So I just got done putting this together for a friend and I must say it’s pretty awesome. It came with everything to make it street legal if your state allows such things. I’ve done a couple of heat cycles and I’m waiting for the owner to get back from Florida at which time I will get to take a rip on it.
Yea the bling is abundant, billet hubs and triple clamps, Ohlins internals in the shock and kyb spring forks. The bike is really narrow which makes it seem shorter than it really is and it felt really nimble when I did the second heat cycle and ran it through the gears. We've had ices and snow and below freezing temps for weeks. I could have ridden it today on my disced up corner track but it would have got the bike super muddy and I figured the owner should get the first go at submerging the bike in the muck. I'm hoping for Wednesday and near 60 degrees to get my go at it.
TM Racing Orgoglio Italiano (Italian Pride), rolling mechanical art. Mostly all in house construction and mill work. I need to say this ( I always do when speaking about TM) it seems that everyone including the magazines say they are expensive......FALSE----- go buy a YZ250X and add all the OEM TM equivalent stuff to it......Billet Hubs and top of the line wheels alone are over 1K for starters. Then add the Billet Triples, HGS exhaust and all the controls. And the chassis build quality....compare the welds and finish to any of the other alloy frame bikes, they don't compare.
You are 100% correct Rob. They always have been a class act. A mate had a 300 smoker about 5 years ago, what an absolute rocket ship on rails. They really are a living piece of Italian art and design.
That's my take on it as well. If you are a serious rider that wants to add the billet components and you buy a 8K Honda cr450 then spend 1-2K on that stuff you are way better off starting with a TM. So far I can say that the balance and instant feedback you get riding it along with the the way it fits a taller bigger rider it's the best feeling bike I've been on so far. Unfortunately we have at least 3 more weeks of frozen slick mud that's like riding on a greased hockey rink. I might get the owner to meet me at one of our state riding areas that is 50% sand so I can finish getting the jetting lined out (if needed) and more importantly getting to ride it.
right side of that bike sure reminds me of a couple moto's! either or...TM smoker's like a pasta husky but better. bomb proof and blinged. buy lots of back tires. enjoy.
Still a single ring piston & foil thin pipe? Nice though but no estart or 6 speed hurts their sales I reckon!
This one is a 2017, I think some of the 2018s are offered with electric start. I thought some models have 6 speeds... one model I'm very interested in is the 144. because it isn't a 125 with a big piston but rather specifically designed to be a 144 which hopefully won't flatten out on top like most of them do. I'm also drooling over the flat track bikes http://www.tmracing.it/portfolio-items/ft-450-fi/
Still no e-start. a friend of mine just traded my old WR165 for a 2013 TM300EN and he says its a rocket- he bought a fmf gnarly (YZ250) for it to make the bikes power a bit less aggressiv. Its not his first TM be he is absolutely in love with the bike. I m not sure if a 5 speed is a killer for ne bike sales- its more the spread of the gears really. I m not sure how its in the US and A - but usuallly u are going to get YOUR bike made espacially for you- there is not one bike than the other... you can choose between suspension setup, different shocks, bar mounts... Driving a TM is more beeing a factory rider than using one of these pumpkins...
actually not- but he is about to make it fit. I did no research about the exhaust be my friend says its an easy fix- take all brakets of and weld them onto the pipe in another place and the stinger needs another angle ... As far as i know this is only the case on the machanical power valve actuator bikes- the electric controlled engines have a different setting for each gear so the pv will make the engine doesnt rip your arms of in each gear.
