Is it ok to start with super tenere as a first ever motorcycle?

[TodayIsTheDay]

Hello!
After a lot of researching I got to the point. I want Super Tenere! I am 6.7 tall and 242 lbs and I really like Super Tenere from design to reliability. Only thing I have never drive any motorcycle, just tried couple times scooter.
Do you guys think I can get this and be safe as this is first motorcycle ever?
First I wanted to get new Klr 650 then tenere 700, Africa... But it's kind of work around. I figure out Super Tenere is perfect for what I want and buying something else then Super Tenere would be just work around because I would buy super tenere anyway soon
Thanks!

 

[AZMike]

I am 6'5" and i love my Tenere. If you want my opinion I would start with a XR650L or a DR650 or KLR650 for training purposes first. All three of those bikes can be dropped multiple time without serious damage to bike or rider. Get your skill set established and then move to a bigger bike.

 

[lund]

I personally think it depends what your planning to do with the bike.
The bike it self is super easy to ride, almost rides it self but there is the weight factor. Its a heavy bike and if you plan on going off road with it then a smaller bike would suit best till you build experience, even seasoned experienced riders that do little to no off road have issues with it off road.
Guys that do well with the S10 off road is because they spend most of their time off road.
If pavement is your plan, weight is not so much of an issue and pulling the trigger on one is a no brainer as a pavement bike, no worst then a first time HD or cruiser. Just put the proper protections like crash bars for those unexpected drops....ya eventually you will drop it.
As for the displacement the 1200 is pretty tame and easy going. JMO

 

[Jlq1969]

With your height and weight, you will have no problem with the S10. But, you should wait for the gravel. Start with just asphalt until you get used to it. You will have to learn to manage the weight of the motorcycle (not circulating), but in maneuvers at low speed, and parking maneuvers ...... practice will make you adapt quickly. As an example, parking a scooter, facing forward on a downgrade, is easily solved with a little effort. If you were to park the S10, on a descent and want to go backwards, without the possibility of making a turn, in the middle of the desert….far from civilization…..you would die of dehydration

 

[Cycledude]

Your height and weight should help a lot. I don’t know where you are from but if you live in the USA you will be required to take training classes before you will be able to get a motorcycle drivers license. And that’s a good thing you will learn lots and much easier-safer than back in the days when I got my license and basically had to learn all by myself.

 

[Sierra1]

At 6'7", you almost have to start with something big. Take it real easy until you get the feel of the weight. And yeah, get really comfortable with the bike before you go crazy off road.

 

[Checkswrecks]

We have had a small number of people here over the years mention that due to their size they started on the Tenere so yes, it can be one. IF you go this route, I'd suggest an early Gen2 (started 2014) with some "cosmetic issues" so it won't be such a big deal when the thing falls over.
More than a few times.

fwiw - My son is your height and heavier. We started him on a KLR650 and he rode that for most of a year. One of the nice things about it and some of the other tall bikes (XL650 etc) is that they have less plastic to break when it falls over and are easier to pick back up.

 

[jbrown]

Well, I think the tenere is a bit too heavy for a first bike. I'd get something lighter and ride it for a year or so first.
I'm just over 6 ft, and the tenere fits me fine, but I started over 50 years ago on a honda 100 and moved up in size gradually.

 

[Wallkeeper]

I regularly have students come into my classes with zero riding experience and a brand new 7-900 lb motorcycle. A couple of points I make with them

1. making any motorcycle do 70 mph in a straight line is easy. As you add weight (mass) making it do anything else is harder
2. yes fit is important but skills are more important. Having those skills may change your thinking about what fits
3. you will drop your motorcycle. Expect it, prepare for it, deal with it. Do you want to drop a new bike or an older one?

my recommendations

1. GET SOME TRAINING. The North Carolina Community College system offers basic M/C training
2. Before any training spend some time on a bicycle doing low speed turns, turns from a stop etc
3. i agree withe AZMike and CW. Find a nice used mid weight like a KLR and ride it…a lot. Then decide what you want to commit to
4. get familiar with Issac Newton’s laws of motion and the implications. It really helps in understanding the training

as an FYI, I have had tall students come through my classes and while it was tight, they were able to ride dual sports successfully

stay safe
Wally

 

[sheikyerbooty]

Is it ok to start with super tenere as a first ever motorcycle?

No.

 

[LostDonkey]

100% YES! My 1st bike was a 350 RZ. (For those who know the bike, a crazy machine...) I took it easy for the 1st min, and from there on I hit the hooligan switch.... I still smile at the thought of it.

 

[Sierra1]

I've known natural born riders, and I've known guys that never get "it", and have to stop riding.

 

[Quique]

In brief, no. Let me elaborate.
In Spain, we have two motorcycle driving licenses, named A2 and A. The A2 allows you to drive a motorcycle under 47 CV (HP). After two years with the A2, you can get your A license which allows you to drive any motorcycle. This is, two years with a medium motorcycle and then you can ride whichever you want.
I started with a Honda Transalp, with a limitation kit to cut the engine power to 47 HP.
Why is this? Because if you make a mistake, and you will make a mistake for sure, you will have to deal with 47 angry horses instead of one hundred or more. Learn how to deal with your 47 HP (perhaps 60 or 70 under the US law) before dealing with one hundred +
Make a course. You will learn a lot. It's worthy money. I cannot be more grateful than I am to my teacher who taught me how to do an emergency break with safety. He saved my life more than once.

 

[lund]

Agree with the above statement, there are people that can ride/drive anything, especially if they are naturals and athletic.
I agree getting your basic's at a training school, it will benefit you in the long run when dealing with traffic safety, no matter what bike you have.
The rest is seat time and how well you adapt, everyone is different, some require time and multiple motorcycles before they have enough competency to handle the big bikes, while some will walk right in with a small learning curve.
I have been riding motorcycles since I was 12yrs old, race moto for a couple years in my teen, then at 17 joined the CAF, married and kids, NO motorcycles. My oldest got into bikes when he turned a teen so I bought a TT350 for myself and had not rode since I was a teen.
That only lasted couple years and his interest changed so sold the TT and did not ride again till I was 50 yrs old.
Then years later a friend said to me lets ride a motorcycle to Panama and back after he had watched Charlie and Ewan Mcgregor.
So I bought my first ADV bike at 50 with zero experience, a GS1200 and took it to Panama and back. Ya we both survived the experience, bike and rider.
Ya it was dropped countless times but the thing is my S10 gets dropped atleast once every other ride when I go off tarmac, never on road.
I know plenty of people that ride Harleys that basically walk right in, never rode a bike, get their license, buy the bike and are riding with no issues.
Not that I recommend doing that, riding classes are worth every penny IMO and are a wealth of info for any one starting to ride. But riding tarmac is not riding dirt, dirt riders require a higher level of physical riding skills. While a tarmac rider require a HIGH awareness of traffic safety.
Very different skills between the two. Because the S10 is an ADV bike, it does not mean you need to know how to dirt ride to enjoy on tarmac.
Being a great off road rider on an ADV doesn't make you a great motorcyclist on road if you are oblivious to traffic safety and lane positioning and so on.
Plus being a great safe motorcyclist doesn't give you the skills needed for off road adventures if you never go there.

Food for thought, only you will know but then you will never know unless you try.
I mean, I never dreamed of buying a GS and riding to Panama with no previous experience, but I did.

 

[lund]

In brief, no. Let me elaborate.
In Spain, we have two motorcycle driving licenses, named A2 and A. The A2 allows you to drive a motorcycle under 47 CV (HP). After two years with the A2, you can get your A license which allows you to drive any motorcycle. This is, two years with a medium motorcycle and then you can ride whichever you want.
I started with a Honda Transalp, with a limitation kit to cut the engine power to 47 HP.
Why is this? Because if you make a mistake, and you will make a mistake for sure, you will have to deal with 47 angry horses instead of one hundred or more. Learn how to deal with your 47 HP (perhaps 60 or 70 under the US law) before dealing with one hundred +
Make a course. You will learn a lot. It's worthy money. I cannot be more grateful than I am to my teacher who taught me how to do an emergency break with safety. He saved my life more than once.

Personally I think the HP thing is nonsense.
Is this a CC rating or actual HP because we have a CC rating here in Canada (B.C.) anyways. 650cc and your insurance goes up substantially. That does not mean a newbie cannot ride it, he just pays more.
Here lies the problem, there are 600cc class bikes that can produce more HP then 1200cc class out there.
The other thing is, hit a wall at 50mph or 100mph, check the result. They will be the same.
Let people ride what they want but enforce proper training, no training, no motorcycle.

 

[Quique]

I agree with the Spanish law makers. Focus on the CC is a nonsense.
You already said why so I think that we'll agree. You can find a 600 custom type with few HP or a 600 racing type with many HP. Thus the Spanish legislators focused on the power rather than the volume of the engine. The limit has to be set somewhere so they said 47 HP (35 Kw to be accurate). There is a limitation on weight too so in practice you choose something in between 500-800 cc. Usually a 600 cc.
As many of the 600 cc motorcycles overpass the limit of 47 HP, you must install a kit that limits the power of your engine to the legal 47 HP. You can remove it after getting your A license.

 

[Don T]

I would never recommend a T12 as a first bike to anyone.
Not because it's unsafe, but because it's a lot of bike to muscle around while developing basic skills.
Picking a lighter bike as you first will make riding more fun and learning easier.

 

[barkingllizard]

Hello!

Do you guys think I can get this and be safe as this is first motorcycle ever?

Thanks!

Nope...

 

[Sierra1]

Guess I'm the only one that thinks the KLR is just as difficult to ride as the Tenere.

EDIT: IT could be that I'm 3/4 the weight of a KLR. Makes it feel even more top heavy and less stable. Combine that with a 35" seat height, and the Tenere feels better to me even at a walking pace.

 

[Tenman]

If you do. Get some crash bars immediately. Riding a 600lb bike with street tires on anything but the street. You will be glad u did