The Yamaha Super Tenere XT1200Z Big Thread

Isn't this taking the Paris-Dakar Super Tenere look a bit far?

I like the way the bike can look sad after a crash

But no, I think it earned the look.

Looks almost like the wrap Yamaha had on the concept bike.

It's a pretty simple Z-shape, as can be seen in the side view. To mount one, you remove the windshield and the dust panel from ahead of the instrument cluster. There are 3 screws holding the cluster in place and those come out, then the wire harness off the cluster. Trace the features on the back of the cluster and cut those from the plastic. I don't have time right now to take everything apart for a photo of how it all goes behind the instrument cluster. No problems with vibrations at all. I also made a thin rubber pad to take up the dead space, the re-assembled it all.

The GPS itself is held to the plastic with velcro and I leave a couple of baggies and rubber bands on the bike in case of rain. Done the velcro & baggie bit for a number of bikes over the years and it works great.

Ok so it's just a street bike.

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Cheers
Graham

You could do that same video a lot more impressively on a v-max. The stuff people show to ostensibly demonstrate a bike's prowess in the dirt never ceases to amaze me.

- Mark

Mark, The stuff people show to ostensibly demonstrate a bike's prowess on the track never ceases to amaze me as well.

Maybe he's just having fun, Mark..

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/fun

Anyway, Go grab a V-Max and show us what you mean..

It's a cool video and I like it. The rider is skilled and the bike behaves well. But it has nothing to do with whether the S10 is a street bike or not. Roaring around doing powerslides and wheelies on a graded dirt road is something any bike can do - I recall there was a really cool video of someone doing the same things on a Valkyrie making the rounds a couple years ago.

My issue is not with the video, it's your characterization of the video as having to do anything with the S10's being a street bike or not. Which is really a TIRED subject BTW. It's a big/heavy adventure bike (just like the GS) which is somewhere between a pure street bike and a true dual-sport like a DRZ. Exactly where is up to the pilot.

- Mark

Yes it is. It was a joke Mark.

I too get really tired of the S10 being made out like a big lardy, fat pig, when the real problem, just as with a GS, is the lardy fat scared pig riding it.

Just seems to me that a few more average Joes out there manage to get into it a bit more than I suspected would be the case. Maybe more people upgrade from YAMAHA dirt focused machines and are more familiar with dirt than those that up grade from other brands.

I always find it interesting that you go from the 750 Tenere, add 8-12% more weight and suddenly it's a road bike in peoples eyes.

Maybe it's just 10% less Dirty.

It's all depends on your POV.

In the end, it is a bit of a "big lardy fat pig" - it is currently the heaviest adventure bike out there and I think it will retain this dubious honor even after the Explorer ships, and it might even get undercut by the Crosstourer. Post videos if you like, but there's really no way around this. I love my S10, but I love it in spite of the fact is is overweight and (slightly) underpowered, but not because of these things. I just think Yamaha's cost control accountants had their way on some key decisions that pushed the bike in the direction of more poundage and less power.

Doesn't mean you can't make the bike do some marvelous things, both on and off road, as your video shows.

- Mark

So hold on, The Trumpy is claimed to be 2Kg lighter (with 3L less fuel), the CrossDresser 14Kg claimed heavier without DCT, and the S10 is going to end up the the heaviest. Why do you think that?

It may, but claimed weights are claimed weights. When the others are measured with the same equipment, then we will see, but maybe, rather than being derogatory about YAMAHA's reasons for the weight being essentially the same, maybe you could see that there may have been engineering reasons why it may have a few extra pounds.

Where would you have shaved the weight Mark?

I can't agree with you on this. From my understanding, the bike's weight and power were more of a design option than a cost control. Yamaha engineers said more than one time that the weight was necessary for a bike of this tipe, a 1200 adventure tourer that will be subject to many hard stuff. Looking at the bike, the only thing that I can image to be lighter would be the steel fuel tank. Other brands made similar bikes with lighter weights, and I guess everyone here knows the results...

They also refered to the engine as being quite understressed, which is good to many things, like durability, mileage, and hability to swallow bad fuel. An engineer in a mechanics workshop in France even said that the engine could be doing 150hp, but they opted to not do so.

I think this shows that Yamaha developed the S10 as a adv touring bike, with design options that stay true to the concept. I gess this brings them more markting and public perception problems than anything else...

that sled sounds awesome...
not much for content, some whacking of the throttle in some light dirt and small roosting - but - hey, I love the sound of the thing.!!

Well said, sir.

though I don't fault the brittle boned statin junkies with no dirt experience who don't push the limits. They're just riding smart.

Still, I like the vid and it shows a guy taking his S10 out and having some fun with it. It's easy for me to demand he be more daring when I'm not paying for the bike repairs or the insurances.

Pretty much hit the nail on the head I think.

There is always the perception that if they could have gained more horsepower they would have, and so therefore they couldn't.

It was a decision they made for their own reasons. Maybe they decided to start off conservatively and just see how it went.

This is probably YAMAHA's first build issue. - Conservatism. Over engineered and under stressed with an eye on safety.

I just hope that the segment doesn't end up being all about bigger is better. (HP, CC).

They would be better off going down to 900cc and keeping the 95HP than going to 140HP on this bike. IMHO.

Even the old 750 Ten was considered heavy for the time, and the 660 is no super lightweight either.
I think YAMAHA just have a thing about durable, maybe a bit too much of a thing for many people who change bikes like underwear.

Maybe durable doesn't matter that much anymore.

And no I don't blame people for taking it easy, but then I get the feeling that is exactly what YAMAHA thought most of us geriatrics would be doing and would prefer a bike that just kept going and survived the occasional fall over or lay down carrying 300lbs of mod cons without breaking.

Bingo

One of Yamaha's biggest mistakes with the S10 is the marketing. If you check their highlight features on the brochures, etc, they keep talking about the same old stuff, that's not even the best things about the S10. Things like "great engine performance", "T and S mode" etc. They should highlight stuff like the durable frame, the two sided swingarm, the high quality USD fork, understessed relatively low compression ratio engine, and so on. By this I mean things that really distinguish the Tenere from the GS

Clearly you can have strength and lightweight but it comes at a cost. Yamaha didn't want to introduce the S10 into the market with the cost that would have made it as expensive as the GS or the KTM. That would never have worked with their customers. The price had to be low. Many have stated that they were able to buy it for under $13,000. That is a good price and some will deal with all the weight to get it for that price.

Suzuki continues to make it's adventure tourers at a very low price instead of designing a motorcycle that would go to the top of the class too.

Sales have been anything but stellar for the S10. Maybe if Yamaha had designed it to be as good of a bike as possible instead of being a value bike, it could have been much lighter and have much better engine performance.

If they do a redesign of it in a few years, it will be interesting to see if they step up and re-introduce it with everything it would need to go to the front of the class. That will make it much more expensive though and that may not be what Yamaha's customer base wants.

Not sure how you know that Rick? It depends how you define "stellar" I guess. I know they've been slow sellers in the UK - but that's mainly down to price (you're right about Yamaha needing to keep the price down, and UK sales prove it). In the US, at US pricing, my sense is they've sold pretty well (but not stellar). If they hadn't they would have continued with the PDP rather than bringing them as floor stock - I would have thought. I know my dealer in Romney WV sold 9 PDP, and another 4 since then. Every week on the yamahasupertenere.com forum I'm seeing a handful of people who've just gotten their new S10.

Until we get the real numbers (via registration data, I assume), I think it would be more accurate to say they've sold reasonably well. "Anything but stellar" to me translates to "poorly" which is just not true.

Trevor

You're like the guy who keeps eyeballing a good looking girl but continues to deny they are really interested in her. That's why you hang out here isn't it

Sales based on registrations from June 2010 to May 2011
KLR 4006
R1200GS 1142
R1200GSAdv. 1009

Based on VIN's published for the recent fuel pump O ring recall it affected 1077 units. Most if not all those have been sold according to dealers on the st forum.

Seems like a pretty good first year to me.