First Impressions of the 2014 ES after switching from a BMW

[Thunderwear]

Hey all. Picked up my new Black ES on Friday. As a preface I've only been riding motorcycles for about 1 1/2 years. First bike was a BMW F650GS (800 Twin) because I couldn't afford the dang 1200 GS and frankly, it scared me. Anyway, while riding the new ES home my first impression was that it is definitely not as smooth as the BMW was...but then, I've never ridden dirt bikes. I immediately didn't like the turn signals. On the BMW they are pretty intuitive and just ergonomically felt better. The funny part is that the horn on the Tenere is in the same exact place as the BMW turn signal...needless to say I inadvertently honked at a few people on the way home. :-[ I guess the turn signals are just something I have to get used to. Compared to what I had, the bike has gobs of power....really love that. Stock wind protection is great although I am still going to install the winglets on the sides and maybe switch out the windscreen to an MRA X-creen. The other thing I noticed is that even after only 1 hour of riding I am getting quite a bit of handlebar vibration problems....not noticeable problems with the handlebar vibrating, but my fingers feeling like friggin' tuning forks at the end of the ride. I've already started pining over the anti-vibration Rox risers. Can't wait to get the panniers installed....there's really zero room under the seat to store anything. I also noticed that even on a cool day and open riding the fan would come on at intersections....not sitting in traffic, not idling for long period of time...just normal riding. I hate hearing the fan come on, it reminds me of my old Jeep that would overheat all the time! Also noticed that gas mileage is noticeably suckier than the BMW (I know, a lot more bike and I should expect it). Not really complaining about any of these things, just observations. One of the best things I noticed was that the Tenere is MUCH more fun to ride. It's really hard to explain...seems to have fun with itself....flow better in corners...handle swooping turns with more pizzazz, etc. ::015:: I can tell I am going to LOVE this bike once it breaks me in. 120 miles on the ODO so far...and from what I hear things will smooth out, power will get better, etc. over time. Anyway, let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

 

[krussell]

Grip Puppies help the vibes a LOT. For me they seemed to decrease a bunch in the first 5k miles or so. Either that or I lost all feeling.

Enjoy the bike.

 

[Big Blu]

Confradulations Mr. Thunderware and welcome to the owners club! ::008::

Vibration is an issue for some but not for me. I did however install Grip Puppies because I wanted larger diameter grip. Offen the vibs can be reduced by loosening your grip on the bars. Grip Puppies can help, they act as a dampener and the larger diameter may help your relax you grip... it does for me.

Paul

 

[Thunderwear]

Never heard of Grip Puppies before! Found the website. Obviously I would order the large pair, not the small pair right? Seems like I can't go wrong for under 11 bucks.

 

[Wistrick]

Do your self a huge favor and put 5000 miles on the bike before you start looking for fixes to things you didn't like in the first 500 miles...At my 5000 miles it was like a switch was thrown...Smoother and less vibey....7500 and its just getting better...the grip puppies are nice though...

Dan

 

[creggur]

Do your self a huge favor and put 5000 miles on the bike before you start looking for fixes to things you didn't like in the first 500 miles...At my 5000 miles it was like a switch was thrown...Smoother and less vibey....7500 and its just getting better...the grip puppies are nice though...

Dan

^^ This^^ All day long! Including the Grip Puppies. Best $10.00 you'll ever spend - had them on my last two bikes...wouldn't ride without them now.

Give it about 5k and then start tweaking things - the bike is going to change significantly over the next few thousand miles. It's a long break-in, but well worth the wait and effort.

Congrats and welcome to the party!

 

[krussell]

Never heard of Grip Puppies before! Found the website. Obviously I would order the large pair, not the small pair right? Seems like I can't go wrong for under 11 bucks.

I went back and looked, I ordered small. They worked for me.

 

[Wistrick]

I went back and looked, I ordered small. They worked for me.

the large are for 1 inch bars mostly found on cruisers

Dan

 

[Koinz]

The vibes will smoother out with more miles. The engine is tight. When I picked mine up with "0" miles, I thought there was something wrong with it at first, but smoothened out nicely after the first few thousand miles.

 

[Dallara]

~


Ditto what so many have said about the Super Tenere smoothing out dramatically as it gets miles piled on it. It's almost eerie, and there seems to be certain mileages where the difference is so noticeable it's almost as though someone flipped a switch. For so many you hear the bike got smoother the first couple of thousand miles, but then suddenly at 5,000 or 6,000 it got quite a bit smoother. I swear mine has gotten smoother and more vibe-free with every mile it goes, and I've got over 40,000 miles on mine now.

That said, a couple of things... One, many Super Tenere's have come right from the factory with the throttle bodies notably out of synch. Do a TB synch the first chance you get and see if that improves things. Two, you might check all sorts of things up around the handlebars to make sure everything is snug and tightened down as it should be. These bikes are built by humans at the factory, and then assembled out of the crate by people, too, and those doing the make-ready prep and assembly are often ones with the least training in a dealership. Check to make sure that your handguards and bar-end weights are properly aligned and tightened down. Same with the switch assemblies, the mirrors, etc., as well as if the handlebar clamps are set-up correctly with the proper side tightened down first and then all bolts properly torqued. Many Super Tenere's have come from the factory with the steering head bearings and top triple clamp nut loose, too, and this can cause some extra vibes. In fact, just about anything that is loose or improperly torqued can cause excess vibration, even if it's not related to the engine, so look for things that don't seem quite *right*.

Cover the basics first, and see if that helps.

But needless to say, everybody vibration threshold and sensitivity to frequencies is different. One man's pleasant throb can be another one's nightmare. Try to note the exact engine speeds and RPM's you feel the vibes, and in what gear and road speed. Sometimes if you can isolate exactly where you are having a problem helps to find what's causing it, as well as helping to find a solution.

Good Luck, and Congrats on the new bike! ::008::

Dallara




~

 

[MotoJunky]

Congrats on the purchase! I'm glad you posted several "opportunities" for improvement and others gave the break in info as a solution. Before this thread, I didn't know any better and figured I was starting to show symptoms of carpel tunnel. I too will wait for the 5k mile break in.


5k> ::024::

 

[TXTenere]

The other thing I noticed is that even after only 1 hour of riding I am getting quite a bit of handlebar vibration problems....not noticeable problems with the handlebar vibrating, but my fingers feeling like friggin' tuning forks at the end of the ride. I've already started pining over the anti-vibration Rox risers.

I have two S10's -- one came out of the factory with a fair amount of vibrations, but smoothed out very well after a few thousand miles. S10 #2 came out of the factory with almost no vibrations, but still the engine is feeling better and better with every mile that I've put on it; up to 750 miles on it as of today. I don't know why there is a difference, but there is. Regardless, I am certain your motor will smooth out before too long and the vibrations will become a non-issue, as has been the case for several members here.

 

[barkingllizard]

The other thing I noticed is that even after only 1 hour of riding I am getting quite a bit of handlebar vibration problems....not noticeable problems with the handlebar vibrating, but my fingers feeling like friggin' tuning forks at the end of the ride.

THAT IS YOUR ANSWER right there, IT IS NOT the handlebars vibrating... there is no vibration... IT IS THE POSITION OF YOUR HANDLEBARS...
I had the experience of numb fingers and rotated the handlebars back did not help BUT rotating them forward was dramatic...
When I moved the seat into 'high' position I had to rotate the handlebars further forward...

In normal touring there is no vibration on the Super Tenere and anyone who says there is has not had the bike adjusted for their body.....

 

[arjayes]

In normal touring there is no vibration on the Super Tenere and anyone who says there is has not had the bike adjusted for their body.....

Quite a definitive statement there. Are you speaking for all Teneres based on your sample of one? How is excessive vibration related to getting the bike adjusted for you ergonomically?

I came from a KLR to the Tenere and the Tenere vibes were initially way more intense than my KLR. But as many here have attested, it got better with miles, and the gen II reflash seemed to help as well. Now it's just a gnarly-ass pussycat!

 

[MotoJunky]

In normal touring there is no vibration on the Super Tenere and anyone who says there is has not had the bike adjusted for their body.....

Quite a definitive statement there. Are you speaking for all Teneres based on your sample of one? How is excessive vibration related to getting the bike adjusted for you ergonomically?

I came from a KLR to the Tenere and the Tenere vibes were initially way more intense than my KLR. But as many here have attested, it got better with miles, and the gen II reflash seemed to help as well. Now it's just a gnarly-ass pussycat!

::017::

 

[frez]

Most people that start on other bikes and when they move to BMWs they hate their indicators at first, although some like the old K series had indicator switches like the S10, it's just something you will get used to.

The vibrations do settle. I picked my bike up in February and have put nearly 8000 miles on it now. Like the other guys have said, the engine is now noticeably smoother and also I have found that the fuel economy has got better. Make sure you are not gripping the bars too tight, a light touch is best and it will also improve your control.

 

[barkingllizard]

Quite a definitive statement there. Are you speaking for all Teneres based on your sample of one?

What else would I base it on??? My experience, research and the company...
Did I get the only Super Tenere without the magical vibration [every Bacon Maple Waffleiron Kool-Aid drinkers whines about]???

How is excessive vibration related to getting the bike adjusted for you ergonomically?

The numbness described above is exactly the result of bad ergonomics...
Hands, butt and feet... work on some changes before dismissing the bike...
Add wheel bearings, tires, tire balance, suspension adjustment saddle support, body lean, handle bar position, arm position and forward lean...

There are bunches of things to check and adjust before suggesting the Yamaha Engineers [who have more Dakar Wins then BMW]
don't know what they are doing, which was designing a purpose driven motorcycle for the long ride and not re-purposing a 100+ year old engine...
But I did hear BMW added some water to the old engine and also brought a bunch of engines from Husqvarna...

I came from a KLR to the Tenere and the Tenere vibes were initially way more intense than my KLR.

Really??? Wow, I suspect I will have to dump my Super Tenere with its state of the art engine and get a thumper, if I'm lucky I could get one with a carburettor...

::021::

 

[Rasher]

Most people that start on other bikes and when they move to BMWs they hate their indicators at first, although some like the old K series had indicator switches like the S10, it's just something you will get used to.

I bought a GS after 25 years of Jap bikes and hated the indicator switches, never got used to them and was really happy going back to "normal" ones with the S10.

I thought the GS vibrated more (2008 model) but it was a different type of vibration, both bikes would eventually give me numb right hand - I use a simple throttle lock cruise control so I don't have to grip the bar tight to keep throttle open on long cruises and the problem is solved.

ECU Flash smoothed mine a bit, and it possibly has also got better with age (or I have become more accustomed to it) as I really do not notice the vibes much anymore.

It also costs a lot less to service and does not go wrong as much, well at all (touch wood) to be precise, probably the best thing about the Yamaha is not worrying what is going to go wrong next, or be discovered on the next service, two years on and have not once heard "they all do that sir" from the dealer.

 

[arjayes]

::021::

You're obviously quite passionate about this. Look, I wasn't trying to pick a fight, but don't you think it's a bit conceited to believe that every person who complains about vibrations on the Tenere is delusional just because you didn't experience any? How about people who find the stock seat uncomfortable, or don't like the stock windshield, or bitch about the off-idle stumble, or find the stock suspension lacking? Are they all delusional as well?

It's clear from the many posts here about it that some people find the vibrations excessive. It's also clear that it's a subjective thing and varies from bike to bike. What's not clear (except to you) is whether what the OP complained about was due to excessive vibrations or to improper handlebar position. But that's beside the point. I just couldn't let this outlandish statement go: "In normal touring there is no vibration on the Super Tenere and anyone who says there is has not had the bike adjusted for their body....." Do you really believe that?

My Tenere vibrated like crazy for the first 500+ miles but smoothed out pretty quickly after that. I have no complaints now, but the vibrations were real and had nothing to do with my handlebar position.

Now, back to the topic of this thread. Sorry for the hijack ...

 

[TXTenere]

THAT IS YOUR ANSWER right there, IT IS NOT the handlebars vibrating... there is no vibration... IT IS THE POSITION OF YOUR HANDLEBARS...
I had the experience of numb fingers and rotated the handlebars back did not help BUT rotating them forward was dramatic...
When I moved the seat into 'high' position I had to rotate the handlebars further forward...

In normal touring there is no vibration on the Super Tenere and anyone who says there is has not had the bike adjusted for their body.....

I have two S10's. Both have handlebars adjusted the same. One vibrates, and one does not. The one that vibrates has gotten better the more miles that I've added to it, almost to the point where it hardly vibrates now. Since they're both adjusted the same, how do you explain one with vibrations and one without?