Sport bike v. Tenere

StefanOnHisS10

Converting fuel into heat, noise and a bit motion
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I’m with @WJBertrand in his post #42 on this topic.
when I ride with my friends in a very mixed group on the Dutch backroads the S10 is the quickest. Our backroads are approx 1,5 car (European, not US truck) wide and give corner after corner with small straights. Their R1, S1000RR and Tuono Factory R can’t get the pace and RPM up high enough. I’m using the torque on the S10 to stay ahead while pegs scrape and my @Mitas E07+ scream for joy. The choppers simply can’t get the lean angle to join.

For the record: All riders are about my age and similar in experience, some even do trackdays, I just ride as much as I can.

Stefan.
 

Longdog Cymru

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I’m with @WJBertrand in his post #42 on this topic.
when I ride with my friends in a very mixed group on the Dutch backroads the S10 is the quickest. Our backroads are approx 1,5 car (European, not US truck) wide and give corner after corner with small straights. Their R1, S1000RR and Tuono Factory R can’t get the pace and RPM up high enough. I’m using the torque on the S10 to stay ahead while pegs scrape and my @Mitas E07+ scream for joy. The choppers simply can’t get the lean angle to join.

For the record: All riders are about my age and similar in experience, some even do trackdays, I just ride as much as I can.

Stefan.
I agree, sports bikes and now the hyper-power naked bikes and Aventure bikes are largely redundant on roads in U.K. and the roads that I have ridden in Europe but still the Willy-wavers of this World buy them.
 

WJBertrand

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I don't see sport mode as a flaw. It's a very valuable tool that makes the riding experience and performance of the bike much better overall.
Agreed, sport mode is not a flaw nor did I imply that it is. I was indicating the abrupt on/off throttle response as the flaw. I think excess engine braking can exaggerates/contribute to this throttle abruptness to some degree, though I am not saying the engine braking in itself is a flaw either. The problem is the transition. I've ridden carbureted bikes with way more engine braking than a stock Super Tenere but that had a much smoother take up upon throttle re-application. Sure you can adapt/train yourself to accommodate the delay/abruptness but if there's an easy fix, why?
 

MattR

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I agree, sports bikes and now the hyper-power naked bikes and Aventure bikes are largely redundant on roads in U.K. and the roads that I have ridden in Europe but still the Willy-wavers of this World buy them.
When I’m riding in Europe I choose my sports tourer every time. It’s made for autobahns and toll roads.


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B

ballisticexchris

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Agreed, sport mode is not a flaw nor did I imply that it is. I was indicating the abrupt on/off throttle response as the flaw. I think excess engine braking can exaggerates/contribute to this throttle abruptness to some degree, though I am not saying the engine braking in itself is a flaw either. The problem is the transition. I've ridden carbureted bikes with way more engine braking than a stock Super Tenere but that had a much smoother take up upon throttle re-application. Sure you can adapt/train yourself to accommodate the delay/abruptness but if there's an easy fix, why?
That's cool Jeff. I've jumped from different bikes to bikes so much that I'm used to the different motor characteristics of each one. The sport mode took a little getting used to on the Super Tenere. Now I use it almost exclusively.
 

Sierra1

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When I’m riding in Europe I choose my sports tourer every time. It’s made for autobahns and toll roads.
Proper tool for the job works every time.

I love the quick response of the throttle, but that's just me. I can see where some can think it to be either on or off. There's a little "play" in there, but not much. :)
 

jeckyll

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Agree that the roads you ride on have a lot to do with it (and how far into 'hooligan mode' you go).

On tight twisty roads, I'd also venture that I'm about as fast on a KLR as I am on the Super T (and both are a bit faster than on a sportbike due to the nature of the roads). That's vetted over about 10 years of riding with people on sportbikes, all of us doing track days and also touring.

Doesn't mean I'm rushing to sell my Tuono mind you, there's something about a big v-twin sportbike that's special (mine's an 07, when they still had the rotax motor).

:)
 

wjfawb0

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I did about 60 miles of gravel and dirt roads in the mountains a few weeks ago on my 2019 ST ES. I had it in sport mode for the first 20 or so miles. I was standing up most of the time, so my thumbs were getting pretty sore holding on with all the curves and downhills. I switched it to touring and slowed down a bit for a while to recover. I had lots of fun and went places I never thought I would on a 600lb bike on battlewings, but my WR250R is much easier to ride in the same conditions. It just sucks riding the road to get to the fun places.
 

Dirt_Dad

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Late to the party...I neither have the core/back strength, nor the wrist strength to ride a sport bike for any serious amount of time. My old '05 FZ1 was the closest I ever had to a super bike. Insanely fast, boring as hell to me. When you can do 0 to 90 MPH, in first gear, in about 3 seconds...you're riding around at 'keep your license speeds' on a bike that doesn't really need to be shifted into 2nd gear. You shift because....well...I'm bored...let's shift. Never missed that bike.

I've learned I don't want to ride a bike that requires super fast speeds to be entertaining. That means when looking for a performance bike I stay away from a 17 inch front wheel. They just ride so easily I have to push too fast to get any sensation out of them. I find a 19 inch front like the Tenere, or my current ride both demand skill to push through the twisties at an enthusiastic pace without needing excessive speeds to provide great satisfaction.
 

PhilPhilippines

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I’m sure you don’t ride legally all the time no matter what you’re riding. For me, being able to risk assess a situation for danger and the probability of being caught, then picking a point on the horizon and arriving there at warp speed is what it is all about. I’m very selective about when I use that super power but most rides on my Zx14r will include at least one.


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''Maximum speed limits'' were introduced after road users travelled at a speed that were unsuitable for the prevailing conditions and a collision/injury was the consequence. 200mph+ may be absolutely safe on a 70mph maximum speed limit road, just as 12mph may be too fast on a 20mph maximum speed limit road.

It is not often that roads allow a speed far above that which is posted, but if the opportunity presents itself and ALL possibilities affecting safe progress have been carefully thought through, then I see no reason not to get up to the safe illegal speed - obviously it is your license, but if there is no possibility of a collision then nobody is hurt/affected.
 

MattR

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In the uK the 70mph limit was introduced during the fuel crisis in an attempt to save fuel. There have been various reviews looking at raising it again but they all stalled


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Sierra1

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My experience is that anything over 75ish (mph) increases the fuel consumption. (yes, I know there are tons of variables that effect this) The manufacturers could produce a vehicle that would get good mileage at 75+, but they would have to change the "sweet spot"; gearing, and r.p.m. And, that would likely be horrible in-town. To me, a big problem of higher speed, is longer stopping distance. Stopping distance increases exponentially with speed. And, then there's ol' mass x velocity = impact.

Personal opinion: 75 (mph) is a good compromise between getting there quicker, mileage, and safety.
 

gunslinger_006

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I am not sure if its the gearing, aerodynamics, or just the rider, but my tenere really likes to go 75mph. Slower and it feels too slow, faster and i can feel the drag of the bike in the air.


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cyclemike4

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ky
my bike really likes 60 to 75. If i am near inner city interstates i wind up riding in the 80 to 90 mile per hour speeds just to keep from getting run over. I still don't know why people are in such a hurry. I can guarantee none have more to do than me and most haven't and would not work as many hours as i do and i can still find time to enjoy the trip. Any way riding at 60 to 63 mile per hour my bike gets the absolute best gas mileage. It does incredible there!
 

fac191

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If its 75mph on the gps i agree thats seems to be a sweet spot for the S10.
 
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