studmuf70

The bike should have been nicer if the V-Twin was liquid cool and 4-valve, kinda like old Vision 550. Of course, the 550 was a total junk except for its engine.



People say this bike was a rip off or copy of Monster. Well the Monster was inspired by Yamaha's own V-Max. Yamaha also had few organic bikes including FZX750 (Or Fazer in US even though it looked quite angular than V-Max) and Zeal which used FZ250 4-cyclinder engine. So don't knock on Yamaha regarding to its design.



I wish engine had lot more zip, at least 100 hp to be even consider buying.

sportbike_pilot

You, my friend, are a gen-you-wine sage.



I've followed the genesis of the TDM with great interest. The new one looks like the tits but I do miss the funky dual headlights of the earlier models. As much as I like my 954 I still miss my TDM - which was totaled in an incident with a drunk driver or I'd still be riding it.



I'll buy one if you will

dwr461

I don't believe that this bike would sell well enough in the United States to make their import a cost effective venture. It just doesn't do anything well enough. It might be a way for Yamaha to make further use of old toolings though.



On another note, what is going on here lately. The content is all racing. MO has had no technical updates or bike reviews for about two weeks. Most of the advertising is gone. We haven't even heard JB lately. I sure hope that ya'll are not preparing to fold.



Dave

Adrian_Leeds

I agree. There's almost zero incentive to visit MO these days. Hardly what the advertisers would want.

DaveFla

You're absolutely right, and I shopped both of 'em. Both of them damn fine bikes, but for someone else- I want a shaft or a belt and two cylinders with only one carb!

DaveFla

Always did like the looks of the VX800 and Hawk GT. Isn't it interesting that the Hawk lives on in Europe as the Deauville?



I shopped the SV- it looks like everybody who raves is right to do so, given the price/value. I personally didn't like the ergos much better than my Blast.

DaveFla

To each his own, I guess. It was my first street bike, at age 35. I waited 20 years to buy a Blast or something like it - it's a long story. </p>



I couldn't ride the Blast for longer than 45 minutes or on the expressway, but it was everything I ever wanted in a first bike, otherwise.

mj

you're right about that I ran my vx 800 at a track day once and passed more than a few posers on their f2's and had a great time doing it

freecat

The VX has excellent midrange power. As is true with most bikes, it will keep up with darn near anything when pushed. I just found myself running out of ground clearance, and the bike was heavy when trying to shove it through tight turns on backroads. In fast sweepers, it ruled. Its 40-60 and 60-80 mph top gear roll-on times were (when it was released) only bettered by the V-Max and ZX-11. Nowadays all the literbikes have better roll-on times, but still. For a mildly tuned 800cc v-twin, it held its own.

__________________
Anthropology is just travel writing about places that don\'t have room service. Sociology is journalism without news. And psychology is peeking into your sister\'s diary after your parents have sent her to rehab.
-- P. J. O\'Rourke

freecat

Then you should seriously look for a clean VX or Hawk GT. I sold my VX for $2000, and Hawk GTs generally go for $2500-$3000. They are great bikes, and both have good reputations for reliability. The Hawk GT is more sport-oriented, and the VX is more relaxed and comfortable.

__________________
Anthropology is just travel writing about places that don\'t have room service. Sociology is journalism without news. And psychology is peeking into your sister\'s diary after your parents have sent her to rehab.
-- P. J. O\'Rourke