The very unusual TRX850. Obviously based on the designs of the Ducatis but made the Japanese way.

Big parallel twin engine, setup with geometry to mimic the 'sound' of the V-twin engine Ducatis. Small. light and a reasonable amount of bhp on tap made this bike a lot of fun.

The frame is also clearly Ducati style. I think these frames look excellent

I'd just sold one of my classic Suzukis so had some spare cash and was looking for something different. Always fancied the spec on these so when one came up and I had the cash, I went for it.

Had this bike for about a year. One of those bikes it would have been nice to keep, but space was limited and I was after a change.Traded in against a CCM R30.

Mine was a 1996 version and came with all old MOTs, a good service history and 19000 miles on the clock.

It came with the standard cans, which are OK. However I decided to fit a set of Scorpion Carbon Exhausts and they sounded fantastic.Bike sounded like a V-Twin, any just like my Harley & Aprilia Tuono would set the car alarm off when the bike was started on the drive.

These bikes do not have the power of some of the bigger bikes, or ones I have or had, but it was a real grin to ride. The first thing you notice is how squat the bike is. The seat is very low and the bike feels more like a 250 than nearer the litre class. Being low makes the rider feel integrated with the bike and boosts confidence. The bike is very well behaved and handles extremely well. It loves flowing twisty roads and you can chuck these into bends with ease. It's less at ease on slower bends as it doesn't have the bhp relative to say an R1 to pull out the other side.That said, there's no issue with it handling these slower turns, but you're up and down the box too much to make it easy on the rider.

The power is very smooth compared to Suzuki TL1000, more like an Aprilia RSV engine. As I say, you need to use the gearbox a lot to get the most out of this machine. The bike does vibrate significantly at lower RPMs, but I'm advised this is due to the unusual configuration of the twin setup. Personally I think this just adds character to the machine. It revs very freely and has a noticeable power band.

The standard brakes are not the best I've had and in the end I replaced these with a set of Yamaha R1 Blue Spots fitted with EBC HH pads. Wow, what a difference that mod makes. Highly recommend this mod to anyone. Just buy the standard setup from either the R1 or R6 and it will bolt straight on without any modifications needed at all. Can't be easier.

As I do with all my bikes, I wanted to get some spare footrests and levers 'just in case'. I noticed that used spares for this model are not as readily available and I assume this is down to this not being one of the mainstream models purchased in the UK over the years. I found out that Yamaha have reused parts for other models, such as FZR750, so there are options. e.g. Footrests are same as FZR750, indicators are FZR range etc.

Seat height is very low and padding is not the best. The rear suspension is great on smooth roads but very harsh on bumpy back roads and can be unforgiving if you happen to hit bump while breaking hard. This harsh suspension is felt by the rider due to the poorly padded seat. You sit into this bike, rather similar to the FZR1000R, so it feels very safe. The bars are excellent height and I had no signs of wrist problems while riding as you can get with R1s etc.

In the year I had this bike, it performed faultlessly and no issues at all. It always started first time and wasn't prone to running batteries flat as some bikes are. .I can fully understand why people like these and for sure it's an future classic out of the Yamaha stable.