What do we now think of the bike

[Sierra1]

....If you ever get the chance to go, do, it’s great!

THAT trip is definitely in my bucket. I've been fortunate enough to ride on a local track with the ST1300 & FJR. The FJR has an amazingly light, yet super stable, feel to it at speed....and in the corners.

 

[Jlq1969]

but as it became more and more popular, fluid spills became more common so I went in the car instead, right up to 2017.

 

[GreatWhiteHunter]

I think I need to weigh in here, why not, I'm no expert and that makes me uber qualified, no?

I've wanted a Tenere since I watched Stephan Peterhansel win the Dakar with that big blue awesome Yamaha two-wheeled chunk of unobtanium way back when. I knew of the 750 that came to Canada in the late 80's and wanted one so badly I almost sold a testicle to get it. Lucky for me, no one was buying as I think I may have had more fun with that in my early 20's than I would have a wicked cool motorcycle. But I digress...

I currently have a '14 1190 Adventure cuz, well, my blood runneth orange of late. I've also put over 60k on an '06 V-Strom 1000. So I have a little experience to compare my newly acquired Tenere to. Just a little.

The KTM is quicker, lighter, has far better suspension and really draws in the chicks. Ok, a few guys I know really dig it. Close 'nuff, right? It also carries a load very well, has close to 8 liter oil capacity and is super easy to work on. Ready to Race means that stuff comes off and can be replaced quickly it turns out. Lucky me! But, it isn't comfortable 2 up (for me at 6'6" and my wife at 5'10") and it doesn't have very good wind protection. I prolly should've picked up the 1290T but I got a deal on this one, so it's what I have.

The Suzuki wasn't nimble, wasn't all that fast, had horrible suspension (did I cover that with nimbleness?) and felt like the frame was flexing like an old BMW r-bike in just about every corner. But it was comfortable. It had great ergo's for the two of us and wow, could I load it with crap. Probably the single biggest reason it handled so poorly. Maybe?

The Yamaha is everything I want in a bike like this (big, adventure tourer type). It's comfortable, has shaft drive, it's comfortable, it does 100 without feeling like it's going to shake apart at the seems, it's comfortable, it's smooth, it's comfortable, it has room for the two of us and most important of anything I could think to mention, it's got wicked cool headlights! (bet you thought I was going to say it was comfortable again)

It's been said that the Tenere 1200 is the "Japanese GS" and I like that comparison. I'm not a fan boy of anything. I like what I like and I could care less about loyalties. I loved every GS that I've ever ridden and would really like to own a new one. That damn price and BMW's seeming desire to build out any ability of the owner to maintain them is just damn wrong. So screw BMW, I'll own a Yamaha and be damn happy about it.

 

[jeckyll]

It's interesting how poorly the SuperT does in comparisons with other large ADV touring bikes. I haven't ridden any of them or performed back to back tests, maybe if I did I'd feel it was missing something.

My buddy has the big Triumph and man, it has loads of neat features, right down to heated seat for the passenger (!) but I wouldn't want a British bike with that many electronics to go wrong

I wonder if after releasing the T700 Yamaha will finally do a full overhaul of the SuperTenere to 'keep up with the Jonses' so to speak

 

[GreatWhiteHunter]

It's interesting how poorly the SuperT does in comparisons with other large ADV touring bikes. I haven't ridden any of them or performed back to back tests, maybe if I did I'd feel it was missing something.

My buddy has the big Triumph and man, it has loads of neat features, right down to heated seat for the passenger (!) but I wouldn't want a British bike with that many electronics to go wrong

I wonder if after releasing the T700 Yamaha will finally do a full overhaul of the SuperTenere to 'keep up with the Jonses' so to speak

Boy I hope I didn't hit a nerve with my review. Wait, I like to stir up shit so maybe I did it on purpose!

Not really. But maybe.

OK, so I don't disagree that the Yamaha has a few compromises. But those compromises are it's strengths and the primary reason why it will endure. It's reliable, it handles well, it can carry a load and more importantly (mehbe?) I can get help with issues that I might have that I can't manage on my own. There's lots of Yammie dealers out there, no?

Germ/Ital/Eng/etc bikes suffer from that feature creep that you spoke of. Some of those brands have made their reputations by being super reliable and ultra easy to work on, yourself! The real bitch is that they've designed all of that out! Hell, I'm more apt to take my TW on a long trip just for that reason! If something happens, a handful of tools is all I need to sus it out. And there's prolly a farmer within 100 miles that has something in his barn that I can scavenge parts from.

I'm old school when it comes to touring I guess. I like the reliability but my mind is always on "what if". I'd much rather take this YamaTank around the world than that KTM rocketship that I have in the garage. Even though that same KTM has all those crazy man features that allow nut bags like Chris Burch to do all sorts of crazy stuff on them off road. I mean hell, if I had a KTM van following me I'd probably ride like a mad man too! Course they'd be hauling my dumb a$$ to the hospital pre' quick like!

Me? I'd love to see that 660 Tenere over here. Or whatever it's called. That single is an AMAZING motor that has endured for years! I won't be buying any 700 twin from Yamaha until it's on its 3rd or 4th iteration. Then I'll wait for one of you suckers to realize it's too uncomfortable or that you don't ride it enough cuz it's too tall or some dumb thing. Then I'll buy it for a song and park it right next to that big orange garage queen I have.

Wow, I write way too much. I need to go for a ride...

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[jeckyll]

@GreatWhiteHunter sorry man, but I wasn't talking about you I'm referring to actual publications (motorcycle.com etc) who do reviews.

And if you read what I wrote, there were no nerves touched

Edit: Missed the "no"

 

[ballisticexchris]

If I ever get to ride on that track....I will have to wear a set of Depends.

I'm with you there!! All I could see was the bike doing 141 mph in a few spots. I had no idea a Super Tenere could carry that kind of speed.

 

[Longdog Cymru]

It’s funny, here in U.K. several of the motorcycle magazines are starting to appreciate the SuperTen for the great all-rounder that it really is. They all say “but it doesn’t have the power of the GS/KTM/Multistrada et al” but it goes, handles and just keeps going while the others are wearing you out with the need to re-fuel or just ease your aching limbs and your butt! 9 years into the production run, the SuperTen is finally beginning to make it’s mark as “The Thinking Man’s Motorcycle”.

I guess it’s as they say in Germany, you buy a BMW to show how much money you have but you buy a Mercedes to show how intelligent you are!

So for me, I’ll stick with my SuperTen and be smug and comfortable in my own skin and I’ll leave the posers to ride around and fantasise that their dicks are bigger than mine!

 

[twinrider]

Not sure if I will cast my vote or not yet? At this point I am in the 'not quite what I thought it would be' camp, however I only have just under 1000km on it so feel that is not enough time to truly judge it.

The negatives...the seat! Man that thing is awful, I did the flat seat mod but that just put me higher into the blast zone from the windscreen and have a lot of pain in my hips after riding.
No self cancelling turn signals, not a big deal, just a bit annoying.
The jerkiness of the throttle, again, not a big deal but combine that with the seat and it gets old real quick.
Stock wind deflectors for the hands, kind of small and in the cold they seem a bit useless.
The windscreen is horrible, I feel like a bobble head no matter if I adjust it up or down.
The grips are way too small for me, feels like I am wrapping my hand all the way around which causes me to tighten my grip instead of having a more relaxed grip.
Getting the side stand down, I keep hitting my foot on the pegs and then the stand goes back into the up position.
Would be nice to just turn off the ABS instead of having to do the centerstand thing where you start it in 2nd gear.

The positives...The mileage has been great so far, very impressed with that and once it breaks in I would think it would even improve more.
The controls, they seem to fit me very well, love the layout and feel of the switches, very simple to use and seem like they are logically placed.
The ride, good on twisties and seems like a good strong engine even though it is not fully broken in yet.
Dash layout is really nice, can't wait to rev it a little harder to see that tac go up more.
I do kind of like those hard bags, I know they will not help if she goes over but I like them as is.
Suspension, seem pretty good, I have not had a lot of time to test all of the different settings but I am pretty happy with it right out of the box.
Price, hard to beat the price for what you get.
Accessories, this is where I think that most of my beefs above will be solved. I am dropping my seat off tomorrow to get it reworked or if that does not work I will go to get a Terry's seat, Madstad should be arriving soon and I just got the BarkBusters. I put the factory wind deflectors on it too. Grip puppies will be ordered shortly and just got the T-Rex bars and skid plate. With the exception of the turn signals everything should be solved and for the price I paid for the bike I am still ahead then if I had gone with the Triumph. The 1200 Tiger was about $7,000 more and I figure I have spent about $2,000 to get the Tenere the way I want it so I am still $5,000 ahead and that is a lot of gas money.

I think I will do a follow up at the end of the year to give a real impression as my major issues should all be solved by then.

A flash will fix the jerky throttle and the added power/better response will make the bike a lot more enjoyable.

Use your toe to get the side stand down rather than your heel.

Saw that you got the Madstad, but the MRA Xcreen spoiler might also work fine on the stock screen (which at just 5'7" works great for me).

Your hands should just be lightly resting on the grips, not actively gripping them. But anyhow, some people like Grip Puppies, which increase the circumference.

 

[SuckSqueezeBangBlow]

A flash will fix the jerky throttle and the added power/better response will make the bike a lot more enjoyable.

Use your toe to get the side stand down rather than your heel.

Saw that you got the Madstad, but the MRA Xcreen spoiler might also work fine on the stock screen (which at just 5'7" works great for me).

Your hands should just be lightly resting on the grips, not actively gripping them. But anyhow, some people like Grip Puppies, which increase the circumference.

Thanks I tried it with the toe and much, much easier. Love the Madstad setup makes a huge difference for me, makes the bike rideable now without all of the buffeting. Got the Grip Puppies on too and for me they make a big difference. Before it felt like I had my hands on a straw and now with the added circumference it makes it way more comfortable. Had my seat worked on and that made a difference and tried it with an Air Hawk and that has made it much more comfortable. All in all, I would say she is getting there...

 

[Sierra1]

I'm with you there!! All I could see was the bike doing 141 mph in a few spots. I had no idea a Super Tenere could carry that kind of speed.

Early on, my son and I were riding on a highway. A car started jacking with us, and I told him to follow me. Gave it the gas...left the car WAY behind....looked down, and saw 137mph and climbing. I've said it before, was expecting just a bigger KLR, and got something COMPLETELY different. Of course, my son was on the FJR, and he flew past me.

 

[Mak10]

I noticed a big power difference at about 8,000 miles. The motor must have finally loosened up.

 

[Sierra1]

I noticed a big power difference at about 8,000 miles. The motor must have finally loosened up.

Mine was at 5,000. I had heard about it waking up at that mileage, but didn't really believe it. Then I noticed the front wheel wanting to lift with the same throttle input that I had been using....without it lifting. That was at about 5,100 miles. Guess it's true. And I thought it was fun BEFORE hitting 5k.....

 

[GreatWhiteHunter]

Mine was at 5,000. I had heard about it waking up at that mileage, but didn't really believe it. Then I noticed the front wheel wanting to lift with the same throttle input that I had been using....without it lifting. That was at about 5,100 miles. Guess it's true. And I thought it was fun BEFORE hitting 5k.....

Wait just a cotton pickin minute..

I just picked up a '14 with a little over 2600 miles on it.. You're telling me that it isn't broken in yet?

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[bigbob]

Wait just a cotton pickin minute..

I just picked up a '14 with a little over 2600 miles on it.. You're telling me that it isn't broken in yet?

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Broken in maybe. grown up nope. Give it 3-5000 miles and you will have a nice riding bike!

 

[Sierra1]

Engineers chime in....but....to me....it is unlikely that it takes that many miles to physically/mechanically break-in. I've never had any other bike perform this much better after break-in. It wouldn't surprise ME, if it is in the software. If a person can reprogram the ECU....why couldn't Yamaha limit the output/performance until a certain mileage has been reached with software? It's an electronic odometer, not mechanical.

 

[GreatWhiteHunter]

Engineers chime in....but....to me....it is unlikely that it takes that many miles to physically/mechanically break-in. I've never had any other bike perform this much better after break-in. It wouldn't surprise ME, if it is in the software. If a person can reprogram the ECU....why couldn't Yamaha limit the output/performance until a certain mileage has been reached with software? It's an electronic odometer, not mechanical.

I can see that. Ski-Doo snowmobiles have a countdown timer when new. It's based on engine hours and runs more oil rich (for the two strokes) and uses a bit more fuel until the timer hits zero. There's a noticeable difference in mileage, oil usage and HP before and after.

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[HeliMark]

Engineers chime in....but....to me....it is unlikely that it takes that many miles to physically/mechanically break-in. I've never had any other bike perform this much better after break-in. It wouldn't surprise ME, if it is in the software. If a person can reprogram the ECU....why couldn't Yamaha limit the output/performance until a certain mileage has been reached with software? It's an electronic odometer, not mechanical.

Don't believe so, based on that there is only three fuel maps in the ECU (that anyone has found), Idle/S/T maps. No engineer here, but depending on the coating of the cylinders, it just might take that mileage to wear it down, at which point the rings are not pressing that much?

 

[Sierra1]

But, even in those three fuel maps, isn't there a "rev limiter" in the software? I've always ass-summed that the software is what shuts the fuel pump off at red-line. I've never hit the limiter on the Tenere though.

 

[White19]

Just got my flash done and put on a Leo Vince slip on.
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