Will Yamaha Increase the S10 Power? If so, When?

[copb8]

Just a point of discussion. Do you think Yamaha will eventually respond to the competition's escalating horsepower offerings? Even the ultra-conservative GS out-horsepowers the S10 and the new KTM's are down-right monsters!

I ask with more than a little interest because the S10 has won the battle of my affections over my FJR. I thought I'd keep both forever and use the appropriate tool for the job but I find I always hop on the S10 so now I'm in the process of selling the FJR. My only reservation is that I'll miss the power of the FJR when 2-up, loaded with gear and going through the mountains. If the S10 had a little more grunt I'd be a little more confident making those smaller opportunity passes.

Not really looking for a bunch of comments saying the S10 is already perfect power-wise. It just isn't for me. And I'm already aware of all the aftermarket "if you do x and y you'll get a horsepower monster". Just wondering if Yamaha will eventually step it up right out of the box. A significant bump in power along with all the neat '14 goodies will have me considering an upgrade for sure.

 

[Vanderwho]

::017::

 

[slipangle]

I wish that they would! I recently encountered a white-framed Oakley and flat-billed hat wearing punk, who was driving some sort of supercharged, Range Rover Evoque SUV-thing. When he pulled up next to me, he was occupying a lane that had to merge immediately into my lane following the traffic light. While in the midst of thinking to myself, "not a chance, punk!", the light changes, and said punk shoots away like he had been launched from a steam catapult. I could hear it banging off several shifts before I could even get out of my clutch! What in the hell are those things, anyway?

Get off my lawn! So how much is BMW looking to get for that new S1000XR?

 

[klunsford]

There are steps you can take to make it gruntier (if that is a word). Flash it, K&N or like filter. We tend to load the S10 like a pack mule which we wouldn't other bikes. Goes down to simple physics. WeightXTorqueXgrade = a bit slower, but you can do so much more with the S10 than you can other bikes. That is why I chose the Tenere. Besides, my friends on their FJR's can't get away from me on any given day... ::025:: It's not what you ride, it's how you ride it!

 

[markjenn]

Given that the bike received a small power bump in 2014, I'd estimate we're another couple years before Yamaha might revise the engine for more power again. And unless they raise the RPM ceiling, they're probably at the point of diminishing returns with respect to higher specific power output. (Raising the RPM would probably require a new crank design.) Can they enlarge it to 1300cc and get more power that way? Dunno.

I wouldn't be holding my breath. The power output of the S10 is more/less "baked in" to the basic design. It's adequate for almost any reasonable use, but it is certainly lagging the competition. The newest KTMs and even the GS are in another league.

I'm also disappointed that Yamaha seems to be neutering their bikes with throttle restrictions. I understand it on my 185-RWHP S1000RR, but on a 90-hp adventure bike? Several sources are now reporting that the FJ-09 is pretty heavily restricted, including a 115-mph top end restriction.

- Mark

 

[Vanderwho]

Get off my lawn! So how much is BMW looking to get for that new S1000XR?

::025::
::026::

 

[Scoop47501]

I don't really get it. Why more HP ? The bike is made to go places not available with other bikes. It is ugly and some what slow compared to sporty bikes and I love mine !!
I go where I want with it and ride all day long with one day being 765 miles from New orleans to my home in Indiana.
That said bought a new 2013 FJR after getting my Tenere.
No plans on ditching either bike. It's all on what you love I guess.
Scooper
2012 Super Tener
2013 FJR
IBA #55459

 

[Vanderwho]

Yamaha will inevitably increase the S10's output.

When? Why, the very next model year after you upgrade, of course!

 

[kgfire]

The 2014 Super Teneres had quite a few engine upgrades that resulted in a whopping 1 1/2 hp gain. We all would like 20 more hp and 40 lbs less weight and, oh yeah, Yamaha reliability. Price? Well it can only cost a little bit more than the current models. My biggest concern is that Yamaha may discontinue this great bike. Go into most dealers and they still have left over '12, 13, and '14 models that have been discounted to the point that makes our bikes worth a lot less than we paid for them.
Will Yamaha increase the power? If and only if people like us demand it and are willing to pay KTM and BMW prices.

 

[~TABASCO~]

You guys can add power to any of the models with bolt on parts. You can add the extra power incremental anytime someone wants. Substantial power increase from the factory not gunna happen IMOP.

 

[snakebitten]

The op basically said he didn't want to hear how you can make this bike perform better than it comes from the factory.

So I guess I won't point out that there are Teneres out there that have a lot more bark than the one he is disenchanted with.

I'm a nobby ADV guy. So 100hp is a nice number for any Big Pig I ride. It can have more, of course. But I'm not gonna buy it because of that.
Yamaha PEGGED me when they designed this bike. And I can't be the only one that's true of.

 

[Ramseybella]

I say let the young Punks be punks and the old ones get wiser!!
Extra HP is going to cost something with this twin, Like to see a Yam triple Tenere jump out of the hat for us Hooligan guys..
The fact is i don't need insurance going up..

Explore, ::021::

 

[78YZ]

Yamaha PEGGED me when they designed this bike. And I can't be the only one that's true of.

I am with you and this is not my first rodeo. The S10 is my 19th bike. ::008::

 

[Random ride]

To the OP,

When you learn how to ride the 100 hp it has now ::021::

The only thing hp numbers are good for is the swinging dick party ::002::

 

[Checkswrecks]

After riding a KTM1190R twice now, I get it.


That said, Yamaha is renown for not tipping their hand but having a very consistent upgrade cycle of about 3-4 years. I'd expect Bold New Graphics for 2016 while they give a 3-year refresh to the FJR, and then update the Tenere in 2017.

 

[copb8]

Some great thoughtful replies (other's not as much. You know who you are). But hey, it's winter, what else do we have to do?

I obviously really like the bike overall, otherwise I wouldn't be selling my FJR, which I've loved since 2003 and never thought I'd part with.

People who say "100 hp is enough" obviously think so for themselves and probably wouldn't use the extra hp if was there to use. It's certainly enough if it's just you and your banging around the woods. It's really quite weak when your passing up hill with 2 people and a load, especially if you're used to the turbine like power delivery of an FJR. When you live in Texas you find you have to do a lot of commuting before you get to any place interesting and with that comes higher speeds and passing. I like what they've done with the '14s and I'd love to have the cruise I'm giving up on the FJR but I'm just not sure the bump is enough to take the cash whipping I'm going to take moving up. (Plus white is the best color)

And to be quite frank, (I'm going to take an ass-whuppin here) I'm fighting a real attraction to the 2015 KTM 1290 SA even though I know it costs a boat load of dough, is less dirt focused, and will probably be a maintenance nightmare. You just can't rationalize emotion. I'm a pretty committed Yamaha fan with 3 of their bikes and a waverunner. Never had a lick of trouble out of any of their products so it'd be hard to stay from the herd.

 

[Flying Passem]

Nothing to add to what others have stated except Kawa has done it with the Versys 1000. No it doesn't have all the goodies of the Tenere but it does have a inline 4 and the subject here was engine and power.

 

[Tremor38]

In response to what the OP asked, I don't think Yanaha will increase the power in a way that's appreciable to what he wants. If that type of tarmac performance is what rings your bell the most, I recommend switching brands. I'm not buying that this bike can't do the things described, but it comes down to the insatiable want for more power. Nothing wrong with that...you just need a different maker.

 

[Dogdaze]

I don't think they will increase power, whenever you do that you compromise with reliability. Look at Alfa's compared to Toyota, the latter has less BHP/Tonne, but off the scale when it comes to reliability. Also, the S10 works out to be approx 380bhp per tonne, compare that to a BMW M3 that runs 340 bhp/tonne. Perhaps knowing how and where the power comes in will make all the difference in 'off the light' runs?

 

[Rasher]

In the response to the Op, I doubt this bike will get much more power at any point unless they really change the character of the bike entirely and building a brand new engine - this one was designed to rev low and last forever.

Not sure they need to as they do seem to have cornered the section of the market wanting a robust bike that will do most things well and last forever. We already have several 100k plus S10's out there and loads more past 50k with very few issues and no major blow ups - how well do you think the 150BHP KTM's and Ducati's will fare over 100,000 miles, no point asking about the new BMW GS as it had more recalls before the first UK customer took delivery than the S10 has managed n 5 years.

Having done some mods and gained about 10BHP I can say it is occasionally useful, but most the extra is packed up top where this bike tends to get ridden far less by the sort of people that buy it, what is good is the bike still makes more power at all revs with the mods - but Yamaha could not do this and get through all the regs.

If they wanted to add another 15BHP to take it to the BMW output it would have to be re-engineered to rev higher, lose low down grunt in the process and most likely lose some durability, assuming equal quality of design and build higher performance engines do not last so long.

This bike is the Land Rover of the biking world, a nice grunty V8 land rover, but still a Land Rover, primarily designed to be tough - there are much lighter and far faster 4 x 4 cars, the Multi-strada is more like a Rally Rep car (imprezza / Evo) and others are more like the plethora of Chelsea Tractors we get in the UK, with a nod to off-road looks, but just a tall spacious road car at the heart.

While BMW added a load of BHP Yamaha just slightly improved the bike and most 2010 - 2013 S10 owners fancy the later S10 above all other bikes, they have a good market right now, trying to seriously up the power would just put them in direct competition with a load more bikes, not sure it would result in more sales.