10 years, 16 days came to an end about an hour ago.

Dirt_Dad

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I first put money down to pre-order my first Tenere on 9/10/2010. That bike arrived on 8/2/2011. Which began an odsey of 4 Teneres, which accumulated somewhere around 130K miles. All of that ended with today when an active US Army medic rode away with my last Tenere in the garage. He's a gen 1 owner and really could appreciate all the improvements of the gen 2. Honestly I could not be happier with the bike going to a knowledgeable rider who understands what he got. I was honored to throw a few extra farkles his way to say thank you to him for his service. This is a very satisifying way to end my Tenere time.

It's been a wonderful 10 years of being invested in Teneres.

From the first Tenere that was thrown into a hurricane within the first month of ownership.

To my second one which attended the very first Romney Camp N Ride

My third one that went to the Arctic Circle up the Dalton

And the fourth one that was DM's Alaska bike. (sorry honey, it's really the only good exclusively you bike I had)

Have a lot of history with the Tenere.

From Newfoundland


To Anchor Point, Alaska


I've seen North America from the seat of a Super Tenere. Love it all.

A Tenere protected me when I hit a deer and totaled the bike in Minnesota.


And took me as far west as I've gone in the lower 48 so far.


I've loved all my Teneres and it's bitter sweet to see this much loved bike leave.

But I'm pleased it's going to a soldier, and will be appreciated for many years to come.

Good bye old friend. Treat the next guy as well as you treated me.
 

RCinNC

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The S10's the first bike I've owned that I've really become attached to. I totally get what you're saying.
 

Highwayman

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I can relate...... Currently at 5 bikes in the garage... 2 HDs, B King, S 10 & KTM..... If they all burned up, the S10 would be the one Id be replacing as soon as the ins check arrived. Nothing great, just a real good bike and seen alot with it. My ole faithful.
 
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RonH

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I never sell a motorcycle I like. Call me a hoarder I guess. I still have 7 old motorcycles as old as 1974 that just sit there for eternity. Don't care to ride them again, but they will be with me as long as I'm alive.
 
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ballisticexchris

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I'm amazed at the comfort and reliability of this bike. At this point in my life if I had one bike to choose it would be the Super Tenere. It is nothing short of an amazing machine for long days in the saddle.

20 years and a lot more physically fit ago I would not even consider this bike. My choice of a hard core versatile bike would be a lightweight plated dirt bike.

Fortunately the Super Tenere does not really limit my riding terrain as I'm no longer doing that kind of harsh environment.
 

Dirt_Dad

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I never sell a motorcycle I like. Call me a hoarder I guess. I still have 7 old motorcycles as old as 1974 that just sit there for eternity. Don't care to ride them again, but they will be with me as long as I'm alive.
Wish I had an outbuilding (and wallet) big enough to do that. I've disliked very few bikes I've owned. The few I didn't like bounced out fast. One didn't make it a week, all were gone inside of 9 months. I'd have a very large collection at this point. Definitely miss some more than others. If I had such a collection, the Tenere would be on the pedestal spinning in the center of the loved and retired fleet.
 

Checkswrecks

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So what's next on your list?
You've missed this thread:
 

VRODE

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Glad it went to a good home. I’ve loved all my old rides, but when it was time to move on I knew it. Still love my ST, but I do get wanderlust occasionally (more so this year). Then I ride it and that’s all forgotten.
 

Sierra1

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. . . . I'd have a very large collection at this point. . . .
Wait a minute. . . . wasn't it you that posted a picture with 6-7 bikes in it? :) Not judging, (actually jealous) but that is a large collection. . . . to me anyway. :oops:
 

gunslinger_006

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I'm amazed at the comfort and reliability of this bike. At this point in my life if I had one bike to choose it would be the Super Tenere. It is nothing short of an amazing machine for long days in the saddle.

20 years and a lot more physically fit ago I would not even consider this bike. My choice of a hard core versatile bike would be a lightweight plated dirt bike.

Fortunately the Super Tenere does not really limit my riding terrain as I'm no longer doing that kind of harsh environment.
This is where i am at also, except 20 years ago it was trackbikes for me instead of dirtbikes. I started on the track and am working backwards into the dirt. Most people where im from learn riding in the exact opposite order.
 

blitz11

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I had a BMW R60/5 for 35 years. I had an R80/7 for 12 years. I had every tool, special tool, transmission shimming plates, shim kits, wheel bearing shim kits, wheel bearing grease tools, etc. I'd keep spare transmissions freshly rebuilt with new input shafts, etc.

I knew them like the back of my hand, but inevitably, on every long trip (MN to Massachusetts, for instance), something would break. The last straw was riding to a customer meeting, and having the spring which keeps the transmission in the proper gear break, allowing the transmission to tie-up, breaking a gear off of one of the transmission gears. It was a 3-year old spring, replaced at the last transmission rebearing/shimming exercise. At that point, i was DONE with those things. I put them on craigslist for a low price, ended up in a bidding war, and received 2x what I was asking.

I bought a 2013 Gen 1 S10 in 2014. I have never looked back. I haven't missed the BMWs once. I'll probably take the S10 to my grave.

I also have a 2002 GG 300. I've been pondering a new dirt bike. I've been looking at the Yamaha YZ250X (off-road version, 2 stroke). One of my engineering students bought a 2001 YZ1250 two-stroke which was a wreck. I use motorcycles all the times for design examples, and let them know that if they have a bike and want help, let me know. That can provide as much of an education as teaching in class.

This kid takes me up on my offer. I showed him how / helped him put a new crank, replated cylinder, piston, all new suspension bushings, etc., in it. We went riding with him and his buddy yesterday. The YZ was perfect. Jetting spot on, it's fast as hell, and the kid loves it. "It's WAY better than my 4-stroke bike."

I was impressed with the YZ250 when I had it apart - really well engineered. it was clear that it has been ridden hard, but $800 into the thing, and it's like a new bike. Having ridden the GG 300 yesterday for 7 hours with these 2 kids who are 1/3 my age, i realized that the GG does its job, and does it well. I was actually able to hang with them towards the end of the day - mostly 'cause they would jump everything, and i'd ride around it. Gotta' save my energy.

When all is said and done, these things are really tools. Does the tool do it's job? If they do the job, I keep them. if they don't, they're gone. I have no emotional attachment.

Time to order a new heater core and heater hose for the 1992 volvo. Head up a hill at WOT, i smelled coolant and the windshield fogged over. Tim to fix another tool which does its job.
 

Dirt_Dad

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Wait a minute. . . . wasn't it you that posted a picture with 6-7 bikes in it? :) Not judging, (actually jealous) but that is a large collection. . . . to me anyway. :oops:
You mean this...? It's only 5. If I were the only rider in the family I might think 5 is a collection, but 2 of these are DM's bikes, and at the time one was for sale. So I only really have two bikes. Two is not a collection. It's more like a bare minimum.



A few more memories from my Tenere years...

First hour of Tenere ownership.


Last few hours of Tenere ownership.


After looking at my photo on the credit card, the owner of the Hotspot Cafe on the Dalton told me , 'wow, you've aged horribly.' Can't deny that, but hopefully picked up a little wisdom along the way.

I think one of my favorite things about my Tenere time was all the new people I met as a direct result of the owning the Tenere.




































That's just a small fraction of Tenere friends met along the way. Guys like TwoDogs who taught me more than he realizes. TrikePilot who was so generous with his time, house, and friendship on all those WV rides. And Spklbuk who actually got me to camp. So many, many others I had the pleasure of getting to spend time with. I've enjoy it all.

And dang, CheckWrecks sure shows up in a lot of my photos. I thought I'd escape today's lunch with CW without another picture, but depending on what threads you follow around here, that might not have been the case. I'm fortunate to have such a great friend and riding partner.
 
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patrickg450

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ya know John, I sure could use a friend that posts a GOOD picture off me. Going to have to start calling you Johnie, kinda like Paulie......















In all seriousness, I am crushed that you sold the bike. So like what will you be riding that I will never see you on? Miss you bud.
 

Kurgan

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I get attached to them all. . . . still have my 2nd favorite; '86 FJ.
I do miss my 86 FJ1200 too, especially after the build up! Funny, we had all kinds of ways to get a lot more power out of it, but damn we didn't have the brakes back then to slow it down equally as well.
 

Dirt_Dad

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ya know John, I sure could use a friend that posts a GOOD picture off me. Going to have to start calling you Johnie, kinda like Paulie......

In all seriousness, I am crushed that you sold the bike. So like what will you be riding that I will never see you on? Miss you bud.
Maybe if you stop moving for more than half a second someone could get a better picture.

I guess you missed the other thread about my new ride. I've moved up to a Monkey. It's a big step up in dirt riding for me.
20190922_125801.jpg

Don't worry. I'm still around. I'll bring the Monkey to some Tenere events.
 
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