The BEST Budget Motorcycle! Yamaha TDM 850 Review

I explain why the Yamaha TDM 850 is the best budget motorcycle you can buy right now. After having owned and lived with it for 5.000 kilometers, doing a trackday and taking it on a spirited riding trip abroad. I talk about, price, reliability, the upsides and downsides.
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[@Kreisverkehrdrifter]

i got rammed away on dads TDM 850 from a car. So i bought him the TDM 900. Best decision i´ve ever done. love the TDM. The engine feels much stronger than 86hp

[@RickChardet]

@@Kreisverkehrdrifter they're awesome bikes! My friend took his 900 with 100.000km on the odo on our Norway trip and it performed amazingly 👍

[@vengpkertje]

Great video, informative and nice to see some love for the older bikes. Keep it up!

[@RickChardet]

@@vengpkertje you know me

[@camty24]

Hé Rick, I'm recently the same situation. I've owned a 1998 TDM 850 for the last five years ,with the same oil consumption. And now I'm ready for something new. I drove some new bikes like the triumph scrambler and the BMW F800 but these bikes have barely any soul with al the computers holding your hand. Thats why I'm looking at buying a BMW airhead from the late 70's. It's not for everybody but these bikes have character in abundance. And with a few upgrades you get enough hp and torque for the modern roads. Anyway, I loved the video. it's a great format. Greetings from Limburg

[@RickChardet]

@@camty24 hey, thanks for your comment! I agree that modern bikes have lost quite a bit of character sadly. Those old airhead beamers are awesome! Have you tried something like an RnineT? Those are quite modern but still have old oilcooled engines 👍

[@camty24]

​@@RickChardet The RnineT models are quite new and I can't get one below 10K. My budget is around 5-6K and this is enough for a nice R100S. But if it was in budget, the RnineT scrambler would certainly be a contender.

[@RickChardet]

@@camty24 I see, enjoy the airhead!

[@Tarabass]

Two years ago I bought an abandoned TDM 900 2003 with 75k on it. It was the most stupid buy I could ever make. I didn't know the bike and that's why I was naive. The plan was to refresh the bike and flip it to make some money. But after some trips I fell in love with it. I took it completely apart, did all maintenance, replaced and restored almost anything, new tyres, brought it back to almost brand new. And now I'm making memories with it. The first bike where I took my 8 years old daughter for some trips. She loves it. Magical feelings. I drive it every day, summer and winter, and I drive a lot. The bike is light, easy, steady, powerful and reliable. Something tells me I will never sell this bike. So be careful for what you wish for 😮

[@RickChardet]

@@Tarabass amazing story, thanks for sharing! I'm also finding it hard to part with the bike haja

[@1998TDM]

Well done Rick, as a long time owner I thought that was an excellent overview! The 900 is better in many ways but it doesn't scratch as well as the 850. I live in NZ where we have the death penalty for speeding but all the roads where I live are twisty or twisty gravel, it's the perfect bike. 3rd gear from 20kmh - 100kmh. Twist and go. Oh, the 850 is bizarrely good on gravel.

[@RickChardet]

@@1998TDM thanks for the kind words!

[@Broën29]

J'ai une TDM 850 4tx de 1999 , 65000 kilomètres , elle consomme 4 litres au 100 à 110 kms/heure 3500 trs/mn , et très peu d'huile. Jamais eu un seul problême en 4 ans.

[@TringmotionCoUk]

I remember going to watch the single series TRX racing. That engine without baffles is quite something 🎉

[@RickChardet]

@@TringmotionCoUk my riding instructor religiously rode trx's, that sound is imprinted in my brain 👌

[@MrBrutekracht]

Love the video, great motorcycle!

[@RickChardet]

Love

[@Phidarus]

Nice Video! About the oil consumption: You really need to follow the instructions for checking the oil level, as otherwise it might deceive you to believe it is too low. If you peep at the level before you cold start it, the level will certainly seem to be too low. If you look strait after a couple of minutes ride, it will be too high. So make sure to follow the instructions, otherwise you might overfill it. My TDM doesn't really consume oil (Maybe 200ml after 5000 Km). As for the Battery location: I put a new gel-battery some five years and 9000 Km ago and never needed to look at it again. How often do you guys change your batteries, that you make such an issue out of it? Another thing to consider: The variety of tires available for these dimensions, especially the rather exotic 18" front tire, is becomming a little narrow nowadays. But you can still find very good combinations. Like I newly got Pirelli Angel GT II for the rear, combined with Angel GT for the front. It may be not the state of the art tires (Pirelli has Angel 4 or even 5 now), but it is still much better than what was available in 1999, when the bike was built. The Bike feels very stable and gives you great confidence on the twisty roads, when the tires are good (well, what a surprise 😀). All in all it is a very simple motorcycle. The only thing electronic about it is the Ignition. Like you, i don't even have a clock, not to mension a digital odometer (which came with the 1999 model update). All that makes it quite easy to maintain youself. At the sum of its characteristics, it is an excellent, very comfortable, very confidence inspirint and very potent bike for real world traffic in every day life. My TDM has 79000 Km on the clock now, and I have no intentions to replace it.

[@DjDire]

Mine has a fuel gauge, the newer pieces with the new dashboard, they have.

[@basiliopuebla9440]

+1 nice bike and cool guy

[@atlejohnnyrygg7124]

That's not a 2001 model, it's a 1998. I have one in the same color. 1999 and up had fuel gauge. Good bike that does most things well but is a bit bland. Very sensible bike but doesn't awake any emotions.

[@RickChardet]

@@atlejohnnyrygg7124 oh you're absolutely right! Don't know how I got 2001 in my head... Thanks for watching and thanks for pointing that out ✌️

[@christiaang]

Hé Rick, thanks for this video. It's great to see video's about bikes that aren't new. I'm looking for a first bike to buy, here in the Netherlands. Are you planning to sell the bike by yourself?

[@RickChardet]

@@christiaang Hey Christiaan! Thanks for your support :) I'm planning on putting the bike on marktplaats soon, send me a DM on insta and I'll keep you updated!

[@mandaputtra]

Damn, really want this bike to go touring. I'll look around marketplace when I'm back in Europe.

[@RickChardet]

It's perfect for touring Europe!

[@MrKenpetgam]

Bought mine as a first bike. Really love it. Mine also has a fuel gauge, fuel light and no reserve fuel switch. Yours cant be a 2001 model, mine is 1997 and has all those features

[@RickChardet]

@@MrKenpetgam definitely, my mistake! Someone else also pointed this out, don't know how I got 2001 in my head... Thank you for watching and for your comment ✌️

[@einspurig1]

Many thanks for your interesting video!! Your TDM has a flat cockpit widescreen. Its original or from which producer?? Or was it shortened?... Best regards from Germany

[@RickChardet]

Thank you for watching! Sadly I don't know what that particular part is from. It came like this when I bought the bike!

[@bikeserv]

Worked on these and the 900s.Timing tensioner stucks sometimes,but the biggest fault is the cooling tube on top of the cylinder head.Other than that,really good bikes(seen with 170k miles on the 850,and 160k kms on the 900) For me,i like the 850 more,though changing the battery is a pita

[@RickChardet]

@@bikeserv thanks for the insight!

[@user-eq6xn9zq2i]

Had one for about two months before i had the oil run out without knowing it drinks the stuff. Totalled it so currently looking to get another one next season

[@RickChardet]

@@user-eq6xn9zq2i that's a shame, sorry to hear about that!

[@user-eq6xn9zq2i]

@@RickChardet Welp, you live and you learn :p Luckily i didn't sell my old motorcycle yet so i can still do my summer trip down to Germany this august 🤙

[@RickChardet]

@@user-eq6xn9zq2i lovely, enjoy it! Some great roads there :)

[@ivanbaldacchino6339]

The TDM engine is a proper beast and is made to last and with a very nice sound for a parallel twin. The bike in general is made to last, but putting the battery behind the swingarm is a big design flaw. you have to dismantle half a bike just to change the battery.

[@jimtitt3571]

He got the age/model wrong, on my RN08 the battery is under the seat as usual.

[@Publicname6570]

how tall are you? you make that bike look pretty small but i KNOW it's not. i'm 5'-10" with a 30" inseam (USA) and could not flatfoot my 1992 model even with boots with a 1" heel.

[@RickChardet]

Hey, I'm around 6 foot but very long legged, the tdm fits me pretty well but leg room could be a tad better for my long legs. Thanks for watching!

[@grssu]

Oehh die ziet er goed uit man, denk dat ik die ga halen als ik mn A heb en dan vervolgens perongeluk verliefd worden en hem nooit ga verkopen. Hoelang ben je trouwens? ik ben 176, is dat lang genoeg voor deze bike?

[@RickChardet]

@@grssu haha nice, ik ben 1.85! Denk dat je met 1.76 best prima uit de voeten kan ;) maar zou er sws zelf even op gaan zitten en kijken of je comfortabel bent!

[@kakesuofficial]

can you give me that bike? thanks

[@maksimjelenkovic8116]

how fast have you driven it?

[@RickChardet]

@@maksimjelenkovic8116 I hit 185 km/h on the start finish straight at assen!

[@shadiandrew]

are those the original mirrors+arms ?

[@RickChardet]

@@shadiandrew I think so!

[@180FiftyFive]

"this is the best bike you can buy. i'm getting rid of it"

[@RickChardet]

@@180FiftyFive yup! On to something different