New ST for me - Yamaha ST that is... (Super Tenere) ;-)

[pnelson]

Time flies! In November of 2012 I picked up my first ST (a nice Burgundy 2002 ST1100 w/ABS) in Nashville, rode it home to Oregon then hopped on it again to go to DeathValleyStock on my way down to Texas where I had some great BBQ with Irish. After 10,000+ miles I sold the ST on the first sunny weekend in May back in Oregon. (People will pay insane prices for motorcycles on the first sunny weekend in Oregon.)

I've been looking for my next bike ever since as I usually buy in the fall and sell in the summer. Now that I'm retired and we've moved up closer to Mt. Hood, I'm looking for a keeper and just today made the deal on a brand new, 2013 Yamaha Super Tenere, a nice white one. Out the door price is $12,211. Yes, I know I'll lose $2000 as soon as it leaves the shop but there is something about having a brand new bike and babying it from day one.

I'll pick it up sometime next week but it's time now to start planning trips and farkles. I have a feeling this time around it will cost more than getting my ST1100 ready for the road. They are offering an additional 4 years of warranty (5 years total) for $800 more. Still thinking on that as I can get the additional coverage anytime during the first year.

I loved my ST1100 and enjoyed being able to put in 600+ mile days but there were a lot of roads and trails I had to pass by due to its size and weight. I was always missing my Suzuki 1250s and was looking for something that would still let me tour and put in the miles but would be lighter and able to go fire roading too. I'm hoping that now that I'm retired, I'll slow down and take more time to enjoy the journey rather than focusing on the destination. I think the Tenere will help me do all of that, maybe not as great on the slab but every bike's a compromise so let's hope this one will be right for me. Simple things like popping it up on the center stand, rolling it around reveal the weight savings vs my ST1100. It may not have the torque my 1250 Bandit had but it feels good enough. I can't wait to get some serious miles in.

I've appreciated advice from forum members and am glad that you're always welcoming regardless of what ride someone is on at the moment. I hope I get to some of the *STOCKS.

;-) Paul in Portland, OR
(Yes, I'll have to update my profile now...)

 

[nhdiesel]

Congrats! I tried to get a very nice used Super Ten last week but need to be at my job longer. In a couple months I WILL have a Super Ten! Of course we want to see pics of your bike, and a list of possible farkles you have planned. I think the Super Ten is a great all-around bike...I may just end up selling my very much loved ST1300 after I get the Yamaha.

 

[Redfish]

I rode a white one like yours at a Yamaha Demo Ride last weekend. It was a really nice, really pleasant, surprisingly fast motorcycle. I was astonished when it accelerated harder than the kid in front of me on the FZ6R. The R1 behind me did not run over me while accelerating or in the curves. Of course, both of those riders were about half my age... I don't think they were getting the full potential. I could see myself spending the money for one of them, it seems very practical. ADV bikes like Sport Touring bikes are a great compromise.

I wish you luck with the S10, it has been on my list of favorites since before it reached this country. If I had enough money for all the bikes I want, it would be very high on my list.

 

[Jeff F]

:yes:
Congrats

 

[kendoo]

Congrats Paul

 

[amorley]

I am spoiled. I love STA5, my 2005 ST1300A but I also love ST12. my 2012 Super Tenere! Unlike women, bikes don't get jealous. But I do get guilty when I don't ride them enough.

 

[DaveS]

The STen is on my radar too. I think there's a dealer in West Virginia that will sell you that warranty for about $400. There's a STen forum if you don't already know that.

 

[Jack B]

Sounds like a nice ride.
I would buy the warranty. If you think about it $200 a year if any think breaks. But the odds are nothing will.
I had the warranty on my Valkyrie and I got a new starter so it worked out for me, sometimes you can find a better price online.

 

[970mike]

Congratulations Paul, enjoy that new Yamaha and keep us posted on your findings of the new ride.

 

[HeliMark]

Congrads, as I just got a 2013 a month ago. Loads of fun.

First off, you can get the Y.E.S. warranty from http://www.yamahaofjefferson.com/ for $414 for 4 additional years (5 years total with the factory and unlimited milage). Can't beat that. Also, you can buy the extended anytime prior to the original expiring. When I bought mine, they asked if I wanted to buy the extended warranty for $800. I said nope, will get it online for $414. Showed them the web site and they matched it.

Also all 2012-2013 have a recall that was announced several weeks ago. It is for replacing the wiring harness on the headlights. There have been some that have melted. Not all dealers have spooled up for it yet as it just started. Might check when you pick up your bike, as they are not suppose to sell any until the wiring has been changed. It is a rare occurance (recall Mellow having an issue), so if ya get it without the update, I wouldn't worry about it. All dealers are suppose to have the new harness by the end of the month and it is a 30 minute change.

Farkles are fun. First are the crash bars and skid plate.

Mark

 

[Redfish]

I hope I do not offend but I noticed you have not posted any pics of the S10 yet.

Does it look like this one? That is me running my mouth with the Yamaha Demo rider last weekend.



If only there was more money and more time at my wife's house...

 

[nhdiesel]

Wow, I would love to try one before buying, but dealers up here typically don't allow test rides. I didn't even ever ride an ST1300 until after I bought mine! In fact the day I looked at it was the first time I ever heard one run.

 

[pnelson]

Yup, that's the one. I'll post a photo as soon as I have it here at home. I'll need to get one in its pre-farkle state. There are some great Super Tenere boards with lots of info on the bike and possible upgrades. I plan on panniers, a skid plate and engine crash bars for starters. That could set me back a couple of thousand $$$. I'll also add oxford grips and put in wiring for my heated gear. I have to put some miles on the bike before I can decide about the seat and windshield. I'll have to be careful and not try to turn this Yamaha ST into a Honda ST. <grin>

Here's a stock photo of a stock 2013 white ST10. I wanted the white one because I feel it's more visible, always thought white bikes were cooler (in both senses of the term) and I'm tired of black bikes.

;-) Paul

 

[nhdiesel]

I'm tired of black bikes.

But..but...black bikes are faster!

Beautiful bike! As I've been finding out there is a lot available for the S10 now, lots of options for panniers, skid plates, etc.

 

[treemuncher]

Congrats on the new ride. If you like dirt, gravel and exploration, you will ask yourself, "why didn't I do this sooner?"

I'd say my biggest waste of money with the S10 purchase was the extended warranty. They claim everything is wear parts when I had trouble with fast rear brake wear, uneven rotor wear and such. Honda = reliability = Yamaha But then there is something to be said for peace of mind.

Look into a Seat Concepts kit for your butt. Tell them your weight and your firmness preference - best money I spent on the S10. Custom poured seat foam and cover kit for less than $200.

Can't go wrong with Jesse panniers. Great build quality. You will get over the price with the quality of the product.

 

[nhdiesel]

I'm hoping the warranty issue is dealer specific. I had all kinds of problems with Yamaha when I bought a new RX-1 snowmobile. The Berlin, NH dealership tried to deny coverage for a defective seat (common problem with the '03) because I had a plug for a heated visor...which had nothing to do with the seat! Then they tried to tell me that oil usage of a quart every 1500 miles was normal...then 500 miles...then 300 miles! I had to fight with a rep in front of a crowd of people at an event before I finally got a new engine. Lots of other warranty issues as well.

Yamaha does build a great product though, and is very innovative. I LOVED having a sled with a 1000, 4 cyl. 4-stroke! The engine was a dream!

Fortunately the info I have read about the S10 shows that Yamaha seems to have built a great bike. While the warranty coverage is tempting, I know I'll be farkling it, so I won't waste my money if I buy a new one. No sense paying for something when they will just deny any coverage because of accessories. The only other option is to get only genuine Yamaha stuff and have the dealer install it, but who am I kidding? I want more than that!

 

[Mellow]

Also all 2012-2013 have a recall that was announced several weeks ago. It is for replacing the wiring harness on the headlights. There have been some that have melted. Not all dealers have spooled up for it yet as it just started. Might check when you pick up your bike, as they are not suppose to sell any until the wiring has been changed. It is a rare occurance (recall Mellow having an issue), so if ya get it without the update, I wouldn't worry about it. All dealers are suppose to have the new harness by the end of the month and it is a 30 minute change.

I actually rewired my whole headlight just like an aux light but triggered by the oem headlight relay - basically, a new wiring harness. I'm not sure the harness is the right fix but Yamaha is smarter than I am. I think the headlight area is very small and doesn't vent as much as it should and adds to the heat issue. Time will tell if it's a good fix. When I put the HIDs in, I didn't have the issue so that could be the lower wattage / heat inside the headlight OR a separate wiring harness the HIDs require.

It's still a great bike and wish I still had mine.

 

[pnelson]

14 miles home in the rain. It's great to be riding again. This is a great bike. Very relaxed and easy to ride under 4000 RPM. Next week I'll get started on breaking it in. First oil change by me in 100 miles. First required service is 600 miles.

Ordered Alt rider skid plate and engine guards, Bestem 929 top case, Jesse panniers and Oxford Premium heated grips. Also picked up a new Ram mount for GPS, hard wire power leads for GPS and cell phone. I'm also putting in an eastern beaver fuse block to bring it all together.
http://www.easternbeaver.com/Main/Bike_Specific/Yamaha/yamaha.html

I hate iPads. Can't upload photo. Off to use a real computer.

 

[dmcleane]

Beautiful!!! Nice bike, and it love it in the white. Congratulations on the new ST.

 

[pnelson]

Update: 1100 miles and about $2800 in farkles later my ST10 is ready for touring and blasting down all the roads I had to pass while on my ST1100. My chief goals in preparing the bike were to increase comfort for 12+ hours of riding, add panniers and a top case for carrying gear, and adding crash bars and a skid plate for off-road work. The most expensive purchases were $1200+ for aluminum panniers and about $700 for the crash bars and skidplate. I added a larger windshield (Parabellum 24" - $200), Alaskan Sheepskin Buttpad ($50) and Oxford heated grips ($80) to cover the basics. The YamahaSuperTenere.com forum had an easy $12 tip about lower height rubber seat bumper mounts which changed the seat angle and made it a lot more comfortable. By the end of the day though, the seat foam is fully compressed and I'm riding on the seat base. Laam charges $249 for a seat makeover so that may still be in the works.

With the Parabellum windshield, the bike has a quiet pocket of undisturbed air for me at 5'10". Mounted in the suggested high position it was too tall but moving it down 1.5" to the lower windshield mounts made it just right and I'm looking over it and not through it. I can cruise at 75-80 MPH with the same quietness and calm of my ST1100 with its Laminar Lip windshield. A $2 o-ring sized just right to slide over the bar-end grip makes an easy friction lock cruise control. It works as easily as the Vista Cruise lock I had on my ST1100. I installed Rox risers that move the handlebar up an inch and back an inch. That little change made a big difference in comfort. The upright seating position is all-day comfortable but I thought my Honda was comfortable too.

MPG average so far (1100 miles) is about 45 MPG which is about the same as the Honda. The tank holds 6.1 gallons. That's 1.3 gallons less than the ST1100 which means my range is about 60 miles less. That means I'm looking for fuel at 200 miles instead of 250. The longest I went on my ST1100 was 315 miles on one tank so this is a minus for the ST10.

I added an Eastern Beaver fuse block to make wiring things up easier. In addition to my grips I have my heated clothing pigtail, power leads for two GPSs and my phone uses the stock cigarette adaptor. The fuse block has several leads left for future upgrades like lighting.

Even with all of the extras, the bike still feels light and nimble enough for short trips around town which is something I tended not to do on my ST1100. Next weekend I'll head up to Washington state for a meetup with some other ST10 riders. One thing I'm noticing is that the ST10 events are well attended and there seem to be more of them than I was finding with my ST1100. The average age for Tenere purchases is 54 which is not much different than the Honda STs I'm thinking.

Future upgrade plans include more aggressive tires for off-road trips and a seat upgrade. I have to say that the Bridgestone Battle Wings have great wet-weather traction and I love the way the bike handles. It offers no surprises and is downright easy to ride in all conditions. There are options for flashing the ECU that remove the emissions-based tweaks Yamaha did. Feedback from other Tenere riders say this unleashes the beast and totally changes the nature of the bike. With the "S" and "T" mode options you can have both worlds with the ECU upgrade though I lean more towards the "T" mode which is more laid back. I have no regrets at all with the bike and am looking forward to many miles of west coast fire roads and touring this summer. Here's a link to a Google album with more photos. https://plus.google.com/photos/100889403051509103897/albums/5988594029024121313

;-) Paul