XT660Z Tenere travelling the USA
 

Some recent pics of the great little machine in the USA (35,000kms / 21,500miles in 64 riding days). In a word Awesome country, people and best of all the 660 TENERE.

Enjoy...

Walloa Mountains....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...WallowaMts.jpg


Weston Pass....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...WestonPass.jpg

Oops - Jornada Del Meutre....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...adelMeurte.jpg

Tincup Pass....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...TincupPass.jpg

Cumberland Pass....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...erlandPass.jpg

Engineer Pass....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...gineerPass.jpg

Corckscrew Pass....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...kscrewPass.jpg

San Juan National Forest....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...nNatForest.jpg

San Rafael Desert....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...faelDesert.jpg

San Rafael Desert Flat Tops....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...rtFlatTops.jpg

San Rafael Trans Am Trail....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...nRafaelTAT.jpg

Shoshone Range (Near Battle Mountain)....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...rBattleMnt.jpg

Santa Rosa Range....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...aRosaRange.jpg

Too Much Mud near McDermitt....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...Toomuchmud.jpg

XT660Z travelling in the USA
 

For those interested I made the following modifications to the Ten (many thanks to Jenny Morgan :signthankspin:for many of the ideas)....

• Reprofiled seat - just trimmed off the pillion hump
• Lowering links - from Metal Mule
• SR Racing single exhaust - superb
• OTR alloy bashplate (Cheaper than B&B available in Australia, but just as good)
• Ohlins rear shock
• Ohlins fork internals
• 14T front sprocket for off-road Trans Am Trail section (with 45T standard rear)
• DID 520VM chain
• Oxford heated grips
• Strike Genius GPS - rubbish
• Wider footpegs - EBay
• Folding brake pedal end (from XR250)
• XR400 side panels
• Centre stand - genuine Yamaha
• Various tyres - but the best were Dunlop D606 130/90-17 & 90/90-21
• Relocated rear indicators
• Trimmed rear guard - (bits reused to mount a home made roadbook above the instruments)
• Weatherproofing to underside of seat area after removal of twin exhausts system
• Switchable accessory power socket in inner fairing panel
• Barkbusters (fitted for 40 miles only until vibration induced loss of feeling in both hands forced their removal - further modification required)
• Giant Loop Coyote saddlebags
• Wolfman Enduro Tank bag

Here's some detail of the mods / setup...

SR Racing exhaust / Giant Loop Coyote bag and el cheapo tent and tool bag to the rear...

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC04660.jpg

Ebay footpegs and XR250 brake pedal mod (cut off the old fixed end and weld on the folding unit - easy)....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC04662.jpg

Cockpit with homemade roadbook box (mounted on bottom of rear mudguard clipped to instrument panel frame rail); GPS mounted on tankbag to avoid damaging vibration; Wolfman Enduro tankbag; Oxford heated grips and control box; and keep right reminders!!!!....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC05245.jpg

Beautiful shiny new Dunlop D606 rear, DID 520VM chain, sprockets (14T front and 45T rear)

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC05374.jpg

Shiny new front D606 - sorry can't help myself - awesome tyres transform Ten's capabilities and rider confidence....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC05375.jpg

What happens with mud build-up and low front guards (this locked up the front wheel on a slippery descent - nice!!).....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC05849.jpg


And the cable tie fix (almost factory eh??)....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC05864.jpg

And the only failure (excluding 3 sets of cush drive rubbers) after 30,000 kms (probably due to lack of maintenance by me - remember to KEEP THOSE NIPPLES GREASED).....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC05949.jpg



Here's a pic of the little Ten in all its glory ready to start the trip in LA (Alloy bashplate still to be fitted)....

http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC04101.jpg


And .... at the end 35,000kms, 6 punctures, 2 front tyres, 5 rear tyres, and 4 spills later (note the patched up front mudguard forced apart by build up of mud, and the grit abraded rear rim scoured by the same build up of mud....


http://i1009.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC06051.jpg

She never missed a beat - AWESOME.

Thanks Mr Yamaha.:signthankspin:

Cheers

Just had a quick skim through, and it looks like a brilliant trip. Will definitely be poring over your photos in more detail later.

Nice one.

That looks brilliant thanks. Can you briefly say what route you took - main 'join-the-dots' points as it were. Also, might sound a dumb question, but did you/could you take the equivalent of breakdown cover as a kind of 'peace of mind' option in the states? I ask because I see you weren't travelling alone and it sounds like you have technical nouse. I'd like to travel the states, but have little or no mechanical ability and would be alone. Cheers.

Uberthumper - Thanks mate - much appreciated

Great pics, looks like you had a good trip!
I love the fact that the tyres change to knobblies after the pic of the bike on it's side, brilliant! :respeck:

Great to see the bike evolving fella. Good pics.

Posts like this make me really consider the Tenere as my next bike especially for touring europe:luuurve:

LOVIN IT!!!! :headbang:

Great photos, looking forward to trip report.

The mud brought back memories of my TAT trip, the back wheel totally jammed solid every 100 yrds unless you rode like a mad man. Awesome.

Do you know how much weight you lost with the mods you did to the bike??