Available in 80cc, 85cc, and 100cc versions, TM’s Junior motocross lineup packs as much trickery and coolness as the big bikes, but in 19/16-inch and 17/14-inch wheel size packages. We tossed 9-year-old, four-and-a-half foot tall, 82-pound test rider Jack Carrigg—a speedy youngster with a big personality—onto the 2016 TM 100 to get his input.
According to Jack (who races a Kawasaki KX85 and had never ridden a TM), the TM was easy to adapt to and took just a few laps for him to feel comfortable on. He noted that both ends of the suspension had excellent bottoming resistance, allowing him to case jumps without blowing through. The handlebar was a little wide and tall for Jack’s taste, and the brakes—particularly the rear—took more pressure to lock up than he expected.
The one feature of this bike that really stoked Jack out was the engine; he reported that the 100cc produced big power that allowed him to jump things with ease that he had to really pin it over to clear on his Kawasaki, and that he could easily wheelie the TM up hills under full power. The quick-revving little bike didn’t require extra clutching, and Jack commented that it felt much like he expects a 450 would feel like as far as roll-on power out of turns. This trait contributed to what Jack felt was outstanding turning ability out of the bike, even though it felt bigger/heavier than his personal machine. Jack’s final comments related to the bike’s stability, as the bigger wheels helped him to pin it across bigger bumps, and he concluded that he thought bigger kids would love everything about the TM, from the strong power to the roomy cockpit and outstanding stability.
TM may not be a household name here in the United States, but the brand is growing both in terms of availability and interest in the North American market. Check out www.tmracing-usa.com to learn more about this bike, as well as the rest of the TM motocross and enduro lineup.
