snakebitten said:
I would change the wording just a bit. "Most folks buying Teneres don't actually go off-road much" (and ok, some never)
Sometimes I think the whole issue gets a bit confused because of location and/or availability of road OR the necessity of having to deal with crap roads.
Where I live, and it appears most of the southern Hemisphere, not everything has been paved over. Some of the more interesting and beautiful spots I can get to on something resembling a road are usually in national parks so rarely get paved.
I see many world travelers get to Australia and travel along one of a very few paved sections traversing this country. This is also one of the most boring things you can do.
Secondly, my past experience having ridden bikes in the "race on Sunday Sell on Monday" mold of design were just plain draining on the dirt, so my experience with dirt was somewhat negative and that was on light bikes.
Then I discovered that even a very large and intimidating dirt bike wasn't so bad off road, and was actually quite enjoyable. So that got me thinking about what makes a dirt bike so easy and a road bike so hard.
So I grab this super Ten thing after all the things I saw people do. Guess what? It's not that bad. Makes the slab and the dirt seem easy. Turns out all the Crazy people weren't ALL crazy. It's just the bike has been set up as an all rounder in the first place.
So the pre conceived ideas about dirt were pretty much busted.
SO probably a chicken and egg thing going on as well.
So I think there are a few things going on here.
1) Someone who has had to to do dirt (especially gravel on hardpack) on a RRRace bike will probably be scared.
2) Someone who is used to dirt and considered only weight as the benefit might be surprised.
3) Many people ASSUME that the S10 is a road bike dressed up to be trendy, but then wonder how they got it so wrong.
4) Many people just want to tour and like the comfort and ability to soak up bad tarmac on this style of bike.
5) On tarmac tests the most useless amount of horsepower for day to day riding and the most nervous quick steering is usually the winner for reviewers.
6) many people that can afford this kind of bike can also afford hotels and B&B's so don't consider Off road to be a serious need.
7) There are just places in the world with little dirt left.
I think the guy from Hell For Leather probably was one of the people in Category 1 and 2. The people from MCN UK are definitely in those categories.
I know HFL used to think the S10 was a joke and was quite open about it.
But, for those that didn't catch that recent article here are some choice quotes..
I hated the SuperTen when I first rode it. There, I said it. ......Sure, it was torquey, pulling hard from just 3,000 rpm, but, in fast-moving LA traffic, the engine ran out of steam too soon, redlining at just 7,800rpm and power noticeably tapering off just above 7k in a vibey mess. To make it worse, the engine sounds more like a paint shaker than a big, powerful twin; all mechanical clatter and no exhaust or intake notes. .......
I was prepared to dismiss the SuperTen as just a big tourer disguised as an ADV bike. A slower, taller FJR.........
So the SuperTen isn’t perfect for city riding and isn’t a great tourer either. What the hell is it?
Now because the ADV thing is now trendy he HAD to....
Two days on fire roads up by Lake Hughes, with the video crew requesting pass after pass after pass after pass through what I’d dubbed “the scary water crossing” were spent with wide eyes and my stomach in my throat. But, by the end of them, I was nearing something approaching confidence in the bike off-road.
Now to me that is the definition of adventure. Pushing yourself, getting out of the comfortable rut you are in. But he slowly starts getting it...
So he heads into Death Valley alone and discovers what engineering compromises are all about...
That gearing that felt too low on the highway? Off-road, it’ll deliver immediate torque even sub-2,000rpm. A place I initially found myself quite often before discovering the confidence to plow through obstacles at speed. That engine that felt vibey on the highway? The parallel-twin’s 270-degree firing order delivers two close-together power pulses, separated by a long pause. Looking at a microsecond level, that gap in power pulses allows the tire to regain traction between each one. Not quite a big single, but close enough. That questionable high-speed road handling? Rugged surety over loose surfaces, even loaded down with boxes and a bag full of camping gear and water.
So after a weekend pushing his own personal boundaries....
Now, having taken the big Yamaha way beyond my own limits, if nowhere near its own, I understand it a lot better as a motorcycle. It’s not some shiny exercise in ridiculousness, masquerading as a dirt bike to make touring riders feel better about themselves, it’s an honest-to-god dirt bike that can tour and commute and do all that stuff too.
On the way back from a shoot the other day, Grant, Sean MacDonald and I had a conversation about how weird we felt around city folk after doing incredible stuff in the outdoors. Writing this now, sitting in a fashionable cafe in Hollywood, there’s nothing to tell any of the pretty girls or girlie dudes sitting around me that I’m any different. Except the huge tank parked outside, wearing knobbies and covered head-to-toe in Death Valley’s dust. Knowing it’s out there, just waiting for adventure, is a special feeling. Any motorcycle that can evoke that feeling just by its mere presence, even out of site, is pretty special. Fuck yeah, Yamaha Super Tenere.
So that is the problem any manufacturer faces...
Bow down to the preconceptions or make the real deal all road bike. It's a lot easier just making a bike for the press event and tarmac test rides and the dirt nervous who really just want a comfy touring bike that is "trendy" ATM. and don't know there can be a difference. KTM are a in that bind as well.
So as some one else said the current crop of ADV bikes is just the UJM in disguise to a point. The best thing though is that some are more Universal than others.
To each their own.
It's good to be able to get the choice. If I hadn't been following the S10 closely at the time I may have been one of those people looking at the VFRX and assuming that all things are the same.
It's a good gadget that is more touring than off road but I bet it will handle the soft off road with ease. If everyone was properly informed , had many hours on and off road to evaluate the bike then maybe some more would buy KTM's and S10's, but it will take years for the reality to trickle out there. Even when it does there are still a big percentage that will just want a road bike with some ability to do smooth dirt roads easily.
And BTW I am not defecting and am 90% percent glad I have an S10 in the shed, I would be 99% glad if it wasn't in the shed if you get my drift.
