show us your XT660Z Tenere

rider+girlfriend+luggage = wheelies

after three years on an AfricaTwin 750.
one question: is everybody OK with the suspension on this thing? softy. isn't it? enything i should know about?
oops, that's three already:huh

plus, here is a litle action supermoto style...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY_ZBQOUgJc

Nice, very!

Impressive lean angle :huh

Very nice, would have been more impressed if you had knocked one of the cones over with the back wheel.................whilst sliding sideways through them .

I replaced my stock shock with a Nitron item that is far better than stock. Just got to sort the forks now.

Instead I have replaced the springs and oil. The springs are progressive Wilbers and the oil is a SAE15 Wilbers instead SAE10 ... now is another bike! The photos in my blog!

Cheers for the link Massimo, I'm waiting (and losing patience) on hearing back for some race tech springs. Changing the shock was a definite good thing to do.

I want one! Dammit, Yamaha. North Americans want cool adventure bikes too.

I was surprised, though, to learn that it is considerably heavier than the 640 Adventure. How does it feel in the rough stuff?

its shite in standard form, its ok low speed, try going fast and you will kill yourself, front bottoms out way to easy...

I find it easier in offroading than my F650gs that i ued to have.
This one just feels a lot better and gives me more confidence.

Ok you muppets...

I had to sold my KTM 640 Adventure (25000 offroad km on the clock, RIP) and am in for a new Tenere now.
BUT after studying the big bad not-so-Japanese-but-made-in-Italy bike I noticed a couple of things:

- The looks are dakar-ish but I yet have to see one person who has actually ridden a Tenere in serious off-road conditions. It seems most of the owners dream about dunes but never actually crossed one with their Tenere. PLEASE SHOW ME OTHERWISE. I need to know from someone who actually DID it

- The bike is WAY too heavy... I thought of reducing weight starting with footpegs, passenger pegs, front wheel (omg is that a steel rim?), rear wheel etc

- Why you need two silly brake discs? I hated it when KTM did it to the new Adventure as well, so I recon, 1 300 mm disc is enough

- Steel brake lines, not the rubberized stuff...

- Exhaust: are they serious, needs replacement and not with an overpriced Akra

- Power: 43 or 45 hp of what is it is pretty lame. I'm not a bhp dude but I think 55 would be perfect for such a bike

- Stock suspension needs some work I think

...

So, ideas, tips, and proof of SERIOUS offroad riding (I'm talking 60 mph sand crossing etc, not 10 mph "I just made it alive through this little stream" stuff

Sorry if it sounds so harsh, don't get me wrong I think the Tenere is a wonderful bike to start from as a basis to make something really cool... but it yet has to convince me of its capabilities offroad. My KTM Adventure could easily do it (and I did it, 2 weeks in Morocco off-road only) but is the Tenere up to it!?

Thanks for your help!

Dom

BTW Cotthem, yes I mailed you a long time back about the Tenere vs. KTM Adventure 990... but the KTM 990 Adventure is way too heavy for offroad, so I'm back at the Tenere

Just look at Jmo mate. Yep its been modified but still the same donk. The Tenere has been ridden around the world and out west in Australia. You can find faults in most bikes if you look but in my opinion the tenere is a good bike.

Hey mate,

You are confusing an Adventure Bike with a Rally Bike.

You cant compare the Tenere with the 990 Ktm, yes maybe they almost weigh the same. The Tenere carries its weight lower though. Its more fuel effiecent and the 660motor is dead stone reliable. Lets just say your fuel pump wont just give in after 10 miles from home.


Its not a pillion bike. Rack-it Pack-it and head off around the world. This bike will make it without any trouble. I know of plenty 1200GSA's and 990 Katooms that give in on the easy way down from Europe to South Africa.


But it will never come close to the hooliganism the KTM offers its riders.


So if you want tire shredding power and endless stunt riding, the Tenere is not meant for you.

@Fyreguy73: True, every bike has its faults... I changed a lot on the Katoom, all silly things but annoying, like wires from the ignition lock that got loose and gave bad contact... So I'm sure every bike needs work... but I'm a bit scared the Tenere is too much of a 'good old stone dead reliable but boring bike

@stevh0: I'm not looking for a rally bike, but i'm also not looking for an Adventure bike that - forgive me - makes me fall asleep at the bars :°) Let's all be honest we do like cranking up the speed... I'm not takling ridiculous speeds like KTM Rally bikes and you're 100% true about the reliability thing for a 990 Adventure vs a Tenere, but reality wise, the stock bhp output from the Tenere is well... low.

I'm not looking for pillion possibilities either. Extra passenger means more weight

And no stunt riding or tyre shredding, but a bit more power would be nice, no?

I know Jmo rebuilt the entire bike but I never read how much the bike weighed after the rebuilt... Jmo?

I know what you mean. I rode the XTZ last year at the Sa launch. I could not believe it was a 660. Ive ridden XR250's that felt stronger.

I do believe with a filter and a decent exhaust power increases on the torque side of life.

Yamaha was going on about the suspension and how they said it was so great and blah blah. I ride a WR450 and I know what a bike should feel like in the dirt with goodsuspension. The KTM990 works well, the tenere is hard and does not like jumping. Even 5 foot air hurts when you get back to earth. Where it does work though is on the gravel highways... 100mph with no real trouble... just dont give me a 90 degree bend at that speed.

For the time I had it, falling asleep at the bars was just something I had to deal with... sadly.

sorry mate, if i read you corectly then that is the case. no matter what you do, it will never ever feel like the 640. compering to the austrian race horse, this basic bike has no engine, no suspension, no soul. and this is coming from a guy that bought one, yes?

about dunes and dry sand, well, those great minds in japan must have never seen eney, or else why would they raze the rear seat so much that you can't move back? even when standing it's so high, it f#$%ing kicks you over the handlebars when riding over bumpy sand.
shame. could have been a much better bike when it comes to that. as a previuos 640 owner to another, i can tell you this: TENERE is half way. but reliable...

FUNGAS

Im 6'4 and even I, when I swing my leg over the bike landed with it on me after my boot hooked the seat

Ok... Fungas, why on earth did you a buy a Tenere then? Don't say it's only because of the reliability. No one I nkow tens to trade fun for dullness

As far as I can understand the seat problem can be fixed... it's only a friggin' seat

I'm 6'2" myself so... I'd probably have the same problem...