I bought my 1999 TDM 850 a month ago expecting it to be more comfortable to ride than the conventional racing position. And although it is better on short trips, over long distance my back gets really sore, even more so than on my ZZR600. The size of the seat makes access to the helmet lock a bit awkward, a separate lock would have been far better. But apart from these 2 complaints, it is a great bike and I have already done a number of long trips with my girlfriend on the back and had no problems at all. I have had to buy a charger because I left the lights on and have found that access to the battery is not good, but this is not something that you should have to deal with anyway.