so was part of the attraction 'being different'

[groundhog]

I didn't buy my S10 to try and be different. I bought it because I thought it was the ideal bike for me - and it is !

Having said that I can't help liking the fact that on 99 rides out of 100 my S10 is the only one I see...........and it's not a beemer !

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I never concerned myself about being different or making myself part of any particular demographic. I do what feels good, makes me smile, and does no harm to others. Simple really.

::026::

I do tend to shun many fads that are popular at any given time. But my bike cost me money. I'm getting what makes me happy. All three of my Teneres have made me happy. I suspect the fourth one will, too.

 

[DamMechanic]

I guess for me the value of being different is money in my pocket. I've owned a real Husaberg, MZ Skorpion Traveller, GasGas, Buell Ulysses and now my S10.
Each one I have purchased at a great price because they were not a mainstream bike and they have all been fantastic rides. But I will have to say ,I do like pulling up on a bike that no one else has.
I test rode a couple Harley's and while they cruise down the highway nice, Its just not my thing. Too much to see to be stuck to pavement.

 

[ace50]

Got to admit, I probably wouldn't have an S10 if it wasn't for my friend who rode one earlier that year and then raved about it.
I wanted the new Kaw Versys 1K. Downside was chain, none at the dealer and more expensive.
Glad I took his advice.! ::013::

 

[EricV]

Let's face it - had someone offered me a GS for the same price as my 2014 ES, with the same reliability, and the same maintenance cost. Plus spare parts and farkles for the same prices - I would be riding a Beemer.
But there ain't no Easter Bunny either, and so I am pretty, pretty happy with my S10.
And I like being a little different too. That's why I picked the Aerostich gear over Klim or Pelican panniers of shiny metal boxes (and yeah - they were a tad cheaper too

+1, but you'd have to throw in free repairs for 10 years too. I'd politely refuse a BMW if I was given one, or sell it immediately at a discounted price. Unlike the OP, my BMW experiences have not been positive ones, (nor do they continue to be).

The bike is a tool to take me places. It's not some funky extension of my personality or a device to show off to others or pimp me to women. I wear a Klim jacket now because I spent over a decade in an Aerostich Darien. I'll go back to a Aerostich most likely when the Klim wears out, mostly because the Darien has improved and the Klim is only so-so, missing the mark on several points due to being designed by non-riders. Hmm, sort of like the GS... Never quite put that together until now, but it does explain so much. It's all about getting the customer back into the dealer, no matter what, even if we have to design the bike to fail. Sorry, I digress. In the States, there is more variety in general. And while I do occasionally see crowds of BMW bikes in the wild, it's usually at the Starbucks. That said, I was pleasantly surprised to see a solid turn out of them in Dawson City, Alaska during the Dust To Dawson event in'14. A little less impressed when I learned that 90% of them came from Fairbanks. Only a day ride away.

I'm me. If that's different from you, it's just different from you. It doesn't matter if you ride the same bike or a different one, just get out and ride it.

 

[BMC55]

I like to ride whatever motorcycle is enjoyable at the time and one that will not give mechanical headaches. If BMW is that motorcycle I would have purchased it. However with continual recalls and never ending posts about final drive, oil seal issues, unenjoyable test drives BMW was not in the picture for my purchase. I test road a 2013 Tenere and did not like it because of severe vibration at highway speeds of 70 mph or higher. When a friend let me test ride his 2014 that is the bike that won me over. Along with never ending comments about the bullet proof nature of the motorcycle. Also a friend who is the service manager of a local dealership said if you want trouble free riding go for the Tenere. That made my choice. At 60 years old and 48 years of riding motorcycles to be different doesn't enter into the equation. A comfortable, reasonable power, and trouble free riding experience is what I value most.

 

[Ramseybella]

My mom told me something a long time ago while I was going through my teenage years and wanted to be different from others. She said, even if everybody were wearing blue jeans, they wouldn't fit everybody the same way.
We can't be different because there is nothing new under the sun. Being different is just an illusion of the mind. We all fall into one category or another.

Words of Wisdom...

With that I own a Tenere due to the fact I wanted it the first time I saw one but couldn't afford one. So I bought a used 1998 Triumph Tiger that thing would draw folks to it like a moth to a flame it was big and Fugly and what a quick motor it stood out more than any bike on the road.
I stuck with Triumph until my Tiger 1050 was totaled by a Volvo!!
I came close to buying a Tiger 800 but the seat location on it was to short and I had my day with chains.
Then when I was on the search a month later for another bike I saw my used Tenere on Craigslist Colorado with the Woody's Wheels conversion..
I asked my friend lets take a road trip to Denver and check it out..
I was sold it just fit and never looked back.
Some people label Jap bikes as being soulless to refined I can agree on some bikes.
But Yamaha, and I have had a few just sort of walks a different path to be a little bit different.
I think if they advertise more or even at all it would pull the sales up on this bike.
I love the looks of the older air head BMW's mid 80's I sort of the B&F like my 98 Tiger, it's so ugly it's cool.
I was at my local Mechanics shop the other day and spotted a early 2k GS and thought my god this thing looks way over sized.

 

[HBLQRider]

I wanted Yamaha reliability.

::022::

 

[racer]

Whoa, wait a minute..............BMW makes motorcycles?

 

[Arkyrider]

I ride with several cruisers and they really don't like it when the Tenere gets more attention than their cruiser. I guess you could say it draws attention because it is different but that's not the reason I bought it. I test rode this bike at a rally and knew then it was the bike I wanted, indifferent or not.

 

[VRODE]

I did lots of research. Reliability was a must. My '02 FZ1 is the most reliable motorcycle I've ever owned. If the Tenere is close (and all evidence points to that) I'll be thrilled. Also, the local Yamaha dealer/service is pretty good. And I like the way it looks (life is too short to ride ugly motorcycles). The demo ride clinched what I already suspected.

 

[trainman]

sounds like in the USA and Canada you stand out by not having a HD or another cruiser and also quite a few are dedicated followers of Yamaha

until recently the UK best sellers seemed to be Japanese in line 4's whether mid sized or big tourers/race rep's, adventure bikes have sold many more in the last 5 years though in my opinion and the tide is turning

being a fan of twin's for years and an avid reader of bike mag's I don't understand how I missed the S10 for so long, I only saw it when I happened to be in the dealers one day, anyway as someone else here put it 'the test ride clinched it',

 

[Scouse]

I had a GS1150 for several years, it was a great bike and very reliable, but I was disappointed with the finish on it, paint peeling off engine casings and fork legs. Eventually after 6 years I grew a little bored of it and fancied a change. I had a few test rides on the GS1200 but I just couldn't take to the bike.
I had visited the Moto Guzzi factory around this time and had seen the new Stelvio, I knew I had to have one, and eventually I owned two of them over five and a half years......fantastic motorcycle. It was during my period of Guzzi ownership that I realised how common BMW GS's had become, every man and his dog seemed to have one, the Moto Guzzi IMHO had superior build quality to the BMWs and the V twin engine felt so different. Wherever I went with the Stelvio many bikers would enquire about it, it often drew a crowd. It felt good to be a little different.
An old hand and wrist injury, and a 'gammy' right knee led to me swapping the Stelvio for the S10. I needed a bike with a lighter clutch, and a lower centre of gravity, and it had to have shaft drive, the Yamaha fitted the bill nicely, and there aren't hordes of them riding the roads around here.
I am certainly not anti BMW, I have owned several of the older airhead twins over the last 42 years, and still run a 1990 R100gs, but I do think that modern BMW motorcycles lack the quality of earlier models.

 

[barkingllizard]

Whoa, wait a minute..............BMW makes motorcycles?

Do they have turn signal indicators???

 

[2daMax]

It was Yamaha's reliability I was after. There is only 2 S10 in my state, so that makes it rare. In fact, I got more people staring at my bike, some even inspecting it, when it was parked than my previous bike, a Versys 650.

 

[Bryce]

I actually bought my Super Tenere at a BMW demo ride.... or the week after.
I went to a Demo ride that was being hosted and lead by a few people I know locally.
I tested the R1200GSA, but really wanted to test a F800GSA but they didn't have one to test).
After that, the guy hosting the event showed me the Super Tenere they had in the showroom (it was a multi-brand dealership). One of the ride leaders had a '13 there that he let me ride (he's a member here: Yorkie). Honeslty, I'd say the BMW was the better bike.

I knew I wanted a larger displacement Adventure Tourer... BMW was at the top of the list, but in my heart, I just could not spend what they are asking in my parts.
I looked at a hardly used '15 R1200GSA, but it sold before I went for it, and I'm OK with that.
A week after the event, I made a deal on a different Super Tenere at one of this dealers other locations (same salesman) that had the side cases on it already.

I don't regret my decision.. I got a great deal on a left over '14 Super Tenere (non-ES) and haven't had buyers remorse.

to me it came down to the perceived reliability of the Yamaha vs the BMW and cost.

 

[Harry Dresden PI]

My decision to buy my 2015 S10 ES was primarily defined by the many magazine, you tube and this forum posts I read ... However I was only became certain of my purchase due to a Demo Ride at the Orlando motorcycle show.

I also had already owned a 2011 GS1150 which while a good bike, I never fell in love with it.

One interesting point on owning a S10 in central Florida ... many people have never seen one ... and often at motorcycle events people will skip over the many $$$ cruisers and come to my S10 and ask questions ... Happens at least once a month

 

[Raptula]

I have a disability from a childhood accident and need a really tall bike. The Super Tenere is the only street bike I found that I can operate without having to custom fabricate. Originally I wanted a V-Strom, but that didn't work. One day I threw my leg over a Super Tenere and found a perfect fit, and have been a happy rider ever since!

 

[silvergoose]

I have gotten over "Mine is bigger,faster or costs more" Now it is what pleases, fits and gives me the pleasure I am looking for.

Cookie cutter wantabes have never been an attraction.

Ride, safe, ride far and Good Luck

 

[itlives]

Short answer to the original question - No.

I was at a Honda NC700X camp/ride called the Hillbilly Hangout. One of the leaders of the pack (Bug Dr. here) showed up on his Tenere. I really liked it. When I got back home, there was a 2012 trade-in at the Honda dealer and my credit score was fixing to tank (divorce does that sometimes) so I snapped it up while my credit score was relatively intact. Glad I did!