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See the trailer here!
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Tire Changing!
Grant demystifies the black art of Tire Changing and Repair to help you STAY on the road! "Very informative and practical." See the trailer here!
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I did few hundred km already on road, in town and off road and I don't have any problem with surging. Need only to adjust clutch cable cause doesn't disengage completely when the lever is not pulled all the way. Other then that great motor, great suspension for my weight (106 kg). As for now I don't feel I'd need any mods.
I did few hundred km already on road, in town and off road and I don't have any problem with surging. Need only to adjust clutch cable cause doesn't disengage completely when the lever is not pulled all the way. Other then that great motor, great suspension for my weight (106 kg). As for now I don't feel I'd need any mods.
Glad you are enjoying the bike they get better/ smoother the more miles you put on them. Must have mods are Adventure spec bash plate (the best) and the kev 02 mod for more low rev flexibility. The fuel mod is more for if you fit a DNA filter which gives the bike a small increase in responsiveness I wiegh the same as you and have 29 inch legs, the seat will eventualy soften up and the reach to the floor will get shorter its fine without lowering the suspension once you get used to it. There are lots of little mods you can do to the bike
which combined change the bike from a very good bike to a great bike. XT660.com will give you all the info you need. You will be pleasantly surprised at the performance when the engine loosens up even though the hp figures are not that high.
I did few hundred km already on road, in town and off road and I don't have any problem with surging. Need only to adjust clutch cable cause doesn't disengage completely when the lever is not pulled all the way. Other then that great motor, great suspension for my weight (106 kg). As for now I don't feel I'd need any mods.
I'm pleased you've come to that conclusion Tremens - I've always said the 660 Tenere is probably the best RTW style bike right out of the showroom.
I bought one back in 2008, and rode it 23,000 miles all over the United States in bog standard form, and it never let me down (although the cush drive rubbers did wear after about 12,000 miles, as has already been mentioned).
March 2009
I then extensively modified the same bike - suspension, wheels and particularly the engine with a Power Commander, Single Ti race can and open air-box lid/DNA filter - and raced it from Paris to Dakar.
October 2009
It was an awesome machine once modified, and certainly breathed a whole lot better and made much more power once it had been remapped with all the mods in place - but all that came at a significant cost of course - and not least a significant increase in fuel consumption.
While racing one was huge fun, it was a different kind of fun - and I honestly didn't find it any more rewarding than those initial few months of ownership travelling on the standard machine.
Enjoy your new bike, it's still one of the best looking adventure bikes out there ;o)
I'm pleased you've come to that conclusion Tremens - I've always said the 660 Tenere is probably the best RTW style bike right out of the showroom.
I bought one back in 2008, and rode it 23,000 miles all over the United States in bog standard form, and it never let me down (although the cush drive rubbers did wear after about 12,000 miles, as has already been mentioned).
March 2009
I then extensively modified the same bike - suspension, wheels and particularly the engine with a Power Commander, Single Ti race can and open air-box lid/DNA filter - and raced it from Paris to Dakar.
October 2009
It was an awesome machine once modified, and certainly breathed a whole lot better and made much more power once it had been remapped with all the mods in place - but all that came at a significant cost of course - and not least a significant increase in fuel consumption.
While racing one was huge fun, it was a different kind of fun - and I honestly didn't find it any more rewarding than those initial few months of ownership travelling on the standard machine.
Enjoy your new bike, it's still one of the best looking adventure bikes out there ;o)
Jx
thanks! great pictures, were you racing on this Paris Dakar on tenere??? I wonder how was it on desert? no problems e.g. with clutch etc?
Hi Tremens - It was the Heroes-Legend rally in 2009, that followed the original route to Dakar through western Africa...
There was a brief thread about the campaign here on the HUBB, with links towards the end of that thread to the more detailed build story and event report on ADVrider and XT660.com
The bike was excellent throughout (the photo above is in the dunes in Mauritania), no mechanical issues at all. The support plate for my GPS broke half way though the second week, and the original Touratech road-book crapped-out on me, but I had a spare mounting plate and replaced the road-book with an MD one from my assistance crew.
Oh, and one night the refuel crew filled my bike with helicopter fuel rather than petrol. That was a fun hour or so stripping the tank off to empty it out.
Happy days...
If you're interested, do take a look at the links at the end of page two of that thread - the photos etc. still ought to be live on those respective sites.
Hi Tremens - It was the Heroes-Legend rally in 2009, that followed the original route to Dakar through western Africa...
There was a brief thread about the campaign here on the HUBB, with links towards the end of that thread to the more detailed build story and event report on ADVrider and XT660.com
The bike was excellent throughout (the photo above is in the dunes in Mauritania), no mechanical issues at all. The support plate for my GPS broke half way though the second week, and the original Touratech road-book crapped-out on me, but I had a spare mounting plate and replaced the road-book with an MD one from my assistance crew.
Oh, and one night the refuel crew filled my bike with helicopter fuel rather than petrol. That was a fun hour or so stripping the tank off to empty it out.
Happy days...
If you're interested, do take a look at the links at the end of page two of that thread - the photos etc. still ought to be live on those respective sites.
tremens: not sure how much you've read elsewhere, but one really weak point on the Tenere used to be the rectifier connections. Maybe Yamaha has improved this, maybe not, and you should take a look. The problem is that the connections loosen and cause arcing, the rectifier stops working and your battery gets fried.
My bike failed in Morocco but I managed to get it back to Algeciras in Spain where the dealer fitted a new wiring loom and rectifier under warranty. It seems to be a bad connection issue rather than water ingress as mine hadn't been near rain for months.
__________________ "For sheer delight there is nothing like altitude; it gives one the thrill of adventure
and enlarges the world in which you live," Irving Mather (1892-1966)
tremens: not sure how much you've read elsewhere, but one really weak point on the Tenere used to be the rectifier connections. Maybe Yamaha has improved this, maybe not, and you should take a look. The problem is that the connections loosen and cause arcing, the rectifier stops working and your battery gets fried.
My bike failed in Morocco but I managed to get it back to Algeciras in Spain where the dealer fitted a new wiring loom and rectifier under warranty. It seems to be a bad connection issue rather than water ingress as mine hadn't been near rain for months.
thanks Tim for tip,
found this on tube:
I guess this is what are you talking about.
Definitely will check before longer trip.
My bike failed in Morocco but I managed to get it back to Algeciras in Spain where the dealer fitted a new wiring loom and rectifier under warranty. It seems to be a bad connection issue rather than water ingress as mine hadn't been near rain for months.
Hello
I had that failure on my 2008 model after 25000km and 6month in use.
Lucky me it happend on the ticlio (4,818 m) so I could just roll down the hill.
Bad contact, low or bad quality of the pin.
I cut the connector open and soldered the pins to the rectifier.
Sealed all with glue.
My advice to all owners of the XT660Z, solder it as a precaution.
The XT660Z is a great "can do all" bike, but no master in one discipline.
The plastik engine cover is very good, enough for travelling with luggage.
Mine enured 117'000km of heavy abuse till the clutch broke.
On the road still good for more travelling, but not for passing inspection for road worthiness in Switzerland.
Just got me another 2008 with 43000km for a good price.
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Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...
2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.
"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)
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Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes.
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Refreshingly honest and compelling tales: the hights and lows of a life on the road. Solo, unsupported, budget journeys of discovery.
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