Comparo: Wr250R, Tenere 700, Super Tenere

[Boondocker]

Now that I have 1031 miles on my Ténéré 700, I feel barely qualified to compare it to my 2008 WR250R and 2012 Super Ténéré. 

 

If I had to sum it up in one sentence, I would say that the T7 feels more like an "all-grown-up"  WR250R rather than a downsized S10. 

 

To put this comparison in some context, I have 26K miles on the WR and 79K miles on the S10, both bought new - commuting, touring, and boondocking. To be fair, the WR & S10 have gained tuned suspension and ergonomic changes (bars, pegs, seats, windscreens) to suit my riding style and fit me. The T7 still feels like Mr. Yamaha's bike. That's not a complaint by any means. Pretty darned good good out of the box, just that at 1K miles, I haven't fully gelled with it yet whereas the siblings are like old boots - they fit perfectly and I know exactly how they're going to behave in every circumstance.

 

For the sake of structure, I'll pick on a few categories in which to make comparisons.

Ergonomics: The T7 fits me well and was immediately comfortable and intuitive to ride. The seat and windscreen will probably get some attention in the future but they're pretty low priority for now. For reference, I measure 6' tall, 34" inseam, 160lbs. weight.

 

Clutch: The clutch is one of my points of contention on the T7 because I find the friction zone quite narrow. I'm behind the learning curve on this aspect of control. Honestly, the WR is worse but on the WR I swapped in a Righteous Stunt Metal lever for better feel and the 23 horsepower rarely overpowers sloppy clutch work. The S10 has a hydraulic clutch and it's a thing of beauty, far more precise in low-speed maneuvers. 

 

Transmission: T7 - snickity-slick. I've seem some complaints about shifting but mine is faultless.  The WR tranny is the best I've ever ridden, again probably pretty forgiving behind all the 250cc horsepower. No complaints about the S10. If I ever miss a gear, it's my fault. Trannies always seem to feel better after an oil change.

 

Suspension: It would be unfair to compare to custom tuned suspensions on other bikes. I will say that I appreciate the T7's fore and aft dampening adjustability. The S10 gets the win here for also having fork preload adjustment. I put the settings to factory spec (middling) and will take my time and take notes as I make adjustments. No complaints so far.

 

Power/Drivetrain: The S10 has shaft drive and I dig that - appropriate for that bike, not appropriate for the T7.  Some people have complained of "snatchy throttle" on the T7. I don't see it. Maybe they haven't ridden a WR250R ~ the gold standard for throttle snatchiness. (<-- new vocabulary word). T7 power feels just like the dyno chart looks - smoothly increasing power from low revs and very flat torque curve. Lot's of people want more power, I'd settle for more skill to better use the available power.

 

Rider Aids: WR don't gottem' - no ABS, no ride modes, no traction control - not needed on a 250. S10 has 2 ride modes, can't decide which to use, 3 traction control modes - would be happy if it was just in the middle all the time, ABS cannot be "user" disabled - sometimes sucks to not be able lock the rear wheel in the dirt, scary even. T7 - lack of ride modes, lack of traction control, and having switchable ABS are big selling points. I contemplated the KTM 790R but knew I would forever be agonizing over whether I was in the right modes. Call me a simpleton but I like the T7 mantra - "I am bike, ride me".

 

Ride: The WR is geared down to make the most of its miniscule HP. The racy little motor does yeoman's duty on the highway but I feel bad for wringing its neck. The S10 has more frontal area producing a bigger "rider bubble" and there is something to be said for 1200cc's. The T7 just doesn't care - highway, streets, dirt roads - bring it on.

 

To conclude for now, each bike has a special place. The WR250R is an absolute gem that I will ride places where the T7's weight is prohibitive for my bike-picking-up ability. The Super Ténéré is uncannily capable. It is amazingly well composed on tracks it has no business being on, especially while fully-loaded and 2-up,  then  blasts down an 80-MPH highway without breaking a sweat. The T7's CP2 motor makes highways a non-issue and it's chassis yearns for rough roads. This bike will  comfortably take me everywhere I need to go and nearly everywhere I want to go (at least solo). It's still early-days with this one and I'm jazzed about that!

 

 

Not the most well-composed picture but the T7 got me where I wanted to be today - in the mountains, off the tarmac, hundreds of miles from home. Job done.

[PaulCave]

Check out the CamelADV clutch arm - makes a big difference 9for me anyway).

[Boondocker]

12 hours ago, PaulCave said:

Check out the CamelADV clutch arm - makes a big difference 9for me anyway).

Thanks for the tip. I'm sporting the CamelADV skid plate and am inclined to support this vendor.

[Zola]

Great comparison.  Like you I have also owned both WR 250R and super T.  After a year and 5000 miles on T7 I sold both big and small yamy.   Keep a 300 2 stroke around for the days I don't feel my age (65).  Still difficult to believe the T7 could replace two bikes but it certainly does for my world and them some! 

[Boondocker]

@Zola - The Super Ténéré is our 2-up tourer. A few years ago Mrs. Boondocker and I toured Idaho featuring about half of the Idaho BDR. Getting to the Blue Cabin was quite a challenge and the Lolo Motorway was a nice ride.

 

As a motorcyclist, may I say that's it's completely unfair that you get to live in Lolo, Mt. 

 

Ride report posted on that big ADV site: 2-Up on the Idaho BDR

Edited May 22, 2021 by Boondocker
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[MCGMB]

That's a wonderful comparison thanks for posting.

 

I previously owned a '08 WR250R, and now own a '16 S10, so your info is particularly useful to me.

[Charles De Mar]

I’m probably going to install a Rekluse clutch on mine at some point. They are great pieces of technology. I finally put one on the dirt bike and have to say I like it more than I thought I would. 

RADIUSX CLUTCH (STREET) | Rekluse

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RadiusX is a high performance centrifugal auto clutch combining our TorqDrive and EXP technologies. TorqDrive provides more clutch disks in less space...