I've ridden nothing but vibey single's...

I find getting thick, gel type grips really help as well as a slightly lower tyre pressure. I've also seen some rubber damping type products that sit between the bar risers that reduce vibrations.

I've never seen or used them in the flesh though.

The older tenere has rubber mounted bar clamps...which when I first got hold of the first time..I thought bloody hell the handlebars are gonna come off in my hands as they do move a bit....once you riding it you don't realy notice,and even off road it's not a problem..
I sometimes suffer a bit with hands but usually only first thing in the morning...maybe it takes my brain a little while to start working to remember to tell bits of body to start working...
Nothing will ever be as bad as 500 miles down a French motorway on a 2 stroke enduro bike with a plank for a seat...I try and keep that in mind when I start to shuffle from one side of seat to the other now..

If it's possible, the TTR600 is an even more basic ride = there are no cush rubbers fitted with the kicker model IIRC.

Test Ride.
 

Hi Ted, I just thought of something.....I'll be at the HUBBUK meeting with the Yamaha and, if you have insurance that covers any bike, you're welcome to try the bike out. If you don't have insurance, at least you can ride it around on the private property. You can also scrutinize its design etc.

It takes only five minutes to judge the quality of the suspension and performance of the engine but about an hour to judge the comfort or otherwise of seat, vibes and riding position.

Lindsay.

Hey....

Yeah i'll be there and yeah I have insurance.. That would be cool :)

You can have a go of my Tiger !!

No Chance.
 

Hi Ted, no problem with you trying mine but I restricted my insurance to pay the minumum I could and voluntarily opted for self to be restricted to only my own bike. Now I suspect that I saved nothing, but it's done now. I fitted an alarm, Datatag, Carole Nash's DNA marking and use an Almax chain set and a cover. It's kept on a public road so it was a challenge to insure it reasonably cheaply. See you there. Lindsay.

I've got an Almax 16mm chain. I bought it after my XR650R SM was stolen by pikeys.. Nothing but an axle grinder and two discs will get through it.

Shame it weighs 20 odd kilos or I'd take travelling.

Comparison.
 

Maybe I've confused people by mentioning the DRZ400 but I believe Ted has one already so that's why I mentioned it. Here are the conclusions from Motorrad News, Aug 2000.

The Suzuki DRZ400 is way better than the Yamaha Belgarda TT600R.

I know, "Mine's better than yours" is irrelevant but while both bikes came out as good, solid multi purpose bikes, with neither being a racer, the Suzuki won a quality victory.

Fun Factor: DRZ 5/5 , TTR600R 2/5.

For riders over 1m 85cm or 6ft and especially for heavy riders the Yamaha is better.
Braking performance very similar.

Positives for the Yamaha:
Its stiffer suspension gives better controlled off-road performance and it doesn't bottom out at the rear while the Suzuki can. That said, they were jumping the bikes into the air.
Its fat piston allows the Yamaha to pull itself out of mud easily. It also has a sporty riding position.
The engine/gearbox are robust and reliable.

Positives for the Suzuki:
The newer engine with its high tech top end leads to better on-road performance.
50kph to 100kph is better by about 15%.
It is more fuel efficient: For the test 4.8l , Yamaha used 0.8l more.
The softer suspension gives a more comfortable on-road ride.
The finish is described as "Japanese perfection".
Multi-function digital dash is far better/more informative than the Yamaha's.
Better cable routing.
Better quality frame welding.
Better in more details.

They talked of the Yamaha's far superior suspsion and torque off road but the engine is out of date. The playful, lightweight Suzuki leads, even beginners, an appetite for more. The Suzuki's enormously high seat is offset when it sinks on its springs. Off-road the Suzuki is let down literally by squatting too readily at the rear and a lack of precision in handling due to the soft suspension.

There you have it: If you need the Yamaha, its good. If you don't need its size/firmness, you can enjoy the Suzuki more.

So its not just size that matters. Youth counts too. Ask a woman. Eh Hm.

Lindsay.

I can live with that comparison, even though I have never owned a DRZ400 (my equivalent bike, for me I emphasise, is a Yam XT225).
That article gives a lot of points about why I bought my TTR600.
Yep, mine used to get airborne, easily enough.
And, the suspension was superb especially the Ohlins rear shock; hence I have no interest in the newer 600RE model which, it is often said, paid for the electric start by fitting cheaper suspension.
But, I didn't get it to go RTW - I got it as a fun bike (but I forgot about the need to kick start the Bar Steward; that's a completely different tale).

Nor did I buy my TTR for it's MPG charecteristics - never even entered my mind at the time.