Impressions from the CW Seattle Show

[3putt]

I sat on that same XT at the Dallas show (worn right side motor case). Nice writeup.

Now, I'm going to play golf and try not to think about it for a while. ;D

 

[Chadx]

A couple more thoughts I'll add:
The power outlet is a standard 'cigarette lighter' size. Those wanting the secured plug retention of a powerlet outlet will have to swap it out or add powerlets in another location.

The rerouting of the throttle cable when adding the Yami heated grips does push the cable up and it protrudes into your line of sight when looking down at the instrumentation. This is not the case with the stock bike.

Here is a shot of the heated grip bike and I took this standing next to the bike so my point of view was higher than a seated point of view. You can see that the lower right hand corner of the instruments will be obstructed by the throttle cable if your vantage point were a few inches lower, as it would be when seated. Again, the stock bike had no such issue.

 

[apetoid]

Interesting summery. I sat on those bikes in Seattle too. I had a 1200GS my wife & I rode double on, mostly on dirt(we live in Idaho).We got on the Tenere. Wife thinks it's easier to get on than the GS was. She liked everything about it. Bike felt a bit smaller than the GS & less top heavy. Fit me just fine(6 ft, 185lbs,31 inche inseam).I'm wondering about the low end torque compared to the GS. That is a real strong point of the GS----but reliability issues made me leery of taking it into distant backcountry(I did tho--lots). Had one other BMW--an RT. Had better lawnmowers. Really. Thing was junk--broke down on all 4 major trips we attempted. Wife named it the Big Mistake on Wheels(BMW).Bought the GS because nothing like it was available,til now. I bought the extended warranty on my 06'GS. Not sure any of my many jap bikes even offerred one---had no reason to think about it.BMW gave me MANY reasons to buy one. I ordered a Tenere in Sept . The stuff ALTRIDER has for the Tenere looks good(they had a booth at the Seattle show). I'll get their aluminum rack(NICE!) ,bash plate & engine guards. Maybe the extra gas can that bolts on the rack too as range has been an issue in the past. I guess the fit & finish of the Tenere is a bit tacky compared to the GS but i could care less. Looks & feels like a great dual sport to me. I'll take function over form everytime.

 

[Chadx]

Here is another shot showing leg relationship. Note that I didn't manage to get my foot in the position that I wanted it prior to the shutter clicking. The ball of my foot is on the footpeg rather than the peg being tucked up against the heal of my boot. Still, in both positions I found there to be plenty of leg room, good tank indents for the knees when in and squeezing, and a very reasonable leg bend. [seat height on high. I'm 6' with 32" inseam]

 

[Chadx]

The stuff ALTRIDER has for the Tenere looks good(they had a booth at the Seattle show). I'll get their aluminum rack(NICE!) ,bash plate & engine guards. Maybe the extra gas can that bolts on the rack too as range has been an issue in the past.

The 'double decker' rear rack, as I've been calling it, is a neat design. The lower compartment would be a great spot for a tool roll or one of the mini pelican cases or the like. As apetoid mentions, it is pre-drilled to accept the rotopax mount (for rotopax gas cans) and also predrilled for the Givi mount system. Nice platform and lots of slots for tie-downs. I'm thinking it will make a nice platform for a pelican/caribou top case with the caribou do-it-yourself mount kit.

 

[apetoid]

Yup chadx, that's the rack. Agree with everything you're saying. They have a red plastic gas can that bolts to that rack. Pretty sure a duffle bag would ride just fine over the can. Pretty neat. I'm getting it. Too bad the Tenere doesn't have a huge gas tank like the BMW Adventure but with the Yamaha I'll ONLY worry about gas,NOT the bike --I worried about my GS all the time. Am also looking at SOFT bags for the Tenere. I had Jeese metal "lunch boxes" on the GS. In soft ,deep sand in Utah my leg got dragged under a Jesse bag & broke a bone. No more hard bags for me.

 

[hANNAbONE]

agree with you Apetoid on the hard bags.

I think WolfBags or the like, would be the nuts on this sled.

 

[Chadx]

I have the Wolfman Expedition bags on my WR250R and love them. They have proven robust and dust/water proof. I already talked to Berg about manufacturing racks for the ST. He said they would be as soon as they can get their hands on it. Then I'll be able to switch the Wolfman bags back and forth. I still like the idea of the caribou panniers for longer trips where more room is needed, but I will likely start our with the wolfman saddlebags and a big caribou top case and then evaluate if more room is needed.

 

[fredz43]

agree with you Apetoid on the hard bags.

I think WolfBags or the like, would be the nuts on this sled.

I had also heard of leg injuries from hard bags when going off road. I used Ortleib Dry bags on my KLR and they worked great. I'll keep them for times I may go offroad with the Super Ten and would still like some hard bags, probably the Givi Trekkers for road trips.

 

[TierHawg]

Thanks for the great reviews guys. I'm rethinking which if any factory accessories I'd like to order with the bike.

Decisions, Decisions :-\

 

[markjenn]

Video of a minor crash on the S10 posted on advrider:

Super Tenere 1200 - crash test

This reaffirms my general feeling that I probably won't be adding crash bars to my S10 - for me, I think the cure is worse than disease. And it also reaffirms that when you start riding variable terrain at speed, you're rolling loaded dice, no matter how good you think you are.

- Mark

 

[SHAG]

I got to check out the S-10 at the Toronto Show last Sunday. I was impressed with the bike overall. There were a few things that were not ideal to me, but not a deal breaker.
The seating position was great and putting it up on center stand was easier than expected. I liked the taller seat position. Luckily, there was a Yamaha tech there that explained the bike very well. he even showed how to run the diagnostics. As someone said before, they had one with all the stuff off so you could see the bike real well with the seat, tank and air box removed.

The dislikes to me were the ability to put the side stand down while sitting on the bike. I had street shoes on, so this is not a big issue. On the luggage, the need to use the key to open & close the cases is probably a deal breaker on them, I could get used to it. The fit and finish of the bike is good, but nothing like the GS, that was expected. Neither bike had factory heated grips installed. I would prefer the power socket to be on the left side due to using left hand on whatever you plug into it.

Powerlet does have a sleeve that will let you plug in a device with the BMW style plug. I had one that came on something I bought awhile back but cannot find it. They were for sale at the show for $20

My last new Yamaha's were a 85 V-Max and before that a 78 XS11. Oops! I forgot the 97 540 Virago. Please don't tell anyone!!

After riding 4 BMW's for the last 12 years for 190k miles and having very few issues, I might buy the S-10.

New 99RT, 50k miles. I had to replace a fork seal.
New 01GS, 45k miles. A couple tailight bulbs.
New 05GS, 72k miles. 2 stick coils and several tailight bulbs.
Used 06 Dakar, I have put 23k miles since bought with no problems with a total of 40k miles on it now.



If I order the Super-10 instead of a new GS, I can walk down the road 3/4 mile and ride it home

 

[Ollie]

Video of a minor crash on the S10 posted on advrider:

Super Tenere 1200 - crash test

This reaffirms my general feeling that I probably won't be adding crash bars to my S10 - for me, I think the cure is worse than disease. And it also reaffirms that when you start riding variable terrain at speed, you're rolling loaded dice, no matter how good you think you are.

- Mark

Ouch, for him and the bike. After breaking my pelvis during my gonzo single track mountain bike days I still wince when I see someone take a pounding to the hip like that.

At 51-sec you start to see the back end kick out and his arms lose square. Wonder if he had TC on or would that have even helped in that situation. I guess, if nothing else, the sacrificial plastic part probably slowed the bike a bit faster than highly polished stainless.

He got off it pretty well too. Put his leg down early and let go soon enough to keep the mass of the bike from adding to his own weight and breaking his hip. Makes me want crash bars a little more and to slow down a lot more.

 

[markjenn]

At 51-sec you start to see the back end kick out and his arms lose square. Wonder if he had TC on or would that have even helped in that situation.

The front end just washed away, probably due to hydroplaning. TC isn't going to do squat for that. I had a similar accident on a wet NM dirt road once. Rode through a innocuous 10' long mud puddle after a t-storm and the front end just went away. The road was so slick where wet that it was difficult to walk, let along ride.

- Mark

 

[Chadx]

...they had one with all the stuff off so you could see the bike real well with the seat, tank and air box removed.

Thanks for posting that pic, Shag. Any more sharper or larger ones? I wish the U.S. bike show had a stripped ST like that. Would have been nice to dig around in the guts.

 

[Gat]

I got to check out the S-10 at the Toronto Show last Sunday.

Hey Shag,

I think my Dad talked to you at the show last Sunday as he said he met a guy from PA looking at the Super Tenere. He sent me a bunch of his pics which was cool.

Thanks for posting your thoughts!

 

[Chadx]

Hey Gat, Are any of those pics of the ST stripped down? If so, can you post them? If you don't have an online image service, I can PM you with my email address, have you email them, I'll host them in my photobucket site, and post them up here for all to enjoy.

 

[Gat]

Hey Gat, Are any of those pics of the ST stripped down? If so, can you post them? If you don't have an online image service, I can PM you with my email address, have you email them, I'll host them in my photobucket site, and post them up here for all to enjoy.

Most of them are of the stripped bike. They numbered the different parts of the bike and then had a list explaining each item. Some of the pics are a little out of focus but I'll get them posted (hopefully tonight).

He emailed me about 20 pics but took way more. I'll get the rest when I head back to Toronto next week.

 

[SHAG]

...they had one with all the stuff off so you could see the bike real well with the seat, tank and air box removed.

Thanks for posting that pic, Shag. Any more sharper or larger ones? I wish the U.S. bike show had a stripped ST like that. Would have been nice to dig around in the guts.

I only took a few pics with my 6yr old camera probably set on the lowest resolution.. :'(

 

[SHAG]

I got to check out the S-10 at the Toronto Show last Sunday.

Hey Shag,

I think my Dad talked to you at the show last Sunday as he said he met a guy from PA looking at the Super Tenere. He sent me a bunch of his pics which was cool.

Thanks for posting your thoughts!

Was your dad the guy with an R12RT? I remember a guy saying his son had one ordered. Could have been the other guy that raced me to the bike as soon as we went in. ;D