Donk
Well-Known Member
Back to the original post, I owned an MT-10 and it's a really good engine in an ok bike. It uses the R1 main frame and swingarm to keep cost down so the wheelbase is a bit short. Even with the suspension dialed it still beats you up a bit on anything less than ideal roads. Needs a bigger gas tank, 135 mile range gets tedious after the first couple of fuel stops. If Yamaha chose to do it it wouldn't be the first or only 4 cylinder Adv bike there's the Versys and the BMW S1000XR. The XR is probably closest to what the MT-10 could be. Still need heated grips and some features as standard like an up/down quick shifter. Shaft drive is good but overrated by many that haven't dealt with a modern chain. In my opinion it's not worth the weight, loss of HP, or the potential cost of maintenance. The S10 is typical of Japanese designed bikes where they milk as much as they can out of the production run without improving it, then eventually discontinue it. KTM's 1290 Super Adventure is really a similar concept just with a V-twin, the Super Duke engine stuffed into an Adv bike and they pretty well nailed it, if you have long enough legs. I don't think big Adv bike sales represent enough total volume for Yamaha to build a new bike from the ground up. The mid size Adv is the hot segment right now and they have the 700 for that. It's good fun to dream build the ultimate bike although in reality there's a lot of great bikes right off the shelf if you don't limit yourself to 1 brand or are willing to consider expanding your must have criteria. For example for me a bike with a 21" front wheel was completely out of the question. When I decided to try the 890 Adventure I was so sure I would hate the 21' front wheel I bought a set of 19" front & 17" rear wheels to convert the bike. 1 year later I've grown to really like 21' front wheel and the other wheels are still in the box. Sometimes we have to push our comfort zone to find out what's out there and find our dream bike.
