I got the chance to ride one yesterday it was a '01 model setup with the 28 mm keihin carb with the small wheels. It's was built stronger than an other 85's I've seen. The frame looked more like it was a downsized 125's the down tubes were just as big. Just about everything about the bike was big bike features just smaller rims. The 43 mm paioli forks I was impressed with, plush and responsive restisted bottoming like a big bike no complaints it never crossed my mind the forks were too soft or not up to the task. The WP shock was actually almost just as good but even under the hardest setting (1 - 7 clicks comp) my 135 lbs was able to get it to bottom on sharp hard hits it would bottom pretty hard but it wasn't scary. I want to note that I was riding the bike very agressively and even my friend who was 260lbs wasn't able to bottom them that easy its perfect if your like 90-110lbs.
I liked the bikes ergo's I have no complaints about almost everything except the pegs. They have a some what upward sweep to them it makes it feel alittle cramped. That and the upward bend of the brake pedel tip was sorta wierd to me. I'm sure if I would of had smaller feet it would of helped.
The feel of the brakes big bike all the way 260MM front brake one finger and alittle lever pressure and its biting good. It feels better than the one on my 250F more like a CR very close. It demands respect this brake could stop much larger heavier bikes with ease. The same go's with the 240MM rear but it luckly isn't as grabby but it stops you very fast and has a great feel.
The hydraulic clutch was awesome especially on an 85 it worked flawlessly and had a light feel. The tranny was very willing to shift under a load in deep loose sand wide open. No feed back from the lever no resitance detected its better than my yamaha more like a CR not quite as light as a RM. Throttle has a very short turn feel to it wide open is like alittle more than 1/4 turn when compared to my 250F.
The motor ran great it was crisp and carborated cleanly throttle responce was nice and crisp. The power band this blew me away it doesn't have any bottom you fall of the pipe and your downshifting fast. I can't recall if this motor had a powervalve? But as soon as you hit the mid it took off like a rocket pulling strongly into a strong top end with great over rev. As long as you kept the bike on the pipe it was screaming. It is easy one of the fastest stock 85's I've ever ridden I'm positive I could beat 125's on it and it wouldn't give up much in a drag race. It was pulling my friend 260 lbs of mass easy he was chasing some fast kids on cr 85's they pull him in the techincal sections but as soon as he was able to get on flat ground (jumps slowed him down due to lack of suspenion) was able to pull them in an those CR's were screaming the TM was just faster I'd have to say it's faster than a YZ 85.
Once I finally got adjusted to the smaller wheels I totally forgot about the rest of the bike and just screamed it around the track I totally forgot what gear I was in sometimes the bike was just taunting me to go faster. With bigger wheels and making it a 105 you could race it with 125's easy. Out of all 3 of us my 250F and my friends CR 250's the TM 85 got ridden the most yesterday. I don't suggest this bike for begining 80 riders its definetly geared more for the fast advanced/adult mini rider due to its lack of bottom and the fact that it hits hard in the mid. Even though this is a review of an '01, the '02's & '03's are virtually the same except cosmetics.
I liked the bikes ergo's I have no complaints about almost everything except the pegs. They have a some what upward sweep to them it makes it feel alittle cramped. That and the upward bend of the brake pedel tip was sorta wierd to me. I'm sure if I would of had smaller feet it would of helped.
The feel of the brakes big bike all the way 260MM front brake one finger and alittle lever pressure and its biting good. It feels better than the one on my 250F more like a CR very close. It demands respect this brake could stop much larger heavier bikes with ease. The same go's with the 240MM rear but it luckly isn't as grabby but it stops you very fast and has a great feel.
The hydraulic clutch was awesome especially on an 85 it worked flawlessly and had a light feel. The tranny was very willing to shift under a load in deep loose sand wide open. No feed back from the lever no resitance detected its better than my yamaha more like a CR not quite as light as a RM. Throttle has a very short turn feel to it wide open is like alittle more than 1/4 turn when compared to my 250F.
The motor ran great it was crisp and carborated cleanly throttle responce was nice and crisp. The power band this blew me away it doesn't have any bottom you fall of the pipe and your downshifting fast. I can't recall if this motor had a powervalve? But as soon as you hit the mid it took off like a rocket pulling strongly into a strong top end with great over rev. As long as you kept the bike on the pipe it was screaming. It is easy one of the fastest stock 85's I've ever ridden I'm positive I could beat 125's on it and it wouldn't give up much in a drag race. It was pulling my friend 260 lbs of mass easy he was chasing some fast kids on cr 85's they pull him in the techincal sections but as soon as he was able to get on flat ground (jumps slowed him down due to lack of suspenion) was able to pull them in an those CR's were screaming the TM was just faster I'd have to say it's faster than a YZ 85.
Once I finally got adjusted to the smaller wheels I totally forgot about the rest of the bike and just screamed it around the track I totally forgot what gear I was in sometimes the bike was just taunting me to go faster. With bigger wheels and making it a 105 you could race it with 125's easy. Out of all 3 of us my 250F and my friends CR 250's the TM 85 got ridden the most yesterday. I don't suggest this bike for begining 80 riders its definetly geared more for the fast advanced/adult mini rider due to its lack of bottom and the fact that it hits hard in the mid. Even though this is a review of an '01, the '02's & '03's are virtually the same except cosmetics.
