Hello from Germany's not-so-wild West!

[Tenerider]

Hello T7 fans,

 

since I just purchased my first motorcycle ever yesterday, and since it is a T7, I felt I might be in good company here.

 

I have always been dreaming of riding a motorcycle since I was 14 (when I sat in the pillion seat of some brutal Suzuki litre bike and got to know the meaning of the word "acceleration"). Had a poster of a R 1100 GS on my wall back then, which was way out of reach for the next 20 years (or more).

Money, parent's concerns and so on caused this dream to fall asleep for a long time - but since I'm finally old enough to develop a midlife crisis, I signed up for driving school two months ago, visited the local Yamaha (and BMW) dealer 4 weeks ago, fell in love with the Tenere there and have since then read/watched about 60% of The Internet wherever it said "Tenere".

 

Although I have considered other adv bikes (Husky 701, Honda CRF300 Rally, KTMs, ...), I just made a decision yesterday and signed the contract for MY T7

This is somehow insane - keeping in mind that I have never ever ridden any kind of motorcyle by myself, save a Tenere 700.

But waiting more than 20 years, I felt I shouldn't waste more time - especially I do not want to wait some more weeks or months when I finally have my license.

Luckily, my dealer still had some machines in stock, and at least could give me a little discount.

 

Cant' wait to fire it up...

 

Jan

 

 

 

 

[Ray Ride4life]

Wilkommen Jan.

Wo in Deutchland wenn ich fragen darf?

Back to what everybody understand.

I live in Brunssum, Netherlands just at the German border (also not far from Belgium).

[NZIAN]

G’day matey. Welcome to a new kind of freedom. Southern Europe is where I call home now. Enjoy!

[Tenerider]

18 minutes ago, Ray Ride4life said:

Wilkommen Jan.

Wo in Deutchland wenn ich fragen darf?

Back to what everybody understand.

I live in Brunssum, Netherlands just at the German border (also not far from Belgium).

Hi Ray!

Quite close to your place actually: Langenfeld, which is between Duesseldorf and Cologne. Quite a bad area for offroad riding, but I think Belgium and Nederland might be better...

Tot ziens!

Jan

[thepointchris]

Congrats Jan, for following your dream, and keeping it alive all these years. Be safe and enjoy the your T7.

Which colour (the White ones are faster)?

[Tenerider]

14 minutes ago, thepointchris said:

Congrats Jan, for following your dream, and keeping it alive all these years. Be safe and enjoy the your T7.

Which colour (the White ones are faster)?

OF COURSE white, Chris! 

 

Could have had a black version with some nice decals, or a blue - finally, the dealer revealed that he still had a white one in stock.

Actually, the rally versions are my favorites (both 2021 and 2022), but they weren't available. White is my favorite from the 2021 standard colors (I like 2022 blue as well).

[Hammerhead]

Way to keep the dream alive & finally make it a reality. That’s some seriously delayed gratification! T7 is a user friendly machine, impossible not to enjoy! 
   Incidentally, “Motoin” in Aachen seems to have some reasonable prices on riding gear & be a fair outfit to deal with. (How I know is entirely another story) If that’s your neighbourhood & you need gear, they’re worth a look.

[thepointchris]

7 minutes ago, Tenerider said:

OF COURSE white, Chris! 

 

Could have had a black version with some nice decals, or a blue - finally, the dealer revealed that he still had a white one in stock.

Actually, the rally versions are my favorites (both 2021 and 2022), but they weren't available. White is my favorite from the 2021 standard colors (I like 2022 blue as well).

I agree on the Rally, but they never made it State-side. Excellent choice  

Here's mine-

[Tenerider]

45 minutes ago, Hammerhead said:

Way to keep the dream alive & finally make it a reality. That’s some seriously delayed gratification! T7 is a user friendly machine, impossible not to enjoy! 
   Incidentally, “Motoin” in Aachen seems to have some reasonable prices on riding gear & be a fair outfit to deal with. (How I know is entirely another story) If that’s your neighbourhood & you need gear, they’re worth a look.

Great advise, thanks! Have already purchased my first outfit, but Aachen is not far from my place and I will definitely check them out.

 

Would like to hear that story, btw

[Tenerider]

47 minutes ago, thepointchris said:

I agree on the Rally, but they never made it State-side. Excellent choice  

Here's mine-

Makes me crave even more for mine to arrive...

[Ray Ride4life]

6 minutes ago, Tenerider said:

Great advise, thanks! Have already purchased my first outfit, but Aachen is not far from my place and I will definitely check them out.

 

Would like to hear that story, btw

In Aachen is also Louis, check there also and make your choice with a broader range to choose from.

1 hour ago, Tenerider said:

Hi Ray!

Quite close to your place actually: Langenfeld, which is between Duesseldorf and Cologne. Quite a bad area for offroad riding, but I think Belgium and Nederland might be better...

Tot ziens!

Jan

Both are still a challenge but here i have some dirt and i'm discovering more every time i take mine out for some exploring.
When you get a bit comfortable offroad the TET south NL might be an option as it starts in 's Heerenberg just on the other side of the A3 from Kleve.
You can also do the TET north in opposite direction.
If you like we can go together sometime, maybe i can help you getting used to offroad. I'm not a teacher but did some courses and ride a lot on- and offroad.

[Tenerider]

8 minutes ago, Ray Ride4life said:

In Aachen is also Louis, check there also and make your choice with a broader range to choose from.

Both are still a challenge but here i have some dirt and i'm discovering more every time i take mine out for some exploring.
When you get a bit comfortable offroad the TET south NL might be an option as it starts in 's Heerenberg just on the other side of the A3 from Kleve.
You can also do the TET north in opposite direction.
If you like we can go together sometime, maybe i can help you getting used to offroad. I'm not a teacher but did some courses and ride a lot on- and offroad.

TET is already on my bucket list, but I will take it easy first. Doing some gravel rides together sounds great!!! I will let you know once I'm ready (and licensed :D)

[Ray Ride4life]

@Tenerider, here you can see what i'm doing in my spare time

Ride4life – When riding is your life

 

[Kavika1991]

4 hours ago, Tenerider said:

Hello T7 fans,

 

since I just purchased my first motorcycle ever yesterday, and since it is a T7, I felt I might be in good company here.

 

I have always been dreaming of riding a motorcycle since I was 14 (when I sat in the pillion seat of some brutal Suzuki litre bike and got to know the meaning of the word "acceleration"). Had a poster of a R 1100 GS on my wall back then, which was way out of reach for the next 20 years (or more).

Money, parent's concerns and so on caused this dream to fall asleep for a long time - but since I'm finally old enough to develop a midlife crisis, I signed up for driving school two months ago, visited the local Yamaha (and BMW) dealer 4 weeks ago, fell in love with the Tenere there and have since then read/watched about 60% of The Internet wherever it said "Tenere".

 

Although I have considered other adv bikes (Husky 701, Honda CRF300 Rally, KTMs, ...), I just made a decision yesterday and signed the contract for MY T7

This is somehow insane - keeping in mind that I have never ever ridden any kind of motorcyle by myself, save a Tenere 700.

But waiting more than 20 years, I felt I shouldn't waste more time - especially I do not want to wait some more weeks or months when I finally have my license.

Luckily, my dealer still had some machines in stock, and at least could give me a little discount.

 

Cant' wait to fire it up...

 

Jan

 

 

 

 

Hallo!  I lived in Germany for many years but Im from Aragon, Spain. My wife is from Hese, Wiesbaden. Now we live in the actual wild west, LOL in Arizona on the Mexican USA Border. Have you started planing your trip to the Pyrenees or Montenegro yet? 

[Tenerider]

1 hour ago, Kavika1991 said:

Hallo!  I lived in Germany for many years but Im from Aragon, Spain. My wife is from Hese, Wiesbaden. Now we live in the actual wild west, LOL in Arizona on the Mexican USA Border. Have you started planing your trip to the Pyrenees or Montenegro yet? 

Wow, must be a great country for offroad riding!

 

I already thought about riding in Spain and the Balkan area, but I have zero experience. Do you recommend the Pyrenees?

[Ray Ride4life]

The next episode of my blog goes through Montenegro but onroad and i can tell you that can already be a challenge.
I want to go there for offroading once but for starting the Dutch and Belgium TET are better options, when not too hot and dry and definitely not too wet (also to be found in my blogs) those are doable with not too much experience.

[qInvention]

Willkommen an Bord @Tenerider. 

Luxembourg over here, so you're not far from my place either. 

You chose the right bike for the best of pastimes.

[TimeMachine]

9 hours ago, Tenerider said:

Hello T7 fans,

 

since I just purchased my first motorcycle ever yesterday, and since it is a T7, I felt I might be in good company here.

 

I have always been dreaming of riding a motorcycle since I was 14 (when I sat in the pillion seat of some brutal Suzuki litre bike and got to know the meaning of the word "acceleration"). Had a poster of a R 1100 GS on my wall back then, which was way out of reach for the next 20 years (or more).

Money, parent's concerns and so on caused this dream to fall asleep for a long time - but since I'm finally old enough to develop a midlife crisis, I signed up for driving school two months ago, visited the local Yamaha (and BMW) dealer 4 weeks ago, fell in love with the Tenere there and have since then read/watched about 60% of The Internet wherever it said "Tenere".

 

Although I have considered other adv bikes (Husky 701, Honda CRF300 Rally, KTMs, ...), I just made a decision yesterday and signed the contract for MY T7

This is somehow insane - keeping in mind that I have never ever ridden any kind of motorcyle by myself, save a Tenere 700.

But waiting more than 20 years, I felt I shouldn't waste more time - especially I do not want to wait some more weeks or months when I finally have my license.

Luckily, my dealer still had some machines in stock, and at least could give me a little discount.

 

Cant' wait to fire it up...

 

Jan

 

 

 

 

Thank you for sharing your story with us Jan. And wishing you the best for your new adventures!

 

If I have any advice for you as a new-be, take your time and enjoy the experience of learning to ride, learning your new bike, and exploring new destinations. The most enjoyment truly is in the journey.

[Hammerhead]

11 hours ago, Tenerider said:

Great advise, thanks! Have already purchased my first outfit, but Aachen is not far from my place and I will definitely check them out.

 

Would like to hear that story, btw

Recently bought from Motoin at a substantial savings vs. what any Canadian suppliers offer. Even with shipping I still spent less than 60% & zero import duties were applied by customs. 
   Then Canada Posr proceeded to bounce it all over the country only to “successfully deliver” it somewhere in a neighbouring province. 
   Customer service at Motoin was very responsive to my emails on the delivery debacle, even though it was no fault of theirs.  Shipping address was 100% 
   One ridiculous & another far more helpful call to Canada Post, several anxious days later & they finally got it right. 
  Between their excellent prices & responsive customer service, Motoin seems highly recommendable. At least in my experience with them. 
   To be fair, it was the first time Canada post had dropped the ball with me & though their customer service initially left plenty to be desired, they did come through in the end. All’s well that ends well.

   New Italian boots shipped from Germany bounced coast to coast across Canada ready for the coming  spring, at a super price. Winning!

[Kavika1991]

21 hours ago, Tenerider said:

Wow, must be a great country for offroad riding!

 

I already thought about riding in Spain and the Balkan area, but I have zero experience. Do you recommend the Pyrenees?

Ja! Genau. The Pyrenees has everything. From easy gravel roads over the mountains into France to extremely technical climbs and descents that will challenge any skill level. Monte Negro is amazing, but the trails are shorter. In Spain, you can ride the old smuggler roads used to bring in goods during the wars. If you input the Village of Sant Llorenc de la Muga, you can make reservations at the village castle for the week. The owner is a friend and he and his wife speak English. From there, you can tour all the nearby villages. Plan for at least two weeks. You can wild camp in the mountains and no one bothers you. There are many old mills in the mountains that will accommodate you and sell you amazing food at very good prices. Tmobile won’t work past Alsace, and no one will speak to you in German close the the Spanish border but most will be able to communicate in broken English, French or Catalan. Stay out of Barcelona, the stau is atrocious. Worse than in Paris. 

 If you want to get dirty, on the French Belgian border, you can ride the Great War trench road systems. I don’t recommend it in the spring, but in the hot summer months, it’s a fun ride leaving from Köln toward Givet. Its a great way to lear how to ride the bike in dirt without the possibility of much injuries or damage to the bike, and it will give you a great taste of touring on the T7 in dirt and country roads. 

Bis Bald! 
  

Edited January 6, 2022 by Kavika1991

[Tenerider]

Guys, thanks so much for your warm welcome - I'm amazed how helpful and encouraging this community is. Really outstanding.

 

@Kavika1991 This sounds so great - I have ever wanted to travel there, now it seems all comes together just right! Gracias amigo!

 

@Hammerhead Oh yes, I had similar experiences with DHL over here ("delivered" a very expensive and irreplacable package somewhere else, took me 3 days until it magically reappeared). The only service which always works is UPS. Worth the price, sometimes.

 

@Ray Ride4life Checked your blog already, man I envy you...

[BikeBrother]

Hi, i see quit some riders from west europe here, ie Benelux, D. Maybe we should meet up once, like a camping weekend with some rides. Or even organize an offroad week somewhere, like in pyrenees, alpes. I did join this years ago with ADV riders and its always great to meet fellow riders.

[Tenerider]

16 minutes ago, BikeBrother said:

Hi, i see quit some riders from west europe here, ie Benelux, D. Maybe we should meet up once, like a camping weekend with some rides. Or even organize an offroad week somewhere, like in pyrenees, alpes. I did join this years ago with ADV riders and its always great to meet fellow riders.

Hi, think this is a great idea. We should do that, this makes travelling the long distance to the mountains much more entertaining. (Off-)Roadside fixes should also be much easier with a helping hand

 

But also exploring our area makes sense - everybody knows another little bit of the countryside.

 

Edit: Almost seems like we need a club here, plus a cool name for it.

Edited January 6, 2022 by Tenerider