Help deciding to switch or not to switch! (Coming from a F850GSA)

[JavierGK]

Hello Tenere Fam ! I hope everyone is ok.

 

I write this message in hopes of getting your opinion / thoughts / feels of the bike.

 

I at the moment have the BMW F850GSA and am contemplating getting the T7. I love its dynamism, weight (much lighter than the GSA), love its rally look. I like all the reviews / videos ive seen, although i am sure here is the best place to ask the "how it goes?" million dollar question.

 

Did anyone come from BMW? If so, what were the main differences you felt ?.

 

In general how it handles on highways ? I will do a lot off-road, but also to get to those places, I might end up riding on highways, or for long trams on the road.

 

What would be your main likes / dislikes of the bike ?

 

I would really appreciate any comments you can throw my way =).

 

Have a wonderful weekend and safe riding !

[bikeever]

I Recommend a test drive. If you come from a GSA the Ténéré might feel a bit narrow. 
 

And think about assisting systems. BMW put all in and Yamaha comes only with switchable ABS. But exactly this is why I switch to the T700. 
 

At the moment I have the KTM 790 Adventure R. If you are looking for massive electronics and light weight Bike this would be an option. 
 

If you you are looking for a more reliable all can do bike go with Yamaha. 

 

Best regards 

Martin

[Aleksandar13]

10 hours ago, JavierGK said:

Hello Tenere Fam ! I hope everyone is ok.

 

I write this message in hopes of getting your opinion / thoughts / feels of the bike.

 

I at the moment have the BMW F850GSA and am contemplating getting the T7. I love its dynamism, weight (much lighter than the GSA), love its rally look. I like all the reviews / videos ive seen, although i am sure here is the best place to ask the "how it goes?" million dollar question.

 

Did anyone come from BMW? If so, what were the main differences you felt ?.

 

In general how it handles on highways ? I will do a lot off-road, but also to get to those places, I might end up riding on highways, or for long trams on the road.

 

What would be your main likes / dislikes of the bike ?

 

I would really appreciate any comments you can throw my way =).

 

Have a wonderful weekend and safe riding !

Hi Javier, 

 

I'm am still waiting for my t7 to be delivered but I have sold the r1200gs adventure for the yamaha and would be able to give you my opinion about the bike. 

The difference in weight between the Gs adventure and the t7 is massive and you can feel this in corners on braking and when doing small country lanes. Wind buffeting on the t7 for me at 6.4 is non existent but I did struggle one the adventure. The t7 is not as fast as the 1200 cc bike but it is more enjoyable as you are using the power of the bike more and it gives you this great feeling of satisfaction and not frustration of not being able to use the rev range and the power. The boxer is a smooth engine but the twin is better and has a nicer power delivery. Only issue with the throttle being loose and on off transition was a bit jerky. Could be solved by taken the cable slack out of it. 

Built quality of the plastics is not on par with the bmw ones but this has not bothered me at all. 

Go and test one and you will probably end up buying one. 

Under warranty I've had some major work done to my Gs and if this would have come out of warranty it would have been a big issue ( one of the big reasons I left the German brand). 

If you have more questions that I could answer please feel free to ask. 

Aleks 

[Lank45]

Hi Javier,

 

I’m coming from the 800GS and have the Tenere, similar but not the same as your 850.

 

First thing I noticed is the width, the T7 feels much more like my DR650 in width than the GS. This combined with the lower weight makes the bike feel very easy to move and super stable. The narrowness hasn’t made the seat uncomfortable or the screen painful and I find there is lots of clean air flow preventing the buffering some bikes get at higher speeds.

 

I’m 6 foot 1 and it’s still a tall bike for me, taller than the GS but it’s not a concern for me. The rising position and visibility down the road is great due to this. I’ve got bar risers fitted and they help especially when stood up for off road, for me they balance out the bike but I may go for a peg lowering kit to bring my weight further forward when off road. The tall riding position plus the speedo location is great, you only have to quickly look to see speed etc...

 

My favourite thing is the engine and gearbox, the engine is much smoother than the BMW and gear changes feel more positive but this may bed in and settle down. I really like the pull and smoothness of the power delivery but there is still the need to make sure you are using the gears, like on the GS, to get the best from the motor. Sticking it in 4th and rolling the throttle isn’t where it’s best!

 

I’m happy not having lots of electronics and I had only one of the GS...heated grips! For me ABS is a luxury but when out riding in the wet yesterday it was great and the bike stops better than the GS. This is probably down to the weight and the fact the suspension seems more capable, there isn’t the lurching when hard braking like on the GS. I used to find the bike dived a lot when on the brakes. 
 

For me the T7 is the perfect bike, lightweight and nimble so I can use it off-road. The build quality is a lot better than my GS, you can just see it from the detail. The GS has very little paint left on the engine after 48,000 miles! The right balance for long road journeys, with comfort acceptable. Things I’d change are few but I plan on;

- fitting better hand guards, the OEM ones aren’t great

- changing the levers, my dad has ASV and they feel much more comfortable than the cheap OEM ones

[cabby]

2 hours ago, Aleksandar13 said:

Hi Javier, 

 

I'm am still waiting for my t7 to be delivered but I have sold the r1200gs adventure for the yamaha and would be able to give you my opinion about the bike. 

The difference in weight between the Gs adventure and the t7 is massive and you can feel this in corners on braking and when doing small country lanes. Wind buffeting on the t7 for me at 6.4 is non existent but I did struggle one the adventure. The t7 is not as fast as the 1200 cc bike but it is more enjoyable as you are using the power of the bike more and it gives you this great feeling of satisfaction and not frustration of not being able to use the rev range and the power. The boxer is a smooth engine but the twin is better and has a nicer power delivery. Only issue with the throttle being loose and on off transition was a bit jerky. Could be solved by taken the cable slack out of it. 

Built quality of the plastics is not on par with the bmw ones but this has not bothered me at all. 

Go and test one and you will probably end up buying one. 

Under warranty I've had some major work done to my Gs and if this would have come out of warranty it would have been a big issue ( one of the big reasons I left the German brand). 

If you have more questions that I could answer please feel free to ask. 

Aleks 

 

 

It's an 850 he has. 

[Aleksandar13]

4 minutes ago, cabby said:

 

 

It's an 850 he has. 

I knew that, I was just giving him my opinion compared to a bmw bike, happen to be 1200 adventure. 

[cabby]

Dislike the petrol cap, just seems absurd they took years to develop the bike yet came away with that stoopid cap, sure they will have a reason for it, I just can't think of it. 

[bikeever]

18 minutes ago, cabby said:

Dislike the petrol cap, just seems absurd they took years to develop the bike yet came away with that stoopid cap, sure they will have a reason for it, I just can't think of it. 

Maybe it’s easier to get fixed if something goes wrong. A dude in KTM Forum broke his tank cap during tanking. I think he bend it over. Replacement was very expensive
 

Yamahas Version is much more robust.