Super Tenere Purchase, Questions and Feedback

[fredz43]

Over at the other place there's a joke that... If ya can't have a BMW, the best..... look elsewhere, at all the rest. ::024::

Paul

Sounds like they are copying those Harley shirts that say:

"Harley's Best, F**K The Rest".

And we all know there is a lot of truth in that.

 

[La Knee]

A stock Super Ten is very boring . It will move quickly however it seems gutless . Now if you get it flashed put a full exhaust on it and let her breath SHE WILL RUN LIKE A 1200 TWIN !!

 

[Velvet]

The BMW having originated the breed tends to be a step ahead in terms of features and performance but has cost of entry and cost of ownership issues (take a look at the cost of parts). The Yamaha is similar in terms of basic capability but like a lot of Japansee bikes just seems to run forever with a minimum of issues.

Well said! As a past BMW owner of multiple models as well as a past and present owner of Japanese motorcycles, I find this to be very accurate.

 

[kdjbrown]

A stock Super Ten is very boring . It will move quickly however it seems gutless . Now if you get it flashed put a full exhaust on it and let her breath SHE WILL RUN LIKE A 1200 TWIN !!

I agree with La Knee. I had AC flash the ECU and mounted a Yoshimura slip on. She is quick, has plenty of character, will stand the front end up on command can pass in almost any condition without dropping a gear. I have no power complaints ar all. Currently have 3 bikes in the garage, but "Stenny" is the funnest of the group.

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

 

[Ron Earp]

I've been reading more than replying to topics. Figure it is only fair to not ask the same questions again and again.

It's funny to read folks complain about the noise the ST engine makes. This engine design is fairly old, going back to the early 90s and it is amazing that Yamaha still hasn't quietened it. My 1992 TDM 850 had that characteristic rattling/rumbling at idle such that we used to call it "a box of rocks". Shifting was also a bit rough on that machine too, but the TDM had straight cut gears in the gear box and I always thought that was the culprit, but that seems to persist a bit with the ST too. Still, always loved the parallel twin.

 

[Ron Earp]

I'm still out here collecting information on the Super T. I was able to see one in the flesh at a dealer but no way to ride one. There was a used one in Raleigh for sale by a private individual but I'd hate to bother the guy for information and a ride. What I'd really like is to hook up with a owner that would allow me a short non-stressful responsible adult ride on the machine.

Earlier this week I spent a lot of time at the BMW dealer. Very helpful those guys, knowledgeable, and of course eager to let you ride their machines. I looked the GS bikes up and down and in the end my short impression of the new GS was:

*The Good: Like the ergonomics and seating. Weight does not seem to be high, it feels located relatively low in the frame. Good bike that can get it done as everyone knows.

*The Bad: I'm a bit disappointed with the build quality, switch gear quality, plastic feel, and just overall impression of the bike. It also feels bigger than the oil/air cooled GS. The new bike didn't feel heavy but there is a lot of length and width around you.

*Ugly: No real ugly, other than for this sort of money the BMW should just be heads and shoulders above everything else around and it isn't, IMHO. I walked over to the the 2016 Multistrada and the build quality along with attention to detail is a standout on that machine, just smacks you as you approach it. In comparing the GS to the Yamaha Super T for build I'd call them basically equal in terms of quality, although the Super T is much more industrial and isn't as aesthetically pleasing as the BMW.

So in the end I think what I'm after is a Super Tenere and I'd probably choose a new ES model. Now I'm interesting in knowing about the Super T product cycle and if we're likely to see some big changes for 2017/2018. I *could* wait that long for a new machine and there are some features I believe Yamaha are going to want to add to keep up with the Jones as it were, given there are a few new adventure bikes coming to market for 2016.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Clearly Yamaha used the GS's ergonomics in designing the Tenere, as the two are extremely similar.


The Tenere is easier to pick up from the ground than the pre-wet head. While the Tenere is a bit heavier, it seems to have a lower CG. I just haven't had to pick up a wet-head to know whether it's still the case. Both bikes totally lose the weight when doing more than about 8 mph, which is their idle speed.


2017 or 18 will be about right for Yamaha to refresh the model, as they are on about a 3-4 year cycle. But why not just wait for the 2020/2021 to get the next better revision?

 

[Ron Earp]

2017 or 18 will be about right for Yamaha to refresh the model, as they are on about a 3-4 year cycle. But why not just wait for the 2020/2021 to get the next better revision?

That's always the problem isn't it? But then I'm reminded of this:

 

[EricV]

A stock Super Ten is very boring . It will move quickly however it seems gutless . Now if you get it flashed put a full exhaust on it and let her breath SHE WILL RUN LIKE A 1200 TWIN !!

Just a short comment on this perception. Flashing adds no power to the bike. The exhaust may help with minor restriction improvements, and add a few, (very few), ponies on the very top end. The perceived difference is all about throttle movement and use. If you are a rider that grabs a lot of throttle in the lower gears, the oem restrictions in 1-3 gears will make the bike feel slower than it is. The Flash removes those, letting you rev faster than you sometimes have traction for and giving you the seat of the pants feel that the bike is quicker.

If your riding style is not pinning the throttle often, especially in the lower gears, and you're riding to go places and not a tire spinner off pavement, you likely won't notice the restrictions. They are only there to make the bike more ridable off pavement where they work together with TCS to help the rider move forward, not just spin the rear tire.

The GS is a feature rich bike that's fun to ride. If you have other bikes to ride and a good local dealer, and have no plans to ride it more than 36k in 3 years, the maintenance issues and high dealer costs are somewhat less of an issue. If you think you will out ride the warranty, don't even consider buying a BMW.

An extended warranty for the Super Tenere, adding up to 4 more years of unlimited mileage, is available for under $500 online. It can be purchased and added to the bike anytime within the original 12 month factory warranty period. It doesn't start when you buy it, but is added to the original warranty period. It's not necessary to buy it from the dealer you bought the bike from. Although, it can often be negotiated into the purchase price. The dealer cost Vs the retail price of the YES extended warranty is a large margin, so getting it thrown in when they have become firm on the price of the bike is often not difficult.

 

[WJBertrand]

I visited another dealer in the area t o get an estimate on a major service. A young guy of high school age (service tech... sure!) looked at the bike, said he'd never serviced one, didn't know what it was,

Ha!, this is almost the same reaction my ST1300 gets at a Honda dealer. I have learned to take this as a very good sign when the dealers are not very familiar with working on a particular model!

Thinking about your requirements that the bike not have a chain, there's another new player in the US (though it's been available in the EU for a couple of years), and that's the Honda Cross-tourer. The 1200cc V4 engine is likely to be smoother and quieter than the Super-T's twin and likely more powerful. I know nothing about it but sat on one at the Long Beach Motorcycle show last month. The ergos feel great, but the bike felt a lot more top heavy than my Super T.

 

[Ron Earp]

The GS is a feature rich bike that's fun to ride. If you have other bikes to ride and a good local dealer, and have no plans to ride it more than 36k in 3 years, the maintenance issues and high dealer costs are somewhat less of an issue. If you think you will out ride the warranty, don't even consider buying a BMW.

That last statement is the most concerning even though I doubt I'd out ride the warranty. It predicts I'll have problems with the bike, but even more importantly is the frequency with which a bike might have problems. I'm more concerned with how long a bike is down and the amount of time it takes to get the bike to and from the dealer than I am about cost of a repair. While my BMW moto dealer is only 22 miles away as the crow flies that turns into an hour here with traffic. One malfunction would require four trips to the dealer if counted in "people trips" since you'll need someone to pick you up and take you home from the dealer. It'd be better to own a bike with a lower propensity for malfunctions.

I like the GS bikes although I might like the oil/air cooled previous generation more than the water cooled engine. At any rate I'm probably not cut out for BMW ownership since I don't perceive an advantage of the GS over say a Super T, and for sure am not willing to put up with what seems to be a lower reliability record.

 

[EricV]

My personal experience with the BMW in the garage was that, while dealer service was more expensive, it was reliable and essentially trouble free up to about 35k. The oem warranty was expired by mileage in the first calendar year of ownership, fwiw. It went down hill then, tranny rebuild in warranty, followed by stator burning up, wheel bearings, then catastrophic engine failure stemming from water pump failure. (that expensive aftermarket warranty paid for itself X9 there!) Several other minor issues along the way, some of which we were repeatedly told there was a service bulletin for, but no fix yet, only to later discover that the service bulletin had disappeared and no fix was to be forthcoming, ever. ::010::

Of the many personal friends that own or have owned BMW bikes, many are stalwart fans, but sell the bikes while they are still under warranty and upgrade to a new one, repeating that cycle. Others have become excellent mechanics for all the wrong reasons. And yes, some have had very good long term experiences too, but they are the minority, by far. My friend with a '14 waterboxer GS had the final drive fail in the classic manner on his first long trip with the wife on the new bike. Only got a couple thousand miles from home, but had a Uhaul trip back and missed the event they were heading to because of the failure.

A good dealer can make or break your experience. But sometimes the attitude just doesn't go over well. Like my wife being told the transmission failed "because you ride too much in 6th gear". This for a bike they market as an "around the world bike". Or being told they were surprised the wheel bearings lasted 45k, as they normally die just after 20k. ??? Wheel bearing failures on Yamahas are rare. There are a couple at around 50k that do a pretty good amount of off road time. At 95k my more street time Super Ten is still running the originals w/o issue. I'll probably swap them out sometime after 100k, just for the heck of it. My previous FJR did lose the front wheel bearings at 149k. I kept putting the bearing swap off after 100k and really should have changed them as a preventative measure.