Looking to switch from Weestrom to Super Tenere

[cworley5150]

I've been lurking on the thread for a while and starting to do a little research for my next bike. The ST checks almost all of the right boxes in what I am looking for. I really like the ADV touring bikes, but want to return to shaft drive and have a few more standard bells and whistles than my current ride, the Suzuki V Strom 650. My Weestrom was my first ADV type of bike and I have really enjoyed it. While I have owned mostly sport touring bikes in the past, I think the ADV touring bikes make for fantastic all-rounders and that is exactly the type of bike I like. I commute, tour, follow the path less traveled and like to scratch in the twisties. The ADV bikes seem to do all of the above very well.

My biggest complaint with the Vstrom has been the incurable wind buffeting. I've put 18,000 miles on it so far and in spite of many attempts and many $$$, I've never been able to solve the buffeting. It is very important that my next bike be buffet free. I've wondered if the buffeting is inherent to the ADV touring bike design and thought that maybe they all suffer from it. So how about the ST? I've not read too many complaints about buffeting. I don't mind being in the wind, I just can't tolerate the "dirty" air and turbulence you get from a poorly designed fairing/windshield any longer. I should perhaps mention that I'm 6'2" with a 34" inseam. I plan on buying a 2014 model with the newer windshield design. Is buffeting a problem with the ST?

Has anyone moved from the V Strom to a ST? Care to Share your thoughts on how the two bikes compare?



Chris

 

[Geekay]

I moved this way. From a 2011 "wee" to a 2013 s10.

The s10 is heavier to push around but feels lighter on the move and handles better with more front weight bias. it is slightly less fuel efficient but has an awful lot more "go". It's also higher quality build and has more electronics on it - TC, riding modes etc.

What I will say is that the s10 I'm std form is no better than the wee for buffeting. The fitting on both bikes cured this and actually I would say that the wee with a givi airflow actually has slightly better weather protection. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear.

Otherwise I'm very pleased with the s10. You should test ride one if you can. You will know,straight away.


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[RoadDust]

2009 Vstrom 650 and a 2013 S10.

To me, the buffeting is about the same on both bikes. It becomes very quiet on both bikes if I raise the shield so that I am looking through it. Most of the noise that I get is at higher speeds and comes from my helmet.

 

[cworley5150]

I moved this way. From a 2011 "wee" to a 2013 s10.

The s10 is heavier to push around but feels lighter on the move and handles better with more front weight bias. it is slightly less fuel efficient but has an awful lot more "go". It's also higher quality build and has more electronics on it - TC, riding modes etc.

What I will say is that the s10 I'm std form is no better than the wee for buffeting. The fitting on both bikes cured this and actually I would say that the wee with a givi airflow actually has slightly better weather protection. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear.

Otherwise I'm very pleased with the s10. You should test ride one if you can. You will know,straight away.


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Thanks for the quick and honest reply. Hmmm . . . Not sure that is what I wanted to hear. I don't mind a lack of overall weather protection as long as it is clean air. The V Strom is really bad in this area. The only thing I have found to give me smooth air is riding with no windshield at all. I have also tried the GIVI with and without the Madstad bracket and it helped some, but not enough. Glad to hear that worked for you. As I am suspecting, poor wind management may be inherent in the ADV bike design. Especially for taller riders with longer arms. I know the problem on the Wee is that I sit so far back from the windshield that the air dumps over and around it, mixes with the poorly controlled air that flows around the fairing and hits me instead of being directed to flow smoothly over or around me. This may be true of most of the ADV bikes as they are generally a similar design. I will try to get a test ride on a ST, but not sure when or how that will be possible.

 

[pugsley]

Had 2012 wee,2014 E has less buffeting than wee in standard form, have since changed to oem touring screen.

 

[cworley5150]

2009 Vstrom 650 and a 2013 S10.

To me, the buffeting is about the same on both bikes. It becomes very quiet on both bikes if I raise the shield so that I am looking through it. Most of the noise that I get is at higher speeds and comes from my helmet.

Thanks RoadDust. I know the buffeting on the V Strom has been discussed on the V Strom boards extensively. It seems that some find a combination of things that work to reduce it or solve it completely. Unfortunately I'm not one of those people. I've had 12 motorcycles and none of them have had the head shaking, vision blurring type of buffeting I'm getting on the Strom. I'm really going to have to get a test ride on the ST and see how it does.

Thanks for your input.

Chris

 

[Mellow]

2012 VStrom 650 -> 2014 Super Ten

In stock form, the Vstrom was the worst for me... I was able to ride the Super Ten 200 miles from the dealership w/shield in the middle position. But, there was some buffeting.

For the Vstrom, I used the madstadt bracket AND shield and it worked for me. 5'8" here.

For the Super Ten I added the VRA Xcreen which is nice along with the oem wind deflectors. I would say that combo just about matches the Vstrom setup.

Since you are tall, perhaps the VRA Xcreen on your givi shield? Would be cheaper than buying a new bike and maybe worth a try. The Vstrom always felt cramped for me and the Super Ten just seemed to fit me better.

 

[Checkswrecks]

We've got a 2003 V & 2012 Tenere - had a 2007 Wee.


There's buffeting of the bike as you cross the Great Plains (Montana sign in your avatar), and there is buffeting of your head and upper body.


Switching off between the three bikes and writing about how the wind affects the bike, we did a couple of days coming across the Plains when we would use the Tenere as a respite from getting kicked around on the V. The Wee was worse than the V. That said, none of the ADV bikes will be as good as some of the aerodynamic sport tourers. There is more sail area higher up for the cross winds to catch. I do think the relatively low CG of the Tenere and the bars being wider than on the V make a huge difference.


As for buffeting of the upper body and head, there are many threads here about what fit for different people. It's great that up front you offered your height and inseam and I hope people respond to those numbers. My suggestion is to go for width and then height. The Givi and Parabellum screens are broad and then you can find the height for you. For me at 6' and 32" the Medium Parabellum is great, as the wind breaks at the top of my visor and is surprisingly clean flow.

 

[cworley5150]

Hey Mellow,

I remember you from the ST1300 owners website. At least I think that's where I remember the username from. My V Strom is a 2011 model. From what I understand the 2012 redesign solved a lot of the buffeting already. If the Super Tenere is even a slight improvement over the 2012 Strom, then it should be much better than the first generation.

 

[creggur]

Thanks for the quick and honest reply. Hmmm . . . Not sure that is what I wanted to hear. I don't mind a lack of overall weather protection as long as it is clean air. The V Strom is really bad in this area. The only thing I have found to give me smooth air is riding with no windshield at all. I have also tried the GIVI with and without the Madstad bracket and it helped some, but not enough. Glad to hear that worked for you. As I am suspecting, poor wind management may be inherent in the ADV bike design. Especially for taller riders with longer arms. I know the problem on the Wee is that I sit so far back from the windshield that the air dumps over and around it, mixes with the poorly controlled air that flows around the fairing and hits me instead of being directed to flow smoothly over or around me. This may be true of most of the ADV bikes as they are generally a similar design. I will try to get a test ride on a ST, but not sure when or how that will be possible.

If you don't mind airflow a CalSci shorty raked back a touch on a Madstad bracket solved my buffeting issues completely on my 2012. I'm 6' with a 32" inseam..

Now this setup does flow a ton of (clean) air - which is fine for me down here in The Swamp.

 

[cworley5150]

We've got a 2003 V & 2012 Tenere - had a 2007 Wee.


There's buffeting of the bike as you cross the Great Plains (Montana sign in your avatar), and there is buffeting of your head and upper body.


Switching off between the three bikes and writing about how the wind affects the bike, we did a couple of days coming across the Plains when we would use the Tenere as a respite from getting kicked around on the V. The Wee was worse than the V. That said, none of the ADV bikes will be as good as some of the aerodynamic sport tourers. There is more sail area higher up for the cross winds to catch. I do think the relatively low CG of the Tenere and the bars being wider than on the V make a huge difference.


As for buffeting of the upper body and head, there are many threads here about what fit for different people. It's great that up front you offered your height and inseam and I hope people respond to those numbers. My suggestion is to go for width and then height. The Givi and Parabellum screens are broad and then you can find the height for you. For me at 6' and 32" the Medium Parabellum is great, as the wind breaks at the top of my visor and is surprisingly clean flow.

Thank you for that comparison. I live in WV. The picture in my avatar was from a trip out west at the top of Lolo pass in 2012. There were a few days we got into some high crosswinds on that trip and the Weestrom was quite a handful. Too much rear weight bias on a fairly light bike makes for some exciting riding in crosswinds. I had a Givi windshield and my Trax saddlebags on the bike for that trip. Just about as aerodynamic as a brick!

It's good to hear your observations. I do think taller riders have more issues on the V Stroms with bad buffeting. I'm not that concerned with overall wind/ weather protection as much as I am getting a bit of coverage but with clean air. Good to hear you have found a clean flow of air with the Parabellum.

 

[Mellow]

Hey Mellow,

I remember you from the ST1300 owners website. At least I think that's where I remember the username from. My V Strom is a 2011 model. From what I understand the 2012 redesign solved a lot of the buffeting already. If the Super Tenere is even a slight improvement over the 2012 Strom, then it should be much better than the first generation.

Yes sir, I still run that site.

Both bikes required some mods to make them work for me but I did previously have a 2012 Super Ten as well so I knew what I was getting into with the 2014.

 

[squarebore]

Wind buffeting is easy to fix on the s10. I'm 6'3" and have a very smooth ride with plenty of protection. I hate buffeting so I had to get it right. It is also not particular to adv bikes as my cruiser had a huge issue unroll I fixed it. My solution on the s10 was a madstad bracket and homemade polycarbonate screen.

 

[frez]

I'm 6'4" and I switched from a 2011 wee to a 2013 S10 in February this year. There is some buffeting in stock trim. I put a Givi Airflow on the S10 and I can ride at 70mph with the visor up on my helmet, something I could never do on the wee in spite of having a Madstad bracket and Givi barn door sized screen on it.

 

[cworley5150]

Thanks again for all of the input from everyone. I will continue to research the ST carefully. Hopefully I can get a test ride soon. There is a mechanic at the local Yamaha dealership that rides a first generation ST. Maybe I can bribe him with his beer of choice in exchange for a test ride. I am planning on choosing carefully for my next bike as I plan to keep it for a long time. I've been a bit of a bike whore the last 10 years or so and change bikes every 1-2 years. It's getting expensive!

 

[GlenT]

Hi Mellow! Another ST1300 ex-pat. Well almost. My ST13 is now 10 years old and I am seriously considering an S10 as the replacement.

I also own wee-strom. Madstad bracket plus MRA blade on stock windscreen solved my buffeting issues. I can ride with my visor open at 80 mph.

What I have found is that NO motorcycle has perfect airflow as stock (with the possible exception of the '79 Goldwing with Vetter Windjammer fairing). Even the new Gold Wings are awful. I had to put a Laminar Lip on the ST13. The point is that a) you should expect to always have to do a little tuning of airflow on any bike you buy. So don't let that be the deciding factor because, with a little persistence, it can be solved. (Tip: tape bits of wool on the windscreen when tuning - similar to what sailors use on their sails to gauge windflow).

One thing I am curious about is S10 vibration. Coming from the wee, is the vibration of the S10 any worse (I don't mind the wee at all). Is there any difference in vibration between the 2014 S10 and the previous generation?

 

[Mellow]

Hi Mellow! Another ST1300 ex-pat. Well almost. My ST13 is now 10 years old and I am seriously considering an S10 as the replacement.

I also own wee-strom. Madstad bracket plus MRA blade on stock windscreen solved my buffeting issues. I can ride with my visor open at 80 mph.

What I have found is that NO motorcycle has perfect airflow as stock (with the possible exception of the '79 Goldwing with Vetter Windjammer fairing). Even the new Gold Wings are awful. I had to put a Laminar Lip on the ST13. The point is that a) you should expect to always have to do a little tuning of airflow on any bike you buy. So don't let that be the deciding factor because, with a little persistence, it can be solved. (Tip: tape bits of wool on the windscreen when tuning - similar to what sailors use on their sails to gauge windflow).

One thing I am curious about is S10 vibration. Coming from the wee, is the vibration of the S10 any worse (I don't mind the wee at all). Is there any difference in vibration between the 2014 S10 and the previous generation?

Yo Glen!!!!

I don't have any experience with the previous VStrom 650 - only the 2012 model and it is surprisingly smooth.. Almost as smooth as the ST1300 and Wing... that's my impression.

The 2012 Super Ten and 2014 Super Ten are both about the same to me.. some vibes but not annoying for me. Really just feels like feedback from the road, it's just not a big deal...

 

[GlenT]

Good to know. There are a couple of nicely equipped 2012's available used in my area right now. Maybe I'll take a look at those before I think about committing to a new bike.

 

[Dirt_Dad]

I've owned two Wees and a Vee. Currently own two Teneres. All of them had buffeting issues to different degrees. Had to tweak all of them for either myself or my wife to get the perfect ride. Been successful at it five times so far. ADV bikes can be perfectly comfortable long distance touring bikes as long as you're willing to make the necessary tweaks. The formula for our was almost always the same.

2005 Wee - Touring Laminar Lip + Madstad
2006 Vee - Touring Laminar Lip + Madstad
2010 Wee - Strategically placed washers under the stock screen changing the angle
2012 S10 - MRA Vario screen + Wasp screen adjuster
2012 S10 - MRA Vario screen + Madstad screen adjuster

So 4 out of 5 times it did take an adjuster and a modified or different screen. But I have no tolerance for head buffeting and have been completely satisfied with the solution once finally adjusted. It takes some experimenting, but a clean air flow is out there for you on either the Strom or the Tenere.

 

[GlenT]

It takes some experimenting, but a clean air flow is out there for you on either the Strom or the Tenere.

I totally agree. And it doesn't necessarily require multiple successive purchases of expensive wind screens either. I like the approach of adding a second foil to the existing screen. I'm 2 for 2 with that approach.