A few mods on the Tenere

A big apology to all my readers is in order for I have been away from the blogs for a while.  I lost my job a while ago and my head has been preoccupied with other more important things.  I had just bought the Tenere and started the modifications when my company decided to outsource my job to a big consulting company.  I kind of knew it was coming but it was still unexpected and also at the wrong time.
Oh well, things happen for a reason and I'm sure I will recover and new things will show up for the better.
I haven't been riding as much as I wanted, been mostly doing short local rides around New Jersey.  I do have a few ride reports to complete but my head has not been in the right place for me to blog.

I started looking for an adventure bike when I had the idea to go to Prudhoe Bay after reading many ride reports on the ADV site and I have always had the picture in my mind of how I wanted the Tenere to look like, black was going to be the theme.  With that in mind I started looking for protection and luggage for the bike.  I wanted the equipment to be rugged and to be able to take any punishment I might put the bike through since I intend on keeping the Tenere for a long time.  For protection I decided to go with Altrider parts.
First thing I installed was the skid plate powder coated in black.  It's a very well made part and very strong.  It will protect the headers and the oil filter from rocks and other flying debris.

The bike needed some side protection in case of a fall.  The Altrider crash bars are built from one inch stainless steel tubing, hopefully they will never rust.  The Tenere has the radiator and fan mounted under the left side panel and the crash bar will protect it from a side fall.  They are designed to distribute the weight across six mounting points, three on each side and are powder coated in black.

Since this bike will be going off road and there will be times when I will need to stop in soft sand, I had to do something about the kick stand.  Even though the Tenere kick stand has a pretty large foot print, it can never be big enough in soft sand, bigger is always better.  Altrider makes the perfect side stand foot to keep it from sinking or falling on soft surfaces.

Yamaha decided to put a plastic/fiber luggage rack on the bike and on the first edition some customers outside of the US reported broken racks.  For the US, Yamaha redesigned the rack but it is still made of plastic/fiber.  Since I will be adding big aluminum panniers to the bike, a stronger rack was a necessity.  Once again Altrider came to the rescue with a very well built and strong aluminum rack with lots of places to hook bungee cords.  The rack has a small area underneath that allows for the storage of a little toolbox or compressor.

I had ordered the luggage from Twisted Throttle but the manufacturer had encountered a problem with one of the parts on the mounting rack and that delayed the delivery of the part.  With the rest of the luggage stashed away in the garage waiting to be installed and with the protection on the bike it was time to hit the local roads and do some adventuring.

I rode a few dirt roads to get used to the bike and to play around with the traction control and the ABS.  I am loving this bike a little more after each ride but lets not kid anyone, it's not a light bike and commands respect on the dirt.  For more aggressive dirt riding I will have to install a set of knobby tires.

Until I install the luggage I have to limit myself to short distances and that implies staying in New Jersey.  I do have a few nice roads close to my house and I have been taking advantage of my free time to ride them.

Soon the luggage will be installed and I can start planning some longer trips but unfortunately winter is fast approaching.  Losing my job at this time was definitely at the wrong time.

Waiting & Waiting

Yamaha, please bring the bikes to the USA as soon as possible, preferably no later than May as promised.
There are a lot of adventure riders waiting and with videos like this one coming out all the time it's becoming torture to most of us that have put a deposit on the bike but haven't had a chance to test ride it.
I know at least two of my followers are on the fence about getting a Super Ténéré.
Yes, you guys know you want one and after watching this video you will want it even more, time to ditch the oil burner and the pretend adventure bike, ha ha, you know who I am talking about.
Watch the video in 720p HD if you can.
Enjoy......

Super Ténéré

Like I said yesterday, Yamaha made my wish come true.   I left early from work yesterday and rode my Goldie to Xtreme Machines in Millstone.  I love my Goldie but on the way, all I could think was what would I do with her, she's getting older and it is time to let her rest a little.  I have enjoyed all my trips with her and she has been very reliable, of course she has, she's a Kawasaki Concours.  She's good for the open road but when it comes to gravel and dirt she shy's away from it even though I have pushed her through some rough passages and she has always pulled through.  But as I rode to Xtreme Machines I kept thinking of the possibilities for new adventures the new Yamaha Super Ténéré would bring.  The Super Ténéré was designed to be taken off road and she likes it rough.

I walk in to Xtreme Machines and the first guy I asked about the new Super Ténéré looks at me like I was speaking a foreign language.  A what? he asks.  He calls another salesman and the new guy knows about it and had just sat on one the day before at a Yamaha dealer presentation.  He starts telling me how nice the bike is but I stop him in mid sentence, "you don't have to sell it to me" I say, I know all about it, I have researched it, I have seen the pictures and videos and have been reading riders opinions on the ADVRiders forum for a while.  I want one and I want it black or as Yamaha calls it, "Raven"

He looks surprised and then smiles at the thought of his first sale of the brand new 2012 Yamaha Super Ténéré.  He tells me I am the first guy inquiring about it and will be the first to get it in my area if I order one.  He also informs me Yamaha will "only" start delivering the bikes in May of 2011.  I tell him I know about the deal and unfortunately it's going to be a very long wait for me.  Eight months to go before I can see my new baby.

I put down my deposit and we sign the papers, I tell him to make sure the order goes in to Yamaha as soon as possible, he smiles and tells me the back office is already taking care of it.  We chat for a while and he tells me he is also looking at getting one for himself.  The Super Ténéré was designed to go head-to-head with the BMW GS1200 Adventure.  My brother's GS is going to have competition next year.  I can't wait to touch my new "Raven" baby.

Yamaha Tenere

Last December I had a wish and my wish has come true.  This was my wish back then:

My wish for 2010 is that Yamaha brings the Super Tenere to the US.  I would be first in line to get one and I would begin a whole new type of my own adventures

Yamaha, at precisely 12PM EST today announced the availability of the bike in the USA starting at $13,900 early next year.  Enthusiast all over the world have been raving about the bike and the blogosphere is going crazy with the capabilities of the bike.  The starting price is well below what everyone was expecting and it's a good starting point for a bike that already has all the necessities for an adventure bike, just add bags and that's about it.  Deliveries starting early next year for the 2012 model.
I had a Yamaha XT250 when I was young and loved it, it was my first bike, I have lots of good memories of her.  Like a first girlfriend, you never forget her, it was my first love and since then I have always had an attraction for Yamaha bikes. I love the Yamaha R1 but I'm too old for it and now need something that will take me in new adventures.
WOW, that's all I can say, today is a good day. Thank you Yamaha

Available in "Impact Blue" or "Raven", I love the blue but a full black bike is very appealing too, oh, the dilemma.