bmac
Active Member
I am currently on a quest to find what I consider the perfect motorcycle or perfect combination of motorcycles. My belief, up to this point has been that 3 motorcycles was the right number for. I want a hooligan bike that has more power than I need, a bike that is great for touring and two up as well as something that is fairly sporty to fill the middle ground.
First a little background: I have been riding motorcycles for 40 years and is my one true passion. I am 6'2" and weight 230 pounds. I retired a bit early (age 54) a couple of years ago so I have plenty of time (and enough money) to read a bunch, test ride everything I can, and buy and sell as needed.
My priorities:
1 Comfort/Power. This is a tie as I value both about the same. I am less willing to put up with an uncomfortable bike and I want a bike with a fair amount of power. I want a bike that I can ride for hours on end without endless squirming. A full day of riding may be as long as 12-14 hours. I favor strong low and midrange torque. It doesn't have to be 160hp but 100hp is about the minimum.
3 Reliability. I want a bike that I don't have to worry about and if something does go wrong it can be fixed in a reasonable amount of time at a reasonable cost.
4. Versatility. I want a bike that can tour, ride two up, handle the sporty sections, and is fine for a gopher run.
5. Value. This is more than just cost. I am willing to pay more provided I get more.
I am a road rider that may hit an occasional gravel road and might consider a fire road. There is no serious off road riding in my future.
In 2006 I bought an FJR1300 as they had improved the heat issue from the previous version. This was a really good motorcycle and with a few changes I was pretty happy with it. It was a little tight for me and I wanted to find a bike with more leg room and space in general. The adventure category seemed to fit my needs. I looked at several and test rode a few. I couldn't justify the price of the BMW and with a history of good luck with Yamaha I decided on a Super Tenere.
When I found and purchased a Super Tenere in the spring of 2012 I had intended to keep the FJR along with my 2003 Aprilia Tuono. After two weeks of riding both the FJR and the S10 I sold the FJR as I knew I would not be riding it very much. The FJR has a great engine but it was not nearly as comfortable as the S10 and it did not carry it's weight as well as the S10.
The 2012 Super Tenere was quite good. I had only taken one long trip of 2000 miles and it was quite good. The factory luggage was ok but I really did not like the locking system. Overall, I was quite happy with it. It was great for running errands, playing in the twisties, taking the wife for a ride, and just about anything else. I would prefer a little more power and a little less weight but overall it is a pretty complete package.
In 2013 I decided to add a Goldwing to the fleet. My wife was riding with me quite a bit so I thought it would be perfect for her, and it was. She loved it, but I hated it. After 45 minutes I couldn't stand it anymore and I had to get off. It is not designed for a tall person. I didn't have nearly enough leg room and the handlebars came back way too far. It was an 800 mile test ride that cost me $3500. I sold it as soon as I could find a buyer. The S10 is much more comfortable for a tall guy. I also picked up a 2007 Tuono and sold the 2003. I always liked the 2nd generation Tuono and can go out into the garage just to look at it.
This is brings us to the early summer of 2014. I decided to visit my sister and her family in CA and I would be riding my S10. The trip ended up being 4700 miles in 8 days of riding. Longer days and quicker than I had anticipated but family concerns led me to get back sooner than I had planned. During this trip, where I had several days of over 700 miles, the one thing that really bugged me was the vibration and at higher speeds over long stretches. This hadn't bothered me much before but when I strung several long days with my hand always on the throttle I decided that something needed to change. I spent a lot of time each day thinking about the vibration. I also felt the bike could use a little more power as I found myself downshifting quite a bit to make passes.
When I got back I decided something needed to change. I sent my CPU to ECUnlueashed and installed a Staintune pipe. The bike sounded better and it definitely performed better but it really didn't do much to help with vibration. I ran it for awhile but by late summer I decided to look at other options.
I looked at a bunch and test rode a BMW, Triumph and Multistrada. I was looking at the GS but the dealer had an RT ready to go so I took that out to see how the new liquid cooled engine felt. It had decent power but I did not like how the engine felt (different kind of vibration) so I did not bother test riding a GS. The Multi was pretty good but for some reason it didn't quite mesh with me. The riding position felt a little confining for me. The Triumph felt pretty good but I did not like the clunky gearbox. The Honda Crosstourer looked pretty good but since they weren't bringing it to the US it was crossed off the list.
I stopped by my local Yamaha dealer and inquired about trading in my 2012 S10 for a 2014 Super Tenere ES before I test rode one. I was pretty sure the number was going to be pretty big so I kinda assumed it wasn't going to make sense. They quoted me a really good number and after thinking it over I told them they had a deal provided the test ride went well.
I had read all about the improvements to the 2014 so I was hopeful it would work out.
As I began my test ride I knew within the first mile that I was going to do the deal. The 2014 was a vast improvement over my 2012. The vibration was almost completely gone and it felt far stronger than my flashed 2012. I bought it that day.
I now have a little over 3000 miles and am extremely happy with it. It is extremely versatile, extremely comfortable, and has adequate power. I would still be happy with a little more power and slightly less weight but I am not complaining. It is, as is, a very complete package.
Last fall in addition to the S10 I found a fully farkled used FZ-09 and picked it up. It has a great engine but did not do it for me as far as comfort is concerned. I would rather ride the Tuono so I sold it and picked up and FJ-09 this spring to fill the gap (or so I thought) between the S10 and the Tuono. After 2400 miles on the FJ I decided that for everything I was using the FJ for I would rather take the S10. The FJ is now for sale as well.
So, for now, I will have two motorcycles in the garage the 2014 Super Tenere ES and the 2007 Aprilia Tuono. The Tuono is great for 20 or 30 blast and the Super Tenere is great for everything else.
It may be possible that two motorcycles fills all my needs but we will see. I still have my eyes on a BMW S1000XR and will decide what to do after a test ride this summer. As of now, no other bike that I have found is as good for me as the 2014 Super Tenere because if there was I would own it.
First a little background: I have been riding motorcycles for 40 years and is my one true passion. I am 6'2" and weight 230 pounds. I retired a bit early (age 54) a couple of years ago so I have plenty of time (and enough money) to read a bunch, test ride everything I can, and buy and sell as needed.
My priorities:
1 Comfort/Power. This is a tie as I value both about the same. I am less willing to put up with an uncomfortable bike and I want a bike with a fair amount of power. I want a bike that I can ride for hours on end without endless squirming. A full day of riding may be as long as 12-14 hours. I favor strong low and midrange torque. It doesn't have to be 160hp but 100hp is about the minimum.
3 Reliability. I want a bike that I don't have to worry about and if something does go wrong it can be fixed in a reasonable amount of time at a reasonable cost.
4. Versatility. I want a bike that can tour, ride two up, handle the sporty sections, and is fine for a gopher run.
5. Value. This is more than just cost. I am willing to pay more provided I get more.
I am a road rider that may hit an occasional gravel road and might consider a fire road. There is no serious off road riding in my future.
In 2006 I bought an FJR1300 as they had improved the heat issue from the previous version. This was a really good motorcycle and with a few changes I was pretty happy with it. It was a little tight for me and I wanted to find a bike with more leg room and space in general. The adventure category seemed to fit my needs. I looked at several and test rode a few. I couldn't justify the price of the BMW and with a history of good luck with Yamaha I decided on a Super Tenere.
When I found and purchased a Super Tenere in the spring of 2012 I had intended to keep the FJR along with my 2003 Aprilia Tuono. After two weeks of riding both the FJR and the S10 I sold the FJR as I knew I would not be riding it very much. The FJR has a great engine but it was not nearly as comfortable as the S10 and it did not carry it's weight as well as the S10.
The 2012 Super Tenere was quite good. I had only taken one long trip of 2000 miles and it was quite good. The factory luggage was ok but I really did not like the locking system. Overall, I was quite happy with it. It was great for running errands, playing in the twisties, taking the wife for a ride, and just about anything else. I would prefer a little more power and a little less weight but overall it is a pretty complete package.
In 2013 I decided to add a Goldwing to the fleet. My wife was riding with me quite a bit so I thought it would be perfect for her, and it was. She loved it, but I hated it. After 45 minutes I couldn't stand it anymore and I had to get off. It is not designed for a tall person. I didn't have nearly enough leg room and the handlebars came back way too far. It was an 800 mile test ride that cost me $3500. I sold it as soon as I could find a buyer. The S10 is much more comfortable for a tall guy. I also picked up a 2007 Tuono and sold the 2003. I always liked the 2nd generation Tuono and can go out into the garage just to look at it.
This is brings us to the early summer of 2014. I decided to visit my sister and her family in CA and I would be riding my S10. The trip ended up being 4700 miles in 8 days of riding. Longer days and quicker than I had anticipated but family concerns led me to get back sooner than I had planned. During this trip, where I had several days of over 700 miles, the one thing that really bugged me was the vibration and at higher speeds over long stretches. This hadn't bothered me much before but when I strung several long days with my hand always on the throttle I decided that something needed to change. I spent a lot of time each day thinking about the vibration. I also felt the bike could use a little more power as I found myself downshifting quite a bit to make passes.
When I got back I decided something needed to change. I sent my CPU to ECUnlueashed and installed a Staintune pipe. The bike sounded better and it definitely performed better but it really didn't do much to help with vibration. I ran it for awhile but by late summer I decided to look at other options.
I looked at a bunch and test rode a BMW, Triumph and Multistrada. I was looking at the GS but the dealer had an RT ready to go so I took that out to see how the new liquid cooled engine felt. It had decent power but I did not like how the engine felt (different kind of vibration) so I did not bother test riding a GS. The Multi was pretty good but for some reason it didn't quite mesh with me. The riding position felt a little confining for me. The Triumph felt pretty good but I did not like the clunky gearbox. The Honda Crosstourer looked pretty good but since they weren't bringing it to the US it was crossed off the list.
I stopped by my local Yamaha dealer and inquired about trading in my 2012 S10 for a 2014 Super Tenere ES before I test rode one. I was pretty sure the number was going to be pretty big so I kinda assumed it wasn't going to make sense. They quoted me a really good number and after thinking it over I told them they had a deal provided the test ride went well.
I had read all about the improvements to the 2014 so I was hopeful it would work out.
As I began my test ride I knew within the first mile that I was going to do the deal. The 2014 was a vast improvement over my 2012. The vibration was almost completely gone and it felt far stronger than my flashed 2012. I bought it that day.
I now have a little over 3000 miles and am extremely happy with it. It is extremely versatile, extremely comfortable, and has adequate power. I would still be happy with a little more power and slightly less weight but I am not complaining. It is, as is, a very complete package.
Last fall in addition to the S10 I found a fully farkled used FZ-09 and picked it up. It has a great engine but did not do it for me as far as comfort is concerned. I would rather ride the Tuono so I sold it and picked up and FJ-09 this spring to fill the gap (or so I thought) between the S10 and the Tuono. After 2400 miles on the FJ I decided that for everything I was using the FJ for I would rather take the S10. The FJ is now for sale as well.
So, for now, I will have two motorcycles in the garage the 2014 Super Tenere ES and the 2007 Aprilia Tuono. The Tuono is great for 20 or 30 blast and the Super Tenere is great for everything else.
It may be possible that two motorcycles fills all my needs but we will see. I still have my eyes on a BMW S1000XR and will decide what to do after a test ride this summer. As of now, no other bike that I have found is as good for me as the 2014 Super Tenere because if there was I would own it.
