This will be the first showroom-new plated bike I've ever bought in the 28 years I've been riding (started when I was 10). I've bought dirtbikes new, but never a plated bike. I have always let someone else take the first couple years of depreciation, realize they don't ride it, then pick it up with 200 - 1000 miles on them. I'm good with getting the Super Tenere new mainly because I want it and don't want to wait. But also because it is priced about the same as a used BMW 800GS so feel the value is there.
The Super Tenere will get used about as much as my WR250R (not WR250F) dual sport. I'll probably switch back and forth for riding the 30 minutes to work. Then, for long asphalt and gravel road rides, the Super Tenere. I'll also do a lot of trail riding with it and that will depend on who I'm riding with. If I'm riding with my wife or with various friends that are newer to riding, I'll trail ride the ST because it will slow me down. On the WRR, I get too far ahead and wait a lot. The ST will be a handful so it will allow me to be challenged at a much slower pace. On "regular" trail ride days, with buddies that ride more aggressively and fast, it will be the WRR.
For the last year, I've been down to one bike for the first time since 1983. When I bought my used WR250R dual sport in spring of '09, I sold off my motocross 450. Then, that summer, I was putting too few miles on everything else so sold my street-only bike. My wife wanted to start riding trails and not just street, so we started her on a little crf230, which she outgrew after two rides, so we got her a used WR250R as well, at which time we sold her BMW F650CS (not GS). So for the 2010 riding season, we've only had two WR250R. Because of that, I've not even been able to ride one of her bikes for variety.
I knew I'd replace some of my sold bikes with a non-thumper dual sport (better long distance comfort), but really didn't need it last year. The WRR will cruise 75+mph all day long and has long service intervals (24,000 mile valve checks, 3,000 oil changes, etc). So, with new mid and big dual sports coming to market, I wasn't in a rush. I bounced back and forth on what bike to add. First I'd think cheaper, used middleweight which can be had for less than $4,000 already setup with all the extras (weestrom, versys, etc). Then the Tiger 800 and Super Tenere come on the scene, so I decided to wait a bit more.
I guess what pushed me towards a heavyweight rather than a middleweight (600 - 800cc) was that the WRR is such a good road bike, so I wanted my second dual sport to be as far on the other side of the spectrum as I could get it so it wasn't too similar. If the WRR was more a "racebike with signals", like some of the smaller KTMs, and not as comfortable on the highway and had short service intervals, then I might have thought more about the tiger 800 or BMW 800GS because I would be avoiding riding the racebike and been trail riding the middleweight a lot more since I've become "short service interval" averse. But then, that is why I didn't choose a small racebike for a dual sport. I've put 11,000 miles on my WRR during the two short Montana riding seasons I've owned it and that is with no long rides or overnighters (except Westfest last year) and doesn't include my riding my other bikes before I sold them and still riding my wife's WRR. I think the Super Tenere is going to be the perfect bookend for my needs.
I'm really looking forward to the new challenge of trail riding a big bike and also of having something for those longer road trips, but can still dart down a gravel road or jeep trail. I don't foresee owning a street-only bike, again, for at least another 5 years (I'd say never but never say never). Street-only bikes are just too specialized when one lives where I do. Around here, there are always gravel shortcuts or places to explore and I'd already blown too many fork seals, on my street bikes, trying to hammer down rough gravel roads. If I was close to a track, I'd probably have a small crotch rocket or a supermotard, but I don't. I've been thinking about finding a used, newer trials bike and then setting up some obstacles on our property. That will probably be the third bike if I ever get around to it and the right deal comes around.
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