any yamaha TRX 850's out there???

Did a search here on advrider, couldnt find any thread about this machine.

I dont really know anything about this bike, but I think it looks really interesting and if you own or have owned one of these bikes please share your thoughts about it.

How is it to live with? Is it easy ridden, easy to work on, fun, good commuter, 2up riding ect.?

Im 183 cm tall (think its 6 feet) am I too tall or??

I can read all the technical info on the internet I just want to hear from someone who has had any experience with this bike.

Oh and if you have any pics of your TRX please share :-D

Really!?!?.......no owners

I don't think that model was ever sold in the states, but yeah, it's surprising that no foreign inmates have chimed in. Very cool bike, wish we had had a chance at them.

Ahh ok that could be a reason. I heard some sound clips ón youtube and what a beautifull rumble it makes.

no that model never made it here. I remember first reading about it in 1988 and waited and waited and then prayed but it never came one in the long line of fine machines that never made it to the states.

Same powerplant as the TDM850 right. While that was popular in Europe it only made it to our shores for 2 years.

yes same motor. as far as the TDM goes it took me a few years to realize I liked it by then it was gone

Several previous discussions here on AdvRider have included comments on the TRX over the years. Do a Google search limited to this site. They should pop up in archived threads. In general, depicted as Japanese attempts to duplicate the handling and character of the Ducati twins of the era. Most were positive reviews, wanting better suspension and touting the implied reliability of the Yamaha twin. Since this model never made it to the US (), the discussions were usually short, and often mixed in on TDM threads.

I can tell you that coming from the Honda NT650 Hawk GT (Honda's baby Ducati copy), if Yamaha had imported it here, I'd have bought one in a heart beat.

They were here for a few years... I never owned one I did ride one years ago and liked it but ended up with a vfr as I wanted full fairing. Would like to own one.

Not comfortable pillion.

A few friends who have had them have had motor issues at high kms.

They sound awesome....but ou know that.

I think I need to find one and take a test ride. The more I read about it and hear about it there more I want one

I had one in Australia. Think of it as a torquey, uncomfortable SV650.

Pros. Amazing handing.
Good power (for the weight)
Lots of torque

Cons.
90 km or less per tank.
Most drink oil like a two stroke.
Carb needles wear, causing odd running.
No one knows what it is

It LOOKS interesting. No idea what the specs are.

I rode one for a couple hundred miles back in the late 90's. It was a great day of riding.

IIRC, the engine fired every 270deg (or something like that..help me out here mech experts) which made it sound like a 90deg V-Twin.

For me the 'no one knows what it is' is a pro. I like it when people come over at a stop to ask what bike it is. Meet a lot of new people that way

Saw a '96 with a lot of extras and custom paint on a dealers webpage. But then I also saw an '03 kawa zx750r for less. I know its 2 different bikes but to me they are both appealing with their classic look.
I need to go test ride, and the snow NEEDS to go away

I live in the US but own a '96 TRX850 that lives in Australia for me to ride when I get home occasionally. I'd sneak one here if I could, could maybe be workable with a bit of skulduggery.
They're light, like a Ducati twin, and the centre of gravity is not as high as with a 4 cylinder bike, much smaller/lighter top end. Handling is still pretty good compared to newer modern bikes. People used to put a better rear shock on them which showed up the limitations of the relatively thin damper rod forks, then they'd install emulators or later on USD forks off a TDM. Waste of money, the bike is not a GP wannabe, it'll still outcorner most bikes but it only has ~85 horsepower. Big bore kits (850 to 887??), cams, bigger (1mm) valves, bigger carburetors, digital ignition (to replace the digital ignition), slipper clutches, better shocks and swing arms, all came and went. Changing the power output just makes them harder to ride and unreliable.
Brakes on mine are excellent, 4 pot Brembos and Australian MetalGear discs, excellent with 1 finger control. Early Yamaha calipers tended to seize, many upgraded to "blue spot" Yamaha calipers. Maybe they fade a bit on a racetrack but at anything like legal speeds on very twisty and undulating Queensland roads they're very secure.
The frame is an Italian design, like a late 80s Ducati "ladder" frame, just mild steel but extremely stiff. It does mean working with the engine still in the frame is very unsatisfactory. Unless you have exactly the right length plug spanner (for instance) it takes nearly an hour to change the plugs. The rigid bum stop keeps you nicely in place, and also gives quite a large storage space, but carrying a passenger is .... well, something you really should avoid.
You can pick quite good ones up in England these days for not much over a thousand pounds. I'd be tempted to import one to the US in several boxes as spare parts, then "find" a written off TDM frame here with a US VIN plate, "straighten" the frame and register a TRX as a TDM. Don't know how successful I'll be but it's fun to speculate.

Ken

I had one from 96 until 2003.
A workmate has one now and at a recent track course let me take it for a ride to reminisce about the old days. (mine had done 80k km no worries, his has over 100k km and going strong)



Feel free to laugh at the adv helmet and /or old leathers as you see fit

Yeah I got me one! Had it since new.. done over 135,000km on it. Top bike, bit of suspension work & its fantastic... What would you like to know? BTW for you septics the early Mkl TDM850 was the only one imported into the USA, the later TDM850's/900 & TRX 850 had the "crossplane" crank motor, a much better device.

I lusted after one after I read the Motorcyclist artiv]cle on it in 1998. I actually found one for sale in Michigan once, legal title and all claimed the seller, but I had no money at the time.

Feds are cracking down much harder on title mills these days, much harder to do. But 1995 JDM TRXs will officially be 21 years old in 2016, then no problems with importing them to the Sepp. Probably easier to get from Australia than Japan, sort of a common language anyway . And there's quite a few there for relatively little money. And they have floating discs and Brembo calipers too

Ken

I'm an owner of the TRX850 bike.

This one: