New Honda 2020 ES

BadNews

"Not properly socialized"
Joined
May 13, 2012
Messages
486
Location
Central Ohio, USA
I don't get the push to have all the latest whiz-bang electronic gewgaws on motorcycles. I like the S10 for its simplicity, among other things. Yeah, CC and heated grips, ES if you want it (I didn't). But Carplay? 4 Drive modes plus 2 more programmable? TFT screen? When are you going to look at the road?

(Geezer rant follows): When I was young, we didn't need no stinkin' Drive Modes! If you wanted to go fast, you dropped a couple gears and twisted the throttle! Hell, we didn't even have wheels! Had to carry our motorcycles on our backs!(End rant).

Luddite Tenere
 

Bokerfork

Active Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2019
Messages
106
Location
Saint George, Utah
Pretty much have to agree with BadNews here. I chose the S10 simply because, for the price, it was a steal, with CC and shaft drive. Let's face it. Most ADV bikes spend 80+ percent of their time on the pavement. Therefore what most of us want is a very capable street bike that can chase down the occasional power line/fire road going off into the distance. For me, and the rest of us on this Forum, the S10 is the ticket.
 

regder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2017
Messages
466
Location
Toronno
Don't get me wrong....I agree with you....and others do too. BUT, there are quite a few here that are NOT content/happy with the current version of the T-12. They have their reasons....and that's fine....I just don't understand them. o_O
I really really like my S10, don't think it's anywhere near perfect though, very few products are.
 
R

RonH

Guest
Doesn't excite me much. Looks like they are doing with the Africa Twin more or less same idea as the goldwing. More complex gadgetts, bluetooth this and that. All these things ok when working I guess, but on the goldwing they don't work a lot of time for a lot of the guys. And to that DCT, I would rather not ride than have that "feature".
 

Xclimation

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
651
Location
Ft. Worth, Texas
I am more than happy with my Tenere.
But....I am impressed with the upgrades in this next Africa Twin. Honda is trying. Can't fault them for that. Looks like this Africa Twin is on par or above the BMWs and KTMs with all those electronics and rider modes. The auto suspensions, braking, etc.... The cornering lights feature. For the money....this is a much better dealio than the BMWs and KTMs. I'd take the Honda reliability over BMW, KTM ANY day of the week. This Africa Twin has the Suzuki and Kawasaki beat by far. Gonna have to see what Harley is about to come up with. Now comparing with Super Tenere.....The Tenere is a better value. Yamaha's reliability is as good as Honda. The Tenere torque curve is slightly better. And I mean slightly. On looks....this is subjective. In my opininion...ALL the Adventure bikes look cool. I like the look of the Africa Twin. The Africa Twin costs more, but has many more features. At this point, all these new features are untested for reliability. I don't use an Apple phone. I don't like Apple and I use an Android. I'm not aware of Apple Carplay via Android and looked it up in the Android Play store and didn't see anything? One thing Yamaha can improve in the next Tenere is the headlights. Would Love cornering headlights like in this new Africa Twin. Also like that the Africa Twin runs on 89 Octane (I'm assuming this because of the 10:1 compression) The 6.5 gallon gas tank with better gas mileage than Tenere is nice as well.
I want to hate this bike. I don't want to covet another bike. I Love my Tenere, but I can't hate this Africa Twin. But.....before anything, I would have to ride it.
 

regder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2017
Messages
466
Location
Toronno
I am more than happy with my Tenere.
But....I am impressed with the upgrades in this next Africa Twin. Honda is trying. Can't fault them for that. Looks like this Africa Twin is on par or above the BMWs and KTMs with all those electronics and rider modes. The auto suspensions, braking, etc.... The cornering lights feature. For the money....this is a much better dealio than the BMWs and KTMs. I'd take the Honda reliability over BMW, KTM ANY day of the week. This Africa Twin has the Suzuki and Kawasaki beat by far. Gonna have to see what Harley is about to come up with. Now comparing with Super Tenere.....The Tenere is a better value. Yamaha's reliability is as good as Honda. The Tenere torque curve is slightly better. And I mean slightly. On looks....this is subjective. In my opininion...ALL the Adventure bikes look cool. I like the look of the Africa Twin. The Africa Twin costs more, but has many more features. At this point, all these new features are untested for reliability. I don't use an Apple phone. I don't like Apple and I use an Android. I'm not aware of Apple Carplay via Android and looked it up in the Android Play store and didn't see anything? One thing Yamaha can improve in the next Tenere is the headlights. Would Love cornering headlights like in this new Africa Twin. Also like that the Africa Twin runs on 89 Octane (I'm assuming this because of the 10:1 compression) The 6.5 gallon gas tank with better gas mileage than Tenere is nice as well.
I want to hate this bike. I don't want to covet another bike. I Love my Tenere, but I can't hate this Africa Twin. But.....before anything, I would have to ride it.
Android has "Android Auto", same concept as Apple's Carplay, supposedly better implemented. I know the Goldwing was supposed to get Android Auto, not sure if that applies to the Africa Twin too.

I've used Carplay a ton in cars and it's awesome, would love to have it on a bike.
 

wfopete

Suffer Fools; Gladly!
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
330
Location
Somewhere North of Dover, Arkansas
While the Yamaha is a proven, rock solid mount it is getting long in the tooth. For the most part it's the same bike with different paint for the last what, 5 years? That spells b-o-r-i-n-g and pretty much everyone who would want a Tenere' has already bought one. Is the Yamaha a better value? Depends on what you are after but I think not. The AT has a lot of bell and whistles that start to add up to a potential buyer. Some may be just niceties but just sitting on the two bikes the ergos, seat height and weight of the Honda alone is enough to sway many buyers away from the Yamaha. Throw a good phone interface into the mix and it will attract younger and older riders. Unlike Euros bikes, both Honda and Yamaha share the positive of having dealers (parts/service) everywhere. Look at new cars/trucks today. If you don't have Bluetooth/AUX and other features standard in a auto most people are going to walk right by it. While many folks say they ride for the experience, they still would like features built in as opposed to having their bike look like a total rolling farkle machine. How many of us have spent hours and tons of cash adapting electronic aftermarket stuff to stripped down bikes. Just look at the "What did you do to your Tenere' today" thread. All that said; that CHAIN could throw a buyer right back to the Yamaha! I could live with a chain drive but others; no way. Of course, most folks don't think about what happens after the warranty has lapsed and I'll bet all those bell and whistles are not a cheap fix when they don't work correctly. We'll see.
 
Last edited:

fac191

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2016
Messages
2,829
Location
London
While the Yamaha is a proven, rock solid mount it is getting long in the tooth. For the most part it's the same bike with different paint for the last what, 5 years? That spells b-o-r-i-n-g and pretty much everyone who would want a Tenere' has already bought one. Is the Yamaha a better value? Depends on what you are after but I think not. The AT has a lot of bell and whistles that start to add up to a potential buyer. Some may be just niceties but just sitting on the two bikes the ergos, seat height and weight of the Honda alone is enough to sway many buyers away from the Yamaha. Throw a good phone interface into the mix and it will attract younger and older riders. Unlike Euros bikes, both Honda and Yamaha share the positive of having dealers (parts/service) everywhere. Look at new cars/trucks today. If you don't have Bluetooth/AUX and other features standard in a auto most people are going to walk right by it. While many folks say they ride for the experience, they still would like features built in as opposed to having their bike look like a total rolling farkle machine. How many of us have spent hours and tons of cash adapting electronic aftermarket stuff to stripped down bikes. Just look at the "What did you do to your Tenere' today" thread. All that said; that CHAIN could throw a buyer right back to the Yamaha! I could live with a chain drive but others; no way. Of course, most folks don't think about what happens after the warranty has lapsed and I'll bet all those bell and whistles are not a cheap fix when they don't work correctly. We'll see.
For the riders in the States who tend to do lots of miles reliability, simplicity, and low maintenance would i imagine outweigh bells and whistles. Bells and whistles are great but when your stuck in the middle of nowhere they cant be heard.
 

Mak10

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2018
Messages
2,567
Location
SE Idaho
looks like some great improvements. If I was in the market for a new bike, it would be awesome to he top of the list. If it only had shaft drive.
 

Xclimation

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
Messages
651
Location
Ft. Worth, Texas
I will say this about new electronics and technology......
I remember when 99% of cars were carbed. I was awesome with repairing and tuning carbs. Then fuel injection came out....I thought it was so awful and terrible (probably was dramatic about it.) Now I'd never go back to carbed! I remember how I thought the sky was falling when cars started using computer control...Then my old Dodge Truck was running pretty good despite not getting spark to one of the cylinders because of the computer, where before the computer; it would've been bucking and sputtering. Also, nice to pull codes and find problems as oppoosed to unnecessary tearing open things and throwing parts and using old wives tales.....I thought ABS was convoluted and that I could stop better than a computer....Now I would not like to go without it.....I thought I could drive better than TCS......Saved me twice on the Tenere...Forgot the eye rolling and head shaking I did of electric fuel pumps vs. mechanical fuel pumps.....My car now has electric power steering and has been trouble free for over 100k miles and no power steering fluid, rebuilding power steering pumps and finding power steering fluid leaks....!
I've been a naysayer too many times....and have been wrong probably 99% of the time.... Right now even I have a bad attitude about my wife's Honda Civic that has a puny 1.5 liter engine with a turbo...yet the engine is not high compression and it's putting out more horsepower than a 1960's Mustang!
 

regder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2017
Messages
466
Location
Toronno
I will say this about new electronics and technology......
I remember when 99% of cars were carbed. I was awesome with repairing and tuning carbs. Then fuel injection came out....I thought it was so awful and terrible (probably was dramatic about it.) Now I'd never go back to carbed! I remember how I thought the sky was falling when cars started using computer control...Then my old Dodge Truck was running pretty good despite not getting spark to one of the cylinders because of the computer, where before the computer; it would've been bucking and sputtering. Also, nice to pull codes and find problems as oppoosed to unnecessary tearing open things and throwing parts and using old wives tales.....I thought ABS was convoluted and that I could stop better than a computer....Now I would not like to go without it.....I thought I could drive better than TCS......Saved me twice on the Tenere...Forgot the eye rolling and head shaking I did of electric fuel pumps vs. mechanical fuel pumps.....My car now has electric power steering and has been trouble free for over 100k miles and no power steering fluid, rebuilding power steering pumps and finding power steering fluid leaks....!
I've been a naysayer too many times....and have been wrong probably 99% of the time.... Right now even I have a bad attitude about my wife's Honda Civic that has a puny 1.5 liter engine with a turbo...yet the engine is not high compression and it's putting out more horsepower than a 1960's Mustang!
Very well said. It's nice to reminisce about old technology and the way things used to be, but at the end of the day, most thing are better with the advancement of technology.
 

regder

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2017
Messages
466
Location
Toronno
Agreed. But, I have to NEED it, before I can WANT it.
Problem is, we're all naturally inclined to dismiss/dislike something new or simply something we don't have experience with. I guess that makes life cheaper for many of us.

I really dislike the idea of DCT's, and to a lesser extent quick shifters. Yet virtually every DCT review is highly favourable, and quick shifters are an expected feature on any current high end bike.

Heck, for the longest time I hated the concept of an ADV bike for pavement touring. Why would I want a bike equivalent of a mallcrawler Jeep when I'm doing sport touring the "right" way with my FZ6 and then FZ1? Lets just say I don't share that sentiment anymore.
 
Top