well, I must say that my TDM faith feels a bit more vindicated!  I'm looking forward to having it for a while!



#10 Studley Ramrod

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 07:26 pm

Its easy to come on a site like this and all you read about are bike problems, but in reality, peeps only post up when they have a problem, you never/rarely read a post about how reliable a bike is.


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#11 drewpy

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 07:26 pm

i've changed my cam chain as the engine was out anyway.

The old chain seemed tighter than the OEM chain I'm replacing that's at circa 45k


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#12 leehenty

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 08:26 pm

Both work the same, take out small end bolt small screw driver give it slight wiggle will free it.
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.

#13 fixitsan

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Posted 13 May 2020 - 11:07 pm

Both work the same, take out small end bolt small screw driver give it slight wiggle will free it.

That's the trick :rotflmmfao:


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#14 wicklamulla

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Posted 14 May 2020 - 09:23 am

it's down to maintenance and good luck.  I would not be one bit surprised at some point to read of a TDM900 with 300,000 miles on it.


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#15 SeizedBalt

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Posted 14 May 2020 - 10:56 am

it's down to maintenance and good luck.  I would not be one bit surprised at some point to read of a TDM900 with 300,000 miles on it.


Ill keep you posted.

So far 45,000 miles ;)

#16 leehenty

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Posted 14 May 2020 - 05:58 pm

These engines are over engineered and very under stressed. Oil is fairly cheap, regular changes with decent oul they will last well over 100K
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.

#17 SeizedBalt

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Posted 15 May 2020 - 04:55 am

These engines are over engineered and very under stressed. Oil is fairly cheap, regular changes with decent oul they will last well over 100K


Thats an interesting perspective.

I had no idea theyd be called under stressed. If anything, being a big bore Super Tenere 750 Id have thought the opposite!

So Im curious: apart from that regular oil change, what are the essentials to be done so as to keep a TDM engine running?

Think of it as one of the cheesy 5 steps to a better life self-help books but for a TDM twin.

#18 Riggers

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Posted 15 May 2020 - 08:16 am

My previous '04' bike had nearly 60,000 miles on the clock when I saw a low mileage '09' model in a showroom and couldn't resist a swop. There was nothing wrong with the '04' bike though, the engine was quiet, didn't burn any oil and ran as smooth as silk.

 

My 'new' 09 bike is still running in at 23,000 miles and will probably last until we're all forced to buy electric sewing machines.

 

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#19 fixitsan

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Posted 15 May 2020 - 10:36 am

Thats an interesting perspective.

I had no idea theyd be called under stressed. If anything, being a big bore Super Tenere 750 Id have thought the opposite!

So Im curious: apart from that regular oil change, what are the essentials to be done so as to keep a TDM engine running?

Think of it as one of the cheesy 5 steps to a better life self-help books but for a TDM twin.

 

 

You've probably picked up on posts about the cam chain tensioner, CCT. Quite common for a lot of bikes.

 

One of the reason for a 900's longevity is the coated engine cylinders. The 850 could at times use more oil than some owners expected, although they weren't always smoking. The 900 is very frugal with oil, even at high mileage.

 

Of course it works 2 ways, a reduction in oil coming up around the piston rings also means there should be fewer combustion gases going down into the crank case, contaminating the oil in the process


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#20 poppykle

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Posted 16 May 2020 - 01:53 am

Can't find it now but I remember seeing photo on the web of the speedo from a TDM 900 showing 200,000km. Regular oil changes and keep an eye on the cam chain tensioner.  My process is to trawl posts and note issues associated with my bikes.  I saw many posts regarding the failure of the water pump at around 42,000km on my previous KLE500. I changed the pump at 40k, problem averted. 




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