4 replies to this topic

[SteveGlover]

Oh, brings a tear to my eye! What a great bike.

Good post PaulS. Got to ask though, why travel 200 miles to end up in Chorley? I live just a few miles from there and try to avoid it! Still, as someone once said, "the journey is the reward" - bikes are like that.

[dandywarhol]

I have to confess I have been harbouring impure thoughts of changing my bike this year as I am topping 15K miles and, well, I've had it over a year!.
I've had a go on a Mutistrada, GS1150... planning to go on a Tiger, GS1200 and the Buell Ullysses (for a laugh and I live near a dealer).

HOWEVER.
In the past week I have
1. spent the day with my RoSPA observer "making progress" around Hampshire ~150miles
2. my normal weekly commute ~150 miles
3. loaded up with gear for a weekend of walking and zipped up to the Peak District ~180 miles
4. Scratched across the Peaks to Manchester, around to Chorley ~60 miles
5. Zipped back down from Chorley to Home ~200miles

No fuss, no bother, no oil used, bit more of a flat on the rear tyre, started on the button once I'd scraped the snow off it on Sunday... Which makes me think what a brilliant bike it is. Sure, the lights are crap for actually seeing where you're going in the dark, I get bum ache after 2 hours in the saddle and it gets a bit out of shape when pressing on. I know it's not a fair comparison, but my mate with the Ducati didn't even get it out of the garage to come up to the peaks because it wouldn't like being left outside. I didn't even consider that the TDM wouldn't behave itself.

This all leads to me thinking I should be upgrading the suspension rather than getting rid... any ideas how much I'd need to spend and on what?

Around £200 for a modified damper rod, springs and cartridge valve kit and £300 upwards for a decent rear unit.
Both mods make it a completely different bike whether your going for it on twisties without trying too hard or long distance in the saddle. Either senario, it makes a huge difference to the comfort and response of the bike.

[Dave in Thailand]

No fuss, no bother, no oil used, bit more of a flat on the rear tyre, started on the button once I'd scraped the snow off it on Sunday... Which makes me think what a brilliant bike it is. Sure, the lights are crap for actually seeing where you're going in the dark, I get bum ache after 2 hours in the saddle and it gets a bit out of shape when pressing on. I know it's not a fair comparison, but my mate with the Ducati didn't even get it out of the garage to come up to the peaks because it wouldn't like being left outside. I didn't even consider that the TDM wouldn't behave itself.

I'm only getting a Tiger bacause I want a TDM with an extra cylinder. Keeping the TDM, too, but on different continents. Great bike.