A mate of mine just tested the Tenere and Explorer back to back.
He liked them both a lot, but coming off a Jap four found the Triumph motor more exciting, and then then when it came to deal time a brand new Explorer was less money than the Ex Demo Yamaha - and about £1500 cheaper than a new Yamaha.
The Yamaha is a great long term ownership proposition, but this will never show up on a test ride, the zippy performance and sharp steering of the Triumph will always impress on a short ride - maybe less so in terrible conditions, fierce side winds and on loose ground, but during that 30 minute ride around the block from the dealer the Yamaha will not shine.
It has Traction Control ABS and Cruise Control so spec wise stacks up quite well, and with a 3 cylinder motor just seems to provide much better value than the Yamaha.
Until someone in Japan wakes up and prices the Yamaha below BMW / Triumph money tehy are gonna continue to sell slow, all the delaers I have spoken to say the same, they can only shift Ex Dem Tenere's, so that is one bike per dealer per year.
Come on Mr Yamaha stop trying to ::002:: and price the bike where it will sell, regardless of how much better Yamaha think the Tenere is compared to a GS, the buying public still regard (wrongly or very wrongly. or extremely wrongly) the BMW to be a premium product, and the Yamaha just to be a Jap bike - and all the other Jap bikes are cheaper.