Hi Floyd - it is basically the new XT660Z Tenere, but with few mods...

I bought one last summer and immediately took it to the USA for seven months - rode it 23,000 miles over every kind of terrain, and every day became more impressed with it.

As an all-road travel/dirt road/trail bike, it really is excellent - yes it is big and heavy compared to an enduro machine, but it feels very nimble on the move (it only feels it's weight when you have to pick it up!).

It will cruise at 80mph if required, is very comfortable on and off road, refined for a single, great luggage capacity, good economy etc etc. There are some very nice detail touches that you only really begin to appreciate once you live with the bike for a while, plus it has been excellent reliability wise, and (until the recent price increases at Yamaha) was exceptionally good value I thought?

I'd also say the stock (if basic) suspension is surprisingly well balanced/composed for general trail riding at reasonable speeds... However, the standard wheels are quite heavy (twin front discs and large cush-drive rear hub), and if you really start to press on, then the damping can start to feel a bit overwhelmed - but only once you start pushing the boundaries of what the bike was originally designed for?

In fact the more I rode it off-road, the more impressed I was at how stable the machine remained when things started to get a bit sketchy... and I considered that with a few modifications, it would actually make a half-way decent rally bike?

So since I brought it back to the UK earlier this summer, I have mostly been in the shed (and on the phone) sourcing suitable parts to upgrade the suspension and wheelset, plus fitting a lighter exhaust and a few other bits and bobs (not in the pictures yet) in preparation for the Heroes-Legend rally to Dakar later this year...

I'm confident that it's going to live up to the original Tenere's reputation in that respect too...

xxx

Highland: where do you go for parts, servicing & specialist knowledge? Better off with a KTM 950/990 of some sort. My 950SE is 200kg fully fuelled (14.5 litres), makes 100hp at the crank, can manage 120 miles before the low fuel light's on & has awesome suspension for the offroading. There's also the benefit of the OC Hall of Wisdom on Advrider on how to service, maintain & repair them plus there are plenty of dealers about. Home servicing is easily done if you've got a bit of knowledge & the right tools.

Triumph Scrambler: not ridden one but probably a good road bike but as heavy an R12GS from all accounts with less ground glearance & a protruding gear lever that looks vulnerable if dropped on the left? Would like to see one cope with North Wales offroading.

I'd choose the Tenere or the F800GS if you wanted more than 50hp. Saying that, I rode to the Dolomites & back recently with two Tenere's, they cruised @ 80mph with plenty of luggage on board & were surprisingly good offroad. They'd be the perfect multi-purpose big single if they lost 20kg. Ditching the twin cat-equipped pipes for a single straight through silencer will save you 8kg at least.

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

JMo - what is the exhaust on your tricked out Tenere?

Sean

Hi Sean - the exhaust is made by SR Racing in Germany, and sold through Off-The-Road.de

Exhausts

However mine is a custom version for the rally bike - without the cat, and therefore is about 100mm shorter than their standard version. It is very light (titanium) and seems very nicely made - but is very expensive... Fortunately they did cut me a bit of a deal on the price as I bought a lot of other bits from them too...

xxx

That's ridiculous money for a single silencer IMO.

A friend bought a new Scorpion silencer off Ebay & fitted it to his Tenere on the left using the pipe that had originally fed the right hand silencer. Overall cost was under £200.

For less than the cost of the SR Racing set-up, you could have a one-off built with cash to spare.

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My photos: www.possu.smugmug.com

I agree, it's a ridiculous amount in anyone's opinion!

They will tell you it is because the exhaust (being made and sold in Germany) has to meet TUV approval as a replacement part - the price of their triple clamps (to fit the WP forks to the Tenere head tube) are the same...

Of course you could get a custom (full) system made up in the UK for significantly less - or as you suggest, put something together using aftermarket parts. I however got a very good deal as I mentioned above.

With the OTR stuff you are paying for their development time, especially on what is only ever going to be limited productions run, and I must say, the finish of there products is first rate.

xxx