2009 XT TENERE, with pics

[NordieBoy]

I read somewhere that the intiminators get confused or something over multiple littte bumps?, so what exactly are the improvement made by the Int's or what function do they enhance?

Confused as in it's the only place they arn't completely brilliant and are merely great.

With the shock does the new gold valve give better damping adjustment to the rebound?, mine like others probably on full rebound is still pretty washy and not strong enough.

Yep. And tunable (pull the shock apart stylee).

My rebound is OK but gets confused when going over rough ground fast (MX track stutters) for normal ADV riding it was well worth the money however.

[george formby]

What a whopper!

I just wonder where the 'growing' of the 650/660 dual purpose bike is headed?

I can tell 'them' that it is not within the realms of the average buyer to produce a 650 that will tour as well as do single track, all with finess and competence.

( now, wait for the ktm devotees to flame me!!)

Their are whispers on other forums of a 1200 tenere......

Possibly a parallel twin.

[Monstaman]

Confused as in it's the only place they arn't completely brilliant and are merely great.

So ok it is still an improvement then which makes it worthwhile.

Yep. And tunable (pull the shock apart stylee).

My rebound is OK but gets confused when going over rough ground fast (MX track stutters) for normal ADV riding it was well worth the money however.

Hmmm, I am not into MXing nowadays, for me it is farm tracks, rough roads, shingle roads etc so again still heading in the right direction.

[NordieBoy]

So ok it is still an improvement then which makes it worthwhile.

Oh hell yes.

[Racing Dave]

[QUOTE=ducatijim;1129543589 Wake up.......those twats are ALWAYS complimentary; they have to be in NZ as the 'field' is too small and if anyone dared to run down a test, well, they would be covering schoolboy netball 4 a free smalltown arsewipe - 'cause they and their cronies would never see another tester from any marque [/QUOTE]


Ah, so easy to snipe about someting you obviously know little or nothing about, but you are completely wrong on at least two counts.

Firstly, there is no editorial censorship from any supplier, all my thoughts are for the Editor's eyes only.

Secondly, I was complimentary because the Tenere is worthy of complimenting. Since the Kiwi Rider article, the bike in my care has had proper knobblies fitted, and some other convenience/protection parts added.

Last Friday I rode a very big day in South Canterbury/Mckenzie basin on a mix of seal, shingle, and paper roads, and it was all good stuff.

This Saturday, there's an adventure looming near Kaikoura, over 150km of previously unused access to adventure-type tracks, and the Tenere will be ridden to, on, and back from there for that outing. Another Kiwi Rider article will follow, and like the first one, it will be my honest opinions.

[Taz]

Another Kiwi Rider article will follow, and like the first one, it will be my honest opinions.

With subtle editing to keep the suppliers happy??

[cooneyr]

Back to the topic of this article - the new Tenere. I agree that it is bloody heavy in that the KTM 950 A is 200ish dry (guessing 230 wet) and is by far the longest/highest bike I've had anything to do with. How is a more compact single cylinder even close in weight?

After riding a XTZ750 Super Ten for a bit and now the KTM 950 I'm a twin convert for general adv/trail riding but the weight (or should that be momentum) is always the problem in that stopping/cornering it is the hard part. I recon a 600-800 twin in a well suspended light weight chassis, ability to bolt on pannier racks, with 300-400km range, good protection and minimal plastic is probably a very saleable bike. It is obviously something that people are interested in - Terra Mostro and Webber Rally Twin are both speicals that are exactly along this vein. I recon the the large manufactures should pay attention!

The Webber Rally Twin is basically a KTM 640 ish frame, fairing and suspenders with a Kawa EX500 twin in it. I've been following a thread over on Advrider where a guy is working on (not even close to it yet) putting a Kawa 650 twin (ER6) motor in a KTM 640 Adv.

I'd like to have ago at putting the ER6 motor in a KLX650, XR650R or KTM640 (E or A) frame one day......

Cheers R

[ducatijim]

Ah, so easy to snipe about someting you obviously know little or nothing about, .

Ha fuckn haa!!!, onya Dave.

You buggers should oughtta read ur own magazines sometimes, you all sound the same;

........like payrolled, factory PR crew!

But I do understand the need for youall to keep ya jobs!

[Taz]

Webber - $68,000US = Bet it ain't that good.

[ducatijim]

Back to the topic of this article - the new Tenere. I agree that it is bloody heavy in that the KTM 950 A is 200ish dry (guessing 230 wet)

Yeah, I wonder how hard the folk at Yammie had to work to manage that piece of genius?

That was the gist of an earlier post of mine; ie, just where are the 650ish adv bikes headed-I don't see "why, up of course"- unless you mean weight Wolfie? The current(?) crop of 650ish motors are well long in the tooth and owe the factorys nought. Why then, for such a small market would they try and revamp them into a new engine size? When far more practical and cheap changes would produce a vastly better bike?( I mean lighter frames, lighter and bigger tanks, quality adjustable suspenders each end, good seats and ergos, better gearing......).

Can't see any of that in Yammies attempt myself, oh yes, there is a good sized tank thou

[Waihou Thumper]

Webber - $68,000US = Bet it ain't that good.

I went to have a look at the web site, nearly fell of my perch when I saw the price.....That is ridiculous....I would sooner fly over the Europe and buy 2 or 3 690 Rallyes, fully kitted...ship them home and still have enough cash left to fill them with 45 litres of gas..
15 thou Euro will get you a nice KTM, Dakar Spec bike, all set to go...Only one owner.... Never Raced rallied or rolled either...

[The Duck 01]

Ha fuckn haa!!!, onya Dave.

You buggers should oughtta read ur own magazines sometimes, you all sound the same;

........like payrolled, factory PR crew!

But I do understand the need for youall to keep ya jobs!

Well from my angle. Racing Dave is the only writer on the Kiwi Rider out fit worth reading.

I don't buy the mag any more but if happen to bump into one on a stand i flick through it.

And he has over the years been consitent in his comments good or bad.

And yes as a mag it must be hard to walk the line....... and talk the talk.

Unlike many punters on this forum who are so knowledgable about so much stuff it's just incredable. Or is it just the internet age.

Alot of the staff and writers have been around alooonng time and are the fore fathers of the Adventure Riding in NZ .

The days well before the tar trucks had been invented and country roads and paper roads were aplenty, Sadly this new crop of riders are missing the point about bikes and roads.

[Taz]

Sadly this new crop of riders are missing the point about bikes and roads.

Huh? .

[warewolf]

That was the gist of an earlier post of mine; ie, just where are the 650ish adv bikes headed-I don't see "why, up of course"- unless you mean weight Wolfie?

Weight, cubes & seat heights

Which explains the revamp upwards. Their market research no doubt tells them ppl want more cubes. USA is the biggest market, and as a nation (and a gross generalisation) are seriously infatuated with size. Where do you think most of the market research is done & targeting? So they won't be re-using that 650... yesterday's engine, today's is bigger.

I dunno where the chassis weight is coming from. Internal reciprocating weights are down, the whole engine is usually lighter, and the chassis & cycle parts are cheesy (speak to someone who deals with crashed bikes)... maybe they are made from cheap, dense metals - certainly not strong alloys, that's for sure.

Adventure bikes traditionally have been poor sellers. Will that change, considering the way more and more km of roads are being paved? The m/c industry is becoming more specialised, which is anathema to the all-rounder / versatile / multi-purpose bike we call "adventure".

[cooneyr]

Webber - $68,000US = Bet it ain't that good.

Umm yer - didn't mention that bit but that is the biggest problem. Guessing the Terra Mostro is not cheap either. Still they are both effectively one of builds and that cost would be significantly diminished with mass production.

Cheers R