originally posted by Tim Cullis

I currently have a R1200GSA, a F650GS twin and a Tenere. I'm getting the 1200GSA ready for sale, it's a lovely bike but just too heavy for the types of tracks I ride.

At about 60kg less weight, the F650GS twin is a good compromise for anyone looking for basic offroad capability coupled with motorway touring ability.

The Tenere is headed for storage in southern Spain for ease of access to Morocco. If I could only afford one bike it would be the Tenere.
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Hi Tim
Not sure when you will get to read this as I have just come hot from your message on the GS website about your 650 stalling every five minutes.
I was set on an f800gs but these things are simply way too unreliable. I am 100% convinced now.
How does the Ten compare really? Is it too thirsty, slow, vibey... can it cut it on a highway. I'm asking you specifically as a current owner of both (800/650gs, same thing...)

cheers Tim and hope you get going in Africa soon

alan

hi mate
sounds like your going down the same road as i did,i also had the gs1200 and found it too big etc,coming from a off road background i was dieing to take it out on the dirt but just found it...well it just didnt do it for me...anyway sold it and now ive got a ktm990adv well what a bike its the dogs b@#ks its brill for off road and on road,now what iam looking for is a tenere to be its little bro, so i have the best of both worlds

my 2 cents worth anyway

all the best mickd

hi
 

Hi all , im new to this 660 site andwas just reading this thread , ive been looking for either an 800gs or a 660 , i just sold my old transalp ,which i found myself spending more time on than my other bikes ie an aprilia rsvr 1000 and a ktm 300 exc so i though id sell the alp and the aprilia and look for something else , i think they both look good and tha dosh is not the issue , i want reliability , i dont want to be stuck in the back of beyond wishing i was on my alp !! ive read the 800s are reliable but someone here who actually owns one says they arent and the 660 can be a pain long distance vibey etc ,mabee i need a ten with the engine of a 700 alp (which looks like a granny bike ) if only ... what is up with the 800s then ?? kudos use both bikes and a watched a vid on u tube lookin at the tens after an rtw trip and he just brushed over the 800 sayin orrible bike , i wonder why ??and also said after 21000 the tens were using oil ... hmmm got the dosh and cant make mi mind up .. as per !!

I was looking for a second bike 12 months ago. Criterias:
Reasonable off road capability
Light and manoeuvrable in traffic
Simple to maintain & cheap to run
Light weight
Capable to do longish journeys

I tried 650GS singles which I liked but they stopped making them and the ones I saw were too expensive as second hand.
Tried the twin 800GS, didn't like it: too expensive & heavy and not off road for me & lots of buffeting @ 70mph
Tried the twin 650GS: Ok still too heavy better at motorway speed
Tenere: never tried it but the bulk & weight put me off
XT660R: really clicked in all areas except for 70 mph + cruising so I bought one!

I would say if you can try one, test the Aprilia 650 trail which I couldn't test. It also ticked all the boxes for me:eusa_dance:

Hi Everyone,

I've got 5000 miles on the Tenere from the beginning of the year, lots of trail riding where I wouldn't dare take the GS Adv... but, the GS is going to Switzerland in a few days time cos it's just far better at eating the miles with a load of gear on. I'll probably do some light trails there but wish I had longer so I could take the Ten across France on the back roads and do a lot of trails lol. I have a 250 trailie but it hasn't got a look in since I got the Ten, I find it not much heavier but the extra power makes a hell of a difference.

Oh, and LED bulbs in running lights are crap... I wasn't looking for focussed lights, just something that used a lot less power as daylight running lights. Worked well for a while, until the LED bulbs began to disintegrate with the vibrations... So, back to the drawing board on that one!! Do I rubber mount the lights, remove them, or fit standard bulbs (which along with heated grips will probably stress out the generator).

Cheers.

Hi Irishguy' - do you mean the side lights above the headlight, or the actual low-beam bulb?

For the side lights I've used both LEDs (four in a cluster) and regular 5w bulbs - mainly to see if the LEDs were any brighter (as I used orange bulbs wired as indicators, but that's another story).

You shouldn't have a problem running heated grips and regular bulbs though as the Tenere puts out just under 300w or power from the stator...

J x

We looked at the new 650 GS for our TRW trip, the bike ticks all the boxes for concept etc but firstly the best deal we could get on two new bikes was 10% off full retail and secondly we talked to a service manager at a large London dealer who told us that the bike has engine issues.

The big BMUU Adv bikes are to big for our RTW trip, staying in small Guest houses and pensions often you need to get the bike through the front door, the big GS would be out side at risk. It's also to heavy for sand, got to much to go wrong and much of it does go wrong.

It is a good two up tourer though if you plan staying mainly on the black stuff.

The XT range really is a hard act to beat for real world mixed terrain riding.

I currently own a F650GS Twin, and am actually considering getting a Tenere. In South Africa, they actually cost about the same, so price is not really an issue. On the BM, I learned the hard way that I still need to splash out on a bash plate, crash bars, and hand guards, at least. The Tenere has basic protection in place, except, I think for hand guards.

A rock hit the oil cooler on a gravel road, which brought the bike to a standstill. We have a thing called BMW on-call, in South Africa, which I was told when I bought the bike, I should give a call when I get stuck, and they will come and sort me out at no cost. Well, since I bought my bike, things have changed, and they expected me to pay a hefty sum of money for the recovery. So, basically, the one good reason to own a new BMW went out the window for me. I am still waiting to see what the repairs are going to cost me, but it may be the final straw that breaks the camel's back.

The BMW actually handles surprisingly well on gravel and bad roads with loose rocks, but the Tenere should be a more capable gravel/off-road bike. Its speed and acceleration is sufficient for me, I suspect.

So, there you have my current thoughts.

First ride I did on my Ten was London - Turin and back, 14 hrs each way. It'll sit at 90mph indicated as long as you can stand it. The faster you go, the better it feels; I'd expect the 660R to be much the same