how fast is your old tenere
 

Hi all,

i finally got the bike finished today a went out on the road for the first time and although it was fun round town the motorway was a chore...

if i get up to 65 70 it feel all over the place and doesnt seem to have that much left in it. although it was windy the eyes were buzzing and was not very comfortable so was just looking for a comparison with yours?

mine is a 98 3yf version on heidenau k60's with std screen and im 6'4 and 13 stone.

any mod advice??

thanks in advance.

bit different from your bike, but ...
I had a 750SuperTenere, it was also a bit ... eh ... vague when fully loaded at over 70mph.
then I thought its for the Tenéré, not the Autobahn :)

at lower speeds its magic! - on or off road.


Imo, at 6'4" and 13st, and on a '98 bike, just upgrade/overhaul the suspension and your sorted.

enjoy.

My old Tenere didn't like going much over 70mph.
I wasn't fun at that speed either - the front muddy was like a wing!!!

That is why I got the bike I have now - I still miss her though...

taller screen
 

do you know a good place to start finding a taller screen??

Hi,

I'm guessing that you have a 660cc Tenere.
I got a taller screen for my 600 Tenere (3AJ) two years ago from
Baglux (UK Distributer for French company Bullster) http://www.bullster.com/en/catalogue-produit.php?id=67406&typerecherche=moto tel 01745 823 333.
I am happy with it though the mounting hole alignment wasn't perfect. It could be down to the beat up condition of my old faring though. If possible I would try to get one that hasn’t been drilled and drill it myself to get correct alignment.

When I was looking for a screen I found that Powerbronze did one for the 660 Tenere (but not the 600 Tenere). Ermax may also be worth checking.

Poor straight line stability at speed can be caused by worn steering head bearings (usually the bottom one, where you can't feel it when you lift the front end of the bike to check, so inspection is best) Slack steering head bearings, worn wheel bearings, sagging rear shock, incorrect tyre pressure and many other things!
My bike has been vague in the past but is now solid at 75mph and I'm 6 foot 3 so I'm sure your bike should be too.

As for vibration at speed, tight spots on the final drive chain can cause this, and possibly an out of balance wheel or lose engine mounting bolts.

Hope you find some easy fixes

Mark

As for speed. Then yeah, that's about it.

My XT600E didnt like going more than 65mph although it would overtake at 80mph if it had to.

If it's feeling unstable, set your suspension properly (Static & race sag), check your wheels are balanced and all bearings are tight.

My top speed fo my 2003 xt600e was 156km/t gps meassured when all stock. But that was with the head down in the controls like back in the days on a tuned up moped :scooter:

It takes some time to get there, its slow from 120km/t.

I cruise at 90-100km/t (below 4000rpm)and take it easy on the interstate, that's not where this bike shines. If im on a long trip, i fit a 16 tooth cs sprocket, and cruise 10km/t higher, still keeping at 4000rpm give or take a few.

Id rather "abuse" the bike in the bushes, rather than on the interstate.

I have a `91 3YF.
On motorways it will cruise at 70 to 80 without any hassle but its `natural` speed is a plodding 65mph.
I made my screen taller by using an old visor. The extra few inches made all the difference (o`er missis!!)

my 600e with road wheels and a sumo fender was fine upto 80mph but was over reving at 95mph but these bikes are best 20-60mph on or off road:innocent:

if you want balls out speed get a rf900 or zzr1100 160plus is effortless:thumbup1:

an xt600 on sticky road tyres will leave middle weight sports bike for dead on the twisty stuff :cool4:

With standard gearing ????? The 600E is over revving at 70mph, let alone 95mph..

When i changed my rear to a 43, it wouldnt even get to 95mph as it lacked the torque.

Having owned a couple of XT's (on sticky rubber) and many middle weight sports bikes, Id have to say the XT doesnt even come close on power ,performance or handling. You must be one hell of a rider :cool4:

But, that's not what the XT600E is about. Sure the suspension is crap, its painfully slow, it's put together with cheese headed bolts that love to rust but it will pretty much NEVER let you down !! It's a slow reliable chugger !

that's odd... on my 600e I'd often used to ride above 80mph with little effort..
A few of times I made over 95mph and it still be just below over rev...
Actually, I never over reved her in 5th gear as there just isnt safe enough places where I can go faster... but after 85 she would take her time to gain up to 95....*stock gearing 15/45


I miss my XT :rolleyes2:
Vando

People shouldn't confuse the REDLINE with over revving. I'm talking about the point where the engine is obviously struggling and vibrating.

I never liked taking my XT over 4000RPM as it started shaking and I could just feel the engine crying in pain.

XT's were never made for speed, they were made to be able to be ridden on and off road at a suitable speed for both.

As said before if you want to go fast get a road bike (like I did) or stop moaning!!!

The fastest I ever attained on any XT was on the 550 at an indicated 100mph / 160km/h.

Funnily enough that was two up when the bike felt planted and in The Great Karoo which is 900m above sea level. At sea level 80mph / 140kmh was top unless you had a good tail wind.

I have never achieved much above 80 on the 600's. The extra height and girth of the Tenere has a big wind resistance penalty. On neither of my 3AJ's has riding much above 65 mph / 100kmh been much fun and I actively avoid motorways because the machine's performance there is positively bloody dangerous because you're hanging with the 40 tonners

Personally I love my XT and will never sell it!
and cannot have a streetbike!

Its not about the speed it can achieve, I just love the feeling on the twisty roads...

The XT sometimes already is a b:censored:ch to make her stop, imagine a streetbike?! I'd prob kill myself.... :rolleyes2: no go, no no...

Ted, thats a good point! but they are very similar!
for example, my 600e doesn't have the rev counter...just the rev light...

Vando :cool4:

16 front 45 rear digital dash calibrated to front wheel size indicated 95mph @ just under 6000rpm i did have those twin mikuni's on it though :rolleyes2: so thats probably what gave my bike the edge over your standard setup.

mine already had a better rear shock that had adjustable damping so it was set for road use i found its so much better mid corner than a sports bike as i could get on the power erlia the only problem with that was it would lift the front unloading the suspension so i'd have to dab the front brake to reload the front to stop it sliding:eek3: even without the WP front forks its always felt pretty good at the front but with those WP usd forks its excelent for getting the pegs down on roundabouts :thumbup1:

i've got a 43 tooth sprocket for the rear but not tested that out yet but with the power of the new motor it should be fine it might help keep the front down it used to power wheelie in second gear before so mine was never a chugger :cool4:

Thanks for your input guys.....

I know its not designed for top end but i was just a bit shocked and then a guy on a f650gs cruized past like he was on a sofa :censored: .

ordered a new screen from off-the-road so hope that helps.

i have not got enough doe to even look at the shock. does anyone know what the black twisty thing is a the bottom of the shock and its effect? ive got the shock wound right up!

wheels....i balenced the front my self with a bit of lead round the spoke but not done the back.. might have a pop...

the black twisty thing at the bottom of the shock is the damping adjustment low numbers are soft high numbers stiff/hard :innocent:

let me av a go at the guy on the 650 with my xt630 he'll wish he stayed on the sofa :thumbup1:

Don't worry about that... You'l pass him again on the side of the road when his rectifier blows up, his water pump self destructs, his forks snap and the electrics fail.. :innocent:

Rabbit and the Hare.....

Well see now. You cant compare the XT with a F650GS:( That is an unfair comparison on so many levels.
How old was this F650 anyway? Do you realise the modern F650GS is not a single thumper but a parallel twin making 800cc? The engine is straight out of the new 800GS. That bike will blow you out of the water, which is only slightly mollifying in as much as it is going to blow most DS bikes clear out of the water when it comes to mile munching.

BMW Motorrad UK. New Motorcycles. Enduro. BMW F 650 GS Prices & specifications.

2010 BMW F650GS Specifications and Price - Motorcycle USA

the gs is a big lump of a bike with 70ish bhp and 200kg it might have an edge on good road surfaces, but off road the standard xt is a lot more user friendly:innocent: plus it aint as cheap to buy and run as the xt's especially when fitted with stuff like ABS and has to have bmw service to keep the warranty valid :thumbdown: i'll take my old xt over a new f650gs anytime :thumbup1:

Yes it was the new twin jobby with every overpriced extra... i thought is was ewan and thingy coming up my rear (so to speak)

And yes your right i would not have got a bmw for £700 and i would not have been able to do the:

front and rear brake rebuild inc hoses and pads
fork rebuild and gators
plug / oil and filters
new ignition switch
tyres and tubes
grips
screen
chain and sprocket
crash bars
grips
new disk front

with a hammer and a screwdriver :scooter:

she is still a bit rough but as soon as i drop it then i wont care...if i was riding a new one i'd come back more stressed than when i left!!
the smaller the financial commitment the less to worry about....as long as she keeps ticking :innocent:

cheers guys....next time im on the motorway i will hold my head high in the knowledge that im riding a "legend" :) but not too hight though :innocent: