Potential New Tenere Owner

[RidgeRunner]

In my 50's. Been riding most of my life. Currently have a Triumph Bonneville T100. It is a great little fun bike but not much for offroad. Have had big cruisers in the past. Had a Suzuki DR650 a couple of years ago and was really enjoying getting back into the dirt thing. Kept me in good shape too. Truck hit me. Shattered left arm. Totaled bike. I'm going on and on ain't I? Thing is I kinda promised the wife I'd keep it down to one bike since the accident and that has got me seriously looking at the Tenere, the Explorer or the BMW gs. (Just about ruled out the Beemer soley on the 6000 mile valve adjustment thing.) Anyway, just want some input. Been scouring forum and have concerns (especially about the hard starting problems some are having). In the videos i've watched the bike looks a bit awkward in the dirt sometimes. The front end looks heavy on small jumps. I know it's not a dirt bike but I want the best of both worlds I reckon. Hard to do on one bike I know. I don't have the time to spend countles hours using "search engine". Anyway, any and all input welcome.

 

[EJV]

Buy one. You'll like it.




(I'm so helpful. )

 

[rem]

Welcome on, RidgeRunner from Alabama. Well, what can I say ??? A lot, actually, but I'll spare you. EJV summed it up pretty well. I had my bike for a year before I toasted it, and never had any starting issues. I dunno .... My new gray one is waiting for me down at Yukon Yamaha right now. Waiting for the snow to melt ... the temperature to rise .... the roads to clear .... stuff like that there. Good luck with it. ::004:: to the Forum. By the way, I'm gonna move this post to Member Intros. More people will find you there. R ::022::

 

[klunsford]

If you want something that will do it all, the best decision is the Tenere of the bikes you listed. You can get on it and ride 1k then turn off of the pavement and go just about anywhere you want to go. I haven't had any issues with the hard starting at all. I just hit the start button and it goes.... I also was looking at the Big three that you are looking at. Each has it's own "thing" that they do fairly well. It finally came down to the dealer network and the reliabiltiy of the machine. I have over 8k on my S10 and am looking forward to the next 8k.

 

[clint64]

Welcome to the fourm.

I too looked at the same three bikes you are considering but also added in the Tiger 800 to the pot. Each bike did have it's own strengths but when I considered the dealer network and the reliability of Yamaha, I decided on the Tenere. Since I am a new owner, I can not speak to any issues but I do expect the bike to perform over the long haul. I would suggest a test ride on all the bikes if possible and pick the one that ticks your boxes. Good luck with your search

 

[Rasher]

(Just about ruled out the Beemer soley on the 6000 mile valve adjustment thing.)

That would be the least of your worries, the chancing of hitting 6k without an FPC / EWS / FD Failure are pretty slim, then theres always soemthing else wrong with them when you do take it in for the 6k service.

Can't see you going too far wrong with the Yamaha, pretty much the same performance / handling as the GS, the Explorer is a road bike, if you think the Yamaha looks hard to handle in the dirt you won't be wanting the Triumph - it is a great bike, a mate of mine has one and loves it (on the road) but it has the steering geometery of a GSXR so is not going to be remotely stable on the rough stuff.

I would not worry about the start thing, we are just unable to find anything else to moan about 3 years into production - how many BMW GS were sat at the side of the road with a knacked EWS ring / Fuel pump controller / Failed Final drive at 3 MONTHS into production :question:

 

[barkingllizard]

go for a demo ride, with a simple hello, RidgeRunner.....

 

[kenbike]

I was torn between the same 3 bikes. Lived with a KTM so never again and was watching the BMW and Triumph threads on Adventure Rider and both of them had tons of problems. I almost purchased a Tenere when they first hit the USA a few years ago and instead picked up a used KTM 990 Adv. I sold the KTM and went back to the Yamaha. I really think the bikes from Japan may not have the flash of the others but the are so much more reliable and easier to have work preformed by local dealers. The BMW dealers really draw you in with the value a BMW has but it is a lot of cash for a bike that will break and cost a ton to have fixed.
The Explorer is a very good road bike but top heavy and a few have had a lot of failures with the ECU and wiring.
You won't go wrong with the Yamaha!