WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE TENERE

[AZ_Tenere]

I have been readying this forum for the past couple of weeks. I have bee looking for problems/issues that owners have with their Tenere's, and issues are pretty thin. After riding to Alaska on my VTX last summer there are just too many roads I would like to take were an adventure bike would fit better. Now I ask what is wrong with the Tenere? I have been scouring the web for months looking at Tenere's for sale and there seems to be a lot of bikes for sale, ie ebay, cycletrader, craigslist in numerous cities. The number of bike goes up and down but a lot of the time I see the same bikes for sale again and again. And bikes that appear to be in very good shape with low miles. I see very few bike being sold. I keep seeing the same bikes for sale and the prices keep coming down. Dealer as well as personal sales prices keep dropping and not selling. Maybe I should be happy about that as the Tenere is one of my first choices, also looking at the BMW, and the Triumph. I guess my question is more in line of, Why is the Tenere not selling? Thanks

 

[avc8130]

It's fat.

ac

 

[stutrump]

I dont know about the market in the USA but in the UK I think the reason good deals can be had on the Tenere is because it hasnt been hyped as much by the mags as the BMW has. Also the BMW is 'trendy' maybe thanks to certain TV shows. It seems a LOT of people in uk are only interested in the Beemer and nothing else. Strange but good for us that like the Tenere..(until we sell it)

 

[dcc46]

I think a lot of people buy them thinking I need the biggest adventure bike out there, and don't realize it's a lot of bike to handle until after the fact. I'm sure the same is true of people buying the big GS's. First time on some loose sand / mud they say to themselves , whoa what did i get myself into. Personally I think it's a great bike and priced more than reasonably and I couldn't be happier. ::26::

 

[Big Blu]

Some potential buyers may be waiting for the 2014 model and the improvements it brings.

Maybe you should just buy a BMW..... And be done with it.

Paul

 

[snakebitten]

Two kinds of Teneres.

1. The bike is exactly what the buyer expected. (or more) And therefore it's not going to ever be one of those low mileage mint condition bikes for sale.

2. It wasn't what the buyer expected. Until you actually DO ride a Big Giant Dirt Bike, how could you know what it is like? It's not for everyone. The whole "Adventure" ideal is very alluring. Like skydiving. But after a jump or 2, some folks are done with it. Others are hopelessly addicted.

You already proved your mettle by actually doing a real "Adventure".

I'm betting if you repeated exactly the same ride again on the Tenere, yours would be deemed category #1 above.

And if you added those roads you mentioned you wished you could have explored, .......well, you'll be posting here for years. With Pics!

 

[greg the pole]

Yamaha never invested in advertising and doesn't have the starbucks cred that the GS is known for.

If you're looking at a more of a street oriented big dirt bike, look at the triumph.

I'm not selling, not even for the 2014. Nothing wrong with this one, get on, and ride the crap out of it.

 

[mingo]

The SuperTen is Yamaha's best kept secret. There's zero advertising and marketing dollars spent on it and its reputation has spread by word of mouth. As a former GS owner, it's been a delight to own this bike and actually prefer it to all my previous BMW GS's. But one and see why owners like the bike so much.

 

[mhoy]

This bike is the best, a do it all SUV, nothing wrong other than always wanting to be on it.

 

[Gee-Tee]

What's wrong with the Tenere?

Nothing!

 

[MrTwisty]

It's fat.

ac

True, but it will go just about anywhere you dare to take it.

 

[AngryRed]

It's all about preference. What's wrong with the bike? I'd say nothing but I'd also say it's not for everyone. I've been riding forever, I came off an F800GS because I wanted something bigger and with some more ummph on the highway. Did I get that? You bet all 578 lbs of it ) It's a big bike, it holds its weight fairly well but I can already tell it will take some getting used to on the dirt just due to the sheer size of it.

This bike is not for everyone I will say that again. Also the S10, like all bikes, requires some tweaking to get it just right. Before I got rid of my F8 I had 15,000 miles on her and she was perfectly dialed in. I could ride 500 miles without feeling a cramp or pinch. Two weeks ago I rode my S10 from Vegas to Palm Springs and was in a good amount of pain. This just means I have to spend time tweaking the windscreen, making adjustments, etc. to get it perfect. But some people aren't willing to devote time and energy working on any bike so instead they go on Craig's List.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Simple. It is hardly advertised at all and many people don't find it sexy. By "sexy," there is a saying that it is the sizzle that sells the steak. Very few people in the US buy a bike for long rides or "do anything" duty.


This group has a lot of people who came from sport tourers like the FJR/Connie C14/Honda ST. A lot who came from the BMW persuasion after repeated issues. They know how to ride a bike for distance, touring, and the occasional off-road. We aren't the typical owners who keep a bike for a season and sell it with 2-3,000 miles. Look around here and you'll find a boatload of 2 year old bikes with 20,000+ miles. We have a pair of Forum bikes in South America on round the world trips, and one guy with a 2012 that has nearly 110,000 miles.


Why Yamaha decides not to advertise? Only they know.

 

[snakebitten]

AngryRed,
Pain in shoulders and\or back?

The Tenere comes with extreme bars. Extreme!

No other bars like em. There's a spreadsheet to prove it. Check it out.

 

[Frenchfries]

I have been asking myself the same question and didn't even thought about buying one until my 09 R1200GSA had a bearing problem ending wit a $2600 repair.
Objectively, the reasons I was not at first attracted by the Super Ténéré (aka S10) were:
1) the engine is described by the press as flat and lame, or neutered. Frankly, it is not very different from the GS engine, I even prefer the Yamaha engine. And the engine ECU can be reflashed to become a great and pleasant engine according to all the posts on this forum. I can't wait to have it done on my bike.
2) the bike is heavy. At least on paper. It didn't make a difference to me coming from the GSA. A friend with a 06 GS tried the Yamaha and felt just like at home, too.
3) Yamaha is doing a pretty bad job promoting this bike in the USA. It was absent from dealerships showrooms for 2 years in the USA. And I couldn't find any demo bike to ride in San Diego before pulling out my check book.

This being said, it is hard to push aside the world's reference for adventure motorcycling. But I have the feeling that many S10 owners are coming from planet BMW and are not looking back.
It is true that the second hand prices are pushed low, but would you prefer buying a bike $14K and resell it after 2 years for $10-11K without any maintenance expenses outside the tires and oil changes (very easy to do yourself) and the first 600 miles @ $190, or buying a GS for $19K, resell it after 2 years for $14K and paying $650 for the first 600 miles, and $350 every 6,000 miles for maintenance. You do the math. If you keep the bikes longer, the difference with resale value and operating cost may go even more in favor to the Yamaha. I forgot to mention that you can buy for ~$400 a 4 year Yamaha extension warranty (total 5 years of peace of mind).

Last point. Don't buy the hype of crossing deserted land with it, or with the GSA. I've done some dirt trails with the BMW. It was very gratifying, mainly because I came out alive and in one piece. But these bikes are at their best doing the ride you described. They are Range Rover, not Jeep-Willis, if you see what I mean.

Anyway, whatever you chose, these bikes are really good and will make you happy.

 

[EricV]

It's winter. Bike sales in winter always suck and bikes are slow to move.

Add to that that the 2014 models are going to be released in Spring and people will sit on the fence if the new options or changes appeal to them.

The real question is why are you wasting good, cool weather riding time by sitting on the fence! You're not snowed in.

There is a segment of big trailie riders that are excited by the KTM1190. More power and decent handling, the R package has better off road capability and less weight, but it's a KTM and it's still chain drive.

There are misguided souls that are fascinated with the BMW GS "water cooled" bike, but it's stupidly expensive, still a BMW, and not really water cooled, plus it's the same old Beta model BMW pushes out w/o actually testing and fixing the flaws.

Then you've got the Guzzi Stevlio, with the recently up-sized tank. Nice features, shaft drive, still a Guzzi, but that's not all bad. (I felt a little cramped on the early ones, no idea if that changed.)

Then there is the Triumph 1200 Explorer (TEX), that's a triple, shaft and feature rich, (more so than the 12/13 Super Tens), but is still new enough to not be sure how they will hold up, and has the Triumph limited dealership network.

So if you want stone reliability and a wide spread dealer network, plus a capable bike, though not the most powerful, not the most expensive, not the most feature rich, but just goes and does off pavement as well as everything but the KTM and perhaps better than many of the others, the Yamaha has a lot to offer.

Almost forgot, there is the Ducati Multistrada, a street bike in big trailie clothes, and the Honda Cross Tourer that isn't in the US too, again feature rich, but the Honda's a bit heavier than even the S10.

 

[rem]

Why is the Tenere not selling? Thanks

There's just no accounting for no taste. Welcome on, AZ_TENERE from Arizona. I almost missed you. When you get the chance, please post under Member Intros so the Forum folks will spot you as a new member. In response to your original question … Nothing. Not a thing wrong with the Tenere in my far north, frozen opinion. Go get one. You can thank me next time you ride up this way. ::004:: to the Forum. R. ::022::

 

[Koinz]

Shhhh, great bike. Don't let the secret out. Let the prices come down, so I can buy another dirt cheap for my boys.



All you have to do is read up on the "other" adventure bikes and see how many issues they have. You'll be back.
It's pretty amazing that a relatively new bike the world over has so few problems with them.

Welcome.

 

[AngryRed]

AngryRed,
Pain in shoulders and\or back?

The Tenere comes with extreme bars. Extreme!

No other bars like em. There's a spreadsheet to prove it. Check it out.

Yeah Snake I read tpak's sheet earlier and have been doing research most of the day. New bars are definitely on the agenda just don't think I can drop the coin for Fasst bars.

 

[GrahamD]

I have been readying this forum for the past couple of weeks. I have bee looking for problems/issues that owners have with their Tenere's, and issues are pretty thin. After riding to Alaska on my VTX last summer there are just too many roads I would like to take were an adventure bike would fit better. Now I ask what is wrong with the Tenere? I have been scouring the web for months looking at Tenere's for sale and there seems to be a lot of bikes for sale, ie ebay, cycletrader, craigslist in numerous cities. The number of bike goes up and down but a lot of the time I see the same bikes for sale again and again. And bikes that appear to be in very good shape with low miles. I see very few bike being sold. I keep seeing the same bikes for sale and the prices keep coming down. Dealer as well as personal sales prices keep dropping and not selling. Maybe I should be happy about that as the Tenere is one of my first choices, also looking at the BMW, and the Triumph. I guess my question is more in line of, Why is the Tenere not selling? Thanks

I think it's a combo of some riders being freaked out by the bike. It IS a giant dirt bike not a jacked up street bike and it is often easier to blame the bike rather than yourself. After all there are plenty of press about how amazing the next thing is.

Since rumours have it that 90% of people buying these bikes are fashion victims, then they probably won't be seeing much off road use and therefore the dirt bike set up is probably a bit dull for road only use.

For road only the Triumph would be a better bike, it's a sports tourer with jacked up suspenders.


I think Wes Siler from Hell for leather said it all pretty well...


1) typical road rider reviewer expecting the precision race track stuff....

In these conditions, [city traffic] I just couldn’t trust the SuperTen not to be an inch too far to the left or to pick itself up and go the split second I needed it to. In high-speed corners, it struggled to recover from changes in direction, such as changing lanes while leant way over to pick a line through cars. Switch from the right lane to the left and back again, while over more than 30 degrees, and the bike wants to continue going rather than return to holding the corner’s line.
So the SuperTen isn’t perfect for city riding and isn’t a great tourer either. What the hell is it?

2) out of the comfort zone...

Two days on fire roads up by Lake Hughes, with the video crew requesting pass after pass after pass after pass through what I’d dubbed “the scary water crossing” were spent with wide eyes and my stomach in my throat. But, by the end of them, I was nearing something approaching confidence in the bike off-road.

3) Doing what it was designed for...A first bit of the awakening..

That aside, the Tenere’s exposed subframe, multiple bungee points, huge grab rails and rear rack make strapping stuff to it incredibly simple. This is an exceedingly practical motorcycle if you need to carry large loads securely.

4) Starts to get it...

Saline Valley Road hasn’t had anything approaching maintenance in what looks like decades and gains its “road” descriptor not so much from its resemblance to other entities bearing that name, but because, within what is a national park, you are allowed to operate a motor vehicle on it...

That gearing that felt too low on the highway? Off-road, it’ll deliver immediate torque even sub-2,000rpm. A place I initially found myself quite often before discovering the confidence to plow through obstacles at speed. That engine that felt vibey on the highway? The parallel-twin’s 270-degree firing order delivers two close-together power pulses, separated by a long pause. Looking at a microsecond level, that gap in power pulses allows the tire to regain traction between each one. Not quite a big single, but close enough. That questionable high-speed road handling? Rugged surety over loose surfaces, even loaded down with boxes and a bag full of camping gear and water.

The end result is a motorcycle that’s way, way more capable than you’re going to be able to give it credit for without riding it in conditions like these

5) and....

The sentiments of the first rider to pull up echo those of every single rider to follow, struggling through the loose rocks to do so. “Holy shit, what the smurf is that thing doing out here?!” It actually took some convincing that I wasn’t suffering from sun stroke or a case of the crazies and to leave me the smurf alone. The biggest bike I saw all day was a KTM 525......

It’s amazing how transformative the knowledge that you can do something can be. Sections taken yesterday at 20mph in first gear get switched into 2nd and 30mph. Even 4th gear in places. By 9am, I’ve passed a group of riders on 250s and 450s, struggling over terrain I’m now, at least by my standards, flying through.

6) and finally...

Now, having taken the big Yamaha way beyond my own limits, if nowhere near its own, I understand it a lot better as a motorcycle. It’s not some shiny exercise in ridiculousness, masquerading as a dirt bike to make touring riders feel better about themselves, it’s an honest-to-god dirt bike that can tour and commute and do all that stuff too. It overcomes its weight with clever design — the engine in the right place, weight distribution and swingarm — then boosts that fundamental capability with technology tailored for the dirt......

Writing this now, sitting in a fashionable cafe in Hollywood, there’s nothing to tell any of the pretty girls or girlie dudes sitting around me that I’m any different. Except the huge tank parked outside, wearing knobbies and covered head-to-toe in Death Valley’s dust. Knowing it’s out there, just waiting for adventure, is a special feeling. Any motorcycle that can evoke that feeling just by its mere presence, even out of site, is pretty special. Fugg yeah!, Yamaha Super Tenere.

Now if you never went past step 1, you wouldn't get half the the picture would you?
If your head was full of "it's too big for off road use" you may not even try.
If you weren't adventurous enough to try you probably would wonder what all the fuss is about.
But if you did push your boundaries you would probably understand why so many of them wear gnarly rubber and why people like them so much.

It's a giant dirt bike and it was design to be the real deal for people who want that. It's not an MX bike though, but it will take you to a lot of places that people will have a hard time believing. Maybe that's why they just dismiss a lot of comments as "Kool aid drinking"