While it's a capable enough road bike, if that's all you were going to use it for there are better bikes out there imo.

What makes the Tenere so appealing is its easy do-it-all nature, as has been pointed out already. It thrives on its versatility, I think. Just restricting it to the road would require a dramatic re-think to most people, since it asks for a more patient approach to road work. And, to be honest, dirt work as well, since it's no mx-er. But it copes remarkably well, even outside its design brief, again imo.