I think it's fair to say that this category of motorcycle, the big trailie, although hugely popular in Europe has never really caught on here in Britain.

However, all of a sudden the motorcycle world seems to have woken up to this type of machine, with major manufacturers launching similar style bikes.

Designed for carving through twisties, touring across Europe or commuting to work, the big trailie is a concept that should appeal to a wide variety of motorcyclists.

The TDM900 has been launched this year to replace the old TDM850. Apart from having a larger engine than its predecessor, it's also lighter due to a new aluminium frame, giving the bike more power. The machine also boasts a new fuel injection system, new 6-speed gearbox and improved brakes.

But will all this be enough to win over the UK motorcyclist? That's the apprehension I shared when I went to collect the machine for a weekend test ride.

My first impression was how high and upright the riding position is. I set off across town carving through the rush hour traffic with ease, the gear change was smooth, and the engine coped well with the stop start town traffic. The TDM was making the Friday's journey home a pleasure.

So it's passed the commuter test, but how will it fare on the open road? Opening the throttle going up through the gears, the TDM feels lively and responds well. There is plenty of low and mid-range torque although the power delivery is smooth, you don't get that rush or surge that you would experience on a sports bike.

The suspension is a bit on the soft side for hard riding although I'm sure with a bit of adjustment this could be firmed up. Riding through sweeping curves proves ideal TDM territory; it pulls in high gears as a good twin should with just a lazy tweak of the throttle.

The brakes are fantastic, although this shouldn't be surprising as the front one has been lifted from the R1.

I enjoyed my time on the TDM. It hasn't got the out and out performance of a sports bike but it handles well, has plenty of torque and is extremely comfortable.

It's versatile enough to be used to tour around Europe or commute to work.

But are all those factors enough to make you want to buy one? Well if you want a bike that will give you 'knee down' performance with the option of doing a track day or two then the TDM will not win you over.

For everyone else it's definitely worth a look. Maybe the 'big trailie' concept's time has finally come.