Menus
- In the saddle
- Contact
- In the city
- Highway
- Departmental
- Rutted roads
- Night road
- Braking
- Comfort
- Consumption
- Convenient
- Conclusion
The Yamaha TDM 900 GT has everything a big one with an imposing size, even more in its GT version – compared to the basic TDM 900 version – in particular with its cases, its fairing and its high screen which make it look like a 1000. The GT version completes a well-built model with this fairing and its deflectors including the lower engine..
The large side cases and the top case complete an original motorcycle already cut for the road. The black, unpainted plastic suitcases are perhaps a little sad. On the other hand, they will suffer less if the scratches fall. Finally, we notice the central stand, essential for routine maintenance and simplified chain tension.
In the saddle
The feet barely touch the ground for the 1.70-meter pilot, but the weight appears much lighter than the exterior size suggests, especially considering the 226 kilos of the beast. The wide handlebars fall perfectly into the hands. The saddle offers a firm first contact and gives the impression of being square in the crotch, requiring you to spread your legs slightly and to make an effort so that the knees grip the tank well. The position is straight, natural, easy. The pilot is high up, with a high view of the road.
The tachometer jumps in the face – offering itself the center of the large dashboard – with a digital inlay clock. The meter is set back on the left while the engine temperature indicator on the right balances the whole. On the counter side, the TDM displays totalizer, partial double trip and above all a 6-stick fuel gauge. Everything is very readable, even under the sun.
Contact
The TDM 900 snorts with a high pitched breath. The first turns of the wheel go smoothly, this time giving the bike the impression of being a very small displacement 600.
In the city
The TDM 900 GT slips easily between the lines despite its suitcases. Its light weight and the wide handlebars facilitate all maneuvers. Even loaded and with the passenger, the CT seems light. A slight tilt, or a slow maneuver, and the wide handlebars allow you to easily counterbalance to easily catch up any apparent loss of balance.
Engine side, we can feel the twin on idle, the latter hitting below 2,100 rpm. This suddenly prohibits the CT from evolving in town on the last report; the minimum possible speed then being 60 km / h. In fact, the CT will prefer in town the first two reports. The first gear already makes it easy to tease the 80 km / h, the twin also willingly agrees to stay up to the top of the red zone.
As long as it gets hot, the engine warms up quickly, aided by reduced cooling due to the large encompassing fairing. On the other hand, if this heat is easily detected via the temperature indicator – easily at the cleat -, it is not felt for the pilot, even at the level of the legs..
Highway
The TDM 900 sets off vigorously on the freeway … provided it is in 3rd gear. Because in the last gear, you can feel the twin up to 90 km / h, which then slowly revs up. In fact, at 115 km / h, the TDM is still only 4,000 rpm. At 140 km / h, the engine is still only running at 5,000 rpm. But this is where she agrees to take turns more easily to hang 1000 rpm above 170 km / h while she is still 2,000 rpm from the red zone …. allowing unmentionable possible speeds.
The high bubble protects the bust well, while letting the head overhang everything…. but generates eddies in the helmet from 110 km / h. If the protection is much better than in the original low bubble version, the swirls in the helmet generate significant noise pollution, despite a helmet known for its silence (Schuberth C2). Lowering your head behind the bubble slightly reduces this phenomenon, but without completely destroying it. As a result, earplugs become essential for riding. On the other hand, the TDM remains imperturbable at high speed, including in the big curves, in spite of its lightness appreciated in town. Warning ! The recommendations written in the suitcases recommend not to exceed 130 km / h when they are loaded. But to respect the legal speeds, anyway, nobody drives faster.
The TDM almost prefers the national to this game there, the more reasonable speeds reducing the noises and the eddies related to the high bubble.
Departmental
Once on departmental roads, the TDM 900 reveals its true personality and its true pleasure. The big twin is quick on the first reports and allows a fast pace in the virolos. The second can indeed go up to 120 km / h and the third up to 150 km / h! If the CT is soft below 4000 rpm, it begins to respond really from this speed and flies beyond 7000 rpm, then responds instantly to the demands of the throttle, and without delay effect . As for mountain pins, their lightness makes them particularly easy. On these roads, the TDM really appreciates the first 3 gears and possibly only thinks of the 4th gear on straight lines and large curves..
Neutral, the TDM 900 is easy to enter into turns and just as easily gets up to investigate right-to-left slaloms fairly quickly. It is then the central stand that slows down the ardor of the pilot; because on the left as well as on the right, the crutch touches quickly, in a shrill sound…. quite surprising the first time. And yet, the CT could naturally take a lot more angle than that, especially since the stock Dunlop 220s prove to be perfect for the model..
Rutted roads
TDM unveils its skills here while maintaining excellent stability and handling on completely bumpy roads. But if the pace picks up and if in addition we are in a duo, the shock absorber works harder and the center stand touches…. in a straight line ! Admittedly, the holes and bumps encountered were significant at the time, but it was a departmental and not a country lane. This is where CT reaches its limits.
Night road
The CT illumination is good in low beam. The high beam brings a better, but especially in width and height, and comparatively little in depth. The whole thing offers good night lighting, allowing you to drive quite quickly..
Braking
Braking the TDM is easy, further enhanced in its ABS version. If the rear brake is a little slack, it seats the bike just enough before the turns. The front brake offers a good feeling and comfortable power, even power if you don’t hesitate to take it with all the fingers of your hand. Especially with ABS, TDM then provides powerful and efficient braking over a short distance. These two modes, gentle with 2 fingers and powerful with a tight hand, are an ideal point for a beginner rider, who will thus gain confidence as he grows in the motorcycle’s hand..
Comfort
The saddle appears firm at first. Its shape, however, requires an effort to perfectly tighten the tank with the legs, tending to spread the thighs naturally. The suspensions seem firm for the first kilometers, making you feel the holes and defects in the roadway…. and making fear the worst on long journeys. But in fact, the TDM 900 turns out to be pleasant as the kilometers go, allowing journeys of nearly 500 kilometers without particular posterior pain..
And the 2,000 kilometers on board – as well on small roads, mountain roads and highways – confirm a good general comfort. Its firmness allows above all to guarantee a healthy behavior, even when loaded and in pairs. This observation by the pilot is confirmed by the passenger. The position of the passenger’s feet is perfect, without any vibration. The passenger handles are well placed and offer a good grip. Anyway, it’s all good for the duo.
Consumption
With its 20-liter tank, the TDM 900 GT can travel between 350 and 400 kilometers. If the first stick goes out after 100 km, each following stick goes out roughly every 40 km following (100 – 145 – 190 – 230 – 280), until the flashing gauge appears – put on reserve – around 320 kilometers. There is then enough to cover about fifty kilometers. The trip displays at this time the number of kilometers traveled since the setting on reserve.
The average consumption is thus around 5.5 liters per hundred, including on mountain roads on intermediate gears. It only exceeds 6 liters per hundred at the fastest possible pace (within the limit authorized by the center stand) or on the motorway above the legal speeds in France..
Convenient
The saddle offers storage for a long U-lock, including a support for the central part. There is still room afterwards for a puncture repair kit. It’s rare enough to be noticed.
The suitcases, with their respective 20 liters, offer enough capacity to accommodate on both sides what you need for a week’s vacation for two. The internal tensioners make it possible to avoid seeing everything fall at the slightest opening. And for the rider who goes alone, the hooks under the saddle also allow a bag to be stowed on the rear saddle or on the luggage carrier if the top case has been removed.
Conclusion
The TDM 900 GT is just as much as the TDM 900 an ideal bike for the novice rider who wants to be able to travel far in comfort and with the feeling of having a big GT. Easy and quick to learn, TDM can be enjoyed over the miles, both solo and in duo. A half-hour test drive might disillusion the buyer when its grip makes it endearing as the hundreds of kilometers have been driven. It may be worthwhile to negotiate a lower bubble at the time of purchase, thus creating less vibration in the helmet. It will also be very useful for urban use. But the rider can think about removing the center stand if he wants to travel far and wants to angle as much as the bike allows…. on pain of frustration. The price difference between the standard version (€ 9,999) and GT (€ 11,649 in full pack) is justified if we base ourselves on the stock prices of the suitcases (€ 419 each + assembly kit € 159), of the top case (399 €), the high screen (105 €), the side trim and the central stand (195 €) added. But one can also imagine being satisfied with the assembly of the suitcases and the top case on a standard model. This ultimately allows you to have a good all-rounder motorcycle for a limited budget..
Strong points
- ease of use
- maneuverability
- comfort
Weak points
- high bubble that generates swirls
- central stand that touches
Competitors: BMW R 850 RT, Cagiva Navigator, Ducati MultiStrada, KTM
990 Adventure, Suzuki DL V-Strom 650 and 1000.
Datasheet
Comments and tests of the TDM 900 on the Test forum
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