Which ADV Tourer? BMW GSA vs Super Tenere?

[Blind Squirrel]

You have to deal with a chain on the AT.

 

[bigjohnsd]

You have to deal with a chain on the AT.

That used to really concern me. The current x-ring chain on my KLR has 8,000 miles on it. It has never been lubricated. It is occasionally cleaned with a blast of WD40 followed by a wipe down with a clean rag. At 6,000 miles it was removed and given a quick rinse in kerosene, reinstalled and has run flawlessly. My intention is to be keep up this process to see how long it will go before it fails. The OEM chain, on the bike when I purchased it, and adjusted way to tight by the previous owner, lasted 8,000 miles before the chain lube retained too much Dempster Highyway grit and it started to kink in multiple places. No lube, little grit, long life!

 

[scubatech]

I rode a GS in Europe for a week and it was outstanding in the Alps and very comfortable even having my Wife on the back. I made the switch to an S10 from the FJR 2 years ago and I really like the bike. The seat as usual was the only drawback that I don't have completely sorted out. I would say the BMW is a finer machine to ride and it wasn't the newer water-cooled one. The S10 does it all very well ,the engine has the throb of a vertical twin but no problem in my opinion. I get mid to high 50's for mileage and rock solid Yamaha. My knees were getting to stiff on the FJR and that was my main reason for selling it. I like the S10 just as much. When in S mode it's got pretty impressive power.

 

[Old Michael]

On topic (which is important

?), this is a pretty decent review with a minimum of bullshit . . .

 

[Spud]

This is a great comparison review and if you're really interested there is a whole separate thread of comments from owners and would-be owners at the bottom.

https://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/2016-wire-wheel-adventure-shootout

 

[Harald]

You have to deal with a chain on the AT.

That used to really concern me. The current x-ring chain on my KLR has 8,000 miles on it. It has never been lubricated. It is occasionally cleaned with a blast of WD40 followed by a wipe down with a clean rag. At 6,000 miles it was removed and given a quick rinse in kerosene, reinstalled and has run flawlessly. My intention is to be keep up this process to see how long it will go before it fails. The OEM chain, on the bike when I purchased it, and adjusted way to tight by the previous owner, lasted 8,000 miles before the chain lube retained too much Dempster Highyway grit and it started to kink in multiple places. No lube, little grit, long life!

My last chain bike, a 97 CBR1100XX, had the original chain on it with 35,000 miles when I sold it. NO, it wasn't crunching with stiff links when I sold it. I never lubed the chain, but religiously applied WD40 during it's life. Stops the chain from rusting, cleans it and doesn't attract dirt.

But it's sure nice to come home after a ride in the rain and not have to worry about spraying a chain on my FJR.

 

[Uncle Hud]

Usually lots of GS bikes in the IBR and Butt Lite.

 

[SkooterG]

A good discussion folks. Thanks for all the info and advice. I am definitely into the bigger comfy ADV Tourer so I can get to an occasional fire road or gravel road.

I went and test rode a '14 Super T that looked like it was brand new. I really wanted to love it. But I didn't. It didn't speak to me. A few days later I rode a '14 GSA. It spoke to me. So I drank the freaking Kool-Aid. God help me.

I didn't want a first year of the LC boxer. Nor did I want one with so many miles (54k). But it has three high $$$ farkles that I wanted already on it - Jesse Luggage sidebags. Clearwater Glenda and Krista lights. And Russell DayLong saddle. And I got for $11,000. So I am quite pleased. We shall see how the BMW ownership experience goes for me.

 

[gregory]

Congrats!

I hope she serves you well!

 

[escapefjrtist]

First year LC BMW...what could possibly go wrong with that finely engineered German machine?

Congrats Skoot!

~G

 

[Redfish Hunter]

It spoke to me. So I drank the freaking Kool-Aid. God help me.
We shall see how the BMW ownership experience goes for me.

So far my BMW ownership experiences have been a lot like Prison Sex. I didn't like it but I could not see any way to prevent it. YMMV.

I like the Super Tenere a lot. Pop and I have been discussing this pretty heavily lately. We just cannot see getting rid of the FJRs at this point in his life.

We did add a couple of Dual Sports to our fleet though.

Edit: I see the BMW is parked in front of a Bank. Get used to that.

 

[FJRay]

When you come looking for sympathy it's in Webster's between shit and syphilis.

Good looking ride enjoy.

 

[Niehart]

Edit: I see the BMW is parked in front of a Bank. Get used to that.

LOL

 

[Fred W]

Congrats Skooter. You may remember my friend and cohort in organizing the first two NERDS rallies, FJRed? Well, a few years back Ed sold his trusty 07 FJR and bought hisself a brand new, 1st year of production Wasserboxer GS. A few months later they upgraded his wife Graces ride to a BMW S1000XR. I think its safe to say that the kool-aide can be very intoxicating.

Got a note from them a couple of months ago. They had headed out on a bucket list adventure. They both (temporarily?) retired, packed their bags, and headed off on a year long ride to points unknown. Who wouldnt want to be able to do that?

My BMW experiences have been different than RFHs. Ive owned 4 of their four wheelers and 2 of the two wheelers and never saw what all the fuss was about. Of course, I wasnt paying the dealership shop rates for any of them. Did my own work on all of them, which wasnt all that hard with normal metric tools. Parts are not much more than Asian vehicles if you know where to shop.

Anyway, good luck with the GS. I have thought about replacing the 2014 FJR and old 04 ManStrom with a big ADV tourer of some sort. But then I take the FJR out for a ride and slap myself upside the head. What the hell was I thinking?

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Very nice looking ride! Decent price too! Now ride it out to EOM so you can show it off.

 

[scubatech]

Good find! You will enjoy riding that GS. I think they have a refinement that is above the other brands from the few I've ridden. I really like my S10 but there's a noticeable difference. Most of my friends with BMW's have very little problems with them. Kind of like Ford trucks, they get bashed hard on the internet but most people I know love them!

 

[eddie]

I enjoy lots of bikes. I truly loved both my fjrs. I couldnt ever see replacing it. A year ago I purchased a Suzuki V strom 1000. It was a cheap way to get into adventure bike riding. I really enjoyed the bike liked the upright riding position. My V Strom was a 2007. While it is a rock solid bike with plenty of power to take a person anywhere it wasnt a refined bike by any measure. I know people enjoy hating on BMWs and thats fine. It is a amazing bike. Yes it is heavy but it is very well hidden. This bike feels light. The weight is very low. Im a short guy 5'5 so I purchased the low version of this bike. So far I loved every mile of riding it. It has the connect dash that I really enjoy. My sena and my cell are bluetoothed to the bike so If I listen to music I can control it using the bikes controls. Its the ultimate adventure bike. Thats probably why every bike manufacturer is trying to copy the GS. Ya cant beat the reliability of a Yamaha. Dealership availability isnt really a concern on a Yamaha. You're probably never gonna need them. My riding buddy has put a ton of miles on his 2017 GS with no problems. I dont expect anything less from mine. We do have a great dealer here. That being said Im not gonna sell all my other bikes just in case I need something to ride if the bmw does fail.lol

ed

 

[SkooterG]

I haven't gotten much riding time on it yet. Too many chores to do since I bought a fixer-upper house 8 months ago. And it's still frigging HOT here. I don't ride as much in the heat as I did just a couple years ago. Still I have a few hundred miles on it and am loving it! It actually has me more excited about riding and motorcycles than I have been in a while. What I don't like is trying to figure out a completely different new bike. Like something so simple as how to mount my freaking phone. I still haven't figured out a clean solution to that yet. Looking forward to cooler weather and getting more saddle time.

 

[AlleyCat]

I traded-in my 2014 FJR ES for a 2018 Triumph Tiger 1200 XCA. It was a hard choice because I truly loved my Yam. However, I was looking for an adventure bike that would allow me to ride light off-road such as gravel roads or fire-roads. I really enjoy the Triumph for it's lighter center of gravity when compared to the FJR. It is a more upright riding position. The electronic suspension is much better than the FJR's. I get why people are buying ADV bikes. They are comfortable. I would not recommend the big ADV bikes for very technical off-roading. The KTM 1290R might manage much better than the GS or the Tiger. And the GS will kick the Tiger's butt in the rough but I really like the Tiger for the quick-shifter, smoother triple engine and smoother transmission.

I just finished an Iron Butt ride on Aug 11th (Ontario/Quebec 1600 IBA). The Tiger was a joy to ride. Sure, your butt gets sore after many hours but I can ride the Tiger for much longer than I could the FJR. The FJR has a better fuel range (more than 400 km vs the 330 km of the Tiger), better low end power when passing. But that's where it ends for me. The Tiger offers more in the comfort dept, no doubt.

I have ridden a 2014 BMW R1200GS. More clunky shifting, more vibration than the Tiger. But a light flick-able machine which is very confidence inspiring. The wife did not like the ride on the back. I can see how much this machine would be great to ride off-road.

I have ridden a 2017 KTM 1290R. What a beast of a machine with 160hp. Off-road modes makes it a fantastic big ADV bike. None of the other big ADV bikes will keep up with it in the rough. However, if you ride 70-30 on pavement or more, the BMW or Tiger are better machines for the pavement in my opinion. Better comfort.

I know there are limited dealers but with today's shipping companies, parts can be sent anywhere fairly quickly (some may argue that Triumph parts can be hard to get - we'll see). Time will tell if the Triumph will be reliable. The FJR has been flawless in close to 4 yrs. But it did not tick all the boxes for me. Life is short, so I went out and got the bike that got my heart racing. Sometimes you make choices based on passion, not always on logic or reason. I really really enjoy the Tiger.... I'll be around the forum for a bit. I got to know the FJR very well and intend to share my knowledge as I can..... Ride more, worry less.

 

[Uncle Hud]

SkooterG: You are taking off those unearned stickers, right? And I'm curious: what does an Arizona resident consider as "cooler weather"? Temps less than 95F?