Yamaha XT660Z Tenere opinions - .: XT660.com

wuming · # 1 08-03-11, 10:47

Not been on here for a long while; but finally about to bite the bullet and buy a Ten. Just wanted a few opinions first. This bike has been with us since 2008 now. What are peoples long term opinions on the Tenere? What are its strong and weak points as a long distance/RTW tourer? What do you like / dislike about it? What have / would you change? How does it compare to similarly targeted bikes (KTM, BMW etc.?). How reliable is it? Also posted on Advrider.com
Cheers all.

Gas_Up_Lets_Go · # 2 08-03-11, 11:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuming

Just wanted a few opinions first. Cheers all.

All of the information is there, and opinions vary from 'it's a load of poo and I've sold it to by xxxxxx' to 'it's the last bike you'll every buy'

The best thing is to look through the post that are there already and you'll get a better understanding of the srong points and weak points of the this bike.

mac-cos · # 3 08-03-11, 13:17

As Gulgo has intimated there are a lot of varied views on the Ten so its probably fair to say its not perfect but at the price point it sits at its doing pretty damn good.
The Up/down sides in my view (as an ex ten owner - now S10)
suspension is cheap , underdamped and undersprung but does a good job at the same time ie I had no compliants about mine hooning on tarmac and it was only offroad that the stock units forced the pace to remain low, that in itself is probably a good thing for todays (UK) green lanes and the threat that they face from Nimbies etc.
Engine, its a unremarkable single that is neither powerful or slow and isnt super smooth nor does it vibrate badly. Some possibility for gearbox issues (mine had poor retention on 2nd gear) but could be rare.
body cheapish unpainted plastics but looks the part for a rugged adventure bike
footpegs - ****e swap em!.
oem Luggage , good if you dont expect them to act as tank armour/crash bars.

High speed, fast enough for uk m'way work but can be buffety (I notice this more now I have the S10 as it doesnt tire me as the Ten did).
Overall quality, not up to KTM stds but not bad and its not KTM prices either.

All just MO . Great bike for what it costs though and I think without many competitors , maybe the tiger XC800 is the nearest.

minkyhead · # 4 08-03-11, 19:08

i think its important to look at the ten with a off road point of view

ive run 1150gs and two 1200s and no way would i swap back ..

its a soft bike ..what i mean is its suspension and engine are set soft ..this for me equates to a really good trail bike

hard charging is not on my radar on the ten and i find it well mannered and easy going off road

on the road i think it handles real well for a trail bike
the screen needs replacing for motorway work ..givi and mra wing is my solution
a airhawk slung on the saddle makes it very comfy indeed

for me i found the gearing to tall ..annoying getting caught between gears on the road and too much clutch slipping off
i went for 14 /46 and i love the compramise ..
tickover in 2nd and more zip ......
one gear higher at 40 and 50
just stick to a sat nav 70 on the motorways

the other thing i addressed was the height ..i lowered it 1in at the back
and dropped the forks so i could manage better off road ..im 6ft 1 tall

i its a bike that requires a certain minset ..im not bothered about the lack of power ..ive run some very quick bikes in the past
i actually passed over a multistrada and a few others to buy the660 ten ..the ten was more fun ..and more practical ..and most importantly more managable off road for me

..i rarely feel underbiked running with gses and ktms ..until of course you hit the motorway .. than im happy with mp3 playing behind me screen at a staedy 75

if your used to thumpers and maby vees i think you will like it straight away if you come from fours it may seem a tad agricultural

a good test ride is where its at ..ignore the screen seat gearing and any height issues you think it may have as they a re simple fixes
i love riding mine ..its a keeper no question

good luck

By null at 2011-02-20

minkyhead · # 5 08-03-11, 20:05

genereal mix off on /ff riding is giving me about 250 miles with 2litres to spare ...

Tony660x · # 6 08-03-11, 21:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuming

Not been on here for a long while; but finally about to bite the bullet and buy a Ten. Just wanted a few opinions first. This bike has been with us since 2008 now. What are peoples long term opinions on the Tenere? What are its strong and weak points as a long distance/RTW tourer? What do you like / dislike about it? What have / would you change? How does it compare to similarly targeted bikes (KTM, BMW etc.?). How reliable is it? Also posted on Advrider.com
Cheers all.

I had a 2009 blue one (pictured below). I was in the wrong mindset I think because I sold it after not too much time. On reflection its a great bike and if RTW is the primary use its simply superb.

In my minds the pros and cons of it are:

Pros

A relative lightweight on the road compared to the big beemers
Price of used ones are good (no comment on new pricing!)
Simple, simple, simple, did I mention its a nice simple bike!
23L fuel tank
Sensible offroad exhaust design
Reliable 660 engine
Excellent brakes
Excellent suspension (I think its soft so ideal for me)
Power is ideal for 1 up riding. Dont let anyone put you off with "only" 48hp. It more than enough in the real world.
Road presence. This bike simply oozes it.
Megga tunable, I am a stock bike kinda guy but this bike can be all things to all men & JMO!
XT660.com - nuff said.

Cons

Its a bit lardy offroad but still fully capable
Tall, lowering it is easy and cheap if applicable to you. I am 6ft and it was a stretch to get on with the standard suspension. On road its no issue whatsoever.
Seat profile. To sum it up its sh[te. I found it held me in the wrong postion and gave me backache after about 1 hours ride. To cure this I needed to get it reprofiled. A simple enough job but I sold it before I did this mod. You may find its ok, some do, some dont.
Rectifier/wiring connection. Its well documented that early ones had issues. My 2009 one was perfect so its not a deal breaker.
Turbulance from up through the forks. I had a perspex guard made and this removed the problem for me. It may not be an issue for you.

Travelling_Light · # 7 09-03-11, 09:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by minkyhead

i think its important to look at the ten with a off road point of view

ive run 1150gs and two 1200s and no way would i swap back ..

its a soft bike ..what i mean is its suspension and engine are set soft ..this for me equates to a really good trail bike

hard charging is not on my radar on the ten and i find it well mannered and easy going off road

on the road i think it handles real well for a trail bike
the screen needs replacing for motorway work ..givi and mra wing is my solution
a airhawk slung on the saddle makes it very comfy indeed

for me i found the gearing to tall ..annoying getting caught between gears on the road and too much clutch slipping off
i went for 14 /46 and i love the compramise ..
tickover in 2nd and more zip ......
one gear higher at 40 and 50
just stick to a sat nav 70 on the motorways

the other thing i addressed was the height ..i lowered it 1in at the back
and dropped the forks so i could manage better off road ..im 6ft 1 tall

i its a bike that requires a certain minset ..im not bothered about the lack of power ..ive run some very quick bikes in the past
i actually passed over a multistrada and a few others to buy the660 ten ..the ten was more fun ..and more practical ..and most importantly more managable off road for me

..i rarely feel underbiked running with gses and ktms ..until of course you hit the motorway .. than im happy with mp3 playing behind me screen at a staedy 75

if your used to thumpers and maby vees i think you will like it straight away if you come from fours it may seem a tad agricultural

a good test ride is where its at ..ignore the screen seat gearing and any height issues you think it may have as they a re simple fixes
i love riding mine ..its a keeper no question

good luck

By null at 2011-02-20

Nice set up, what size airhawk did you get for the Ten?

Many Thanks,
TL

minkyhead · # 8 10-03-11, 01:24

ive had it for years ..its really good

i got the largest one ..its like a pear shape ..transforms the ten instantly into a long distance perch ..highly recomended

i got it here
its the big cruiser one

feck me theyve gone up a bit ..i paid about110 qid for it ..but i have to say i dont regret it its been on severel different bikes since

on a positive note it got a puncture a couple of years ago and they reaired it for me and sent the repair out fit for postage only ..its been fine since
http://www.bykebitz.co.uk/acatalog/LARGE_CRUISER.html

By null at 2011-01-17

Gas_Up_Lets_Go · # 9 10-03-11, 08:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by minkyhead

ive had it for years ..its really good

Me too. I find it a bit 'fiddly' for short trips, but if you're in the seat for over 2/3 hours it's awesome. You can easily sit there for 6 to 8 hours a day, day after day.

More of an investment for the long distance rider, considering the price..

Travelling_Light · # 10 10-03-11, 08:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by minkyhead

ive had it for years ..its really good

i got the largest one ..its like a pear shape ..transforms the ten instantly into a long distance perch ..highly recomended

i got it here
its the big cruiser one

feck me theyve gone up a bit ..i paid about110 qid for it ..but i have to say i dont regret it its been on severel different bikes since

on a positive note it got a puncture a couple of years ago and they reaired it for me and sent the repair out fit for postage only ..its been fine since
http://www.bykebitz.co.uk/acatalog/LARGE_CRUISER.html

By null at 2011-01-17

They are expensive, at that price you may as well have the seat modded and a gel pad inserted. Guess it depends on how long you plan on keeping the Ten. Thks.

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