it must have been my 17st weight that prevented mine getting to a GPS 100mph :086: although top speed wasn't a goal for me. Mine had stage 3 dna, stage 3 kev fuel mod and stainless zorst.

Its a state of mind mate - like others I came from a 'big bike' background - the latest being a CB1300.
To me if you are thinking along the lines of the tenere perhaps you are moving away from that 'white line fever' approach to biking. If your mind now tells you that that is no longer what you are looking for out of a bike and its time to see other things around you rather than black tarmac, the back of the cars you are approaching and on coming traffic alone the xt is a great bike. Enough power 90% of the time and great fun on and off tarmac.
Ever gone for a tarmac ride and then seen a track and thought, s**t I'd love to have a look up there but couldn't because you would have ended up on yer arse? If so you couldn't do much better than an XT.
For me top speed aint an issue, I like to see where I am not just the brake lights on the car infront.

I'd go with the 90% statement. My comments were based on motorway riding when, typically, accelerating from 50mph when a lane opens etc. I haven't ridden a bike that was so much fun at low speeds before though...so it's a balance.

Your comments make a lot more sense in the context of doing what would be 30k a year on the motorway - knowing that I'm not surprised you're changing.

I apologise in advance for the simplistic way I sum up the xt's power:

I used to rate a bikes power by the number of cars you could zip past with a 'flick' of the throttle, ie:

CB1300 - a 4 car bike.
Triumph Tiger 955i - a 3 car bike
Bonnie - a 2 car bike

and so on.

The XT i would say is a 1 car bike.

cheers guys this is a big help. I have booked my test ride for this weekend so i will let you all know.

not being funny, but how big are you guys i frequenty take the bike over a tone although not by a lot and thats with my work gear.

thing to do is enjoy the TRIP and places you see whilst RIDING the bike.
get to destination in a flash and i'm borred once arrive & always just want to get riding in the morning again.

just enjoy..........

OK, alot of what has been said is subjective, here are some facts;

In 2008 I took my brand new Tenere 8000+ miles through Europe, from the UK to the Arctic, to Greece to Portugal an home again, in 19 days (and with 2 days off in Praha) - Speed of the bike has been mentioned, you work out the average speed over nearly three weeks. Riding every day, covering distance.....

Last year I (and 3 others on Tenere's) rode to Portugal, and covered 800++ miles over dirt roads, on the same bike that I used in Europe in 2008..... The rider gave up before the bike did....

For two years running, a Tenere, run by members of this forum has completed the Heroes Legend Rally, all of it (despite KTM & BMW have lots of problems) from the UK to Dakar, every single mile.

so, if you want a bike that will give you a buzz like the FZ1, forget it. If you want a bike that will take you over anything, with a smile then you are looking in the right place.

The FZ1 is a 4 cyclinder power house, the Tenere is a single cyclinder fun box. you will have the same smile at 50/60 mph as the fz1 gives you at 90/100 mph - It's your license, you decide.

However, the Tenere isn't for everyone, you have to be a special kind of rider, with the right attitude and outlook on life......... Are you that rider ?



:icon_king:

Power&speed ain't a topic for me....my Tenere does everything I want a bike to do and havin' a ball doin' it!! It's an allround allroad bike, with which I feel comfortable where ever I ride, is it long stretches of highway, twisty backroads or in the mountains, gravelroads or green lanes and even offroad...it takes me everywhere. I like the thumper and its character, power enuff for me to do what I do. And speed...if I want speed, I'll get a roadrocket...but I never will. I really dig this bike and although I looked at some other bikes(Triumph Scrambler or the new 800XC), I'll stick to my trusty XT660Z Tenere, for sure!
Greetz, Hans.