yen_powell
Well-Known Member
I used my CX for a few weeks despatching in London. Home each night with a soot covered face and a headache is how I remember it, but the bike was perfect for that.
S10 needs a refresh to compete but it doesn’t really need much improvement to do what most riders realistically do.Unfortunately the S10 was originally made to compete with the oil head GS when it came out and BMW updated the GS the next year. That put the S10 a bit behind the sales curve since day 1. While it’s been a slow and steady seller for Yamaha I can see why they didn’t invest to make it EU5 compliant. On the other hand EU5 has been on the horizon so they knew it was coming when they did the Gen2 updates. Who knows what Yamaha is thinking. I’m sure we here in the US will continue to get the last of the inventory for the next couple of years. Yamaha’ already deprecated their tooling down to zero so they can pump out a few more bikes with minimal added investment. I remember BMW discontinued the K1300S in ‘12 or ‘13 and they had model year ‘15 bikes at dealers. Sad part is the S10 while underwhelming in some respects is the 1 bike I would choose to ride through a nuclear wasteland. Just a good steady eddy ride.
I like your take on this.I don't think the S10 was built to "compete" with the GS. The S10 was created as one more motorcycle in the segment of the “Adventure” maxi trails. The Japanese do not compete with the Europeans ... the Japanese show a philosophy, and "their" customers buy "that philosophy" ... which is basically reliability, simplicity, durability, after sales service ... and I think S10 perfectly fulfilled these objectives, after 10 years ... Some European manufacturers created a new segment, the "super sport Adventure" ... it will be BMW, which will have to see how it competes with the 160HP or the V4 .... Hardly the Japanese factories put up a fight, they stay true to their philosophy. Even Honda or Suzuki with their most recent models, denote their lack of interest in competing for the escalation of HP ... They compete among themselves ... and I think they still do not get close to the old S10 created 10 years ago ...
. . . . The Japanese do not compete with the Europeans ... the Japanese show a philosophy, and "their" customers buy "that philosophy" ... which is basically reliability, simplicity, durability, after sales service ... and I think S10 perfectly fulfilled these objectives, after 10 years ...
+1. More opinions from me. Reliability is number one. But, they're not averse to performance either. (Vmax, R1/6, MT) So, if they wanted the T12 to be a power house, they could have made it such. The T12 is exactly the bike they want it to be. It would also explain why there have been so few changes over the years. Most of the changes have been tweeks to improve the bike, and increase the reliability. My only question is do they remain "true" to their past, or do they succumb to peer pressure? Guess we'll find out.. . . . I strongly prefer the Japanese philosophy on adventure bikes being reliable first, almost to the point of being boring (looking at you vstrom) over the german “racebike with lights and farkles” concept. I am glad that both segments exist alongside each other.
Well I for one was looking at a GS when I first sat on an S10 and how many S10 owners previously owned a GS? Of course they compete and if the GS wasn’t such a big sales success than the S10 may never have been. Don’t get me wrong I’m no GS fan I’m just objectively looking at the market that the S10 has to exist in.I don't think the S10 was built to "compete" with the GS. The S10 was created as one more motorcycle in the segment of the “Adventure” maxi trails. The Japanese do not compete with the Europeans ... the Japanese show a philosophy, and "their" customers buy "that philosophy" ... which is basically reliability, simplicity, durability, after sales service ... and I think S10 perfectly fulfilled these objectives, after 10 years ... Some European manufacturers created a new segment, the "super sport Adventure" ... it will be BMW, which will have to see how it competes with the 160HP or the V4 .... Hardly the Japanese factories put up a fight, they stay true to their philosophy. Even Honda or Suzuki with their most recent models, denote their lack of interest in competing for the escalation of HP ... They compete among themselves ... and I think they still do not get close to the old S10 created 10 years ago ...
Maybe. . . . maybe not. Is Yamaha competing with Beemer. . . . or the other Japanese brands? I think the T-12 has more in common with the Versys, A.T., and V-Strom, than the GS; or even the KTM or Triumph. And, depending on your personal point of view, Yamaha is more than an equal to the Japanese competition.. . . . Of course they compete and if the GS wasn’t such a big sales success than the S10 may never have been. . . .
i'm with you there. I am hard pressed to buy an R12 over a tenere. the tenere just WORKS. the R12 has more gadgets and more cool factor depending who you ask. If you're buying an all purpose motorcycle to ride great distances reliably and comfortably the super tenere is it. Is it 25 lbs heavier? sure, but it's a yamaha so i'm not gonna have to push it.I don't think the S10 was built to "compete" with the GS. The S10 was created as one more motorcycle in the segment of the “Adventure” maxi trails. The Japanese do not compete with the Europeans ... the Japanese show a philosophy, and "their" customers buy "that philosophy" ... which is basically reliability, simplicity, durability, after sales service ... and I think S10 perfectly fulfilled these objectives, after 10 years ... Some European manufacturers created a new segment, the "super sport Adventure" ... it will be BMW, which will have to see how it competes with the 160HP or the V4 .... Hardly the Japanese factories put up a fight, they stay true to their philosophy. Even Honda or Suzuki with their most recent models, denote their lack of interest in competing for the escalation of HP ... They compete among themselves ... and I think they still do not get close to the old S10 created 10 years ago ...
i had the opportunity to take a friend of mines gs on a 4,000 mile trip all roads, paved and dirt. It was a great trip and a neat bike. my wife has a S10 2014 model, so I have put a few trips on that one. Over all I like the ten better, but I’ll give the bmw this, it has much better suspension out of the box. Something I’ll have to work on on my 2019. Maybe next winter.i'm with you there. I am hard pressed to buy an R12 over a tenere. the tenere just WORKS. the R12 has more gadgets and more cool factor depending who you ask. If you're buying an all purpose motorcycle to ride great distances reliably and comfortably the super tenere is it. Is it 25 lbs heavier? sure, but it's a yamaha so i'm not gonna have to push it.