Two questions...

murphaph

Well, assuming I pass my test when it comes up (and it's a big if of course!), I've been considering what I should reward myself with. I'm 27 so naturally I'll be opting for something eleigible for classic insurance. I don't like pure sports bikes. I thought I liked choppers but now I don't so I've sort of settled on a 1991 model Yamaha TDM 850 as a good all rounder. Has anyone got any experience of these bikes? I think they're quirky but pretty cool nd good for the taller bloke......

2nd question is to do with luggage. Has anyone got experience of nonfango luggage as they are the only manufacturer making hard luggage that mounts specifically to the 1991 TDM?

I had its baby brother the TDR (it handles similarly) for almost 2 years. The TDR has lovely steering and handling and it's quite high giving you a nice birds eye view of whats going on. I'll be getting a TDM when i get a bit of money together next summer hopefully when college ends.

Givi do that univeral fitting kit for their mono and wing racks. It seems pretty good. A lot of people use it with the Bros which doesnt have a specific kit.

murphaph

Cheers Baz, a mate of mine just recently restored an 88 TDR250, lovely looking thing and he says it's great to ride.

The universal Givi kit needs drilling to get it to work with a TDM as far as I can tell, shame really as I like Givi but the new nonfango stuff seems a very close match, with optional brakelights etc. just like the Givi Maxia.

Luggage is bloody expensive though! Where would you get a TDM, I was thinking of eBay and heading over to England two-up on the back of a mate's bike to clletc, roughly 200 quid for ferries and fuel I reckon. The bikes look much better over there and seem to come up regularly enough on eBay. Autotrader is another option of course but eBay gives you more guarantees as to condition before you set off!

Sure, might be your best shot. I remember seeing a few old ones a while ago in the b&s too. I was alking out of work one day and I was just about to hop on my TDR when I noticed that it was really some other blokes TDM parked near mine - it was funny at the time but I'm sure the other guy didn't think so!

madrab

i hear france is a good place to get tdm's

murphaph

France eh? Might be a touch far to travel and I'd have to fly over on a one-way ticket and ride back. The problem is that if the bike isn't as described you are in a sh!t position as you have to buy another air fae at short notice ($$$$) to get home. At least with England you can head over 2up on another bike and just buy a one way foot passenger ticket at Holyhead if it goes pearshaped.

If I was ging to buy on the continent it would probably be Germany tbh. I can at least speak a bit of German and I haven't a word of French!

Pigeon Reaper

If you go over have a few other bikes to look at in the area. That way if the first doesn't suit you can always at another. I haven't done it personally but I've driven a mates car from England as he had a provisional and needed someone to drive his new toy back. He flew over looked at the car and bought it but if it wasn't good he could have gone to two other places with something else that interested him.

super tenere?
http://www.donedeal.ie/donedeal/classifieds?cid=772925

murphaph

The super Tenere is a nice bike (and is the forerunner of the TDM) but I like the cast wheels on the TDM. I don't hate wire spoked wheels but would prefer the cast ones. The super Tenere is the sort of bike I'd like to have on the side for the odd spin up the mountains though. Having said that I reckon a 1990 ST could be got over a lot cheaper than 2.5k from the north of England, even with ferries & fuel and VRT (practically nil on that bike). Having said that, that particular ST looks pretty clean for an Irish bike of that vintage!