R1200GS Adventure vs My Tenere
 

Handed in my Beemer (RT) for a service, and was given the keys to an '09 GS Adventure, with a whole 120 miles on the clock. Its working through its first tankful, I'm actually quite emotional!

The GS is a fabulous and an immensely capable bike, no doubt about it - its almost worth the money BMW want for it :rotf[1]:

But here is the thing: when I ride my Ten I wheelie over speedbumps, splash through every puddle I see, and have an urge to get it in the mud whenever possible. I basically feel like a kid in brand new wellies splashing through a summer downpour.

On the GS I have no desire to go off-road - its not making me want to do it. I could go on, but here is the bottom line - in the 'smiles per mile' contest the Tenere is a hands-down winner for me!

That is exacly how I feel about mine, and I have come from a GS1200 :eusa_dance:

"Smiles per mile", that's the stuff. I almost sold my 10 a while back but realized I rather sell my soul to the Devil. I rather eat my noodles smiling then my filet mignon crying. =)

Went from a fully kitted out 1100GS to another kitted out Tenere and havent looked back....Great bike

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.

Since we're talking about Beemers, might as well mention this - took the F800GS for a spin a little while ago. Its really quite excellent, has the same 'naughty streak' as the Tenere - I think BMW are onto something with their parallel twins. (Its all about putting the right engines in the right bikes...)

Its not currently parked outside my house for two reasons - teeny weeny stock tank (14l or something) and cost - wanted a London commuter and didn't want to buy anything 'too nice'!

Check this out (if you haven't allready) : touratech 36l converstion kit

A good chunk of money. But looks nifty for the long distance traveler with an afinity for beemers.

It's claimed to be 16 litres but actually holds 17.5 litres from empty. The F650GS twin and F800GS are versions of the same 800cc bike. The F650GS is tuned for better midrange and with its higher gearing is more relaxed for touring.

The economy from the 800cc parallel twin is outstanding, better mpg than the 660cc Tenere. Ultimately the Tenere's larger tank gives it a better range, but there's not as much in it as the relative tank sizes would lead you to think.

Tim

Tim good to see ya over here from the hubb

Interesting that you would pick the Ten as your solo bike.

My Mate has the 650 gs (800) like yourself and I have a Ten also like yourself.

both bikes are very capable but I rekon as an all rounder the Beemer probably has the upper hand. on mpg and greater crusing and smoothing, it also seems to handle better and has a comfy seat and no exsposed fuel tank to damage in a fall.

Would I swap my Ten for one though - now thats a hard one

Saw that tank on the Beemer at the NEC and its HUGE and very wide, not so sure how well it would fare in a drop! Putting crash bars around it would make it as wide as the bars!

I'm sure of my mind; if I had enough � for the F800GS then I would buy on over the Ten no question. It's simply better for what I do with the bike, and I think therein lies the answer. Motorcycling is such a fickle pursuit. :)

Alway ask yourself this....
 

When you look at two bikes (or cars), one nearly always stands out as superior, but the big question is; is it ����� superior ?

Take this,

I had a BMW330, fast as you like, very nice car, but it drove like a pig with anything les than 3-4mm of tread (that and taking out a fox at stupid speeds).

I got rid of it in favour of a 2.2 SRI Vectra.

Now the BM was a much better car than the Vectra, but the BMUU was �30k and the vectra �10k. was the BMUU �20k better than the Vectra - nope, so I stuck with the Vectra.

Same is true with bikes, sure the BMUU's have some advantages, but are they �2-3k advantages ? no, I don't think so (but this is very subjective). And if you were stuck in outer-nowhere next to a village bike mechanic and a coke machine, which bike would you rather have........ ?

It's the fickle differences that make real bikers what they are, otherwise we'd all be dressed like Power Rangers and take our shiney 600 or 1000 cc sportsbikes out 3 sunny sundays a year...

Thank the god of biking for :weathermanf4[1]:

It was the 40bhp advantage that would persuade me to take the F800 over the Ten. If I'd had the � then paying (at the time) �2.5-3k for an extra 40bhp would be worth it.
Swings and roundabouts. There are days when I miss the 160bhp the busa had, and it's ability to demolish distance. I don't miss the constant checking of the mirrors and the 24mpg though...

I have a friend who just completed 21K from Alaska to Argentina on an F800GS.

http://beerbarontravels.blogspot.com...1_archive.html

He seems to really rate it for for putting in the miles on mixed terrain, but he can't do a comparison with the ten as he's never ridden one. I know he looked at one for the trip but wondered if the smaller bike would cope with the weight of what he was carrying over the miles. Plus everyone else was going on BMW's and the organizer had arranged service stops at BMW dealers along the route.

Shame I didn't know about this place when he was making up his mind about the bike at the beginning of this year. I think he may have been convinced.

I know we're comparing the F800 with the Tenere but this is the same reasoning I chose the Ten over the F650! By the time you add in any extra's you reasonably want on the BMU It was looking at �1500 or so more than the Ten was at the time. Sure it would have been happier on the road but not �1500 happier to me.

Certainly there is very little that compares with the Tenere in it's own price bracket. Suzuki Bandit excepted of course but then strangely enough a lot of people like them as you get a lot for your money.

Difference is we're comparing a bike on a functional/utilitarian basis with this comparison. If I had the money and it was just riding it for fun my choice may well be different (more stripped down basic off-roader or bigger/faster tourer).

For now though the Tenere does everything I wanted it to and i'm probably one of the few people in Kent who genuinely enjoy a 100 mile daily commute and look forward to it as the best part of the day - well worth selling my car for :)

The question is rather would you swap 2 Tenere's for one F800?

I used to drive a 2004 F650GS with ABS, after a year and 15000km's i wanted something else.
The BMW drove very nice, but had to little wind protection.
It had a very nice fuel consumption between 26-30km's per liter.
A very nice bike to begin with.

I always liked the looks of offroad bikes.
So i compared 2 bikes: F800 / XTZ660

At first, i had to wait another year to buy the 800 due to the fact it cant be converted to 25kw. So that was a big point.

Second was the enormous difference in price, (€8500,- vs. €12.700,-)
The €12.700,- is an 800 without any extra's (computer/abs)
The Ten isn't available with ABS :( but had a very nice computer and big tank.
I think the ABS would still be very usefull in some occasions.

Then there was another big problem, getting it behind the house.
As i need to go through a small path with a 90 degree corner.
I also had this problem with the F650, but i could go through in one turn.
I measured the handlebars and found out that the ten wasn't much wider.

The 800 has passengerpegs that make it very wide on the back end.
So it would be impossible to get behind the house.

This made my choice a lot easier, so i sold the beemer and immediately went to the Yamaha dealer.
There was a blue ten with some extra's for a nice price.
It already got:
SW-motech trax cases (black)
SW-motech crash bars
SW-motech center stand
SW-motech luggage rack
Yamaha handguards.

It only had to be converted to 25kw, so it had to go on the dyno.
Eventually it was €9200,- (8295.68,- GBP) all included.

Then i started looking for a good insurance.
I got one that covers everything, this would cost me €800,- each year.
But with alarm it would only cost €600,- so thats what i did.
The alarm cost me about €450,-.
The BMW would have costed an extra €300,- euros at least.

So i was (and still am) very happy with my decision.
Although i already spend all the leftover money on extra's like:
TT Fog lights
TT Handguards + frameguard + headlight protector
TT rear end bag
Oxford grips
+ probably forgot something



PS) Too bad i never got to drive the 800 in order to compare the handling (as i may only drive a max of 25kw).
But the ten isn't very different from the f650, so im very happy with it.

I have to try twice before i can get behind the house, but thats not a problem.
When im in a hurry i can always put it in front of our house.

I drove the first 1000km's within 5 days, even the dealer was impressed :D

I also considered the F800GS and currently also have a 57 plate K12S with all the trimmings.

BMW's cost a bloody fortune to run - fact!

You must consider the depreciation, service costs and extended warranty into the bargain as a no warranty BMW is a scary thought. Can you fix it on the side of the trail on that adventure ride? Probably not if it's really bust and who wants ABS on a trailie??

I test rode the 1200GSA/GS & 800GS and quite honestly would not want to be off piste on them over the Tenere. I've ridden off road a fair bit in competition and wanted a simpler bike that could be ridden off road 'fairly' hard and the same on the road - I think the Tenere fits the bill, time will tell.. As for the GS stigma....

The KTM 690 Adventure would have been my first choice if it existed - but it doesn't unless you build your own and have >�10k to throw at it.

The GSA does go to unusual places. This is Christmas day on a Scotish hilltop walking (!) the dogs. No roads up here.
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/k...d_DSCN0068.jpg

And here later that night with SWAMBO on the Quad at the same place, again walking the dogs.
I dropped it twice that night when it ran out of traction halfway up a hill.
http://i310.photobucket.com/albums/k...d_DSCF3200.jpg

The GSA will do the piste stuff, the programmable traction control and ABS are a bonus in the snow but the Tenere is still a better bike. The BMW just does not inspire the confidence that the Ten does.

The reason I have both is that after buying the Ten we soon realised it was not big enough to carry 2 on an RTW trip (my opinion of course). We still have it because I cannot bear to part with it.
Like Tim, mine will be transported to southern Spain soon for short solo trips to Marocco and the Spanish Hills.
When the new Super Tenere becomes available, the GSAs days may well be numbered.
BMW wanted �52 for an auxillary light switch which they would not replace as I had installed a second "indicator off" switch behind it. (This is actuated by the side of my left idex finger and has made the BMW bearable to ride.)

On the plus side, on the 23rd December, I rode the fully loaded GSA from Hertford to Dumfries (350 miles) in sub zero temperatures - minus 6 at one point - with only one stop for coffee and only 1 tank of fuel. I filled up Hoddesdon then just outside Dumfries 6 hours and 340 miles later riding most of the time at 60-80 mph. (An Accelerator fuel mod had been fitted).

The BMW is a great but expensive bike that has no real comparison the Tenere. The thing that scares me is the complexity of it. I made the mistake of ordering it with all the toys on it :BangHead:

Ray.........note the graphics on the helmet !

I've just traded a 93,000 mile, 2005 GS1150 ADV in for a Tenere, collect it at weekend with 2010 reg. It will be sharing my garage with a GS1200 ADV, (and a WR250 which I use for the real dirty stuff cos it's nice n light and can be hauled out of ditches, peat bogs and hedges relatively easily lol...).

The 1200GS is ideal as a distance tourer and will get plenty of miles as it is the primary means of delivering the tours that I run as a part time job (gotta pay for all the bikes somehow...). It's far too heavy as a serious off roader though unless you are built like "Man Mountain". It is however superb at lugging big loads long distances with very little effort and with lots of comfort.

The Ten will fit in perfectly as commuter/weekender/green laner etc. and keep some of the mileage off the GS on shorter tours to the west of Ireland trailbike country) etc. I'm hoping to stop the dealer smirking too much when it comes to trade in time for the BM, the feckers, (good old Irish word that is just about acceptable) know there is little chance of shifting a high mileage, young, BMW privately and offer peanuts accordingly.

Looking forward to working the Tenere quite hard for the first few months, may as well see what will break while it's still under warranty ha ha! Early plans are for a couple of weekend jaunts to Scotland and Wales, and a week long recce trip to the south of France in May as well as the usual running around. Modified seat is already in the pipeline...

I'm hoping I'll have the best of both worlds :)

I'll be able to give a far better comparison once I have a few thousand miles on it - that won't be too long...

Catchya's

The Ten will fit in perfectly as commuter/weekender/green laner etc. and keep some of the mileage off the GS on shorter tours to the west of Ireland trailbike country) etc.


Where abouts is the best trail riding on the West coast? Do you have any contacts out there, as I've family in Westport, Co Mayo and I work for a company based in Bray, Co Dublin and have been meaning to work out the Irish Trails scene for a while..

Thanks

hi all.. first post here.. hope i don't sound like a troll..
but I interested to hear from Ten owners how they think their bike is better "off piste" than the 800GS.. from the specs they both weigh the same.. the 800GS seems to carry it's weight lower (this is just from sitting on them both - not riding) and it has more power..
I think the "you can't fix it in the bush" line doesn't sit well with me either as I don't believe you would be able to repair anymore or less items in the bush with basic, bike carried tools..

As I mentioned, please don't think I am a troll, i am not.. I signed up here as I am contemplating either of these bikes to replace the 2 I have now.. (DR and VFR). and really wanted to read some actual rider reviews..

My expierence with BMW is that the servicing costs are always expensive and when some things go wrong its always "A feature" so dont hold alot of faith. Saying that my local dealer is superb but parts and labour is high inline with owning a BMW car.

The Tenere parts are cheaper and the bike less techy. I dont like canbus systems and think its not needed but the GS is a nice bike. I now own a Ten and if both had been offered for the same price I would still take the Tenere over the GS.

In the UK do you have to take your bikes to the Dealer for servicing ?? If that is the case, well then yes, you will be paying BMW hourly rates I suppose..

As for CANBUS.. we run a few vehicles with CANBUS and it really is not that much of a headache.. a signal wire and power..
Both bikes run efi and that I feel is where no tools can help you out :toothy12:...

I have also been reading on this forum issues with some of the electrics on the new Ten ?? is this as common as some are making out.. eg..

mmmm....

yeah. just grease the pins inside the connector that goes into the rectifier and you're good to go. Expensive and hard work i reckon... :eusa_dance:

I know there a few guys (gals) on here with a GSA and a Tenere, my question is, does anyone else have to learn how to ride a bike again when swapping from one to the other.
Seriously, when I get back on my Ten I feel like I am going to fall off of it at each corner for the next 30 odd miles.
When I get back in the GSA it feels like learning to drive a truck till I get used to it again.
It is just me ?

Yeah, it's just you Ray... x

Not really noticed Ray, lol. But then again I do big bike mileage on a variety of bikes ranging from a 250 to the 1200GSA, so have probably learnt to adapt quickly - as well as the differently placed controls ha ha!! The 33 litres of petrol in a full GSA tank makes the most noticable difference imho...

Ttfn.

John.

Going from the GS to the Tenere I felt I was sitting in the bike on the GS but on the bike when riding the Tenere. The GS corners better but Im getting more used to the Tenere now.

Thats what I like, someone to bring me back to reality...thanks Jen X

Controls are a real b1tch. I have placed an extra "indicator off" switch on the left hand side because I just cannot get used to cancelling it whilst rolling the throttle back on exiting roundabouts. I just flex my index finger and it goes off.
Sorting that problem stopped me selling it.
For those that have not ridden one, the indicator cancel switch is used by pushing your right thumb upwards. Not easy when gently rolling the throttle in the opposite direction.
Just cant stop tooting my horn to turn left on my Ten !! Muppet ...

Gotta agree with that. The GSA handles better but a lot heavier, the Ten is just so easy to ride. My problem is that the Ten just wants to fall into corners (after being on the GSA), a bit like when the tyres get swapped for TCK80s.

So thats settled then...its just me....best I just STFU and get on with it.

Thanks folks..

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.
__________________

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