Madhatter
Well-Known Member
I know you know that , my bad.
Put me in the typical Tenere owner camp. By age 12 I was changing the piston and routinely ripping apart my carburetor on my KE100. I've done most (not all) maintenance jobs, including changing those damn little shims under bucket. I have the ability to do almost everything a bike would ever need. But I don't have a lot of spare time, and I'd much rather be riding than wrenching. If I enjoyed spending time with a wrench I'd ride a KTM. I greatly appreciate Yamaha providing me with a bike that has long service intervals and doesn't leave me walking if I haven't flushed the blinker fluid in the last 10K miles.Sounds like you shoulda bought a Beemer.
Doing maintenance myself used to be part of how I was able to afford having a bike at all. I've always done it all myself. I don't like doing it, but if it keeps me on the road instead of parked until I can afford to pay a mechanic...This will be interesting. I notice you have a history of super reliable Japanese bikes. Are you good with maintaining your bikes? I have noticed the typical Super Tenere owner just rides the piss out of their bike with very little regard to service. I have replied to a few threads on fluid changes, replacing brake lines, spark plugs etc. It always ends up with someone bragging on all the miles they have with nothing more than oil changes.
Thanks, makes sense if you're not comfortable to move on. For others with similar issues, a reflash can help with the throttle and the seat-leveling mod may alleviate any crotchital discomfort. Suspension is too subjective and each rider has their own expectations.Yes, I do my own maintenance.
Regarding my comment "...couldn't stand to ride it anymore...", It was really two main issues. One was the snatchy on/off throttle response and the lack of suspension compliance . Other smaller issues included the seating position, seat contour and lack of wind coverage. I installed Rox risers to try to improve the seating position issue but I think it made it worse, in that then I kept sliding up against the tank after installing them.
I did install risers on my Beemer but that was the only mod. The bike is spectacular, right out of the box!
I was toying with the Triumph Tiger but it wasn't as comfortable as the Beemer.
I think the S10 is bullet proof in terms of reliably but Yamaha needs to make some serious improvements if they want to stay relevant in a very competitive ADV Tourer market. I waited if the 2019 S10 had the improvements but it didn't and I couldn't wait any longer.
Yeah air head days are long gone.Doing maintenance myself used to be part of how I was able to afford having a bike at all. I've always done it all myself. I don't like doing it, but if it keeps me on the road instead of parked until I can afford to pay a mechanic...
So when I first started lusting after BMW it seemed like a lot of BMW guys were wrench turners - the sort who praised the ability to do a valve check on the trail. Maintaining a bike used to be part of owning a bike, and BMW guys were no different. I remember a few years back seeing a pic of GS torn in half to lube the splines. Just a guy maintaining his bike in the off-season.
It seems these days talk about BMW never extols ease of maintenance, but rather bemoans cost of dealer service. With more and more electronics it seems like the GS (maybe bikes in general) are going away from user-serviceable to need-proprietary-code-reader and remove-and-replace-expensive-potted-electronic-module.
I'm all for adjusting valves, changing fluids and wearables (brake pads, clutch plates, chains, bearings), but if I have to spend $1300 to replace some black box every 6 months, that would put me off.
Threads like these always twist me up. Half the guys talk about the miserable, expensive, regretful experience of owning a BMW, and the other half talk about racking up a brazillian trouble-free miles without a hiccup. I wonder if those experiences track with self-maintenance vs. take it to the dealer.