My long journey from a 2012 Super Tenere to a 2014 Super Tenere ES

[RED CAT]

You must be kidding, right? This bike is the King of Grunt. You can lug down to 2000rpm in top gear and still pull away.

 

[livharder]

as for slower speeds riding the bike is much better than my 2012. that is exactly the issue i had with my 2012. lugging knocking kind of low end engine caracter that has been completely revised with the 2014 and more. much more refined and smoothed.

 

[pspe225]

RED CAT, LIVHARDER
Thanks for the input! It's great having so many people willing to share their experiences with the bike. Hopefully next year, I can start doing the same!

 

[cakeboy]

I collected my new 2014 model today , and its just as others have said improvements all round over my 2011 model .. the main difference seems to be how smoother the engine is , however I do think yamaha have made cuts as the screen brackets look very thin on paint ...oh and those "spokes" look the same as the older model ( like there starting to tarnish already ) so I feel a warranty claim coming on ...but still a big improvement over the old bike , and the cruise control is brilliant ...

 

[olie]

great thread... as I a owner of a 12 model with 31.5k miles, I fully agree with the initial report of this thread. From the last 2 months, I am considering the trade up my 12' Tenere for a Versys 1000 or an updated 14 or 15 Tenere w/ or w/o ES. Still debating among those 3 options.... ::002::

 

[olie]

OP here, if you have a chance take the Versys for a test ride. I rode one during Daytona bike week this past spring and came away thoroughly impressed. If you are looking for one bike that will do most everything well except go off-road the Versys is worth a serious look. One glaring oversight on the Kawasaki is the lack of cruise control. That is something I would not want to give up.

I ride strictly on the street (except for the occasionally gravel road) and even though my 14 Super Tenere was an excellent bike I decided to part with it. BMW decided to fulfill my wish list for the perfect motorcycle in the form of an S1000XR. I would have loved to see Yamaha do something similar with their R1 engine but it was not to be, at least not yet.

Thank you very much for your reply....I took a ride on the Versys 1k and I was super impressed with the clutch, fuel delivery, mid-range power + torque, ergos, etc. I made an offewr and we were only 300$ apart... being me, as a matter of principle I did not give in. ::010:: ::013:: ....Obviously IF it had shaft drive and CC... I would have cave since minute one. ::008::

About the XR.... I was not impressed with cable clutch, seat and most of all with the outrageous price... although I can afford it, I am a "value" man ::010::

 

[executor]

First a little background: I am 55 years old, 6'2" and 230 pounds. I have been riding since I was 16 and have owned about 25 bikes. I currently have a 2014 Yamaha FZ-09 and a 2007 Aprilia Tuono in addition to the Super Tenere. I have spent a fair amount of time on the track in both cars and on motorcycles, no racing, but open track days or driving schools.

In late 2011 and early 2012 I became intrigued by the Super Tenere and the ergonomics that it offered. My current rides were a 2006 FJR1300 and a 2003 Aprilia Tuono. The FJR was nice but it was a little heavy and I was a little cramped riding it for more than an hour or so.

In February of 2012 I struck a deal to pick up a Super Tenere as soon as the weather cleared in March. When I picked it up I immediately felt comfortable. The 20 mile ride home was great and the bike felt fairly light on its feet for such a big bike. This thing really handles quite well. The riding position is just about perfect for me. I had originally thought about keeping the FJR but after riding the S10 for about a month I decided to sell it. The FJR had a better motor and adjustable windscreen but other than that the edge went to the S10. I knew if I kept the FJR that I would not be riding it much.

As the weather improved and I started riding some more I made a few changes. I ordered the factory side cases, Madstad bracket, Yamaha's tall windscreen, and a Corbin seat. The Madstad bracket is great but I did not care for either of Yamaha's windscreens. I tried one other but ultimately decided on the Powerbronze 21 inch clear windscreen. The combination proved to be just about perfect. With proper adjustment I was able to ride without earplugs and no wind noise to speak of. By the way my helmet is an Arai XD-4. The Corbin seat fit me just right and improved the ride considerably. The luggage was ok but the locks suck. They mounted up real easy and offered decent space but I would just rate them as ok, they could be a lot better.

With the changes I made the bike was set up just right for me. During the summer of 2012 I used the bike for mostly short rides locally with nothing more than a couple of hours. I was still traveling for work so I was not home as much as I would like. I initially felt the bike handled really well and after spending some time on it this was confirmed. The bike rolls into turns very nicely and is relatively easy to make the quick transitions from side to side. The suspension was quite compliant and damping seemed quite good as well. We have a lot of bumpy roads up here in Wisconsin and the bike felt very composed even hitting bumps in mid corner. The long travel suspension was a real plus especially when I took the wife along. We never bottomed out while we would do so frequently when riding the FJR. Overall, I felt the handling of the S10 was excellent. It provided good feel for both the front and rear tires that I was pretty confident that I could run it pretty hard.

Overall, the bike was very good, but there were a few things that I thought could be improved. The 4 areas where I felt could be better were all related to the engine.

1. I felt it was a little short on power for a 1200. It had decent pull from the bottom but it was not as strong as I had hoped.
2. The fueling was not quite right, the lower gear power restrictions were annoying, and there really was not much of a difference between the touring and sport modes.
3. The engine produced a little more vibration than I would like.
4. The engine sound was a little too industrial for me and lacked character.

The more I rode the bike the bike the more I felt it could use more power. I know many folks are quite happy with the power output but I was not completely satisfied. I did not understand why Yamaha would choose to restrict the power in the lower gears. The bike did not make gobs of power to begin with and the guys that are going to be buying these things have been around the block a few times. If anything the 600's and 1000's they sell to the young and inexperienced should get their nanny controls. At certain RPM's the vibration level got annoying. It was ok for short periods but something I would definitely notice on longer rides. I don't listen to music when I ride as I like to listen to the sounds of the road. A good sounding exhaust note is a nice plus but the S10 did nothing for me.

Up until the spring of this year I put about 11,000 miles on the bike. Overall, it has been a good time. In late May I decided to take a road trip to San Francisco to visit family. When I left I had no real plan on how long I would be gone. It ended up that I was only gone for 10 days. I rode 4700 miles in 8 days with 2 days of family time in the middle. This trip took me through the mountains of Colorado as well as the open spaces in Utah and Nevada.

A couple of things I learned while spending long days in the saddle at relatively high speed. The engine did not have enough power to keep me happy and the vibration level was higher than I wanted to deal with. Granted, I was spending some long days in the saddle riding as much as 800 miles in a day. Each day after a couple of hours I ended up spending a lot of time thinking about the vibration. I spent a lot of time above 4000 RPM's and this is where it was the worst. One side note: I had not done a throttle body sync so to some degree that could have caused some of the vibration.

When I got back I decided that some changes were in order. To deal with some of the issues I had I decided to order the ECU-unleashed gen 2 and a Staintune slip on. This was completed in a couple of weeks. The flash improved things considerably but I still felt it was not quite strong enough. The sound improved only slightly.

The 2012 Super Tenere is a very good motorcycle but for me, it is not as good as it can be. I decided to look at other options. The 2014 ES was just becoming available but I was not convinced the large number of small changes would significantly improve the bike. I looked at all the bikes that are available. I had pretty much written off BMW due to the price and quality issues they continue to have but took one for a test ride anyway. I would be most tempted by the new GS but the dealer had an RT demo ready to go so I took it for a ride. The engine felt pretty strong especially as the revs rose but I did not like the feel of the engine. It was not nearly as smooth as I thought it would be. Next on the list was the Ducati Multistrada. It had good power but was a lot of money and at the end of the day it really did not get my juices going. Next up was the new Aprilia Caponord. The closest dealer is 5 hours away but fortunately my son lives only 10 minutes away from them. The test ride went very well. The bike felt really good. It seemed to carry its weight really well and handling was excellent. It was a bike worth considering but a few things kept gnawing on me. Closest dealer is 5 hours away. Dealer network in the US sucks as well as resale value if I need to off it. Too many hurdles to get past to feel comfortable picking up the Aprilia.

So this long story brings me back to the 2014 Super Tenere ES. I really like Yamaha and the quality bikes they produce. There are none better. I decided to stop by the local Yamaha dealer to see what the numbers would look like to trade my 2012 with 17k in on one. Seeing as leftover 12's and 13's were selling as cheap as 10k I was not too confident. I was estimating it would be between 7 or 8 grand to make the change. When the dealer came back with my bike plus $5,500 I did not know what to say. I really was not prepared to buy a new bike. Their condition was that I leave the luggage on the bike. Since I thought the luggage could be improved I accepted their offer with the stipulation that I take the bike for a test ride before the papers were signed. They agreed with the condition from the owner that if I knew right away that I did not like the bike to bring it back and not put on any more miles than necessary. Agreed.

The demo ride was very short. It was 4 miles long. I knew after the first mile that the deal was getting done. I turned around and told them to write it up and I would be back in 2 hours to pick it up. That was a couple of weeks ago.

That brings us to current day. I have put just a little over 1000 miles on the bike. Yamaha took a very good motorcycle and turned it into an exceptional motorcycle. The vibration is virtually gone and what little vibration is left is inconsequential. The power difference between my flashed 12 and this 14 is hard to believe. The 14 feels stronger everywhere and acceleration is substantially improved. I no longer feel the need to drop a couple of gears every time I need to get somewhere fast. Not only that but the changes in the exhaust have also improved the sound dramatically. It really sounds GOOD!

I was in Florida this past spring during bike week and talked with one of the guys that leads some of the demo rides. He was an Iron Butt guy that rides a lot. He stated that they collect all the information they receive talking with owners and relays it to Yamaha. He stated that Yamaha listened to the S10 owners and addressed their concerns. He was right! There are a whole bunch of little changes that add up to a significant improvement.

I am really happy with the deal I got and the bike overall. I was looking to keep 3 or 4 bikes but know I think 2 might do as this one is so good.

One other thing, I went with Givi Trekker cases. 37L on the left and 48L on the right. I can get my helmet in the 48 which is great news. Overall, these cases are a significant improvements over the previous set up. I spent a lot of time researching them and after almost going in a different direction I am sure I made the right decision. The locking system is excellent and the cases can be removed in seconds as needed.

If you are in the market for a Super Tenere take a 14 for a ride before you buy a discounted 12 or 13. I value comfort and performance and the 14 delivers that in spades.

Hey bmac I had exactly the same experience as you. I used to own a 2012 ST with the same issues: lack of power and too much vibration. In March this year I tried the new :14 model: oh man what a difference!
So, just like you, in the very first minutes of the demo I already knew I'm buying it. And I've had no regrets so far! Awesome bike
!

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

 

[klunsford]

Ditto! ::008:: That is almost an identical story how I ended up on my 2014 ES. Didn't go there to buy a new bike, but the differences in the performance and the price that I was offered was a no brainer... Great write up.

 

[Randolph0301]

I'm still dealing with the vibration issues on the '12. The power is what it is - been trying to live with it and put off another bike. I've viewed the 14/15 models and didn't see the changes as worth it. Now that I've read this - I'm starting to wonder if a new ST isn't in my future.

 

[twinrider]

as for slower speeds riding the bike is much better than my 2012. that is exactly the issue i had with my 2012. lugging knocking kind of low end engine caracter that has been completely revised with the 2014 and more. much more refined and smoothed.

That's the redesigned clutch basket. Totally changed the low speed character of my first gen.

 

[mrpete64]

After owning a "lot" of bikes since 1962 I swore that I would NEVER own a 1200 Tenere. I went to the NYC bike show and would sit on it, bags and all, and think what a big pig this bike was. I have owned four BMW's in over two years...the newer version of the 650 Vstrom..some Triumphs thrown in there, and decided to test ride the new 1000 vstrom when it first came out..in 2014. Sitting next to it was the new 2014 ES Tenere. I asked the dealer if I could take it out for a test ride. He said...sure. I took it out on a 30+ mile ride around Lake George, New York, using cruise, etc. I could not believe how nice it drove on small twisty roads...and then down the Northway at 70 in cruise control. I then took out the 1000 Vstrom, which I was going to buy and, in my opinion, did not come close to the Tenere. I traded in my vstrom 650. Before doing any of this I looked at the new water cooled BMWGS Adventure. By the time the dust settled it was almost ten grand more than the Tenere. Having owned four BMW's and having to have them serviced at a bmw shop I decided that the Yamaha was the way to go...for me.
i am 6'2' tall and weigh around 220. I had the seat redone by Seth Laam and he did a "great" job. I drove my bike out to California and back, from upstate New York, and not an issue.
The only thing I would suggest is to replace the shaft drive guard with one from Alt Rider. I caught my pant leg on the stock one...fell over...and broke my shoulder blade. Not a way to finish an earlier trip of 4500 miles.
I did buy the inner fender and that helps a lot keeping all the crap from getting all over the underside of the bike.
Overall...This bike is, for me, a wonderful experience to ride and tour around the U.S. Regarding the power issue..I rally do not know why one would need more power. But, for some people, if this bike had 223 horse power it would still not be enough.
For anyone thinking about buying a newer version of the Tenere I think you would be well served by this bike. The only thing I would do is buy the extended four year warranty from the Yamaha dealer, in Alabama, for three hundred or so dollars. His name escapes me now but you can easily find it.
I doubt you would ever need it but for the money it is worth the peace of mind.
If you are interested in metal boxes I have had the same TRAX boxes on four? or more of my last bikes. Same boxes...different mounting plates. They work great.
Oh! The electronic suspension, in my opinion, is wonderful...along with the factory heated grips. They worked great when I came over Vail Pass last September in a snow storm!
Have a great holiday.

 

[RED CAT]

Just reread this Thread and nowhere is there any mention of how great the Gen 2 S10 is on dirt/gravel roads. Its all Street talk. This is an Adventure Bike not a Street only bike guys. Get out there and blast down some gravel roads and really appreciate it.

 

[twinrider]

Regarding the power issue..I rally do not know why one would need more power. But, for some people, if this bike had 223 horse power it would still not be enough.

Not a matter of "more" power so much as how it's delivered. Stock there are limits in the first 3 gears and the bike is fueled to meet EPA standards rather than optimal performance so it's not as smooth as it could be and doesn't pull as hard as it could. Ride an LC GS back to back and you'll see what the flash could give you.

Also, the stock headers flatten out the performance in highway speeds. Arrow headers give a huge boost in roll-on thrust. Especially nice two-up and loaded with luggage. But fun even solo. Of course, you don't know what you're missing till you try it.

Like the Laam seat though, to each his own. I got one and at 5'7" it sat me way too far back. Figured it would be perfect for someone your size and indeed that is the case.

 

[Checkswrecks]

+1 to how power is delivered. I rode a new BMW GS not long ago and the Tenere is much more tractable on gravel. The GS was OK, but felt more like a street motor and wasn't as comfortable lugging along.