Now this is one bike I've really been looking forward to riding. Yamaha's original TDM850 was a great bike which was rather overlooked in the showrooms as punters stampeded past it to get to the multi-coloured Gixers and 'Blades. But those in the know learned to appreciate the bikes fine handling and lusty, big twin engine, and the TDM gradually began to acquire cult status. With sports bike sales on the wane the TDM's time has finally come, and Yamaha have picked exactly the right moment to re-vamp the bike with an all-new alloy beam frame and increase in capacity to 900cc. It's such a shame the bike is called a TDM, 'cos tedious it ain't.

But what exactly is it? Not quite a big trailie and too big for a super-moto, the TDM exists in it's own mini category in the Yamaha catalogue alongside other difficult-to-classify bikes like the Fazer and V-Max. The space age, swoopy styling pre-dates rivals like Suzuki's V-Strom but still manages to looks years in advance of anything else. But underneath the styling lies a big, solid motorcycle capable of dealing with just about every task you could throw at it. At the heart of the beast lies this 897cc parallel twin four stroke engine, which now produces 85 BHP and a stump-pulling 65 ft lbs of torque. With fuel injection new for this year, the already big and lusty engine is now even bigger and lustier.

The TDM is Yamaha's secret weapon that has finally come out of the closet, and it's turning into one of this year's surprise big sellers. If you can only afford one bike and you need to commute, have some back-lane fun on Sunday mornings and pop down to the South Of France for the weekend check it out. It'll even be kind to your piggy bank.

And at last the TDM has graduated to an alloy beam frame, both lighter and stronger than the steel frame on the old 850. Brakes are from the R1 stable which means the bike not only stops competently but will also let you perform massive stoppies if you have the bottle. Big fat sticky tyres let you explore lean angles and the suspension is fully adjustable for set-up.

Performance wise the TDM delivers more thrills per mile than you could reasonably expect for this kind of money. It's torquey in town, but wind it on and it picks up its heels with determination. Ride it with spirit and you'll find yourself capable of surprising a good few sports bike riders. And this year's model has the suspension and brakes to match. If crossing continents is your bag the huge 20 litre fuel tank gives a useable range of almost 200 miles between fill-ups. In fact there's very little that this bike can't do well. I'll give it eight out of ten for performance.

On the road it's torquey and tractable with acceleration capable of pulling your arms from their sockets, should you so desire. The new frame and suspension holds everything together admirably and the bike feels light and taut. At only 190Kg it's appreciably lighter than the opposition, and can be flung around with flair if you want to go Sunday morning scratching.

None of your chin flat on the tank aches and pains here. You can spend a day on this bike without needing the attentions of a consultant chiropractor afterward. The bars and pegs are well positioned and the comfy, wide seat is low enough for riders of average height to get both feet on the ground at the lights. That screen does its job well and you can even tuck your knees out of the worst of the motorway wind blast. There's plenty of room for a passenger and a tidy luggage rack for carrying a few essentials. For comfort I'll rate it at eight out of ten.

Yamaha have enough experience to know how to put their bikes together properly. The TDM uses a good, solid design that has had the bugs worked out of it over three generations of model changes and it's engineered and assembled to the standards you'd expect. Paintwork and finish is good, and owners of older TDMs will be pleased to hear that the seat is no longer held on with Velcro. However that shorty front mudguard will ensure a continuous salt spray onto the engine in the winter months, and regular cleaning will be required to keep the bike looking smart. Service it and clean it regularly and the TDM won't let you down. Seven out of ten for build quality.

By my reckoning the TDM has to be one of the best buys in the market. At only £6799 on the road, including RAC cover, it significantly undercuts almost every other big trailie, and while it might not have quite the poke of a V-Strom or the presence of an R1150GS it won't embarrass you in the company of either. It will suffer some depreciation of course, but in terms of bangs-per-buck and smiles-per-mile I reckon it's well worth a look. For value I'll give it nine out ten.

The TDM is sufficiently distinctive to stand out in company and has a certain cult status to those in the know. Many see it as the smart option if you're not committed to owning a sports bike. It's great value for money and makes a stylish, practical and fun all rounder. And that space age styling is simply delicious, and quite unique.

Dr.Rod.