bmac
Active Member
First a little background: I am 55 years old, 6'2" and 230 pounds. I have been riding since I was 16 and have owned about 25 bikes. I currently have a 2014 Yamaha FZ-09 and a 2007 Aprilia Tuono in addition to the Super Tenere. I have spent a fair amount of time on the track in both cars and on motorcycles, no racing, but open track days or driving schools.
In late 2011 and early 2012 I became intrigued by the Super Tenere and the ergonomics that it offered. My current rides were a 2006 FJR1300 and a 2003 Aprilia Tuono. The FJR was nice but it was a little heavy and I was a little cramped riding it for more than an hour or so.
In February of 2012 I struck a deal to pick up a Super Tenere as soon as the weather cleared in March. When I picked it up I immediately felt comfortable. The 20 mile ride home was great and the bike felt fairly light on its feet for such a big bike. This thing really handles quite well. The riding position is just about perfect for me. I had originally thought about keeping the FJR but after riding the S10 for about a month I decided to sell it. The FJR had a better motor and adjustable windscreen but other than that the edge went to the S10. I knew if I kept the FJR that I would not be riding it much.
As the weather improved and I started riding some more I made a few changes. I ordered the factory side cases, Madstad bracket, Yamaha's tall windscreen, and a Corbin seat. The Madstad bracket is great but I did not care for either of Yamaha's windscreens. I tried one other but ultimately decided on the Powerbronze 21 inch clear windscreen. The combination proved to be just about perfect. With proper adjustment I was able to ride without earplugs and no wind noise to speak of. By the way my helmet is an Arai XD-4. The Corbin seat fit me just right and improved the ride considerably. The luggage was ok but the locks suck. They mounted up real easy and offered decent space but I would just rate them as ok, they could be a lot better.
With the changes I made the bike was set up just right for me. During the summer of 2012 I used the bike for mostly short rides locally with nothing more than a couple of hours. I was still traveling for work so I was not home as much as I would like. I initially felt the bike handled really well and after spending some time on it this was confirmed. The bike rolls into turns very nicely and is relatively easy to make the quick transitions from side to side. The suspension was quite compliant and damping seemed quite good as well. We have a lot of bumpy roads up here in Wisconsin and the bike felt very composed even hitting bumps in mid corner. The long travel suspension was a real plus especially when I took the wife along. We never bottomed out while we would do so frequently when riding the FJR. Overall, I felt the handling of the S10 was excellent. It provided good feel for both the front and rear tires that I was pretty confident that I could run it pretty hard.
Overall, the bike was very good, but there were a few things that I thought could be improved. The 4 areas where I felt could be better were all related to the engine.
1. I felt it was a little short on power for a 1200. It had decent pull from the bottom but it was not as strong as I had hoped.
2. The fueling was not quite right, the lower gear power restrictions were annoying, and there really was not much of a difference between the touring and sport modes.
3. The engine produced a little more vibration than I would like.
4. The engine sound was a little too industrial for me and lacked character.
The more I rode the bike the bike the more I felt it could use more power. I know many folks are quite happy with the power output but I was not completely satisfied. I did not understand why Yamaha would choose to restrict the power in the lower gears. The bike did not make gobs of power to begin with and the guys that are going to be buying these things have been around the block a few times. If anything the 600's and 1000's they sell to the young and inexperienced should get their nanny controls. At certain RPM's the vibration level got annoying. It was ok for short periods but something I would definitely notice on longer rides. I don't listen to music when I ride as I like to listen to the sounds of the road. A good sounding exhaust note is a nice plus but the S10 did nothing for me.
Up until the spring of this year I put about 11,000 miles on the bike. Overall, it has been a good time. In late May I decided to take a road trip to San Francisco to visit family. When I left I had no real plan on how long I would be gone. It ended up that I was only gone for 10 days. I rode 4700 miles in 8 days with 2 days of family time in the middle. This trip took me through the mountains of Colorado as well as the open spaces in Utah and Nevada.
A couple of things I learned while spending long days in the saddle at relatively high speed. The engine did not have enough power to keep me happy and the vibration level was higher than I wanted to deal with. Granted, I was spending some long days in the saddle riding as much as 800 miles in a day. Each day after a couple of hours I ended up spending a lot of time thinking about the vibration. I spent a lot of time above 4000 RPM's and this is where it was the worst. One side note: I had not done a throttle body sync so to some degree that could have caused some of the vibration.
When I got back I decided that some changes were in order. To deal with some of the issues I had I decided to order the ECU-unleashed gen 2 and a Staintune slip on. This was completed in a couple of weeks. The flash improved things considerably but I still felt it was not quite strong enough. The sound improved only slightly.
The 2012 Super Tenere is a very good motorcycle but for me, it is not as good as it can be. I decided to look at other options. The 2014 ES was just becoming available but I was not convinced the large number of small changes would significantly improve the bike. I looked at all the bikes that are available. I had pretty much written off BMW due to the price and quality issues they continue to have but took one for a test ride anyway. I would be most tempted by the new GS but the dealer had an RT demo ready to go so I took it for a ride. The engine felt pretty strong especially as the revs rose but I did not like the feel of the engine. It was not nearly as smooth as I thought it would be. Next on the list was the Ducati Multistrada. It had good power but was a lot of money and at the end of the day it really did not get my juices going. Next up was the new Aprilia Caponord. The closest dealer is 5 hours away but fortunately my son lives only 10 minutes away from them. The test ride went very well. The bike felt really good. It seemed to carry its weight really well and handling was excellent. It was a bike worth considering but a few things kept gnawing on me. Closest dealer is 5 hours away. Dealer network in the US sucks as well as resale value if I need to off it. Too many hurdles to get past to feel comfortable picking up the Aprilia.
So this long story brings me back to the 2014 Super Tenere ES. I really like Yamaha and the quality bikes they produce. There are none better. I decided to stop by the local Yamaha dealer to see what the numbers would look like to trade my 2012 with 17k in on one. Seeing as leftover 12's and 13's were selling as cheap as 10k I was not too confident. I was estimating it would be between 7 or 8 grand to make the change. When the dealer came back with my bike plus $5,500 I did not know what to say. I really was not prepared to buy a new bike. Their condition was that I leave the luggage on the bike. Since I thought the luggage could be improved I accepted their offer with the stipulation that I take the bike for a test ride before the papers were signed. They agreed with the condition from the owner that if I knew right away that I did not like the bike to bring it back and not put on any more miles than necessary. Agreed.
The demo ride was very short. It was 4 miles long. I knew after the first mile that the deal was getting done. I turned around and told them to write it up and I would be back in 2 hours to pick it up. That was a couple of weeks ago.
That brings us to current day. I have put just a little over 1000 miles on the bike. Yamaha took a very good motorcycle and turned it into an exceptional motorcycle. The vibration is virtually gone and what little vibration is left is inconsequential. The power difference between my flashed 12 and this 14 is hard to believe. The 14 feels stronger everywhere and acceleration is substantially improved. I no longer feel the need to drop a couple of gears every time I need to get somewhere fast. Not only that but the changes in the exhaust have also improved the sound dramatically. It really sounds GOOD!
I was in Florida this past spring during bike week and talked with one of the guys that leads some of the demo rides. He was an Iron Butt guy that rides a lot. He stated that they collect all the information they receive talking with owners and relays it to Yamaha. He stated that Yamaha listened to the S10 owners and addressed their concerns. He was right! There are a whole bunch of little changes that add up to a significant improvement.
I am really happy with the deal I got and the bike overall. I was looking to keep 3 or 4 bikes but know I think 2 might do as this one is so good.
One other thing, I went with Givi Trekker cases. 37L on the left and 48L on the right. I can get my helmet in the 48 which is great news. Overall, these cases are a significant improvements over the previous set up. I spent a lot of time researching them and after almost going in a different direction I am sure I made the right decision. The locking system is excellent and the cases can be removed in seconds as needed.
If you are in the market for a Super Tenere take a 14 for a ride before you buy a discounted 12 or 13. I value comfort and performance and the 14 delivers that in spades.
In late 2011 and early 2012 I became intrigued by the Super Tenere and the ergonomics that it offered. My current rides were a 2006 FJR1300 and a 2003 Aprilia Tuono. The FJR was nice but it was a little heavy and I was a little cramped riding it for more than an hour or so.
In February of 2012 I struck a deal to pick up a Super Tenere as soon as the weather cleared in March. When I picked it up I immediately felt comfortable. The 20 mile ride home was great and the bike felt fairly light on its feet for such a big bike. This thing really handles quite well. The riding position is just about perfect for me. I had originally thought about keeping the FJR but after riding the S10 for about a month I decided to sell it. The FJR had a better motor and adjustable windscreen but other than that the edge went to the S10. I knew if I kept the FJR that I would not be riding it much.
As the weather improved and I started riding some more I made a few changes. I ordered the factory side cases, Madstad bracket, Yamaha's tall windscreen, and a Corbin seat. The Madstad bracket is great but I did not care for either of Yamaha's windscreens. I tried one other but ultimately decided on the Powerbronze 21 inch clear windscreen. The combination proved to be just about perfect. With proper adjustment I was able to ride without earplugs and no wind noise to speak of. By the way my helmet is an Arai XD-4. The Corbin seat fit me just right and improved the ride considerably. The luggage was ok but the locks suck. They mounted up real easy and offered decent space but I would just rate them as ok, they could be a lot better.
With the changes I made the bike was set up just right for me. During the summer of 2012 I used the bike for mostly short rides locally with nothing more than a couple of hours. I was still traveling for work so I was not home as much as I would like. I initially felt the bike handled really well and after spending some time on it this was confirmed. The bike rolls into turns very nicely and is relatively easy to make the quick transitions from side to side. The suspension was quite compliant and damping seemed quite good as well. We have a lot of bumpy roads up here in Wisconsin and the bike felt very composed even hitting bumps in mid corner. The long travel suspension was a real plus especially when I took the wife along. We never bottomed out while we would do so frequently when riding the FJR. Overall, I felt the handling of the S10 was excellent. It provided good feel for both the front and rear tires that I was pretty confident that I could run it pretty hard.
Overall, the bike was very good, but there were a few things that I thought could be improved. The 4 areas where I felt could be better were all related to the engine.
1. I felt it was a little short on power for a 1200. It had decent pull from the bottom but it was not as strong as I had hoped.
2. The fueling was not quite right, the lower gear power restrictions were annoying, and there really was not much of a difference between the touring and sport modes.
3. The engine produced a little more vibration than I would like.
4. The engine sound was a little too industrial for me and lacked character.
The more I rode the bike the bike the more I felt it could use more power. I know many folks are quite happy with the power output but I was not completely satisfied. I did not understand why Yamaha would choose to restrict the power in the lower gears. The bike did not make gobs of power to begin with and the guys that are going to be buying these things have been around the block a few times. If anything the 600's and 1000's they sell to the young and inexperienced should get their nanny controls. At certain RPM's the vibration level got annoying. It was ok for short periods but something I would definitely notice on longer rides. I don't listen to music when I ride as I like to listen to the sounds of the road. A good sounding exhaust note is a nice plus but the S10 did nothing for me.
Up until the spring of this year I put about 11,000 miles on the bike. Overall, it has been a good time. In late May I decided to take a road trip to San Francisco to visit family. When I left I had no real plan on how long I would be gone. It ended up that I was only gone for 10 days. I rode 4700 miles in 8 days with 2 days of family time in the middle. This trip took me through the mountains of Colorado as well as the open spaces in Utah and Nevada.
A couple of things I learned while spending long days in the saddle at relatively high speed. The engine did not have enough power to keep me happy and the vibration level was higher than I wanted to deal with. Granted, I was spending some long days in the saddle riding as much as 800 miles in a day. Each day after a couple of hours I ended up spending a lot of time thinking about the vibration. I spent a lot of time above 4000 RPM's and this is where it was the worst. One side note: I had not done a throttle body sync so to some degree that could have caused some of the vibration.
When I got back I decided that some changes were in order. To deal with some of the issues I had I decided to order the ECU-unleashed gen 2 and a Staintune slip on. This was completed in a couple of weeks. The flash improved things considerably but I still felt it was not quite strong enough. The sound improved only slightly.
The 2012 Super Tenere is a very good motorcycle but for me, it is not as good as it can be. I decided to look at other options. The 2014 ES was just becoming available but I was not convinced the large number of small changes would significantly improve the bike. I looked at all the bikes that are available. I had pretty much written off BMW due to the price and quality issues they continue to have but took one for a test ride anyway. I would be most tempted by the new GS but the dealer had an RT demo ready to go so I took it for a ride. The engine felt pretty strong especially as the revs rose but I did not like the feel of the engine. It was not nearly as smooth as I thought it would be. Next on the list was the Ducati Multistrada. It had good power but was a lot of money and at the end of the day it really did not get my juices going. Next up was the new Aprilia Caponord. The closest dealer is 5 hours away but fortunately my son lives only 10 minutes away from them. The test ride went very well. The bike felt really good. It seemed to carry its weight really well and handling was excellent. It was a bike worth considering but a few things kept gnawing on me. Closest dealer is 5 hours away. Dealer network in the US sucks as well as resale value if I need to off it. Too many hurdles to get past to feel comfortable picking up the Aprilia.
So this long story brings me back to the 2014 Super Tenere ES. I really like Yamaha and the quality bikes they produce. There are none better. I decided to stop by the local Yamaha dealer to see what the numbers would look like to trade my 2012 with 17k in on one. Seeing as leftover 12's and 13's were selling as cheap as 10k I was not too confident. I was estimating it would be between 7 or 8 grand to make the change. When the dealer came back with my bike plus $5,500 I did not know what to say. I really was not prepared to buy a new bike. Their condition was that I leave the luggage on the bike. Since I thought the luggage could be improved I accepted their offer with the stipulation that I take the bike for a test ride before the papers were signed. They agreed with the condition from the owner that if I knew right away that I did not like the bike to bring it back and not put on any more miles than necessary. Agreed.
The demo ride was very short. It was 4 miles long. I knew after the first mile that the deal was getting done. I turned around and told them to write it up and I would be back in 2 hours to pick it up. That was a couple of weeks ago.
That brings us to current day. I have put just a little over 1000 miles on the bike. Yamaha took a very good motorcycle and turned it into an exceptional motorcycle. The vibration is virtually gone and what little vibration is left is inconsequential. The power difference between my flashed 12 and this 14 is hard to believe. The 14 feels stronger everywhere and acceleration is substantially improved. I no longer feel the need to drop a couple of gears every time I need to get somewhere fast. Not only that but the changes in the exhaust have also improved the sound dramatically. It really sounds GOOD!
I was in Florida this past spring during bike week and talked with one of the guys that leads some of the demo rides. He was an Iron Butt guy that rides a lot. He stated that they collect all the information they receive talking with owners and relays it to Yamaha. He stated that Yamaha listened to the S10 owners and addressed their concerns. He was right! There are a whole bunch of little changes that add up to a significant improvement.
I am really happy with the deal I got and the bike overall. I was looking to keep 3 or 4 bikes but know I think 2 might do as this one is so good.
One other thing, I went with Givi Trekker cases. 37L on the left and 48L on the right. I can get my helmet in the 48 which is great news. Overall, these cases are a significant improvements over the previous set up. I spent a lot of time researching them and after almost going in a different direction I am sure I made the right decision. The locking system is excellent and the cases can be removed in seconds as needed.
If you are in the market for a Super Tenere take a 14 for a ride before you buy a discounted 12 or 13. I value comfort and performance and the 14 delivers that in spades.
