Quote from Shovelhead
My 2015 Tenere is not under powered for what I'll be using it for.
In a way, every motorcycle has a purpose based on it's design. Depending on what a person is expecting, all motorcycles "could be" considered under powered.
Knowing how and when to use the available power is the key to an enjoyable ride.
If you have laid down the miles you claim, then you should already know this and really don't need to be asking the question. I suggest you go ride one and decide for yourself.
Shovelhead, I think we may be getting a little off the mark here.
I've been eyeing the S10 ever since it came out with the ES so anytime I see one on the street, I'll walk right up to the owner, introduce myself and ask them how they like their ride. One question I always ask is "What do you *not* like about your bike?". Even though, to date, I haven't come across one S10 owner who didn't like their bike, one common refrain I hear is that either they wish the bike were lighter or they wish it had more "grunt" on the street. I've noticed that one unique trait of S10 owners is that they are, invariably, honest.
My question about whether the S10 is underpowered not only comes from my interactions with random S10 owners but also the facts. When you compare the S10 to the BMW GS or the 1290 Super Adventure or the Ducati Multistrada, (all motorcycles in the same class) it comes up a little short on HP.
Ducati Multistrada : 160HP
1290 Super Adventure: 160HP
BMW 1200GS : 125HP
Super Tenere: 112HP
These are just off the top of my head.. and yes, I know that the HP to the rear wheel is going to be even less. You could say that the S10 and the GS are very close in HP ( 12HP or so difference). However, the GS is about 30-40 lbs lighter too.
In addition, one of the most popular mods that S10 owners make on their bike is flashing the ECU. When you take all of this into consideration, it makes me scratch my head and think "Well, maybe the S10 could use a little more grunt??"
Clearly, the Super Tenere has other positive attributes that, when taken into consideration, make it a fine bike, overall. But my original question was centered whether you folks thought the S10 seemed underpowered, especially when compared to other bikes in the same class.