Another Demo Day (PA)

[JHKolb]

I wound up being the last ride of the day on the ST, rode the Stryker earlier as well. The Stryker ride was interesting, if you can get over being blinded (literally) by the sun reflecting off all the chrome in the cluster it wasn't too bad a ride.

The ST proved again how fun a bike it will be to ride daily. I too did notice a lot more buffeting on this bike that the Blue one they had they last time, looking at my pics from the last demo I think they either had the screen mounted higher or it had an optional taller screen - made a noticeable difference to my ride.

Also, really liked the Black paint, it is a deep metallic black that really shone in the sun. It is a toss up over color for me but either looks great.

I spent alot of time chatting up the Yamaha rep. He was saying there is talk of limiting production of some of the other models (FZ's) to ramp up production for the ST as the demand has been incredibly strong for the ST, both at the US demos and in Europe. This may wind up being Yamaha's best selling bike if they can get them to the dealerships, which is all good for us consumers I would hope.

I am going to head up again later today to give the Raider a ride as well, might be a good companion to the ST.

 

[Venture]

I currently ride a Tiger 1050 and this bike improves on nearly every aspect of it. When I got back on the tiger to go home, it felt so crude by comparison. Don't get me wrong- the tiger is a great bike, but the Super Tenere is fantastic.

I need some elaboration on this. While I certainly share the hope that the ST is the Lord's gift to motorcyclists, I have a hard time believing that the Tiger is "crude" in comparison. The Tiger does have a crap of a gearbox in it for sure, so maybe you're referring to that? Other than that thought the Tiger is an excellent all-rounder if you're happy staying on the pavement.

I wish I'd of gotten over for a ride myself this weekend, but as usual things got screwed up. This time my daughter got sick for two days and I drew the Friday duty. :'(

 

[TEN YC]

I need some elaboration on this. While I certainly share the hope that the ST is the Lord's gift to motorcyclists, I have a hard time believing that the Tiger is "crude" in comparison. The Tiger does have a crap of a gearbox in it for sure, so maybe you're referring to that? Other than that thought the Tiger is an excellent all-rounder if you're happy staying on the pavement.

I wish I'd of gotten over for a ride myself this weekend, but as usual things got screwed up. This time my daughter got sick for two days and I drew the Friday duty. :'(

I don't think you will fully understand until you go for a proper ride on a super tenere. I didn't really expect such a difference between the bikes either so I understand the skepticism. But let me try to elaborate a bit:

Yes the gearbox is one aspect. I was stunned at how light and smooth the shifts were on the Tenere. Keep in mind I have never complained about he tiger gearbox. I know some people have an issue with it, but I never noticed it to be too bad on mine. However, the Yamaha's is not even comparable. Very light clutch pull also.

Brakes are more responsive and powerful on the Super Tenere. When getting back on the tiger to go home, it actually took a minute to get used to a much weaker brake response.

Suspension... the stock tiger suspension leaves much to be desired. I think most owners know what I'm referring to. It's built to a budget and you can feel it. However the Super Tenere was closer to a Ducati "S" suspension setup than to the tiger. Enormous difference. This is felt on sharp turns as the front end of the yamaha is more planted, as well as on rough pavement where the rear shock comes into play.

Seat. Of course it was a short ride and this is another thing that I don't complain about on the tiger. but the seat on the Super Tenere has to be the best stock seat I've ever experienced and i can tell it would be comfortable for many hundreds of miles at a time. I also think the riding position contributed to this feeling of comfort. It's a slightly different position and it's noticeable.

The power output of the motor felt roughly the same other than the obvious differences between the twin and the triple. This is the one area where I would say that the Yamaha is not necessarily better, just different.


The verdict. To be honest, for the last couple of months I was concerned as to whether I would regret selling the tiger when the tenere comes. I felt that the Tiger was a such a great road bike that it would be hard to beat. However, after this ride I have absolutely zero worry about missing the Tiger. The Super Tenere is a much more refined motorcycle in my eyes and I'm much more excited after riding it.