I live in Egypt and am fed up with trying to get my Landy in here at a reasonable cost... Im therefore looking at buying a Yamaha Tenere 600, '85 model. (18oookm, for 1200 sterling)Ive never ridden before, never owned a bike, though I have a reasonable bit of desert experience. I am just fed up with bureaucrats here and badly need a regular desert fix.

Am I being naiive, expecting to learn 'on the job'? What should I look for on the bike to make sure its in good nick (I am taking a Brit mechanic with me to go look at it) and what should I think about doing to it for desert trips? (I have GPS etc from my Landy that I can loan to the bike)

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Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but wheeltracks..... tread lightly.

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Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but wheeltracks..... tread lightly.

Check out the Yamaha forum for specifics for your bike, there's a lot of really good info there.

It's not really that different from buying a car. There's always a certain amount of praying involved...

Good part is bikes are easier to fix as a rule, and problems are generally more obvious. But the parts prices can be shocking!

Generic bike buying info: (taking note of where it is

Expect to have to spend some money on it for basic maintenance items - steering head bearings, chain and sprockets, air filter, probably tires/tubes. Generally if it's beat and you don't want it at any price your mechanic will be able to tell easily.

Make sure the motor sounds good of course, and the gearbox and clutch works smoothly. If you can, drain the oil to see what it looks like, looking for metal specks. At least have a look on the dipstick for colour and check the smell of it. Burnt smell is bad news!

Good luck!

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Grant Johnson

One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

Hi LRN,

I’m sorry you couldn’t find a way to get your rover here in Egypt.

I just bought an 85 Tenere with an extra engine. I’ve disassembled the whole thing in my workshop and I’m rebuilding it from scratch. You’re welcome to come by the workshop anytime to check it out (I’m in Dokki by the Cairo Sheraton). I know my way around Egypt when it comes to Tenere parts so I can point you in the right direction if you need help. Also a couple of friends of mine have Tenere for sale (84 & 85) that you can check out.

If you’re handy around your rover then you’ll be fine with the 85 Tenere. Is a very sturdy and reliable bike and best of all, it’s easy to fix. If you’re not going to carry a lot of loads then the stock suspension will do fine. The first thing to do is to get a GPS mount and a maybe map holder. If you’re planning to travel long distances in the desert then a large tank would be a good idea. I have a 40 liter one and I love it. These tanks are not available new anymore for some reason. I can point you to a guy that does them out of sheet metal for around $150.

Later

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A.B.
www.ShortWheelbase.com

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A.B.
OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.

Thanks lads... AB I am sure we are destined to meet up sooner or later! I am still not sure... off to the desert this afternoon with my Kiwi mate on his Tenere (as if I need convincing...) though Im still paying off the Visa bill for a Sahara trip last year so a 9000LE bike maybe isnt such a sensible idea! (and there is the usual crap about girlfriend, mortgage, blah blah)
The thing is, you get these starlit nights here in Ma'adi and your subconscious says 'wouldnt it be better to be in the Sand Sea....' Lawrence and Thesiger have a lot to answer for!

AB - what price are your mates asking for their Teneres?

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Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but wheeltracks..... tread lightly.

[This message has been edited by LandRoverNomad (edited 13 April 2002).]

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Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but wheeltracks..... tread lightly.

You have to contact them to know the exact price, although I imagine they would be in the same range as the 9000 LE Tenere you saw. I got mine for 7000 LE a few months ago but it needed lots of stuff so I ended up buying another engine for 3000 LE and that’s not the end of it yet . I’m afraid I got screwed pretty badly on this bike. So don’t make my mistake and buy one in good working condition.

Note that most pre 89 Tenere have an oiling problem and the Piston go bad a lot. That’s the case with most of the Tenere sold in Egypt. Check with Klaus in the XT forum for a cheap solution.

Email Raed Baddar www.SaharaPioneer.com , he has a Tenere for sale. He’s a good friend of mine and we just serviced the bike a month ago. We changed all the oils, including forks, retuned the valves and carburetor. Although the bike is running fine at the moment the piston will need to be replaced soon. This is normal with the Tenere. I’m sure he can do it for you before you take the bike if you want him to.

I have another friend who has 2 Tenere for sale. They are in working condition but they’ve been used more heavily as he used to race them in the Rally of Egypt. They would be my second choice and only if you’re willing to do some work on them. I only have a phone number that I can email you for this guy.

Hope this helps.

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A.B.
www.ShortWheelbase.com

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A.B.
OasisPhoto.com – Images from the Magical Sahara.