Sport bike v. Tenere

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ballisticexchris

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And you know how it is Matt. Most of us that are a bit older have learned the hard way that riding 10/10ths on the street is not the smartest of choices. And where you come from I imagine it takes a higher skill level to ride in the wet conditions on a regular basis.
 

MattR

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My S10 is my winter bike and I save my Zx14r for the summer. I guess it’s all relative. A few years ago I was on a course at Disaster City college station Texas and they had the first ice storm in 20 years. 38 people died on the roads because they just weren’t used to it. We turned up for work as usual and embarrassed the caterer who had just rung in to say he couldn’t deliver that day.


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Kurgan

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I had planned on taking my S10 to Grattan Raceway this year but Covid19 cancelled a lot of plans. I've taken my Daytona1200, both ZRX's, both Busas and my CBR954RR there.

The Busa's owned the front straight easily and weren't too bad at all on the back half in the technical stuff.....off camber, decreasing radii, blind entrance or exits. The CBR was arguably the fastest of them and designed for that environment on paper, but my ZRX1200 always turned the fastest lap times. I'm just more mentally comfortable on a big standard style bike with conventional bars....it's what I grew up riding and what I physically fit on the best.

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Sierra1

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. . . . A few years ago I was on a course at Disaster City college station Texas and they had the first ice storm in 20 years. . . .
Yeah, for the most part, we don't get snow. It's usually just ice. And, yes, they have no clue how to navigate on it.
 

fac191

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My S10 is my winter bike and I save my Zx14r for the summer. I guess it’s all relative. A few years ago I was on a course at Disaster City college station Texas and they had the first ice storm in 20 years. 38 people died on the roads because they just weren’t used to it. We turned up for work as usual and embarrassed the caterer who had just rung in to say he couldn’t deliver that day.


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Disaster city !
 

s.ga.rider

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I've always found that any bike is fun when you're pushing it's limits. Even Harley's I've owned have been fun dragging hard parts around curves. Is a sporbike faster, of course but even a ninja 250 can be fun.
The tenere does fairly decent in the curves but I could take my 690 enduro to the mountains and embarrass some sport bike riders, with knobbies on.... Lol
 
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ballisticexchris

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I've always found that any bike is fun when you're pushing it's limits. Even Harley's I've owned have been fun dragging hard parts around curves. Is a sporbike faster, of course but even a ninja 250 can be fun.
The tenere does fairly decent in the curves but I could take my 690 enduro to the mountains and embarrass some sport bike riders, with knobbies on.... Lol
I'm just the opposite. I find it's always fun when I can keep the rubber on the ground without pushing my bike to it's limits. I have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else by riding a bike or myself to the ragged edge.
 

Boris

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I'm just the opposite. I find it's always fun when I can keep the rubber on the ground without pushing my bike to it's limits. I have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else by riding a bike or myself to the ragged edge.
Sensible stuff Chris, knowing where your limits are and riding within them. We’ve all seen the results of people who run out of ability, and it’s never good.
Also though, there are riders out there who’s ability and skill levels are far higher, these riders too are very often riding within their limits. They’re probably not out to prove anything either, it’s just that their enjoyment is in a different style of riding.
 

Wallkeeper

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I have ridden more than one modern hyperbike. The HP is intoxicating. Unfortunately there are no roads in the United States where you can legally use the power. Track bikes are just that. Track only. The only advantage of them being DOT legal is the ability to ride them to the track, race and ride them back home again.

The older I get the more I realize that the deliberate act of temping death on a motorcycle is not very smart. Of course that is only my opinion. I am in the minority. Most guys I see in the canyons ride well over the limits of human reflexes.

Now how about that Kawaski H2 SX!! It even has cruise control!!

Sheeesh....I remember fools killing themselves on Ortega Hwy.......40 years ago. Some things refuse to change
 
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ballisticexchris

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Sheeesh....I remember fools killing themselves on Ortega Hwy.......40 years ago. Some things refuse to change
You got that right!! It blows my mind how fast some of these guys scream through there. Having a booze bar on that highway does not help matters.
 
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ballisticexchris

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Sensible stuff Chris, knowing where your limits are and riding within them. We’ve all seen the results of people who run out of ability, and it’s never good.
Also though, there are riders out there who’s ability and skill levels are far higher, these riders too are very often riding within their limits. They’re probably not out to prove anything either, it’s just that their enjoyment is in a different style of riding.
It's more about reflexes than rider ability when it comes to ripping it up on public roadways. If I knew with 100% certainty that a blind corner /intersection/driveway was clear, there was no gravel, and every single person followed the laws of the highway, then I could go much faster. There is no human on earth that has reflexes fast enough to do avoidance braking or weaving when riding at "track day" pace on a public highway.
 

Boris

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My favourite are those plodder types that do 40-45 mph everywhere, including 30mph residential limits, where there’s loads of turnings, driveways, lots more people about and more chance of kids playing. You spend ages trying to get past them on the twisty, open speed limit roads, then they cruise right back past you in restricted areas.

The plodder types are often the preaching finger wagging types. These are usually the same people that sit at 80mph on the motorway, but shake their head at those doing 90mph. (Limit is 70 in the UK)
 
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ballisticexchris

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I hear you there Boris!! I remember a desert race where I was in the third section of an enduro where this idiot was weaving back and forth slowly between the ribbons not allowing anyone to pass. Very frustrating.

I always pull to the right and let others faster than me pass. Who am I to prevent the thrill of another rider wanting to hang it out.
 

LJM

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I figured we might want to start a new thread since we hi-jacked the other one; BMW GS Update.

A sport bike, by design, is made for sport; handling, and speed. Duh. The Tenere, by design, is a compromise; pavement, and not pavement. Apples and oranges. MY point is that, for what it is. . . . and what it was designed for . . . . the Tenere does a great impression of a sport bike.

Sport bikes are lighter, have more peak HP, and have a whole bunch more rubber on the ground. The Tenere is almost exactly opposite. The sport bike has all of the advantages. And, yet. . . . the Tenere more than holds her own in the curves. And, depending on the riders of each, can sometimes be the victor.

You may know this but it's physically impossible for a 560lb bike to go through a corner as fast 400lb bike.
But I'm with you on the ES-ST it corners very well for 560lb bike & I've ridden a few other ES brands one top of line Ohlins & IMO the ST has the best ES for real world riding it's simple and it works !
 

Boris

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So in summary then, we’re all roughly agreeing that due to design and purpose, a well ridden sport bike, will be quicker over a twisty road than a well ridden adventure bike.......namely a Super Tenere. Not because any bike is inferior, just that they’re designed for different things.

Probably, like we’d agree that a well ridden Super Tenere will be quicker off road than a well ridden R1.
 

Sierra1

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You may know this but it's physically impossible for a 560lb bike to go through a corner as fast 400lb bike. But I'm with you on the ES-ST it corners very well for 560lb bike & I've ridden a few other ES brands one top of line Ohlins & IMO the ST has the best ES for real world riding it's simple and it works!
Exactly. That was the point that I apparently did not express correctly. Not that she's better than a sport bike at sport bikin'. But, that she sport bikes better than I would have thought possible.
 

sky4

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On public roads i'm always limited by visibility and fear of death far more than by my bike of choice.

The tenere is a very well behaved machine though that loves to be run hard. It's stable, and i love that it just hangs at whatever angle you set it at.

That said, I like a rip on a good supersport as much as the next guy, i just don't own one because the compromise of luggage, very limited off road ability, and comfort just means i won't ride it as much.

if we're talking about the quickest way to get 800 miles away with a tent and a 12 pack the tenere wins every time.
 
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