bmac
Active Member
I started the trip with just under 11,000 miles on the clock. My trip was going to take me from Wisconsin to San Francisco and back. I could take as long as needed on both ends of the trip although I ended up getting back quicker than I initially planned.
Let's start with a little background on the bike.
2012 Super Tenere with the following mods:
ECU unleashed
Staintune slip-on
Michelin Anakee 3 rear tire and stock Bridgestone front
Corbin seat with beaded seat pad to get some air to the butt and prevent IBS (itchy butt syndrome)
Yamaha heated grips
Madstad bracket with Powerbronze windscreen
Zumo 550 GPS
I wore my Klim Badlands suit, Sidi Adventure boots, Klim Induction and Short Element gloves, and Arai XD4 helmet.
As has been stated by numerous folks already the stock fueling map and restrictions are not good. The set up with ECU unleashed is the way the bike should have been set up from the factory. There is absolutely no justification for any power restriction in any gear. The engine, very simply, does not produce enough power to get you in trouble unless you are an idiot and in that case you should not be riding a motorcycle.
In the two years I have owned the bike I have been generally very happy with it. The Super Tenere replaced a 2006 FJR1300. The S10 is more comfortable and handles better. The riding position on the S10 is just about perfect for me. I am 6'2" and it has plenty of legroom and the reach to the bars is just right. The wind protection is, in my opinion, just about perfect. It blocks just the right amount of wind while allowing enough air flow when it gets warm.
Last year I made a trip out east and rode straight through on the way back without difficulty. The one day ride of an indicated 930 miles in temperatures around 90 degrees was my longest day in almost 40 years of riding. I don't think I could have made that long of a day on any other bike I have owned.
So when it came time to head out West I was excited and very optimistic about how the bike would perform.
Day 1; 800 miles to North Platte Nebraska. It was a good day with no excitement. It was a day to put some miles on so day 2 would be spent in the mountains.
Day 2: 650 miles to Duchesne Utah. I took HWY 14 through northern Colorado and HWY 40 into Utah. It was a good day with perfect weather, great roads and scenery.
Day 3: 650 miles via 40 and Interstate 80 through Salt Lake City with a stay in Reno. Roads to Salt Lake were good but once I got on 80 it became pretty boring. Speeds were quite high as the posted limit was 80 MPH. I spent a lot of time at an indicated 90 mph or about 84 MPH GPS corrected. At these speeds the vibration through the bars is quite noticeable and over time quite bothersome. With the scenery being pretty bland and no distractions it is hard not to notice the constant buzzing in the handlebars.
Day 4: 300 miles around Lake Tahoe. Beautiful roads and scenery through half the day. Boring HWY 80 after that. Lake Tahoe is spectacular and HWY 50 to Sacramento is pretty darn good. Arrived in San Francisco in early afternoon.
Day 5 and 6: Rest and visit with family.
Day 7: 550 miles to Ely, NV. Back on HWY 50 through South Lake Tahoe and continue on all the way to Ely. Once in Nevada lack of scenery again draws attention to the level of vibration. This bike does not like to rev above 4000 rpms without complaining. When you are riding 10 to 12 hours a day it is impossible not to notice.
Day 8: 600 miles to Dillon CO. Continue on 50 to Interstate 70 and Dillon. Not too much to see until I got in the mountains. Mostly open terrain with very little variation. Rather warm with temps up to 93 degrees.
Day 9: 735 miles to Des Moine, IA. Interstate all the way. 70 is pretty good while in the mountains but once out not too much to see. Once I got into central Nebraska and Iowa noticed a lot more green in the form of grass and trees. All that rain was being put to good use. It was good to see some color from the browns and tans in Nevada and Utah.
Day 10 450 miles to home. Average day with a good mix of roads and scenery.
Total trip was a little over 4700 miles in temperatures from 44 to 93 degrees.
Overall, it was a good trip with a couple of big buts... The level of vibration at the upper half of the RPM range is excessive and annoying. Additionally, even though Yamaha builds some great engines, this is not one of them. For 1200 cc's it does not produce a lot of power and it does not produce a sound that stirs the soul. It sounds more like a tractor even though the Staintune has helped a bit. When the temps start to rise you do notice heat coming from the left side of the engine. It is noticeable and not welcome as the temps rise above 90 but compared to a lot of other bikes it is not that bad.
In my opinion the only real weak link on the bike is the engine. I have a 1000cc V-twin in my Aprilia Tuono that is way more exciting in feel and sound and could spank the S10 all day long with no penalty for running the revs up a bit. I am hoping Yamaha puts a triple, like the one in the FZ-09, in an Adventure bike. If they do I will buy one. Before the trip, I was considering a 2014 Super Tenere ES but for now I will be holding off.
Let's start with a little background on the bike.
2012 Super Tenere with the following mods:
ECU unleashed
Staintune slip-on
Michelin Anakee 3 rear tire and stock Bridgestone front
Corbin seat with beaded seat pad to get some air to the butt and prevent IBS (itchy butt syndrome)
Yamaha heated grips
Madstad bracket with Powerbronze windscreen
Zumo 550 GPS
I wore my Klim Badlands suit, Sidi Adventure boots, Klim Induction and Short Element gloves, and Arai XD4 helmet.
As has been stated by numerous folks already the stock fueling map and restrictions are not good. The set up with ECU unleashed is the way the bike should have been set up from the factory. There is absolutely no justification for any power restriction in any gear. The engine, very simply, does not produce enough power to get you in trouble unless you are an idiot and in that case you should not be riding a motorcycle.
In the two years I have owned the bike I have been generally very happy with it. The Super Tenere replaced a 2006 FJR1300. The S10 is more comfortable and handles better. The riding position on the S10 is just about perfect for me. I am 6'2" and it has plenty of legroom and the reach to the bars is just right. The wind protection is, in my opinion, just about perfect. It blocks just the right amount of wind while allowing enough air flow when it gets warm.
Last year I made a trip out east and rode straight through on the way back without difficulty. The one day ride of an indicated 930 miles in temperatures around 90 degrees was my longest day in almost 40 years of riding. I don't think I could have made that long of a day on any other bike I have owned.
So when it came time to head out West I was excited and very optimistic about how the bike would perform.
Day 1; 800 miles to North Platte Nebraska. It was a good day with no excitement. It was a day to put some miles on so day 2 would be spent in the mountains.
Day 2: 650 miles to Duchesne Utah. I took HWY 14 through northern Colorado and HWY 40 into Utah. It was a good day with perfect weather, great roads and scenery.
Day 3: 650 miles via 40 and Interstate 80 through Salt Lake City with a stay in Reno. Roads to Salt Lake were good but once I got on 80 it became pretty boring. Speeds were quite high as the posted limit was 80 MPH. I spent a lot of time at an indicated 90 mph or about 84 MPH GPS corrected. At these speeds the vibration through the bars is quite noticeable and over time quite bothersome. With the scenery being pretty bland and no distractions it is hard not to notice the constant buzzing in the handlebars.
Day 4: 300 miles around Lake Tahoe. Beautiful roads and scenery through half the day. Boring HWY 80 after that. Lake Tahoe is spectacular and HWY 50 to Sacramento is pretty darn good. Arrived in San Francisco in early afternoon.
Day 5 and 6: Rest and visit with family.
Day 7: 550 miles to Ely, NV. Back on HWY 50 through South Lake Tahoe and continue on all the way to Ely. Once in Nevada lack of scenery again draws attention to the level of vibration. This bike does not like to rev above 4000 rpms without complaining. When you are riding 10 to 12 hours a day it is impossible not to notice.
Day 8: 600 miles to Dillon CO. Continue on 50 to Interstate 70 and Dillon. Not too much to see until I got in the mountains. Mostly open terrain with very little variation. Rather warm with temps up to 93 degrees.
Day 9: 735 miles to Des Moine, IA. Interstate all the way. 70 is pretty good while in the mountains but once out not too much to see. Once I got into central Nebraska and Iowa noticed a lot more green in the form of grass and trees. All that rain was being put to good use. It was good to see some color from the browns and tans in Nevada and Utah.
Day 10 450 miles to home. Average day with a good mix of roads and scenery.
Total trip was a little over 4700 miles in temperatures from 44 to 93 degrees.
Overall, it was a good trip with a couple of big buts... The level of vibration at the upper half of the RPM range is excessive and annoying. Additionally, even though Yamaha builds some great engines, this is not one of them. For 1200 cc's it does not produce a lot of power and it does not produce a sound that stirs the soul. It sounds more like a tractor even though the Staintune has helped a bit. When the temps start to rise you do notice heat coming from the left side of the engine. It is noticeable and not welcome as the temps rise above 90 but compared to a lot of other bikes it is not that bad.
In my opinion the only real weak link on the bike is the engine. I have a 1000cc V-twin in my Aprilia Tuono that is way more exciting in feel and sound and could spank the S10 all day long with no penalty for running the revs up a bit. I am hoping Yamaha puts a triple, like the one in the FZ-09, in an Adventure bike. If they do I will buy one. Before the trip, I was considering a 2014 Super Tenere ES but for now I will be holding off.
