25th Apr 2009, 01:21
This is possibly one of the best informative reviews. Thanks for that. I own a 1995 Japanese import. I was looking for ways to remove the limiter, but possibly shall not attempt after having read this review. There are plenty of UK and German sites providing after market and OEM parts for this bike.
16th Jan 2011, 04:36
The TRX is one of those enigmas. They don't look much on paper, but as a package they deliver. They are one of those bike you ride on a daily basis. An all rounder with a sporting slant. A bike that can be ridden hard with confidence, and by and large, has won the respect and admiration of the biking community. The write up here is pretty well on the ball. Looks like I'll be changing my inlet valves soon LOL.
18th Jan 2011, 03:09
This is the bike I've always wanted, almost had one when I ordered from a dealer, but the bike got damaged in transit, and I ended up buying a Ducati 750 Monster. That was in 1999, and I still think about the TRX850, and what my life would have been like if I got it. Thanks for the great review and positive comments from all of you; I feel like looking for one again.
20th Sep 2011, 19:02
I bought my T-Rex three or four months ago for two grand, and it's the best bargain I've ever found! What a FUN machine! So easy to ride like a hooligan, and you don't need to do two hundred k's/hr to get that rush. I suspect Yamaha got hold of some unobtainium from Pandora, and made certain frame parts out of it, because it refuses to fall over when other sports bikes have long since gone, sliding along on their sides.
There's all the power I need to have HEAPS of fun; all the power is available to a frustrated hooligan like myself to use. A lot of current bikes have waaaaayyy too much hp for your average punter to use safely, and even the pro's only get to use all the available hp on long, open tracks. This bike is the best kept secret in motorcycling!
13th May 2013, 06:49
I test rode one today and I felt right at home almost immediately. It was light, responsive and fun. The exhaust note from the twin Staintube pipes is the sweetest sound I have ever heard out of a bike. It's a 1999 model, black and in 5 days it's mine. Can't wait to get on it again. My other bikes... 1976 GT550, 1976 GT750, 1981 GSX110, 1999 600 Ninja, 2001 R1 and 2009 M109R Boulevard never gave me this feeling. Yeah, I guess you could say that I like it. Cheers mate.
11th Mar 2016, 19:55
Excellent review - agree with everything said. Blue spots from an R1/R6?Fazer etc are bolt-on replacement and worthwhile, cheap upgrade (get the M/Cylinder too) R6 shock plus adapter is also likely to cost less than £100, uprated fork springs and that's the chassis sorted.
23rd May 2017, 12:07
Ha... Bought mine new ($11K on the road) from Yamaha City Melbourne in Oct 1998.
Still remember the motor running, clicking into 1st; trickling the clutch up the crowded Sat morning footpath on Elizabeth Street until reaching the hook-turn intersection... I waited until the traffic lights were in my favour - then gave it a handful - sheeet! Before I knew it - the front was airborne and I was thundering through the crowded intersection down-town on the back wheel like a rat with a gold tooth.
Spent the next few weeks "running it in" on both the Great Ocean Road with mates on weekends away, and then on a Phillip Island track-day organised by Kawasaki Ballarat where I had it thundering alongside mates on TL1000s and ZXR750 & ZXR900s... Yeah they beat me on the track by a few seconds - but real-world living with traffic and maintenance were won by me on the TRX.
It'll easily do 300km+ before even looking for a fuel stop on sports riding thru the hills - my mate's TL is gasping for juice after only 250km... (16 litre tank).
After 18.5 years I'm now riding with guys on brand-new BMW GS R 1200s ($25k) and have never felt threatened by the TRX's ability or fuel range - BMW guys are pulling into a roadhouse anyway, not for fuel but coffee an such ;-)
I've regularly seen 230 km/h on the clock and often don't need fuel until 350km.
The 18 litre tank is a sure thing.
Running thru traffic - being that the TRX is uber narrow, means that filtering between cars is easy - often leaving my mates bottle-necked and unable to enjoy the benefits of being on a bike in traffic.
Even though my maintenance is fastidious, I've expended so very little on this bike over the years.
Most of my riding buddies have come and gone due to the expense of ownership - whereas the TRX is simple and cost effective to maintain.
Additions to mine over the years have been simply:
New tyres every 20,000 km.
New chain & sprockets every 40,000km.
New oil and filter every 6,000km.
New Airhawk pneumatic seat cover - to make the original seat bearable ;-/
New rear brake pads at 35,000km.
New speedo cable at 35,000km.
New clutch cable at 38,000km.
Valve adjustment (tappets) at 40,000km (actually didn't need it).
Bugger all else apart from lubing the chain.
The thing is actually bulletproof and has lived up to being my "new bike" from all those years ago - and only requires expected normal maintenance.
It's a gem!
Yeah sure - everyone else has antilock brakes, traction control, sat nav, better power to weight ratio -- etc, but you know what, whenever I accompany mates on "better" bikes - I always feel good on the TRX -- never feel 2nd rate - usually surprise them, and often get praise on what can be the most important thing with riding in Oz... ALL ROUND ABILITY. Yamaha produced an admirable thing with the TRX.
If I had to buy another new bike to last me for decades, and do most things with solid capability - there's nothing that'd do it as well as the TRX, especially considering the original price and ongoing costs.
Ciao, Rusty, Box Hill North
17th Oct 2008, 14:01
Great review.
I have recently bought a TRX850 after 15 years of not owning a bike (used to ride GPZ600r, etc). The bike is great as it has plenty of usable power, but not too much to go crazy on. It also is much more nimble than other bike I tested (VTR1000, VFR750, etc)