Australian MCN magazine XT1200ZE 2014 review

[GrahamD]

I'll just cut to the chase and pad it out later...

Basically ... ::008:: mate.

This bit we all know..The main heading.

Taking the road-less-travlled approach, YAMAHA has upgraded it's 1200cc Super Ten to end up with a true tech savvy Adventure Bike.

In fact YAMAHA has totally dodged the current arms race in the Adventure sector - by launching a bike with cruise control and electronically adjustable suspension. This is much more useful for a rider than huge horsepower, which is pretty much an overkill in this sector. After all a true adventure rider wants to see the world not blitz it.

..and then basically go on with a couple of paragraphs about WTF are we doing flying past everything with 150HP bikes and that's not what we thought Adventure touring was about...and then mention strange concepts like meeting locals, taking in the scenery, unwinding...

Yamaha has admirably resisted the desire to over-spec the bike and stuck with what works

The Super Tenere is a good bike, clearly designed by a team of engineers who know what's what and have stuck to their game.

And wait for it...The old can't match the spec sheet of the competition thing ...

..and the motors pretty damn fine as well. It's got plenty of go and it's got ...CHARACTER....

::025::

Don't we all feel very smug now that someone has admitted the bike has a lack of refin..I mean character.

ADDS - 3 pages YAMAHA 2 x Bolt, 1 x Star cruisers, 1 Page 2014 Vstrom, 1 Page CFMoto, 1 Page BMW - General, 1 page KAWASAKI , lots of general accessories.
AMCN is a weekly news heavy race heavy general motorcycle mag.

 

[20valves]

This nails it. They really seem to catch the essence of the Yam: stick with the stuff that you really can use and make it effective and dependable. The bikes with the big hp numbers all have drive mode options that knock 'em back to the Tenere hp level for off road work. Anyway, from Tenere to KTM 1190, the spectrum is covered in this segment. ::008::

 

[GrahamD]

Anyway, from Tenere to KTM 1190, the spectrum is covered in this segment. ::008::

That's the bit I like, They haven't all piled into the street end of the market. It's a good spread in the big Piggy segment.

Time to start working on the Mid size bikes I think.

 

[snakebitten]

Ok, I got what I wanted. A press review of the Tenere that actually understands it and proclaims it is what it is on purpose. Not a swing and miss.

Actually, it's the second time an Australian publication has done this. Why is that? Gotta be a cultural difference? It's the same bike.

Really appreciate their reference to what this genre was suppose to be about. I'm not offended that it's become so inclusive. But I do get irritated when bikes that are true to the original intent are discounted for being so. Seems disingenuous.

 

[GrahamD]

Actually, it's the second time an Australian publication has done this. Why is that?

Probably because outside the coastal fringe there are big miles, anything out of they way usually involves gravel roads, sometimes not torn up, big distances between fuel, usually regular grade and bugger all people to come along a save you if something breaks and if they do certain brands assist packages only give you 400km. So as with the 4WD market, where very few fancy pants "4wd's" are sold outside the coast the bike represents something that makes sense in our conditions. As well as that our police hide behind bushes in unlikely places so 200MPH is not a thing you want to be doing very often. A general purpose bike that works well in a range of conditions is just what the doc ordered.

Also a lot of them won't mention it in print but while they think the GS is a good thing they don't trust it that much. How do I know?.Well a few magazine organized rides I have been on there were a few mumbles by press people along the lines of..Just how many more things that are going to break do they want to add to these things..

And if you think that was the end of it a few comments about Japanese head office influence on Marketing that weren't that flattering.

Actually the funniest thing I ever saw was a magazine mechanic (contract) that was doing an impression of a Japanese executive critiquing add copy. I really wish I had that on video. He was tired and a bit pissed as well so that just added to it.. ::025::