My last bike was a Versys 1000, it was also my first liter bike and sport tourer. I enjoyed the Kawi 4 cylinder, smooth transmission, slipper clutch, good luggage, comfortable with an aftermarket seat and rox risers (I loved the wide handlebars). It did everything I needed on the road, but the Versys1K also felt a bit uneasy at higher speeds, not frantic but not as planted as it should be. I also found it to have little upper body wind protection even with aftermarket options.
On one of my last trips, as I was keeping a pretty spirited pace down Hwy 285, a solo rider on an FJR1300 passed me. He glanced over… and then seemingly effortlessly blew the doors off my Versys at triple digits while looking completely relaxed. The FJR clearly looked like the better bike for the job that day. Now
maybe the extra suspension travel on the V1K soaked up rough roads better (+0.5” front/+1” rear) but for me, it is a tall machine, and the plush aftermarket seat the PO had installed was wider than OEM so I would have preferred the FJR for that reason as well. Still I got a great deal on the V1K and it came completely farkled out, sold it after a year without taking a financial hit.
Then I decided I needed an adventure bike. Found a gem of a 2nd gen S10 from a trustworthy seller, and next thing I knew I did a fly&ride with a 1600 mile trip home. I Love the S10’s touring capabilities, hammering slab, 2 lane highway, and a little dirt on the way home without a hiccup. Now I told myself it would be mainly for highways, with easy gravel connectors, moto camping and occasional fire roads. Well the Super Tenere’s capabilities had me hooked pretty quick. I got myself into some pretty spicy situations, which doesn’t take much for an off-road novice. I also ride solo 99.9% of the time. I should probably get some training in the dirt, and I will address that at some point, but the obvious answer is always another bike, right?
So I start shopping lightweight Japanese dual sports to go with the S10. But maybe that’s too much off-road overlap for a 2 bike stable, and my lust for the FJR isn’t going away. I’d like to own both the big Yamaha’s but two big tourers just doesn’t make sense for me at the moment. The 2014+FJR shares a lot the things I love about the Super Tenere (reliable, shaft drive, cruise, handles big miles) and it sounds like its performance would edge out the S10 for big pavement trips and likely fit me like a glove (5’10, short inseam). I really like my Tenere, it’s a rugged beast, and it doesn’t give me that glass slipper feeling that I get with fully faired bikes. Still something about those FJRs though man, hard decision. As many of you pointed out both great motorcycles in their own ways!
I was hesitant to start a “this vs. that” thread but I feel like I got a lot of quality responses and I really appreciate all of your feedback. Very helpful to get others experience and perspective on what I’m considering. All motorcycles are compromises, I just may pursue the FJR/Dual Sport replacement in the near future, or not. Swapping bikes can be fun but I’d rather be out riding them.