Hopefully a soon-to-be new 2012 Super Tenere Owner here. What do I need to know

[TheHelios]

I found a 2012 Super Tenere on cycletrader and very committed to getting it. It's got just over 15k+ miles but was personally owned by the owner of the dealership it's at. It has the skid plate, engine guards, top case, some generic pannier cases, and additional lamps on the front. It's currently at $8500 which I think is a steal with all the accessories and knowing it was owned by someone who knows what they're doing.

I currently have a 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650 in pretty poor cosmetic shape but mechanically and structurally fine with just over 5k miles. I'm hoping to get at least $3k on the trade-in.

My question is: Is there anything I should ask or be looking for when I see the bike in person? It looks damage free in the pictures and the sales person spoke high praises of it as it belonged to the dealership's owner.

 

[Scoobynut]

I can only assume it was serviced at the dealership, so it certainly can't hurt to ask to see any service records for the bike which should be stored on their computer. It either got the best of care, or on the flip side, the dealership owner could've cheaped out on the service. The only real vital thing at 15k miles is that the oil and filter was changed regularly. There are some other service items at those miles too, but the oil is the important one. Ask him also if the differential gear oil was changed at 600 miles and at any time after that. If they can't give any reassurance on those items it would give me a little pause, despite it seeming like a good price with all the added accessories. Good luck, I hope it turns out to be 'the one' for you.

 

[TXTenere]

I can only assume it was serviced at the dealership, so it certainly can't hurt to ask to see any service records for the bike which should be stored on their computer. It either got the best of care, or on the flip side, the dealership owner could've cheaped out on the service. The only real vital thing at 15k miles is that the oil and filter was changed regularly. There are some other service items at those miles too, but the oil is the important one. Ask him also if the differential gear oil was changed at 600 miles and at any time after that. If they can't give any reassurance on those items it would give me a little pause, despite it seeming like a good price with all the added accessories. Good luck, I hope it turns out to be 'the one' for you.

Agree with the above, and everything else that has been said.

My local dealer has a demo Super Tenere that belongs to the sales manager, that was listed for sale when I was looking last November. December (2013), I went into the store to buy it, and when I asked for the service records, I was told "it only has 2,500 miles, so there haven't been any services done." I questioned them regarding the 600 mile/break-in service, and their reply is "we'll throw that in." I pointed out it was about 2,000 miles overdue, and they said "Oh, it doesn't matter that much anyhow, as long as you do the service in the first few thousand miles of service, you don't have anything to worry about."

I bought a Super Tenere that day, but it was the new one that they had on the floor, not the pre-owned one that the sales manager rode.

They've been trying to sell the sales managers bike for a year, and they still have it. They're asking way too much for it.

Moral of the story is as stated above, just because a bike belonged to the owner of the dealership, don't jump to conclusions on the maintenance history of the bike.

 

[Hungry Tiger]

Ask if dealer will give you a good deal on:
1. 2014 model can chain tensioner (CCT).
2. 2014 primary driven gear/clutch basket

 

[snakebitten]

We ARE talking about a Yamaha Super Tenere.....right?

I would like for them to have done the 600 mile service. Simply because it is common practice to.
But this bike isn't a grenade, despite the fear and loathing that a dose of OCD can give ya. ;D

Heck, at the risk of causing a little firestorm, even the recent (last few months) flurry of CCT upgrades are based on one or 2 CCT failures worldwide! Both, I believe, high mileage samples too.

As for the clutch basket, that's NOT a "failure" item. It's simply an upgrade in refinement. It DOES improve the clutch feel and performance substantially, but again, not a item that leaves you stranded.

I personally think that price is a STEAL!!!!!!!
These things are every bit worth MSRP. (In the USA for sure)

 

[longride]

Good price on a great bike. If it looks good and was reasonably serviced, get it. You won't be sorry in the least.

 

[Bigbore4]

What snakebitten said.
Buy it. Service all the fluids yourself when you get it home, then ya know where you are starting from and what fluids are in it.

Don't obsess, never look back. The thing is solid, enjoy the ride.

 

[Derekj]

Great price for a great bike. Serviced or not, these are good machines. If it rides well with no surprises, I would be all over it.

 

[cakeboy]

WHAT DO I NEED TO KNOW ? ----- you need to know your about to make a great move ... ::022::

 

[2112]

It's a no brainer - pull the pin ::008::

 

[BravoBravo]

What do you need to know? Simply that you will have to constantly explain to people why you have a perpetual smile on your mug! ::008::

Bruce

 

[Packer]

Get a screw driver, spin the back wheel and "ping" the spokes. If there are any dull sounds they need sorting. A known issue, I lost a spoke nut and several others were loose at the 3,000 miles mark. The spoke was hanging out of the wheel which is why I noticed it.

The handbook here in the UK says check them before every ride which is a bit of corporate ass covering.

 

[coastie]

Put money aside for gas, oil, and tires. Also ditto on what bravobravo said. The tenere is a tank, and is extremely hard to break.

 

[TheHelios]

Thanks for the input y'all! In contact with the dealer and figuring out how much my trade-in is worth. After that, need to find financing, or just pay it outright, and go from there. SO EXCITED!!! My wife isn't as excited. Hopefully she will be after we go off-roading in the local ditch.

 

[TheHelios]

Whelp, looks like someone bought it this past weekend even though it's been sitting in their lot for months and I was going to pay for it this following weekend. Of course this happens the moment I lay eyes on it.. Guess it's going to be a bit longer until I get back. :'(

 

[AVGeek]

Whelp, looks like someone bought it this past weekend even though it's been sitting in their lot for months and I was going to pay for it this following weekend. Of course this happens the moment I lay eyes on it.. Guess it's going to be a bit longer until I get back. :'(

Ouch, I had a similar thing happen to me this year when I was truck shopping. Keep looking, there are other deals out there!

 

[BravoBravo]

Just a temporary setback. Keep looking. The right bike is out there waiting for you somewhere. ::008::

Bruce

 

[Lutsie]

There are plenty of fish in the sea... and it's the end of the year plenty of deals to be had.