Can I handle a Yamaha Super Tenere? Or should I get a Honda NC 700x non-abs?

[Pertak96]

I am 26, and want an adventure touring bike, I am also looking at the Honda NC 700x which isn't really for off road at all but cheaper and better MPG.
I'm 190lbs 6 feet tall
Have 12000 miles and three years of experience on a 150cc scooter, on highways, canyons, rain, snow ect.
I have ridden dirt bikes a few times, and lots of sport quads so I am not too worried about the shifting, more so the weight and power. Initiative Q NUTRA THRIVE Noom diet plan

 

[Scoop47501]

That's a big jump however if you take it slow and install engine guards I think you will be fine.
As for power, you control that at the throttle so take it easy and run it in touring mode for awhile.
Good luck

 

[Riteris]

A lighter bike will be easier to learn on. Learning to dual sport on a big heavy bike can be more difficult and expensive.

 

[Mellow]

I'd go with a vstrom 650, cheap to buy, ride, maintain.

 

[Banzai600]

If you really want a Honda NC buy the newer second gen 750 from 2014 on. It comes with DCT so no gears and offers great mpg. ( The current gen NC's look terrible imo ).

A versys 650 / vstrom etc will do the job nicely. Something a little taller in the xt660 tenere too.

1200's are great, but learn your craft on something smaller first.

 

[RCinNC]

I'd also opt for something like a 650 Vstrom, or maybe even a Versys 300, if your only experience to date is on a scooter. Fennellg's experience with jumping straight to a Road King may have worked out well for him, but I've seen far more guys who've gone straight to a big bike with no real experience who've been a real danger to themselves and others. Being able make a big heavy bike go in a straight line isn't the same thing as being able to actually ride one. Go big, or go home, or maybe go for a ride in an ambulance;. Life's a series of choices.

And a motorcycle safety course should be high on your "things to do" list.

 

[EricV]

I have both a 150cc scooter and a Super Tenere. But, I only got the scooter for local errands and commuting a year or so ago. I have about 400k of motorcycle riding experience and about 8k of scooter riding experience. I rode around Egypt on a 150 scooter as well. 2500 miles in 11 days. Urban to desert, dirt, cobblestones, epic rain, sand, etc. You can do a lot with a scooter. It's far easier to manage challenging conditions on the scooter than with a 600 lb motorcycle.

Your observation and survival skills from the scooter are a direct application to a larger motorcycle. You gain the ability to accelerate away from potential danger that you don't have on the scooter. Plus better braking, etc. Awareness from other road users is a wash. I think more people notice me on the scooter due to the cuteness than do on the big bike. I rarely get tailgated or cut off on the scooter. Each bike needs to be ridden differently in some regards, using the strengths and being aware of the limitations.

I would suggest you start motorcycling with something smaller than the Super Ten. You're plenty big enough to ride the bike. That's not the issue. Getting used to the much greater weight and learning to ride off pavement is. You'll find the learning curve a lot easier on something a bit smaller and lighter. If your prime riding goal is touring, it's less of an issue. The first time you put your foot down at a stop and find your foot sliding out, you'll be happy to have a lighter bike.

This isn't a bad article to read: LINK The DRZ400 will do a lot of what you may want to do and is relatively cheap used and easy to modify to your preferences. At 322 lbs, it's about half the weight of the Super Ten when accessorized.

I hope that helps. Most long term motorcyclists started riding on the street with smaller bikes. I started street riding when I was 21 on a CX500. It was light, easy to get a foot down and cheap to fix when I dropped it. Which I did, and crash, etc. Consider taking the MSF or equivalent Basic Bike-Bonding RiderCourse. It will really help you get familiar with the new to you bike and how it handles.

There are several bikes in the 650-700 class. Resist the temptation to get a shiny new bike that you feel will be 'the one' for years to come. You will drop it. Many a first bike got nicknamed "scratchy" by their owners. And if you really get out and ride it, you'll move on to something else sooner than you think. Getting your comfort and skills down on something you don't have to stress about dropping is a good thing. Even if you only ride it for a year or less before moving up to something else.

Welcome to the forum. Please take a few minutes to fill out your profile and add your location. Even if only state or country. It helps others to give you more accurate answers and gives your posts context as well. Often putting your comments into better perspective. For example, if you're scooter riding in a high density urban environment, that's a different skill set from rural township riding.

 

[Tenman]

The drz sounds like a good bike to start on. Butmat hiway speeds it struggles. Almost everybody I know around here started on dirt bikes. Thats was in the 70s when street legal 2 stroke enduros were happening. You can learn alot about your limitations in the dirt and it doesn't give you road rash and you usually just get up and get back on. I have a friend that bought his first bike at 35 yrs old. He got a nc 700. I rode it from the dealership home for him. Man was it a slug. I thought something was wrong with it. I had a kz550 35 years ago that would probably smoke it. He out grew it in a year. If it was me. I'd go with a versys 650.

 

[RCinNC]

RCinNC, what happened, did you give up on turns and curves between 2004 2014. You were rocking A Road King Custom. By the way mine was a 2005 Custom.

I didn't start out on a Road King Custom, and the RK wasn't my transition bike. I started on a KZ440 back in the early 80s, and learned the basics on that. Then a V45, then a Virago, then a Road Star, then the Road King. I learned how to ride long before I was riding a 900 pound bike with no ABS. I'm glad I did it that way; learning, and making mistakes, can be a lot more forgiving on a smaller lighter bike. If you're a novice rider, and the first time you ever have to make an emergency braking or evasive maneuver is on a 900 pound Barca Lounger, you might wish you'd learned those techniques on something with a little less inertia.

Like I said, to each their own. Some guys are just natural riders, and can jump right to a big powerful bike. Many aren't, just like many guys who can haul a utility trailer with a car aren't necessarily ready to drive a Kenworth hauling 80,000 pounds. I'd never in general recommend that the next bike for a guy used to a scooter would be a 1200 cc, 100 HP , 600 pound Super 10, or a Gixxer, or an R6, or Road King.

 

[richarddacat]

If I was 26 again I'd love to have a SuperTenere and in your case I'd find a 1st Gen early model and not worry about dropping it. I hope you're considering used, if so you ought to be able to find one with the body armor already on it.

Good luck!

 

[Sierra1]

Everybody is different. First and foremost, what do plan on doing with the bike? Long distance, commuter, or just for fun? Solo, or two up with luggage? If it's just you on the weekends, stick with the Honda, or something similar. If you're going to load it up, and do highways, going to have to have an engine with some reserve "oomph".

Be honest with YOUR abilities. Some people just don't need to be riding motorcycles. Then, there are the naturals. The bigger the engine, the faster shit happens. Back in the day, I went from my 550 SECA to the FJ 1200. Twisted the throttle in the same manner that I had on the SECA....I swear that light started to bend, and I thought I was making the jump to hyper speed. I took it easy, and there were no mishaps.

There's just too many variables for ME to tell YOU what you should and shouldn't ride. Hopefully you'll have that "ah ha" moment, and you'll know the right bike. Be patient, and good luck.

 

[Wallkeeper]

I am also with the Suzuki 650 wee Strom. I rode small bore 2 strokes for years (<400cc) before I moved into a 750 Twin. That was a significant jump and moving to the 550# plus range is also significant. Try the Wee Strom. Used, they can be had at a good price and will give you a feel for the greater power, speed and mass you will contend with when you move over 1000cc.

RC is dead on with his analogy between a car and a Kenworth....whole different world.

 

[Cycledude]

With your size, weight and 12,000 miles of previous experience either bike seems to me like they should work fine for you.
The Honda is far more economical, it gets much better mpg and burns regular gas which will save a lot of money if u put on a lot of miles.
The Honda will also do just fine on gravel roads. For my use the only real drawback with the Honda is no cruise control but 2013 and older Tenere’s don’t have cruise either, that was the main reason I recently traded my 2013 for a brandnew 2018 ES.
Whatever you choose to buy I hope it works out great for you !

 

[Tombstone]

Another vote for the Strom 650. IMHO the best bang-for-the-buck in the moto world. Almost as good a tourer as the S-ten, much cheaper and waaaay lighter; read-'easier to learn on'. Equally as comfy as the bigger (more expensive) bikes.

 

[tallpaul]

Another upvote for the 650 Strom. Superb bikes for the rider needing their first big bike. Enough power to be entertaining but all in an easy to manage and frugal package.

 

[barkingllizard]

the Super Tenere is an incredibly easy motorcycle to ride, very confidence inspiring... that said,
riding well is up to you. You can ride like a squid or you can grow and learn.
Same as you can buy a toy and worry about mpg or you can confidently travel the world.....

 

[ABBlender]

With your size/weight, go with the Tenere. I started with a sv650 (similar engine to vstrom) and was wishing for more bike/engine soon and I'm not a young punk. Loaded down with kit or with a passenger, the 650 will feel very weak and will get worse gas mileage than the 1200. Premium fuel adds up to a couple bucks every fill...not a deal breaker. The 650 bike itself might seem a little small, the Tenere was the bike that fit my 6' frame like a glove. Bonus for having a reasonable buy-in price on used Tenere's and being pretty much bulletproof reliable. Keep it off technical, loose, muddy/sandy terrain and you'll be fine. I do mainly pavement and back/gravel roads with the odd jeep trail thrown in when I have a riding buddy.

I've done mud and it sucked. River/creek crossings are fine (with traction control turned off), more ground clearance too is nice for long legs.

 

[Kiejoe]

It's some lump" after riding a scooter" confidence is the key ,if your going for the superten ,get on some open ground ,no obstructions, no parked vehicles ,no nothing , start slow and stay slow, ...balance that baby on full lock ,left and right, use the TCS, use UBS, use sport mode ,...hold it at a standstill using rear brake ,throttle and clutch , ..be at one with that bike before you go road riding , learn to stop, learn to side stand the bike , the superten is a beautiful bike on and off road it will do everything you ask ,... confidence is the key ...stay safe ...

 

[Tenman]

Get some crash bars. You gonna drop it sooner or later. At low speeds turning around at full lock. It can get interesting. Especially in the dirt

 

[John Ha]

Ride one. Make your decision based on that - not on others' opinions