No more XT660Z?
 

I was at a meet of the ABR down in deepest Devon the other weekend and was talking to a chap who has the opportunity to get hold of two Tens (black) that have been used on some race circuit and have about 800 miles on them! He has a bike shop and has also got some very good contacts, one of whom is the importer for Yamaha's. He told me of a conversation where he was advised that the Ten was to be made no more! ............and should he want one then get one of the ones he knows of. He did have a ride on my bike and was (obviously) impressed.
My question is ............is this information about the demise of the Ten true?

Steve.

PS I do have his contact details and if anyone knows of someone that wants a Ten then I can get in touch with him.

PS Only me and Scottnet were there form this forum, where was everyone else? (It was pretty hardcore, raining and windy!)

No imports for South Africa as well, Rand vs Dollar makes them too expensive
Are they still coming from Italy?

Here's your answer.....

I'm sure there are some good guys over there (I know there are), but they have a higher than average allocation of,,, well,,, people I'd rather not converse with - so I never visit the site anymore. To be honest, most of the forums are unpleasant places, with the exception of here and the Crosstourer forum. I don't even visit HU for the same reasons.

Back on subject, I've said for a while that I feel we'll see a MT-07/09 'Tenere' edition. Something with a nod to the 660Z, but like the Tiger 800, a watered down, tech'd up road going sheep in wolfs clothing.

I was disappointed with the new AT, but not surprised. It feels like the Ten to sit on, but very much a soft-roader. Once the dealers demo bike is on the road in January, I'll have a better idea

So it's KTM and CCM in the ~600 class of singles - neither of which I'd trust over the Z. Faster, lighter and better looking maybe, but not a Ten, although I think the 690 Enduro is my best alternative, and NickW's hasn't let him down in South America ... yet.

Of course it is possible that the 450 class might just take off, Dakar replicas would probably sell to those seeking the image, and Yamaha have a good enough story to tell.

Manufacturers are chasing the money, and the money comes in the form of middle aged, cash rich types who pay as much (if not more) attention to image, over capability. This years NEC Motorcycle Live was pretty uninspiring as far as the mainstream manufacturers are concerned, and Yamaha's looked the best line up.

I think forums and bike meets are what you make them.. for every 10 over opinionated twerps there is someone nice and interesting to talk too, and in amongst the Touratech pavement warriors there are some real riders with stories to tell. I know what you mean though...I always try and go to the Adventure travel Film Festival, but as I wandered around this year I felt it was being hijacked a bit by 'money'....insanely priced accessories. .bespoke round the world Landy's for sale. But, as we all know the 'mine is better / more expensive than yours' creeps into every walk of life. Anyone who has parked there Ten next to a fully loaded GS will have had some of that!!. ....BUT....it always comes back to each to there own and we are all motorcyclists at the end of the day. Jeez...I'm boring myself now! , sorry guys.

Yep, can't disagree with that at all.

The older I get, the less tolerances I'm having for those people, I'd rather just get out and ride. My own company is perfectly acceptable, but with someone like minded is better.

All that is definite so far is that the XT660 engine will NOT pass Euro 4 emissions regulations. So we can safely assume (as your contact probably has) that it's highly likely that that the sole remaining XT660 on the books, the Tenere, will end production within the next year as Euro 4 will be rolled out from 1st January 2017. As a result of Euro 4, bike emissions will be tested for the MOT from from 1st January 2018 (although all pre 2017 bikes will just require a "visual" emissions check as is currently the case.)

Euro 4 must be tough. As we all know, the xt motors run as lean as ******y stock, with air injected exhausts and cat converters.

I don't know what one could do to clean up any engine more than that. Maybe multis can run higher compression, even leaner settings with direct injection and hotter exhausts than singles can.

Euro 4 is tough. You just can't get an engine to pass these new stringent emissions tests by simply making the fuelling leaner because older engine designs are at their limits of coping with overly lean A/F ratios as they are at the moment. To meet the new standards combustion chamber design, compression ratios etc. and ever more complex engine management systems are required, which is all very expensive. We've gone past the point where an old engine can be made to be clean, new engine designs from the ground up are needed to achieve the desired results ...or cheat like VAG does! ;)

As an aside, I have a new car with a Euro 6 engine.... they meet these standards by injecting Urea into the exhaust before the Cat !!

Stand by for the jokes......

That'll be ...................Bee Pee.................... I suppose!:laughing3::laughing3::laughing3::laughing 3::laughing3::laughing3::laughing3: