I remember the very moment I was inspired to go for what is now called 'Adventure ' style of bike . I was coming back from France on the ferry on a ZX10 and I was parked up amongst a whole group of bikes from Europe. They just looked so different ...like they should be on the Dakar rally. They were a mixture of early Tenere 's, Dominator and others. ...all clearly used off road and all with luggage piled high, and the riders were wearing 'colourful ' off road style clothing. Everything about it looked like a ton of fun ....and the high and wide riding position looked a million times more enjoyable than the head down /arse up style of the sports bikes. I was completely hooked , sold the Kawasaki and bought an XT600 Tenere. I've grown to love the 'grunt' of a big single and the whole 'Adventure ' vibe. All the fun without the crazy speed!!. , and endless ways to work on...modify.....on road /off road. I love all types of bike, but the Tenere ticks all the boxes for me. Steve

I remember seeing the tenere at a bike show back in 08/09 and thinking it looked like fun but being young and stupid I opted for the quicker bikes. Problem is I'm not a quick, leave my brain at home rider and found myself coming back and not having enjoyed the run, and a little sore. So two months ago I got the go ahead and went hunting something more multifunctional. Most of my time out on the bike is to get over to Northern Ireland and I'd love to have the option to get off road so tenere wins and totally enjoying it

As you say the Tenere is as good an all rounder as it gets. It is just so well suited to my style of riding & the local road conditions of on/off road. Cruising at our pedestrian speed of 100kph (roughly 60mph) is absolute bliss & in its element. But it just looks bl00dy awesome too!

Agreed rolling along the main roads at the speed limits isn't a bother though I've yet to try loaded or two up for a run, though the added top box and back pad will keep her happy 😊

Oh yes! I started my motorcycle life with an XT500(around 1978....) and upgraded from there to an XT550, XT600, XT600Z Tenere(3AJ), XTZ660 Tenere(5-valve), XT600E to this XT660Z Tenere('08), with some Harleys in between.....
I Always liked the looks and style of the XT's, besides they're very rideable in every situation, is it for long hauls, but even better on backroads, offroad, mountain climbin' and city cruisin', they can do it all! With my current XT I've done 108.000km's+ without any problems(only camchain&tensioner are replaced recently, besides the OEM breather under warranty in '09), only regular maintenance and TLC: they're very reliable and strong bikes! And probably most important: lotsa fun to ride! And true, it is also a very good travel companion. I think it is a pity they'll stop making them, therefore I'll cherish mine for more km's to come!

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XT rules! Make the world beautiful, get a tattoo. Nick Curran R.I.P. '77-'12

XT660Z Tenere '08 http://dallastx.smugmug.com

visit: www.hank3.com

SRV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU0MF8pwktg

I got into 'adventure' style bikes by accident really. I bought a 1996 3YF T�n�r� in 1998 as a winter hack/commuter to save the wear and tear on the 60�s Brit bikes I was relying on. It was too nice though really, so I replaced it in 2000 with a tatty but sweet-running 1990 Honda NX650 Dominator and the �big trailie� (as they were known then) bug had bitten. I liked the simplicity and ease of maintenance, high riding position and view, along with the added bonus of being able to nip down an inviting track/trail should I come across one.

It all nearly went wrong for me and �big trailies� in 2003 when I foolishly bought an 1150GSA making the school-boy/Clarksonian error of assuming more power means more fun. I was wrong. It means more complexity, more breakdowns, more weight and more expense. I still had the 40K mile ratty Dominator and bizarrely found myself choosing to throw my leg over that (or my BSA) in preference to the Bavarian beast. Luckily the Ewan McCharley thing kicked off in 2004 and �big trailies� were now impressively dubbed �adventure bikes� and everyone wanted one, so I was able to sell it easily (when I�d paid back what I�d borrowed to buy it) for an astonishingly good price in January 2008. As it happens, by sheer coincidence on the bus home from dropping the BMW off with its new master I read in MCN (I don�t usually read it) the first article about the �coming soon� XT660Z and thought that�ll be the ticket: one bike that will do all of what the Dominator and GSA can do.

Unfortunately, when it came to getting hold of a new T�n�r� in May, I wasn�t quick enough off the mark (as usual) and missed the party. The only ones I could get hold of were baby-sick beige and even then I would have to wait till July, so the Dominator soldiered on till September when my local dealer managed to track down two black ones (I actually wanted white) and I handed over the cash, which wasn�t a lot back then as the economy had just bombed out, �4200 was enough to tease one away from the sales guy.

Here we are, eight years later and I still own it � the longest I have ever kept a �new� bike. I like adventure style bikes, but only the simple single cylinder ones, of which the XT660Z was the last surviving �off-the-shelf� example� so I�ll be keeping it for a good while yet.

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Me too. It was 1986, I needed wheels and the MTX125R was there in the shop.. a love affair was born.

Shifting forward a bit to May 2008, I needed some brake pads for my TTR600RE, saw the British Racing Gold Tenere sitting there in the showroom. Today the same bike is carrying me around.

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

...for those with rose-tinted spectacles!

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Funny how your taste in bike changes throughout your life, I'm up to about # 30 now at 57.
My last bike was (should say tractor) FLHTUC before a bikeless garage for 6yrs, I was at a bit of a loose end.
Then in 2012 I went to assist my 26yr old son & a couple of his mates compete in the Finke Desert Race. What a blast during the whole event. Within a month I had a WR450F in the shed. Bl@@dy hell, was I out of riding shape & skills.
Anyway after improving my fitness levels & riding skills, the limits of single tracks & the drudgery of the load /unload cycle for a ride wore off.
Early 2014, I was getting keen again, watching the "Longway Down" & Dakar on the tube, the idea of combining the two styles of bike, aimed me towards the adventure bike market.
An aquaintence had a 20 yr old DR650 for sale for $2500 with a heap of goodies, so the deal was done. Fun but just a 2 wheel version of a diesel hilux, pretty bullet proof though the excitement & look factor, was fairly well down the scale.
By mid 2014, I was working away, 11 days on, 3 off Riding the DR back & forth 240ks each way. Near home, I'd pass this XTZ660 sitting out the front of the local dealer. It'd been there for months, so I had a look one evening. 9200ks on the clock, appeared real good, so I took it for a test ride & liked it straight away. The killer was, it had my name on it, RUS-80. (rego plate)
Two years gone by now, been away on a plenty of rides, even use it as a commuter to work. If I have time, I go the long way via the scrub.
Overall, it does everything well without the hefty price tag of the Euro stuff. I'll keep mine for the rest of my riding days.

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Two wheels keeps you young. Regards. Russ

Embarassingly, the first time I saw a Tenere (a blue one just like mine) in the dealer I walked straight past it without giving it a second glance. I was disappointed that they had no WRs or YZs. I was lucky enough to grow up in Cape Town and we had fantastic off-road areas to ride (then). I still think a light two stroke for jumping lilly-white dunes next to the sea in winter is the ultimate high. But you then start thinking about how you use your bike (and where), and this is a big influence in your choice. My Tenere has surprised me on so many occasions and its versatility and reliability is its strong point. This combined with wanting to travel makes the Tenere and easy choice.

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2010 XT660Z Blue, Exan can, UFO high front fender, SW Motech baseplate, heated grips, 12v point, Kevs Fuel & O2 mod, DNA Stage 2 Filter and cover, Givi tall screen, Mefo mfe 99s, Kevs throttle mod, TT high seat and 'compass'