Used tenere purchase (from FJR)...2012...or....r1200gsa?

Mcompton1973

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I have an FJR (06). I really like the bike, but I live on some bad dirt roads, the mud keeps me from getting out of the dirt to the pavement a lot...and the FJR has been abused by it.

I have to finance and my options are limited. Credit is OK....but also have purchased 2 new cars and refinanced the truck over the last 10 months....so getting a little pushback. Currently I can get a '12 Tenere....or a 15 R1200GSA. The Tenere is half the price.

My concerns...reading that the bike is kind of boring on the road. I dont get to ride that much....but when I do....its 200 -500 miles. I love the quickness of the FJR and how it corners. How much of that do I loose? The GSA seems to be reviewed as more exciting and quicker...but twice the price worth? Lol

Asked on a BMW group also....they claim the GSA is actually reasonable to own and maintain if you do the maintenance yourself....which I always have.
 

Tenman

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You need to ride one and see if its for you. As far as reliability goes Yamaha ranks #1 - BMW #9 out of 10. Their parts are way out there and heaven forbid they have to do the work. This being a Tenere forum will probably get biased opions.
 
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Boris

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If money is to be considered, the Tenere surely makes more sense. I’ve had mine about 4 years and completed numerous relatively long trips in excess of 2.5k miles, all without any problems. It’s plenty fast and handles surprisingly well for the type of bike it is. If you’re a capable rider, you can certainly enjoy the twisties on it, and probably more than you would think. I wouldn’t personally describe the Tenere as boring, but neither would I describe it as exciting, however it’s very very competent and will probably do all that the vast majority ask of it. Mines a Gen1 bike and after purchase I soon became very very irritated by the vibration from the original clutch basket, which was ruining the whole experience for me. Was fixed by a basket upgrade from a Gen2 bike, which made a massive positive difference. You may want to get a decent test ride to seen if the bike you’re looking at is affected, as some were and some not so much. Also, if two up with luggage, IMO the stock rear suspension can’t cope.

GS? I have little experience, however had my financial position been different, I’d have got one instead. Who knows if I would have regretted it or not. I do know though that numerous mates have GS’s of various descriptions, many of them who do big miles each year, they really enjoy their bikes.

Get yourself a test ride on both.
 

Scoop47501

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There are a ton of previous FJR owners here on this forum including myself. I had three FJR's in my garage at one time for a short while. After I bought a Tenere I sold my last FJR.That should tell you something right there.
However the bike has to fit you so I too say test ride one.
The Tenere opens up a whole new world of riding with gravel roads and fire trails.
 

RIVA

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I ride both an FJR and a Tenere (not at the same time lol) Reliability is not an issue with either motorcycle. My FJR is year 2010 with 96k on the clock My Tenere is year 2015 and my second Tenere with 44K on the clock. My previous Tenere was 2010 and had I think in excess of 75k on the clock. Nothing but consumables used in either. Here the similarity ends. The FJR is 5 speed and can only be described as a train in top when the throttle is opened. I ride probably 90% of the time two up. It is definitely an all day tourer . I rarely travel main roads and stick to twisties. No worries here . The Tenere with it's 6 speed box is a better back road motorcycle and in my opinion has to be driven like a 2 stroke to get maximum fun on the twisties. I have driven 7 and 8 hour days without problem and have had no after effects . The last BMW which I owned was an 1150 r and at the time researched moving up to the 1200GS but with too many horror stories I was the opinion that I was not prepared to do any R & D work for BMW. Sad to say these horror stories are now beginning again with the 1250GS. For peace of mind and reliability my money will continue to go to Yamaha.
 

EricV

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I put 160k on my '04 FJR and have about 150k on the combo of a '12 S10 and a '15 S10. We also have a '16 GSA in the garage at 46k now.

Do not buy the used BMW that's out of warranty. Problems can start right around the 36k mark or not. Doing work yourself means very little when it's ABS pumps, wheel bearings and driveshafts that die ugly deaths. There is a reason BMW will never offer factory extended warranties. They simply would lose money on them. Our previous BMW cost more in repairs over it's life than it cost to purchase new. The GSA has already had over $4k in repairs.

You lose the turbine like power of the FJR. Handling not as much. You can ride the Super Ten hard if you want, but it's a small bit more work to toss it around in the twisties than the FJR is. Ergos are more upright on the S10 with a more relaxed hip to knee ratio. People say it's boring because there is no drama, it just does everything well. It's a swiss army knife of bikes. If you want to romp, twist the throttle and go. Remember to put the bike in S mode when you test ride one. A button on the right side labeled 'mode'. Slide it sideways to change from T (touring), to S (sport). Many leave it in Sport all the time. Some prefer the Touring mode. Sport's main difference is that it takes less movement of the throttle to get the same response. So it's more sensitive to movement. Lots of S10s have too much slack in the throttle cable, and that can make it harder to be smooth with the throttle by wire design. If this is your first experience with throttle by wire, you may feel its twitchy or overly sensitive. Just like the first EFI bike you rode, there will be an adjustment period. Most people get used to the difference quickly.

Another option you might consider for the FJR is swapping a car tire on the rear. You give up nothing significant in handling and it will still run hard in the twisties, but you also gain a huge amount of traction in the dirt/mud. You do have to use care in rutted areas though, as being the same width as the ruts it wants to follow them more than a narrower motorcycle tire would. I've BTDT on the FJR for 70k miles. LINK Original thread HERE
 

Checkswrecks

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Welcome aboard. Had a Gen1 and then Gen2 FJR before the Gen1 and then Gen2 Tenere. I could've afforded a BMW and rent them on trips, so that alone should say something. As Eric wrote, owning a GS out of warranty is a major crap shoot and I've been left to walk by two of them. I am never ever EVER worried that the Tenere will break and I am a hard user since I occasionally pull a trailer. Even so, YOU need to ride the GSA and Tenere to know how you feel. To be more fair though, ride a Gen2 Tenere (2014+) and to get a better feel, turn off the traction control. (A couple of button pushes on the dash.)
 

MonkeyBut

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Half the price!! You can buy 2 used Teneres and still be ahead of the game. Or you can buy the one and use the leftover money for insurance, registration a lot of fuel and take the significant other out to dinner a few times and reassure that you made the right decision.
 

Sierra1

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My opinion: The Tenere will never accelerate like the FJR. But, in an echo of Checkswrecks, the '14s and newer have plenty of "snap". The bike is only as boring as you make it. Another echo is the Yamaha reliability. The RT I rode years ago was fine, until the warranty ran out; almost like it was programed into the odometer. I've always preferred sport tourers due to their comfort and power. The Tenere is both fast and comfortable, and capable of taking the road less traveled. The Tenere is my favorite bike ever.
 
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ballisticexchris

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Do not buy the used BMW that's out of warranty. Problems can start right around the 36k mark or not. Doing work yourself means very little when it's ABS pumps, wheel bearings and driveshafts that die ugly deaths. There is a reason BMW will never offer factory extended warranties. They simply would lose money on them. Our previous BMW cost more in repairs over it's life than it cost to purchase new. The GSA has already had over $4k in repairs.
When I was shopping for my bike I too considered the BMW. If your heart is set on one you can get a really good aftermarket warranty that will make the BMW dealer cry when they have to fix your bike. This is the one I have used over the years for all my bikes except the Super Tenere. I have never once had a dealer deny a claim with this company. Very reliable and comprehensive warranty with hardly any exclusions. And way cheaper than most:

https://www.westernservicecontract.com/service-contracts/motorcycle/

For me having a warranty is not doing any good when I'm stuck on the side of the trail. I did a lot of research and test rides on a bunch of the "big daddy adventure bikes" before choosing the Super Tenere. Reliability and function are the two most important features for me. One thing to consider is the cost of consumable parts. BMW is 3-5 times the cost of the Super Tenere in parts alone.

From when I first joined this forum to present day I cringe at how crappy some guys maintain their Super Tenere's. That alone is a testament to the reliability of these bikes. I'm blown away how many trouble free miles can be had on these bikes. Some of them with over 100,000 miles look only like a few years old.

The only issue I had with mine was the riding position was too far forward. HeliBars and the seat mod solved the problem.

https://www.helibars.com/products/HeliBars®-Tour-Performance®-handlebars-riser-for-Yamaha-Super-Tenere-2014%2donwards/638.html

https://www.yamahasupertenere.com/index.php?threads/how-to-level-the-seat-video.25413/
 

Kyle_E

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I still don't get the "boring" references to the S10. Yes it]s boring in a good reliable way when you want it to be. But has plenty of giddy up when needed. Typical freeway uphill onramp I can hit 100mph in tour mode without really banging on it too hard.


I've been on other bikes that were certainly faster with more acceleration, but 3sec 0-60 is not boring.
 

ord13

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I am never ever EVER worried that the Tenere will break and I am a hard user since I occasionally pull a trailer.
A friend of mine has experimented some issues with his 2011 Gen1 ST at approximately 110,000 kms (some broken spokes, "limestoned" water pump and burned alternator stator), the bike has now 160,000 kms at least and no more problems since :cool:
Mine is an end 2010 Gen1 too and no serious issue until now, but its mileage is not the same... :rolleyes:

On the other hand, the 2009 K1300R I've had just before the Tenere (not a GS but a sort of "super" BMW's FJR) was in workshop every month during one full year, not even 10,000 kms of absolute nervous and financial loneliness, a must-have experience if you plan to enter the great void :D
 
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s.ga.rider

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I traded my 2014 fjr on a 2014 tenere a month ago. I looked at BMWs but the price was too high and reliability was not up to the tenere(I'm a Yamaha man). The tenere is very comfortable and capable more so than the fjr offroad of course. I have no regrets whatsoever with the tenere. The outright horsepower is not there compared to the fjr but the tenere is capable and entertaining. To me, the offroad ability and comfort are well worth it. Take into consideration that I rode the fjr cross country 3 times and logged over 40k mile on it and I had a 2007 fjr previously. I wish I would have owned the tenere on the 3 cross country tips and that says a lot because the fjr is one of the few bikes I've owned 2 of out of the 25 bikes I've had.
 

HeliMark

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Had a BMW RT that I loved. I really liked the bike, until it hit about 38K miles. Yeah, 2K miles beyond the warranty. That repair cost some money, and BMWs only response was, "out of warranty, so sad". Have 75K miles on my S10, and nothing but normal maintenance. I am lucky to be able to buy a new BMW if I want, but here shortly (if I ever get off my duff) I am replacing my current Gen 1 S10 with a new Gen 2 to get the cruise and ES system. I like reliability, and I don't need to spend the extra $$ for a bike that may be faster, but certainly does not do anything that the S10 can't do.
 

Blind Squirrel

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You need to ride one and see if its for you. As far as reliability goes Yamaha ranks #1 - BMW #9 out of 10. Their parts are way out there and heaven forbid they have to do the work. This being a Tenere forum will probably get biased opions.
Do you have a reference link for this information?
 

Donk

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I would not recommend the BMW. Before you spend double the money on the BMW you may want to consider spending a little more for a Gen2. I’m sure if you take your time and look around a wee bit there are a lot more than 2 options. As BB King said, “never make your move too soon.” My retirement gig is working part time at a bike shop, one of if not the largest used bike shops in the country. If you want wheelbarrow reliability buy a Yamaha. I’m currently riding an FJR, my S10 got sold and while the FJR is certainly faster the S10 is all around better bike. I rode mine like I stole it and it went just fine handled great and was stone reliable.
 

AVGeek

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Welcome aboard! If you spent anytime on the FJRForum, you might recognize some of the user names here.

I had both an 04 Gen 1 and an 08 Gen 2 FJR, in fact I still had the 08 when I got the Super Tenere. Although that silky smooth turbine inline 4 is an amazing motor, the ST is a better all around bike, and the one that still stands as the best bike I've ever had.
 
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