Tenere curious...
- Thread starter GlenT
- Start date
Having come from a GS I would say they are quite similar, the main difference is the Yamaha won't keep going wrong :exclaim:
The Tenere is no lower, but the narrower waist makes flat-footing easier, and on the move the CofG on the Yamaha feels lower (or despite being heavier the Tenere feels lighter at low speed)
The Yamaha fuels far more cleanly and does not pop / bang / lurch like a GS can, the GS has a sportier feel due to having less bottom end and a bit of a flat spot before revving harder up top - some describe the GS as having more character and to be honest it feels more fun to rev hard, but the other 95% of the time the Yamaha has the better engine.
As for suspension, well the Yamaha feels better to me, especially at the rear, interestingly Wilburs recommended a 150nm spring for my GS (Up from 140) and the Tenere (up from 137) but the GS has a linear rate so will feel harder to start with and softer at the end compared to the rising rate Yamaha setup.
The front end on the Tenere is a bit stiff, but it rides bumps better than the GS, but IMO the lack of dive on the Telelever BMW setup is fantastic, on the plus side a fork rework to exactly how you want it is not expensive.
I think the Tenere is pretty decent out of the crate, and it is easy to judge minor points harshly, and when I rode a new 650 Versys I found it flat and powerless with bouncy suspension - not that I did no like the bike, but it felt like a cheap toy back to back with the Yamaha - I am not knocking the little Kwak, just pointing out so much is subjective and you could easily mis-understand the wonderfully honest advice being dished out here.
I am sure if you liked the GS you will like the Yamaha, and find it superior to your current steed.
The Tenere is no lower, but the narrower waist makes flat-footing easier, and on the move the CofG on the Yamaha feels lower (or despite being heavier the Tenere feels lighter at low speed)
The Yamaha fuels far more cleanly and does not pop / bang / lurch like a GS can, the GS has a sportier feel due to having less bottom end and a bit of a flat spot before revving harder up top - some describe the GS as having more character and to be honest it feels more fun to rev hard, but the other 95% of the time the Yamaha has the better engine.
As for suspension, well the Yamaha feels better to me, especially at the rear, interestingly Wilburs recommended a 150nm spring for my GS (Up from 140) and the Tenere (up from 137) but the GS has a linear rate so will feel harder to start with and softer at the end compared to the rising rate Yamaha setup.
The front end on the Tenere is a bit stiff, but it rides bumps better than the GS, but IMO the lack of dive on the Telelever BMW setup is fantastic, on the plus side a fork rework to exactly how you want it is not expensive.
I think the Tenere is pretty decent out of the crate, and it is easy to judge minor points harshly, and when I rode a new 650 Versys I found it flat and powerless with bouncy suspension - not that I did no like the bike, but it felt like a cheap toy back to back with the Yamaha - I am not knocking the little Kwak, just pointing out so much is subjective and you could easily mis-understand the wonderfully honest advice being dished out here.
I am sure if you liked the GS you will like the Yamaha, and find it superior to your current steed.
A couple of things that I did not like about the '09 GS that I rode, were 1) the too-tall first gear combined with poor fueling which causes the bucking and surging in stop-and-crawl traffic. I noted that GSA has a lower first gear, but that bike is way too much of everything for me. 2) was the pronounced engine vibration at 4500 RPM, which is about where you want to sit on the Interstate at 75 mph.
The 09 GS is the same bike as my '08 model, they uprated the motor for '08 and then again with the twin cam in 2010.
Mine had all the symptoms you describe, the lurching and poor low down was seriously improved with de-cat headers and an accelerator module - but the Yamaha is far better at fuelling in stock trim than my GS was post modifications, and is also far smoother, the GS was quite buzzy past 80, the Yamaha is far smoother at a ton than the GS was at 80.
First gear is still fairly tall on the Tenere (possibly about the same as the GS) but the better bottom end power and smoother running makes it easier to ride at low speed.
Mine had all the symptoms you describe, the lurching and poor low down was seriously improved with de-cat headers and an accelerator module - but the Yamaha is far better at fuelling in stock trim than my GS was post modifications, and is also far smoother, the GS was quite buzzy past 80, the Yamaha is far smoother at a ton than the GS was at 80.
First gear is still fairly tall on the Tenere (possibly about the same as the GS) but the better bottom end power and smoother running makes it easier to ride at low speed.
"So my question is, what do you suppose is causing owners to change their minds so early? " . . . . I bought my Super Tenere two weeks and 1500 miles ago. Almost right up to the purchase date, I was 50-50 for either the Tenere or the C-14. Like several folks on this website have pointed out in other threads, the bike is tall, very heavy, and the stock windsceen sucks. Coming from a V-four myself (VFR), I'm now experiencing a heap more vibration than I'm used to. Put it this way, the C-14 comes stock with a windscreen that is effective, hand grip warmers and side cases. With a Tenere, by the time I purchase these, it's going to come out about the same price-wise. :'(
Now for the short answer: without the ability of a person to ride one for an extented period prior to a purchase, we simply won't know until afterwards whether we made the right choice when it was 50-50 decision.
Now for the short answer: without the ability of a person to ride one for an extented period prior to a purchase, we simply won't know until afterwards whether we made the right choice when it was 50-50 decision.
Well, the first block I put on a Tenere was as I pulled away from the dealer. No test at all. I read some reviews, made the call and rolled the dice. Coming from a Goldwing, GSXR and a long relationship with a KLR I was pretty sure where I wanted to go when it came down to having only one machine. The vibration is nothing compared to the KLR (which never did anything very well, but it would do everything ...). I was looking for a good, reliable all-purpose machine and the STen easily fits the bill. It will do everything, just none of it as well as a specialty machine, so I don't think it ought to be compared to one.
Flex, Part of it for me, and maybe some others is not having an expectation that a twin, whether parallel or V to be as smooth as a Honda V-Four, or in your case an inline 4 as the CX14. I for one think an inline four has way more buzz than does say an ST1300. Anyway, the Tenere is a whole different animal. Overall, I can't ever see myself going back to a lean over position of said Sport-Touring bikes above. The upright position, less pressure on wrists on bars, while still having ability to carry luggage, haul ass across the country, as well as hit some forst service roads without worry to me makes this bike the Best I have ever owned, but in slightly different ways than the past Honda's. For this, I am willing to close my visor and wipe a few more bugs off my helmet and gear than i did on the Sport-Touring bikes. I am still a Honda fan, just don't like current day marketing path they are taking with bikes here in the states.FLEX said:
greg the pole
There are no stupid questions, only stupid people
errr....I don't think you're comparing apples to apples.. I currently own a ST, 01' VFR, '98 CBR900 and they areFLEX said:
all different bikes. If it's sport touring only then the ST will not fit the bill ( I sold my '05 ST1300 because I wanted
to go off road)
Before a purchase you need to know what you want. I bought my bike without a test drive, just research, and
other folks opinion (Wasp mostly) I could not be happier with what I need the bike to do.
How would you rate engine vibes relative to a DL650? I find the wee smoother than my old r1100r at Interstate speeds. 'Course, nothing is as smooth as the ST13. But some vibrations are easier to live with than others.
For example my riding buddy has an F800ST parallel twin. Lovely sounding motor and it feels happy at 80 mph. But, it puts a high frequency buzz through the handlebars that is barely noticable, until you get off the bike after an hour and realize that your hands have gone numb.
For example my riding buddy has an F800ST parallel twin. Lovely sounding motor and it feels happy at 80 mph. But, it puts a high frequency buzz through the handlebars that is barely noticable, until you get off the bike after an hour and realize that your hands have gone numb.
Glen, My DL1000 was buzzier than my Tenere. I rode an F800GS 20 miles and both wrists were tingling pretty good, and tailbone was burning.GlenT said:
RED CAT
New Member
I'm off a 08 GS12 also, and feel the S10 is the better bike. Suspensionwise, ABSwise, TCwise, Pricewise and Handlingwise. The GSA on the other hand is a slug compared to either. If you are just a street bike weenie well there are a lot of better choices but if you want to throw in some dusty, nasty, bumpy dirt roads the S10 is an awesome machine that is pretty dam good on the pavement too. Don't forget reliablity. This thing is bullet proof. You can't compare a C14 to an S10. Total different apples. Only bikes you can compare to the S10 are GSs, GSAs, KTM Adv, Triumph 800s, Stelvios, and Highlands, maybe a couple I missed. C14s, FJRs,ST13, Multis,Triumph 12s,1050s are totally street oriented. Sure you can do the odd dirt road but not like a balls to the wall S10 can do them! Can you say ROOST!!! ::26::
Indeed, too many sportsbie comparisons creeping in, the bikes are very different, I would also have prefered a larger screen and heated grips as standard, but I also had to fit a bigger screen to my GS (and the heated grips were an option) and I also fitted a taller screen to my ZZR1400. I could also point out the ZZR came with a full fairing and would easily top 180mph - two more Tenere failings to some I am sure, and compared to my car it has nowhere near the weather protection.
Having swapped a ZZR1400 for the GS I did not ask the whole world if the motor will vibe differently :
The again nor did GlentT, he is sort of trying to compare apples with apples, or maybe apples to pears, but not Apples to Chilli's. A four will feel smoother, they still vibe, and typically at about twice the frequency, the ZZR used to give me numb hands, partly due to the high frequency vibes (although they were not "intrusive") and probably more so because my weight was thrown onto my wrists so much it compunded the issue be forcing my hand hard on to the (slightly) vibrating bar.
I can't help with the Weestrom, but as he has ridden a GS of the same type as mine I can confirm the Tenere vibes quite a bit less than these, and is less buzzy than the latest Versys 650 which I have ridden.
I have yet to find a bike with a stock windsheild that didn't require some tuning. Actually, that's not quite true. My '79 Gold Wing with a Windjammer fairing had no buffeting, but was really too hot in the summer. Things like heated grips are easy fixes. In general, my ST13 offers much better weather protection than my DL650, but I'll be riding the wee today, even though temperatures have dipped below freezing here.
As for weight, everything seems lighter than my ST13 (at 700 lbs).
As for weight, everything seems lighter than my ST13 (at 700 lbs).