Just venting here a little..

I bought this weeks Motorcycle news as the new Tenere was being tested against the F800GS, the 650 strom and the 660R... The adventure bike test as they said..

It just shows how CLUELESS and completely unaware the motorcycle press are of proper overlanding and the the name and purpose of the Tenere style bikes. Adventure biking to 99% of the press is a trip to the crazy wilds of Northern France :confused1:

They slated it as it will "only do 105mph" and is underpowered if fully loaded.

Who seriously does any serious overlandeding at over 100mph !!..... Jeez, over 70pmh feels like warp speeds in some places.

No mention was made over reliability, sourcing parts, MPG , ease to work, off road handing blah blah blah...

As you can imagine the F800Gs won the test as it is the fastest and smoothest........... Just what you need for crossing the desert and fighting gravel and mud..

Ok, I feel better after that !!

p.s. Please note, This is not a BMW bashing thread lol.

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

No seriously though, I feel your pain...

...but after all, the MCN and the like are writing for the biking masses. LWR upped the profile of the "adventure bike" so now all the manufacturers are putting some out. IMO, they are predominanatly selling the look and image of an overlander rather than a serious RTW option. If they did, you'd have undertuned, torquey, aircooled singles and twins with simple electrics, a powerfull alternator and wheel sizes that offer the widest choice of touring/enduro rubber. Not to mention a hyaooge tank.

Would you take the new Guzzi across Africa?

Look on the bright side, the more people think the Loire Valley with a tent is adventure biking, the more the rest of the world will remain our playground....OURS, ALL OURS....Muuuahahahaha!

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Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Yes, I saw that review - like you I thought the writer hadnt much idea of what he was testing. The 100 mph reference was daft to the point of .........daftness.

One good thing about wacky reviews - they remind us that some of these people are only jokers and Grub St. hacks, and they dont know how to approach appraising a bike any more than the rest of us. So when they tell us a bike is fantastic or disappointing we can ignore it. I've sometimes laughed at how many bikes, when they are first available , are "Brilliant " etc. A few months later, they're "tired" ,"old hat", "feeble " etc.

Such scribblers are there to sell bikes, and they're tied and bound to manufacturers, with the odd exception.

The problem is that the trend is towards the more versatile type of bike in this country at the moment, but MCN just haven't twigged yet that that maybe it is because people want to have fun on their bikes at a speed where a tumble might not hurt so much (and for so long). Maybe they want to explore off the beaten track a little, maybe learn new skills, and maybe push themselves a bit.

What they should do is ask experienced overlanders to test what could be great trail bikes.

I've just read a test on the Transalp, F650 and something else, and they didn't mention off road at all. They took photos off road, but that's it.

That doesn't help me at all.

Just another MCN bollix... And you guys take it seriously?

MCN are good on GSX-YZR-ZXR-RRRR-and-additional-RRlettersRRracing fancy showoff horsepower bikes that see real racing track and their top-end limits pushed out maybe less than 1-2% from their entire lifetime, like most of adventure purpose bikes see the real adventure traves.

But as most of mag tests, there is some truth (or better to say: some orientation) pointed out even from n00bs.

IMO top speed in fact does play some part for adventure travel spec - yeah all over 100mph is academically pointless in real life, but if the real physical top speed isn't much more you have a reliability and comfort problem: you're basically "raping" your bike on normal high-way speeds 65 to 90mph (especially if single-cyl bike) cruising that'll be the end region of your revs - even in third world there are highways and for most of overland travels, while we all hate highways, highways aren't avoidable in many places - wheter you're in a hurry somewhere (VISAs running out etc) or just no alternative road available, also smaller roads can be damn straight and smooth in the middle of nowhere. With 250-450cc bike you feel like a complete engine raper going full day 70-80mph, with all those vibrations and abuse when that thumping single is nearing or constantly hitting the redline. 600 class singles do it a bit better, but still no mach for 600+cc twins when the bike is fully loaded or especially when 2 up. With a single you ought to stick to slower speeds, smaller distances and the excel in the worst offroad conditions. Both in terms of power and engine resource (there aren't many singles capable of over 100Kkm w/o complete overhaul, especially when constantly abused with highways).

Yeah, a good cure is to re-gear with sprockets if your travel foresees highway bits and very long distances, but then again you'll take away the short first gear needed for the offroad bits.

So there's always two sides of the coin. There exist no one ideal bike, just the bike suited for different needs, and for example one of my needs is to have 70-90mph cruising speed in the "comfort" rpm range - smooth, and enough avaialbe power of overtakes even when 2up full of luggage to get through Europe into the third world, and to use the same bike for local communiting.

With some current modern twins rendering some new-generation single cylinders pointless in terms of single's "supposed to be" weight advantage, then I reckon twins hold their place among many adventure travel needs - no wonder why V-Strom 650 is so popular among travellers and BMW F650/800GS twins are getting geting there too - lot of people do few month adventure travels from their homes, they need to ride thousands of miles through "western worlds" fast roads to reach "third world" and then come back too, also to use the same bike for local rides and communiting - twins with much wider power delivery (+ gearing) and with considerably longer engine resource can make lot of sense there.

Thread's about Téneré, but let's not knock out other bikes by drawing an sterotyple like all the "real" adventure bikes should be singles and all others are automatically classifyed as inferior travel bikes Ride what you want and let other choose theirs their own according their tastes and needs - a real adventure travel fun can be had even with inline-4 Yamaha R1.

AND I'm sure Téneré will fill many travellers needs! But like all other bikes, it has its own cons for some people (surprisingly weighty for a modern single, and the fact it's a single thumper...). So don't be surprised if some mag tests bash it while others praise it, but always YOU must find your own truth - testriding the bike is the only real truth about the bike, not the mag review IMHO!!!

Ride safe you all, Margus

Phew! Well said!

Of course I know its all crap. I work in the motorcycle trade and see this day in and day out.. MCN has written nothing but promotion based biast drivel for years. Its just sad that its probably the biggest selling and furthest reaching publication in Britain.

I find it all quite hilarious but frustrating at the same time...

I guess its misunderstanding is what makes it even more desirable to those of us who do "get it" !

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

I think its great because it means I might actually be able to get my hands on one by next year.

I agree though what a dumb review, where was the new 650 gs which is surely a better comparison than the 800gs at £1500 more.

I have narrowed my search down to the Tenere and the 650 gs. The Yamaha has my prefered looks, that screen looks great for road work. The BMW has the better engine but I am not keen on the run of the exhausts. Tim is running a BMW 650 so it will be interesting to see how it performs on his trip to the Pyrenese with a pack of 1200's.

I need one bike that will do it all, work travel green lane and the odd trip to the pub with the missus on the back, she is fed up of sitting on the rear fender of my TTR.

Only KTM and I think possibly CCM still seem to use the linkless rear shock which is a great design but I am not convinced of the longivity of either of those bikes and at over £6k the new KTM is over priced.

As for MCN it was useful the other day I lined the cats box with it for the trip to the vets and he pissed all over it !

Welcome back Ted

Guys you all speak my language its all because of advertising money. I have given up looking at bike reviews if they had their way we will all be on R1's or GSXR's!!!!! I like all bikes and have many fun miles on all different ones........ pay your money make your choice but ignore those idiots who review.

I usually ride my Guzzi Quota when two up. But I recently bought myself the new Tenere and have just completed a 4.500 km two-up fully laden tour with it, comprising both asphalt and gravel. Not too roomy for my passenger, and not too comfy - she (my daughter) prefer the Quota - but it held up without any feeling of "raping" the engine. On the contrary, I'd say. For me it'll the perfect tool for solo adventuring and will be my weapon of choice for my coming tours. It felt much more nimble and actually lighter than any of the twins I've ridden (BMW, AT, TA included) - as is probably a fact with all singles - and it will probably outperform them all when it comes to fuel range. I must say I also feel safer against mechanical failure on the Tenere than I do with the BMW GS range. But then again that's only a notion, and has probably nothing with the real world to do. (Please - I do not intend to start a BMW bashing thingy here. It's just an opinion, or expression of a feeling, notion or sense if you will.)

Anyway, I don't find MCN or few other magazines to be neither alpha nor omega when it comes to my choice of bikes. I recon it's more about whatever suits you and makes your heart beats faster. If it's a Yammie R1, BMW F800GS, Aprilia Pegaso, Kawa KLR or any other - please go ahead and conquer the world with it!

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HansP
All you wanted to know
about riding in Norway

What did you expect? MCN (although it´s useful for other stuff i.e. the classifieds etc) is geared to the sportbike-wielding masses who tend to stick to Blighty´s golden shores, apart from a run to the ´Ring or Assen once a year. So thats the context they use. For those Enlightened Ones who need a more specific test... then there´s ermm, ermm - here? So why get wound-up over very little, don´t read "Adventure Touring" articles in the press (but does Bike mag count with the Walsh stuff/BikeHigh...??).

The motorcycle press is not alone. Essentially every 'specialist' magazine I have ever read on a subject I know something about is riddled with bias, innacuracy, fashion nonsense and ego. They are all written for people who like to read about stuff rather than actually do it. That is why they are so irritating to those of us who actually go and do. The realisation that you know more about a subject than the writer of the article is a tiresome and familiar one to many of us, I'm sure.
My personal experience says this goes for motorbike magazines, mountaineering mags, travel magazines, mountain bike magazines. Don't get me started on snowboard magazines! I haven't found a single magazine in any of these genres that comes close to offering anything like a decent read. I'm pretty sure the rest of the magazine press is the same.
If I'd believed any of the cr*p I'd read in bike mags I would never have bought my beloved Enfield and, instead of buying an XT for my trip in 2006, I would have spent so much on a BMW 1200GS with matching Touratech luggage I would have run out of money by... erm, northern France!
The upside is we have to go out and find out stuff for ourselves. And after all, isn't discovery the very essence of adventure!

Matt

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http://adventure-writing.blogspot.com

http://scotlandnepal.blogspot.com/

*Disclaimer* - I am not saying my bike is better than your bike. I am not saying my way is better than your way. I am not mocking your religion/politics/other belief system. When reading my post imagine me sitting behind a frothing pint of ale, smiling and offering you a bag of peanuts. This is the sentiment in which my post is made. Please accept it as such!

I entirely agree Matt, Land-Rover Mags drive me up the wall, but perhaps it's because I know about them.
I suppose thats the beauty of forums like this, if anyone talks s##t someones likely to jump down their throat.
There's nothing like a breadth of opinions.
Cheers
Toby

Well one reason why I have not continued my subscripton to bike magazine was like similar to this. It is impressive how little they actually know and how much BS they can come up with.

On the other hand I have met a Slovenian fellow who actually did cros Africa with his wife on a MotoGuzzi Quota and completed an around world tour. Say hello to Uros....

I have test riden the Tenere twice already.
And here are some personal opinions,
- My first bike was a XT600E many many years ago. The 660cc engine is a great improvement. The power delivery is nice. It revs lot harder. And gears shift nicely.
(Try to find the neutral in 94 XT600E and you will aunderstand what I mean).

- The bike feels light and is to maneuvre in city traffic. The 21 " rim and long suspensions let you go over many things. Compared the DL1000 it felt slimmer to filter through the traffic.

- The offroad where the bike excels to rivals. I took it to dry dirt roads with lot of fine dust and deep cracks. No problem. I had better control at low speeds. And you can steer the bike with the rear brake very nicely. The problem you will be tempted to speed on dirt roads as you gain more confidence..
Gravel is also easy, the bike obviously had more to offer than I was able discover offorad wise.

- Highway, Okay it obivously does not have the comfort and power of the V-Strom.
(I own a DL100) After 130km/hour things start getting windy. At 140 engine is busy. Maybe it should have been a 6 speed instead of 5. I have heard that it can go all the way to 180 but I did not feel comfortable to test that.
However if you are going to commute within legal speeds (yes right) and mostly offroad the engine has more than enough.


Would I buy one? Goood question..... Well over all it is not a Vstrom beater for my kinda riding. But as is the engine is enough and would be a good machine if you choose the very less travelled road. Thinking that Yamaha had this engine in the market for more than 5 years reliability (which is the most important actor for this type of bike) should be high. KTM is 690KC Adventure would be the most obvious competition. Let see if Yamaha brings more in to the market and heat up the competition.

I would advise this bike to my friends as a serious alternative to single cylinder enduro bikes. Thank you Yamaha.

Reagards

The new Tenere is my first choice when it comes to new motorcycles for my tipe of riding, but let's make a comparison with the previous model which came out 1991 and was in production till 2000 with just a fairing change in 1994.

So what did Yamaha improove in the new model which is 19 years younger:

- They updated the look
- Better seat for two up
- maybe lower fuel consumption
- better brakes

What is the same as the 19year older model or worse

- the new model is 15Kg heavier.
- The engine has the same power, torque and 5 gear
- basically the same old fashion suspension
- front travel is shorter than with the old model
- worse seat for solo riding

This is just a short comparision, but let's be real, the Yamaha didn't do a great job with the new Tenere in comparison to the previous model. In a 19 years younger model I was expecting 15Kg less, 10Hp more, modern cartridge suspension etc...

Or'em I wrong?