decisions....

[Dshane]

Hello,
I have a question for you all and looking for opinions. I have a chance to purchase a used 2015 ST with Yamaha luggage, new tires, 14K on the odometer and it has been a rental bike all of its life. That is the part that scares me.
For $4K more, I found a 2019 new leftover. Separate dealers. If the first bike wasn't a rental, I wouldn't hesitate but.....looking for thoughts.

Thoughts on the Rental?

Oh I should add, this will be my second bike, I currently ride an FJR, too.

 

[Madhatter]

hard to hurt this bike I think even as a rental ..... a lot of owners are aggressive with the bike and they last 150k .... I have never rented a bike but I think big deposits on the credit card in case of damage would possibly calm an over aggressive rental rider. just my thoughts. one last thought . as you add farkles to the '19 you will spend about 2k more so the rental will save you 6k . I as a buyer have a real problem buying used so I understand the reluctance. good luck.

 

[Champagne InHand]

These bikes are barely starting to break in at 14,000 miles. I bought a well stored 2013 with just over 3,500 miles on her. I changed out all the fluids and checked everything else.

I’ve had 3 Yamaha and they are hard to destroy. In Nicaragua they rent Yamaha 400s most everywhere as this is what the country’s national police use. The average person rides Chinese copies of 1970s Honda and Yamaha thumpers.

Now if it were an Italian bike,....

But these are your dollars. Do what’s comfortable. So far I’ve spent large $$ n gear and farkling. Time for the riding part.


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[tallpaul]

A rented sports bike? Yeah, every test pilot who sat on it would have tried to wring its neck. A rented Super Tenere I can't imagine would have appealed to such a rental rider. Most people who buy them want a solid, dependable rock that won't give up on them. I would suspect the people who choose to rent them would be of a similar mindset. At 14k miles it hasn't done anything much. Your cash, your choice, but it wouldn't put me off buying it.

 

[EricV]

Someone just broke it in for you. It's a throttle by wire, EFI bike with ECU control of many facets of it's system. You can't over rev it, the ECU cuts fuel to the injectors before you could do damage. It's unlikely anyone spent lots of time in a high wheelie and even if they did, it's a dry sump design so unlike a sport bike, it wouldn't be starved of oil.

The practical down side to it being a rental bike is it may be pre-scuffed/scratched and no previous owner farkled it up to be their personal taste, which may or may not have met yours. So it's likely bone stock and you're starting from scratch, just like the '19. Bonus, you get some luggage. If you don't like it, sell the luggage and buy something else. You're still money ahead.

About the only possible thing that could be damaged on the bike from 'rental' use is the clutch. And even that isn't very expensive and if it needed replacement, there are nice upgrades available that most won't do if they didn't need to replace the clutch plates/pressure plate due to it being a nice upgrade, but not a dramatic one for most riders. And there are write ups on the forum so you could do this yourself too.

I put 43k on my '15 w/o any issues. I put 109k on my '12 with only a CCT failure. At 14k on the rental bike you will want to check the brake pads, flush and bleed the brake/clutch systems, change the coolant, spark plugs, check/replace the air filter and check the torque on all the spokes, just so you know where you're starting at.

Other than color, they are the same bike with only tiny changes between '14 and '19.

 

[Cycledude]

Does the brandnew 2019 have Luggage ?

 

[Xclimation]

If getting a loan, then the interest rate may be cheaper on the new bike closing the gap on total cost. And more negotiating on the price of the new bike might bring the price down. What would be the difference (If any) on insurance? Can you purchase the Yamaha Y.E.S. warranty protection on the rental? What type of maintenance do they perform on there rental bikes? On the rented bike, I'd check carefully for body damage. These bikes are easy to drop at slow speeds. These drops would only cause a cosmetic issue. But...$4k can buy a lot of farkles and gas!

 

[SuckSqueezeBangBlow]

Check with your insurance too. I was once asked if the bike had been a rental. Never heard that before on a bike, a car, but never a bike.

 

[Checkswrecks]

The insurance aspect is good to check on but otherwise a rental Tenere would not put me off at all.
I'd see if the seller will give a warranty on the clutch.

An up-side is that a rented bike should have had any required (not much) maintenance done and should have maintenance records. If I were to buy it I'd change all fluids and filters right away then enjoy the money saved.

 

[Dshane]

Thank you all for the replies.
No damage to the body or tank on the rental, it actually looks pretty good.
No luggage on the 2019.
The price on the '19 is already 3K off the MSRP so no more negotiation on either bike. It's kinda weird as the dealer with the '19 is selling an '18 for more money.....I don't get it at all.
Thanks again for the opinions on the rental. I appreciate all the responses.
Dave

 

[EricV]

The Dealer may have gotten a better 'incentive' from Yamaha on the '19.

One more thing I would check on the rental bike - Pull the left side panel and inspect the radiator where the fan fits. Because the Tenere has a side mounted fan, a drop on that side can push the fan into the radiator and damage both. Worst case, the fan blades get jammed and it burns out the next time it comes on. The fan can bump the radiator and just fold some fins and it's not a big deal. Look for fin damage and broken fan mount areas. The panel comes off with some plastic push pins and 4mm allen bolts. (there should be a 4mm allen wrench clipped under the rider seat)

The Yamaha push pins have a center pin that you depress to release, then it will pull out easily. When re-installing, push the center pin back through so it protrudes from the head. Insert the assembly flush to the panel, then push the center pin flush to secure. You probably know all that.

 

[Madhatter]

Dshane , may all your life issues be as hard as this....

 

[ballisticexchris]

I would not touch a bike used as a rental. Not even a Super Tenere. Good luck whatever you decide.

 

[jeckyll]

Always build a bit of a 'fix budget' into any used bike purchase.

If the bike checks out, and the price is good, might be a good option.

 

[s.ga.rider]

Ive never had an insurance company ask if it was a rental and wouldn't see that being listed on title info. I would just say its a used bike. Inspect it thoroughly, listen for any funny sounds which the tenere is known for anyway so that's iffy. If it looks clean, runs and drives good plus a good price I would say go for it. The key is a good price. They can be had used at an excellent value anyway even at a dealership so the price would have to reflect that for a rental.

 

[ballisticexchris]

All rentals are flogged and beat to crap. I have yet to see one that has been taken care of by the person renting it. In the 80's we used to take Mustang and Camaro rentals, put NOS injection on them and run them on the drag strip. Over and over and over until the engine was pinging from overheating.

There is local motorcycle rental company near me (Eaglerider). Guys that rent bikes from them get around the corner and hold the throttle open until it bumps the rev limiter. And then dump the clutch and bang gears without the clutch at full throttle. The bikes are thrashed.

 

[Sierra1]

….The price on the '19 is already 3K off the MSRP so no more negotiation on either bike. It's kinda weird as the dealer with the '19 is selling an '18 for more money.....

The '18 could be an ES; '19 could be non-ES. I, personally, would go for the heavily discounted '19. I like to know the miles on my odometer(s). That being said, my wife bought a Cherokee for a great price, and never had a problem with it. Didn't find out for a year or two, that it had been a rental. I agree with the others though that the '15 is probably a good bike, it just wouldn't be one I would go for.

 

[ballisticexchris]

Well here is an example of why to never ever consider buying a rental vehicle of any kind. This gentleman rented a 2019 Super Tenere last week that has just over 21,000 miles and is beat to crap. Broken pannier lids held with bungee cords, worn out/flattened tires, bent handlebars etc.

This bike is part of an Eaglerider fleet of junk. I almost rented from them once but decided not to because the bikes were so thrashed. The BMW GS's had so much drop damage I felt they were unsafe.

Fast forward to 1 minute into the video for description of the bike.

 

[SHUMBA]

Hello,
I have a question for you all and looking for opinions. I have a chance to purchase a used 2015 ST with Yamaha luggage, new tires, 14K on the odometer and it has been a rental bike all of its life. That is the part that scares me.
For $4K more, I found a 2019 new leftover. Separate dealers. If the first bike wasn't a rental, I wouldn't hesitate but.....looking for thoughts.

Thoughts on the Rental?

Oh I should add, this will be my second bike, I currently ride an FJR, too.

Go for the new 2019, and you will have a warranty...don't cheap out..
The OEM luggage is not great either.
I'd never buy a demo or bike that has been rented.
SHUMBA

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[Dshane]

A little update and one more question. Nothing moved due to this Cvd-19 crap however, I did find a very clean with some extras, a 2014 ES with 41k on her for a nice price. I think it was a trade in for a BMW as this person gets his used bikes from a local BMW dealer. Actually many extras. I will see it this week if weather cooperates. Is there anything I should look at specifically on a 14 with that many miles? It looks like it was well taken care of in the pictures but will see in person. From what I've read these bikes if taken care of should last a while. This will be my second bike also. Thanks for any opinions you may have, a very knowledgeable group I have found.
Dave