Greetings all,
Reason I got myself a TDM is that most bikes are on the small side for me. Also, I like it moderately offroad. Did a bit of googling and it came down to three models - TDM, Varadero and V-Strom. Had an XJ 900 in my youth and was pleased with the quality, and came over a near mint 2002 TDM.
Still, it felt small. I've got long arms and legs, and I sometimes felt like I was riding pillion on my own bike. Not to mention the stone hard saddle, didn't add much to the overall comfort. All my modifications are motivated by stuff I've found in this forum, so huge thanks to all of you.
So this is what I have done so far, with comments on the perceived results.
1. Sheep skin on the saddle. Did nothing for me. Added a 20 mm gel insert (link), still too hard. Air Hawk turned our to be hard (sic!) to get here in Norway, so just to experiment I slipped a self inflating camping mat (£ 6.98) under the sheep skin. Lo and behold - worked wonderfully! Wipped out the missus' sewing machine and added velcro straps to the sheep skin, so it sits snugly onto the saddle, as well as bonding the mat to the skin with some hefty carpet tape. Adjustable on the fly, no compressor or stuff - open valve, stand up to inflate, sit to deflate, close valve.
2. Elevated the bar. First I tried these (bay 123825178091):
Now, it turned out that these will either bring the bar backwards a fair bit, or, if fitted backwards, elevate straight up. Didn't really work for me. Then I found these (bay 303340841210):
Perfect, I now have the bar up and forward a fair bit. Also continuously adjustable.
3. Added Renthal 755 bar, in black (bay 273979649554), £32 delivered (UK)
Had it forwarded to Norway by splendid fellow forum member daplev, along with a complimentary unused visor - thanks again!. As many before have reported, the sweep feels more natural. No issues with cable or brake line lenghts. Got a tap and threaded the bar ends (no drilling necessary) for the bar end weights, but I haven't got around to fit them yet. No vibrations, though, so may not fit them at all.
4. Lowered the pegs 40 mm. Fully adjustable. (bay 292947015666), £ 29.88.
They are only listed with 25 mm risers, but the company will ship 40 mm risers upon request.
Works very well for me, and being tapered, hardly any ground clearance is lost. No problems with the brake pedal, but it must of course be adjusted accordingly. Two minor issues - the gear linkage is now extended to the maximum, and the pedal must be shifted one tooth on the spline. I would really rather have a longer link arm, but is is a bit complicated with half of it being links-threaded and all. Any suggestions here?
Also, the heel of my boots now rests on the peg bracket. Not uncomfortable, but may impair the toeball weight shifting during spirited driving. Will have to try it out a bit.
5. Elevated the rear end 45 mm with shorter link arms. (bay 223106610393), £19
The bike now feels more .. right? when I sit on it. Still have my heels flat on the ground. Haven't tested it on the tracks or off road yet, will see if there is any perceived change in the handling. Did lube up the entire suspension, though.
6. Extended the mirrors 40 mm, (bay 163736195597), £ 8.85
This is the single most useful modification I've done. Looks absolutely original, and gives me a GREAT view of what's behind me instead of my shoulders. Really a dramatic improvement!
7. Changed levers to black with yellow trim, (bay 262736907973), £ 15.69
Perfect fit, good look. A bit angular, somewhat less comfortable grip than the originals with bare hands. With gloves it doesn't matter. I went for the long ones, only slightly shorter than the originals. I wish I'd taken the short ones, I think they would be big enough even for my size 12 hands. Maybe I'll get some later.
8. Got muffs. (bay 163881970540), £4.76
With these I have ridden in 2 deg C with bare hands on my heated grips. Just need a long sleeve to cover the wrists. Opening is a bit narrow, so a hassle to use with even thin gloves. Fits well without the bar ends, may be on the small side with bar ends. Also not compatible with hand protectors.
I am playing with an idea of fabricating a velcro based muff addition to my hand protectors, thereby getting the best of two worlds. Shouldn't be to difficult.
Still to come:
- mud flap
- crash bungs
- crash bars
- air horn
- extra lights
- center stand
- Pirelli Scorpion Rally STRs
Edited by Norwegian, 02 April 2020 - 10:18 am.