Super Tenere - Impressions?

[trippin]

I saw a few folks on the forum are proud Super Tenere owners. Ironically, I have not seen much written about the ownership experience here on STN. Likes, dislikes, peeves, loves, etc. Any feedback from the Super Tenere owners?

Inquiring minds would love a real world report from STN owners and not a magazine road test.  

[schmii]

I liked the impressions written on st-owners.

http://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?105725-Super-Tenere-vs-ST1300-and-initial-impressions

[County Tar]

Should be some good reading here - the author really likes his:

http://www.stromtrooper.com/other-motorcycles/67001-super-tenere-home.html

I think his review starts around page 5 or so.

[mcrider007]

I have a S10 with 3600 miles and bought it for the same reason I own a DL1000....to ride when taking trips on rough and/or uneven pavement with side trips on fairly good gravel gravel roads (good enough to drive a car on).  The S10 is clearly a generation beyond the DL1000 with its shaft drive, ABS, traction control, and has a higher build quality.  The engines make about the same peak HP but the S10 has much more down low and is a smoother engine....and HP is not an issue, it has all that anyone needs for an adventure riding platform.   The brakes are very strong and the linked braking system is the best I have ever used.  The gas mileage is better than I expected, between 45-50 mpg, when in a touring mode.  It has a lot of leg room and very comfortable seating position but it is not the touring mile eater that my FJR or C14 is.  The S10 will be better tourer once I change the fork springs, it comes with dual rate springs that some non-rider designed.  The soft portion is used up by the bike and the riders weight, the firm portion (1.2 KG/mm) seems to be intended to be used for triple jumps.  I think that .95 or 1.0 springs will greatly improve the ride since there seems to be a large range of damping adjustments available.  The shock is not as good as the Wilbers I have on the DL1000, but its good enough that I don't feel any need to replace it.

I have watched a lot of videos of the S10 being ridden on some pretty nasty trails but like the DL1000, I think there are better alternatives for that type of riding.  The S10 is in its element on rough (paved) roads, tight corners, and elevation changes.  It can also be loaded down like a pack mule for those that want to take everything with them.

[trippin]

Thanks for the review and others for the links...very informative reading. mcrider007 How tall are you? Ergos work well? I was also concerned after reading reviews that the engine was a bit 'vanilla' but you sound like you have no issues with the power and/or performance.?

[mcrider007]

Thanks for the review and others for the links...very informative reading. mcrider007 How tall are you? Ergos work well? I was also concerned after reading reviews that the engine was a bit 'vanilla' but you sound like you have no issues with the power and/or performance.?

I am 6'4" and use the high seat position but would still be very comfortable in the low seat.  The handlebars are high as delivered were ideal for standing on the pegs but put a slight strain on the wrists when sitting so I rolled them downward a bit which made a big difference.  I like HP as much as anyone else (look at the the other bikes in my garage) but the S10 has a very long stroke engine (79mm) with a 7750 rpm redline and it makes its power down low where you can actually use it.  If you want a lot of passing power at 90 mph then you should buy an inline 4 but the S10 lunges from corner to corner in the twisties, especially in the sport mode.  I normally ride in the touring mode because the power delivery seems a little smoother and and the fuel economy is slightly higher.   The S10 seems to have an extremely restrictive exhaust and more power is probably available with an after market slip on but I have better ways to spend my money.

[trippin]

I am 6'4" and use the high seat position but would still be very comfortable in the low seat.  The handlebars are high as delivered were ideal for standing on the pegs but put a slight strain on the wrists when sitting so I rolled them downward a bit which made a big difference.  I like HP as much as anyone else (look at the the other bikes in my garage) but the S10 has a very long stroke engine (79mm) with a 7750 rpm redline and it makes its power down low where you can actually use it.  If you want a lot of passing power at 90 mph then you should buy an inline 4 but the S10 lunges from corner to corner in the twisties, especially in the sport mode.  I normally ride in the touring mode because the power delivery seems a little smoother and and the fuel economy is slightly higher.   The S10 seems to have an extremely restrictive exhaust and more power is probably available with an after market slip on but I have better ways to spend my money.

Sounds good. I too have other Inline 4 bikes so the need for flat-out acceleration out of a Tenere is not necessary or required. However, I still want the bike to have character and be a blast to ride on the windy roads.

I simply had read the motor was boring, blan, etc in several magazine reports...which is exactly why I was requesting real world impressions from real world riders. You are right...power down low and in the midrange is exactly where I would want it on a machine similar to this. Your usage sounds comparable to how I would use the bike. Adventure Touring, twisty canyon roads, multi-state trips where real-world, usable power is key.

Much appreciated.

[PatM]

There's a good comparison - review of the Yamaha Super Ténéré vs the BMW R1200GSA in the January 2012 edition of Rider.
Their conclusion is: "Honestly, as tested, these bikes are so evenly matched that the decision comes down to preference more than performance, personality more than price."
I just got my copy in the mail this morning.

[mcrider007]

There's a good comparison - review of the Yamaha Super Ténéré vs the BMW R1200GSA in the January 2012 edition of Rider.

I thought Rider did a good job of documenting MSRP of each bike with the same bells and whistles but most of the rest of the review seemed to be written from the manufacture's literature and the riding portion of the review could have been written from a desk after a 30 minute internet search.  I didn't see dyno charts or any specific comments that demonstrated someone had actually ridden either bike.  Adventure touring bikes are made to ride on a lot of different surfaces and different conditions and its hard to believe that there would be a "tie" across the board....but when the riding evaluation consists of 3 sentences in the last paragraph you are not going to get many details.