why such bad reviews

[jackass dave]

hi guys ,sorry if this has been asked before but i am new to the forum i have been looking at the super ten for a while and think its a great looking bike and from all accounts a pretty reliable one ,so why does it get generally bad press (mainly in the uk) i know we are primarily a sports bike country but i hear things like 3 years in the making and slower than a tdm 900. a missed oppurtunity from yamaha, etc etc .

granted we dont have the best press in the uk ,i take most of what they say with a pinch of salt as its allways something about slower ,not so good handling as this or that ,now ive had about 52 bikes or so and mostly trail bike from dt 250 yamahas through to cagiva 900ie s ,and every other one in between including 13 bmw gsers one of which i still have ,top speed or razor sharp handling are not what i buy a trail /adventure bike for .
and being on my thirteenth or so bmw i just fancy a change .

i think my mind is kind of made up allready that i will get one i am just airing a few niggles . the hardest descion for me will be which colour ( white )

 

[2112]

The main reason it's get mediocre reviews is it's not a BMW. The next reason the press don't regard it so highly is it's a genuine 'jack of all trades'. Thirdly it's designed to be reliable, not quirky and exotic, this does not sell magazines. However, having owned a few 'quirky and exotic's' reliable works for me...

This really is a case of - ::021::

 

[jackass dave]

yep your right i have allso owned exotic which normally translate to tempromentle and unreliable reliability is the first priority for me

 

[HeliMark]

Magazine's don't really like the plain vanilla bikes. And BMW has more advertising money in most rags. Had my exotic bikes. This is so uninspiring that I know it will get me home with the same parts still running. I come from an aviation background. Most of our engines, like what Yamaha basically has done, are de-rated and has minimal maintenance.

Mark

 

[Goldwing]

I think the biggest "complaint" give from the magazines is the less powerful engine compared to the BMW (R1200GS) and KTM (1190 or even more power 1290).

I have ridden the BMW. The engine is terrific and powerful but I like the S10 power. Its more than enough for me, especially in S Mode on my 2014.

I think the BMW and S10 are equal in all other aspects but the S10 is less expensive.

::021::

 

[snakebitten]

You have had 52 bikes.
You couldn't possibly have given the press much credit on many of those.
No need to start now. 8)

 

[trikepilot]

Cuz' the tenere is a complete dog of a bike!! Utter crap! It has all the "U's" - underpowered, unreliable, ugly, unbeaked, "un"expensive...

If yer gonna believe those rags... you might as well believe me, no?

 

[iClint]

I'll add my 2 cents.

Stop reading the magazines. Go out and ride the bikes for yourself.

For me the S10 was a good choice it was almost perfect from the factory and after I added what I wanted to it it is now perfect for ME.

I don't really care whether on paper its not as powerful or as fast as the GS as I am sure I could out ride most GS riders regardless (sorry to blow my own trumpet)

 

[shrekonwheels]

Eh I blogged about it not long ago. The Crap media drives me nuts.

http://thoughtsoftheages.blogspot.com/2015/03/why-does-tenere-not-get-reviews-of-ktm.html

 

[Big Blu]

When compared to the other Adventure touring bikes it's heavy, low on power, and lack the sophistication of the others.
I think this article sums it up nicely and reflects my experience. http://www.ridermagazine.com/road-tests/adventure-shootout-bmw-r-1200-gs-adventure-ktm-1190-adventure-yamaha-super-tenere-es.htm/

Paul

 

[Checkswrecks]

Welcome aboard Dave, and yes, this has been asked over and over and over. Do a search with he word magazines and you will get threads full of answers and opinions. When I get a chance, I will probably start merging these and include this thread.

 

[shredmeister]

The whole "power" thing is what gets me. Power off road is useless. I had a ktm 380 but, was faster on the ktm 250 I bought later. I think you'll spend more time slowing down (for corners) on 1000 sportbike compared to a smaller bike. It's all about useable power and putting it to good use. I thought about the ktm. While I'd have more fun on it, I figured I'd be happier with the Tenere. I think I'm right.

 

[snakebitten]

Big Blu [clipped by CW] is just reiterating the official copy of that same goofy press.
And I'm used to that too.

However, anytime weight is referenced in ANY comparison, it pretty much reveals how silly that comparison is going to be.
Yea, ALL those Big Bore ADV bikes are light!
Much lighter!
And it makes a HUGE difference.

Especially that GSA. It's a real feather weight.

And you really need a very light Big ADV bike to start with because you are gonna load it like a pack mule before heading out across country?

Never makes any sense. But they say it with a straight face every time. Hilarious.

 

[BarkSlayer]

I had an opportunity to ride a Super Tenere for the first time about a year ago. I'd read all of the same underwhelming reviews and admittedly...I was unprepared to like it. What a surprise! After 45 miles, I came home and sold my R1200GS and never looked back.

 

[LJM]

Like others have said go ride one. I also have owned a lot of bikes prob close to 30 or 40 and the Yamaha 2014 ES is a great bike I've owned a GS, a 2011 Multistrada, a Few KTM,s to compare it to. If you want a reliable bike that's capable of long distance riding & some off road fun for about $5k less then the competition try out the ST.

 

[squarebore]

Most of the trails and camping areas I go to have lots of bikes there. Most of the bikes are dr650s, ktm 990s, and other assorted 650 bikes. I have never seen a GSA at any of these places. Sort of tells a story.
BTW, blue is by far the best colour and that is not an opinion. Based on fact. Haha

 

[shrekonwheels]

The whole "power" thing is what gets me. Power off road is useless. I had a ktm 380 but, was faster on the ktm 250 I bought later. I think you'll spend more time slowing down (for corners) on 1000 sportbike compared to a smaller bike. It's all about useable power and putting it to good use. I thought about the ktm. While I'd have more fun on it, I figured I'd be happier with the Tenere. I think I'm right.

Exactly, when I rode dirt I had way more power than all my friends bikes, as they all rode 250s or even less, I had a 360 and later a YZ 400, did it get me anyplace they could not go? Nope, but what it did was get me into way more trouble than need be. Practical HP is what really matters, and hell, the Tenere has way more power than most of us use on a regular basis anyhow.

 

[jackass dave]

thanks for the replys guys yes useable power is more usefull than outright power and to be honest most new bikes are better than i can ride ,i am trying to get a test ride at the moment but there are not many demo bikes available .

 

[mrpete64]

BMW recall on all 1200'--1300's

In the current issue of Motorcycle Consumer News, under recalls, it looks like almost every large bmw bike is being called back. Job security for BMW mechanics.

Mr. Pete------>
aging hippie

Another BMW product, the mini cooper, is having a hugh recall. Consistency is BMW's plan.

 

[frez]

Firstly, when it launched it was over-priced (in the UK), the journalists reviews were then based on viewing it through the prism of that high price.

The other problem is there is not much to talk about with it when testing it over a short period of time. It's heavy, it's light on power for 1200cc, it doesn't have a huge number of gimmicks, it is in a word unremarkable.

If you look at the flip side though, it has a decent amount of power for most riders, it is pretty reliable, it handles well in spite of its weight, in many markets its a bit of a bargain compared to its competition, and it has a vast dealer network.

BMW, KTM and Triumph have all had some pretty bad reliability/engineering issues with their big adventure bikes which smacks of inadequate testing before release. If you are going to buy one of their bikes, I'd recommend waiting until the model is at least 3 years old so you are aware of any issues you might be buying into and for the manufacturer to fix them instead of you beta testing it for them.