CB500X to the Tenere 700

[motonap]

It has been a little under a week that I have had my Tenere 700 and it has already started growing on me. My previous motorcycle was a 2019 Honda CB500X, which has a great ticker for a heart that wants to go on and on and on and on...

 

 

The switch over to the Tenere 700 has been a great box of expected changes and some surprises as well. We have some rather finicky weather here in NZ this year since it is officially summer but no signs of reprieve from the rains and not enough days of great riding weather. In saying that I did manage to sneak in a short ride yesterday consisting of a mix of tarmac and gravel which has given me a sneak peak of what to expect with the T7 going forward. 

 

Right off the bat, the first big expected change is the sheer size of the motorcycle. Intimidating, if you have never owned something that looks as large as the T7 does from all angles. Whether it is looking over the bike from the back or standing in front of it, the T7 is tall as it is visually large with the muscly contours of the body work. Add on the fact that even though it is only marginally heavier than the CB500X, it does look a lot heavier that it is on paper. It does command a presence when standing next to smaller adv motorcycles and then you have all the other styles of motorcycles that it seems to tower over as well.

 

Riding dynamics are quite different from other adv motorcycles I have ridden, everything from the ergo to the way it feels requires a change to the mindset.  I consider myself a fast rider and tend to leave the rest of the pack behind while carving up winding roads. The biggest change required is the riding style with the T7, you don't need to ride any slower, just work your body position a whole lot differently since the bike sits a whole lot higher which changes the physics of it all. The first set of corners were a surprise until there was a change to the way I moved around on the motorcycle to be able to continue being faster than the pack. Once you are tuned in with the motorcycle, the surprises disappear and the smile under the helmet widens with each passing corner. The CP2 engine is such a powerful yet pleasant ticker, it doesn't throw out any surprises and yet feels like there is a whole lot more waiting to be unleashed.

 

Seating ergo IMO is perfect expect for what feels like a very flat handlebar which could be a point of contention for riders with short arms. I do feel like I would benefit from an off set handle bar riser, but that is something I won't be rushing to buy immediately. The seat on the other hand feels like a wooden plank and the discomfort also arises from the fact that it is a rather narrow seat to begin with, but with a 870mm seat height, the narrow seat works brilliant when you come to stop and have to go feet down. At 5'9" I can't flat foot, which is a bit of an issue while backing up the bike or using foot power to move around during parking/removal. Having said that, it is going to be a bit of an unpleasant experience off the road if you don't find the right spot to stop. A lowering link and dropping the front is on the cards soon and that should sort that bit out. The seat on the other hand, might just have to toughen the butt up and move around the seat till I find that perfect magical spot that will allow me to spend hours on the saddle without the discomfort.

 

I bought the bike second hand and the previous owner had it setup for 82kgs, which works in my favour since I weigh about the same. It does feel a little stiff, but I could have just been riding with the settings on my CB500X wrong. While I don't understand the dynamics of compression, dampening and rebound wholly, I am not about to go about fiddling with it just yet. Riding on the tarmac, stiff is good especially if you love carving up winding roads with some undulations along the way. A small stretch of gravel with loads of undulations was a little off setting in my head while I was seated, but get on the pegs and it just doesn't matter anymore. The 'up on the pegs' experience was absolutely brilliant and that's when the flat handlebar made all sense. I could be completely upright on the straight flatter stretches with ease and then get into "I am a gorilla" stance with just as much ease when things got a little gnarly. All in all, no complaints there.

 

The one bit that I do miss is the safety net of a slipper clutch when dumping gears for engine braking. This combined with the fact that the clutch pull is harder compared to the CB500X, does mean I need to keep them fingers in fantastic form for days of slow crawling traffic. There was a small stretch of gravel that I took the T7 on and this is where the safety net was missed at one rather hairy moment coming around wet clay surface corner a little too hot. I dumped a gear out of habit while braking to slow down before the corner, the rear decided it wanted to step out because of the wheel spin and since I wasn't expecting it to step out, all hell broke loose under the helmet. But I don't think it was such a terrible surprise now that I think of it and now I know better what to expect after that.

 

Irritating bits are only two so far, the biggest one being the wobbly console, that goes into a frenzied dance when the surface under is smooth sailing. I have since installed the anti wobble head and that should sort that little niggle out. The other obvious flaw / irritation if the calibration of the speedo console, though I am blessed with an 11.5% error, it does feel like everyone else is either passing you by faster or you are riding slower than the rest. While this is not a big deal, I am mapping the differences in my mind to ensure I stay on par with the speed limits.

 

[thepointchris]

another handsome T 7 - welcome to the Forum. May you post often!

[Dougie]

The stock seat is made of wood. Get yourself on the low comfort seat threads and have a long read to find your best match. Changes the bike.

[AZJW]

@motonap Welcome to the forum and good write up on your initial impressions.   One change you can make to help the clutch pull is the Camel-ADV 1 finger clutch kit.  I added that and a shorty clutch lever which really helped with the ease of operation and plays nice with arthritic hands. 

[Tenerider]

Welcome aboard and thanks for the very nice review! I agree on all parts. I guess that's why I think it's a nice review

[Husafreak]

Nice review,

 

[motonap]

5 hours ago, AZJW said:

@motonap Welcome to the forum and good write up on your initial impressions.   One change you can make to help the clutch pull is the Camel-ADV 1 finger clutch kit.  I added that and a shorty clutch lever which really helped with the ease of operation and plays nice with arthritic hands. 

 

Adding that to the list of necessities and putting it right up on the list of things to get on the next purchase cycle 

 

5 hours ago, Tenerider said:

Welcome aboard and thanks for the very nice review! I agree on all parts. I guess that's why I think it's a nice review

 

Anything I left out on the bare essentials 

[TenereTragic700]

Great color scheme.

[motonap]

5 hours ago, TenereTragic700 said:

Great color scheme.

Thanks, needed a little something to liven it up a bit!

[motonap]

When they say that Tenere owners don't have any complaints with their T7's, that is a very factual statement. I finally got to take the bike out for a much awaited & longer ride on Sunday which was predominantly a gravel ride through some forestry roads. My brain was ing all through the ride, whether it was on gravel or on the tarmac getting there and back

 

Why did my brain go ?

Gravel

• perfect "on the pegs" ergonomics for me, moving around to weigh the pegs / move the bike under me was such bliss
• as a result of this position, I was happier to let my right wrist go crazy which made for the fastest riding on gravel I have ever done
• added in was that 21" front wheel  that tracked so flipping well, made short work of getting out of ruts and such bliss pointing the bike where I wanted to go
• undulations on the surface did not upset me when seated, so loving the stock suspension too
• the CP2 engine has such a sweet range especially 4th to 6th gear, can just chug away at low speeds with such ease

Tarmac

• I was worried about a sore bum because of the wooden plank of a seat, but surprisingly for the time spent on the saddle yest, it wasn't too bad
• Coming back to the engine & gearbox, in this case the range of the 6th gear. Barely any downshifting to power through whether overtaking or tackling the uphill bits on the road
• For 50:50 tyres, the STR Rally's are brilliant to carve corners. No chicken strips kind of riding on tarmac yest 
• Have gone through 2x tanks of fuel since I got the bike and 25 to 27kmpl (58 to 62mpg) is such a sweet spot to be in

 

I think I have found my forever motorcycle!!!

 

[AZJW]

@motonap, pretty neat bike, eh?  Especially with the ( thankfully) lack of tech stuff, it runs out very nicely.  Curious if you'll still be happy with the Pirellis after more gravel road time?  The more time I spent on Arizona rocky & marble sized gravel roads, the less I liked them,  especially the front.  As bad as I despised them for unpredictability on gravel, I praised them for their pavement manners, simply rail worthy around turns.   I put up with them on gravel for about 3,000 miles and then went to a Dunlop TMM  front and a MotoZ RallZ rear.

 

 Hopefully you don't take offense to my suggestion of an Aussie made tire.  I worked with both an Aussie and a Kiwi, the rivaliry was endless and hilarious! 

Everyone has their preference and sounds like your off road conditions favor the Pirellies.  Great detailed follow-up,  keep them coming. 

[thepointchris]

On 12/10/2022 at 9:39 PM, motonap said:

It has been a little under a week that I have had my Tenere 700 and it has already started growing on me. My previous motorcycle was a 2019 Honda CB500X, which has a great ticker for a heart that wants to go on and on and on and on...

 

 

The switch over to the Tenere 700 has been a great box of expected changes and some surprises as well. We have some rather finicky weather here in NZ this year since it is officially summer but no signs of reprieve from the rains and not enough days of great riding weather. In saying that I did manage to sneak in a short ride yesterday consisting of a mix of tarmac and gravel which has given me a sneak peak of what to expect with the T7 going forward. 

 

Right off the bat, the first big expected change is the sheer size of the motorcycle. Intimidating, if you have never owned something that looks as large as the T7 does from all angles. Whether it is looking over the bike from the back or standing in front of it, the T7 is tall as it is visually large with the muscly contours of the body work. Add on the fact that even though it is only marginally heavier than the CB500X, it does look a lot heavier that it is on paper. It does command a presence when standing next to smaller adv motorcycles and then you have all the other styles of motorcycles that it seems to tower over as well.

 

Riding dynamics are quite different from other adv motorcycles I have ridden, everything from the ergo to the way it feels requires a change to the mindset.  I consider myself a fast rider and tend to leave the rest of the pack behind while carving up winding roads. The biggest change required is the riding style with the T7, you don't need to ride any slower, just work your body position a whole lot differently since the bike sits a whole lot higher which changes the physics of it all. The first set of corners were a surprise until there was a change to the way I moved around on the motorcycle to be able to continue being faster than the pack. Once you are tuned in with the motorcycle, the surprises disappear and the smile under the helmet widens with each passing corner. The CP2 engine is such a powerful yet pleasant ticker, it doesn't throw out any surprises and yet feels like there is a whole lot more waiting to be unleashed.

 

Seating ergo IMO is perfect expect for what feels like a very flat handlebar which could be a point of contention for riders with short arms. I do feel like I would benefit from an off set handle bar riser, but that is something I won't be rushing to buy immediately. The seat on the other hand feels like a wooden plank and the discomfort also arises from the fact that it is a rather narrow seat to begin with, but with a 870mm seat height, the narrow seat works brilliant when you come to stop and have to go feet down. At 5'9" I can't flat foot, which is a bit of an issue while backing up the bike or using foot power to move around during parking/removal. Having said that, it is going to be a bit of an unpleasant experience off the road if you don't find the right spot to stop. A lowering link and dropping the front is on the cards soon and that should sort that bit out. The seat on the other hand, might just have to toughen the butt up and move around the seat till I find that perfect magical spot that will allow me to spend hours on the saddle without the discomfort.

 

I bought the bike second hand and the previous owner had it setup for 82kgs, which works in my favour since I weigh about the same. It does feel a little stiff, but I could have just been riding with the settings on my CB500X wrong. While I don't understand the dynamics of compression, dampening and rebound wholly, I am not about to go about fiddling with it just yet. Riding on the tarmac, stiff is good especially if you love carving up winding roads with some undulations along the way. A small stretch of gravel with loads of undulations was a little off setting in my head while I was seated, but get on the pegs and it just doesn't matter anymore. The 'up on the pegs' experience was absolutely brilliant and that's when the flat handlebar made all sense. I could be completely upright on the straight flatter stretches with ease and then get into "I am a gorilla" stance with just as much ease when things got a little gnarly. All in all, no complaints there.

 

The one bit that I do miss is the safety net of a slipper clutch when dumping gears for engine braking. This combined with the fact that the clutch pull is harder compared to the CB500X, does mean I need to keep them fingers in fantastic form for days of slow crawling traffic. There was a small stretch of gravel that I took the T7 on and this is where the safety net was missed at one rather hairy moment coming around wet clay surface corner a little too hot. I dumped a gear out of habit while braking to slow down before the corner, the rear decided it wanted to step out because of the wheel spin and since I wasn't expecting it to step out, all hell broke loose under the helmet. But I don't think it was such a terrible surprise now that I think of it and now I know better what to expect after that.

 

Irritating bits are only two so far, the biggest one being the wobbly console, that goes into a frenzied dance when the surface under is smooth sailing. I have since installed the anti wobble head and that should sort that little niggle out. The other obvious flaw / irritation if the calibration of the speedo console, though I am blessed with an 11.5% error, it does feel like everyone else is either passing you by faster or you are riding slower than the rest. While this is not a big deal, I am mapping the differences in my mind to ensure I stay on par with the speed limits.

 

I forgot to say earlier: I did install the ABS correct rings - much happier to know true speed, and have my odo correct (for many reasons, right?)

[motonap]

2 hours ago, AZJW said:

@motonap, pretty neat bike, eh?  Especially with the ( thankfully) lack of tech stuff, it runs out very nicely.  Curious if you'll still be happy with the Pirellis after more gravel road time?  The more time I spent on Arizona rocky & marble sized gravel roads, the less I liked them,  especially the front.  As bad as I despised them for unpredictability on gravel, I praised them for their pavement manners, simply rail worthy around turns.   I put up with them on gravel for about 3,000 miles and then went to a Dunlop TMM  front and a MotoZ RallZ rear.

 

 Hopefully you don't take offense to my suggestion of an Aussie made tire.  I worked with both an Aussie and a Kiwi, the rivaliry was endless and hilarious! 

Everyone has their preference and sounds like your off road conditions favor the Pirellies.  Great detailed follow-up,  keep them coming. 

 

The lack of tech = peace of mind!

At the risk of sounding like a retard, I think I would prefer carbs too, no tech whatsoever then 

 

I ran the Pirelli's on my CB500X for quite a while and loved them, but they do tend to get squirrelly when the gravel gets deep.

Prior to the Pirelli's I have the Motoz Tractionator GPS on the bike, which was a pretty perfect tyre until the centre strip on the rear wouldn't let me dig my way out of pumice. That and the fact that wet performance faded over a period of 12,000km on them. 

 

Aussie vs Kiwi - couldn't be bothered if I get a great aussie tyre for about half the price of any other name brand

[motonap]

1 hour ago, thepointchris said:

I forgot to say earlier: I did install the ABS correct rings - much happier to know true speed, and have my odo correct (for many reasons, right?)

 

Neat as alright! In a weeks time, the brain has rewired itself to read true speed and not speedo speed 

But the ring is on my list of future bits to install

[Schegge]

Important information to the ABS correct rings:

With the stock ABS rings the ODO counts exact! Only the speed is shown 10% off but the Speedometer counts right internaly.

You can test this and i recommend to test this before instlling the aftermarket rings.

Just take a GPS or your phone, follow a route of 50miles or so and compare it with the ODO and you will see the ODO is not 10% off!

When you install the aftermarket rings than you have the ODO counting 10% less and faking the true mileage!

Just test it

Regards from Germany

Stefan

 

[Tenerider]

15 minutes ago, Schegge said:

Important information to the ABS correct rings:

With the stock ABS rings the ODO counts exact! Only the speed is shown 10% off but the Speedometer counts right internaly.

You can test this and i recommend to test this before instlling the aftermarket rings.

Just take a GPS or your phone, follow a route of 50miles or so and compare it with the ODO and you will see the ODO is not 10% off!

When you install the aftermarket rings than you have the ODO counting 10% less and faking the true mileage!

Just test it

Regards from Germany

Stefan

 

Thanks Stefan. That's what I had also once found out (but forgotten later ). GPS and trip counter showed the same distance, actually it was very accurate.

 

Jan

Edited December 19, 2022 by Tenerider

[motonap]

On 12/19/2022 at 9:30 PM, Schegge said:

Important information to the ABS correct rings:

With the stock ABS rings the ODO counts exact! Only the speed is shown 10% off but the Speedometer counts right internaly.

You can test this and i recommend to test this before instlling the aftermarket rings.

Just take a GPS or your phone, follow a route of 50miles or so and compare it with the ODO and you will see the ODO is not 10% off!

When you install the aftermarket rings than you have the ODO counting 10% less and faking the true mileage!

Just test it

Regards from Germany

Stefan

 

 

Thanks Stefan, I was worried that the 10% error would lead to a 1000kms extra between service intervals. But if the speedo internally adjusts for that for the odometre, then its perfect!

[motonap]

Continuing on...

 

It has been a great 10 odd days with Christmas break time here in NZ and it has been a fantastic 5 days of motorcycle camping with the T7. With 70% if the riding across the 5 days being gravel with luggage loaded onto the bike, either the T7 is growing on me or I am falling in love harder with each ride. It has been bliss, this image below is proof of bliss 

 

 

Any who, the more I ride the bike, the more I find bits I love  and bits that irritate  me!!

 

The little irritating bits were

- After the motorcycle was lowered, that side stand can be a pain in the wrong place unless you find a spot on the side of the road or a parking lot with a camber in the right direction to allow the bike to lean over just enough so that one feel confident enough to leave it there

- Even more dicey on loose gravel or soft ground, since you look for low enough ground and then it leans over way too much 

- The rear brake pedal, despite reducing free play, it is such a terribly design lever. When you are up on the pegs, one literally has to lean onto it for it to bite

- That handlebar needs to something to make it happier on the arms & wrists after hours round twisting gravel roads. I would sleep with sore forearms and wrists every night!!

- Almost useless windshield on the tarmac getting to and in between the gravel stretches, terrible buffeting, not the end of the world, but if it were 2 inches taller, would be ideal.

- The first couple of days of ownership did see me complain about how stiff the clutch felt in comparison to the butter soft slipper clutch of the CB500X, but that was a passing phase. Lots of adjustment to play later, its a little better in terms of actuation, waiting on my adjustable levers to arrive to sort that one out even further. 

 

Everything else about the motorcycle is love and loads of it! I cannot emphasize enough on the awesome fuel economy this thing has constantly given me irrespective of gravel or tarmac - a steady 25 to 27kmpl is bliss alright.

 

Since I was camping all 5 days, did have a little bit of a struggle with figuring out how to strap luggage on without compromising seat space combined with a top box. But you get the hang of it, find that sweet spot and carry on. I guess that is where I should have stiffened the rear a little bit after it was all loaded on, but it was not a deal breaker. Just rather bouncy when riding over ruts & undulations, but that was solved by spending more time on the pegs. 

 

 

Pushing though 2500kms over the 5 days was pure bliss since majority of it was gravel every day, such a fine motorcycle that can offer you the best of both worlds. The T7 has redefined the term adventure motorcycle for me, and its not just because its something new that I am riding at the moment. There is no fuss to the way it tackles both terrain, whether its winding tarmac or gravel that goes on and on and on. I definitely was riding faster on the gravel than I have in the past, pushing my comfort zone right upto the 100kmph mark on long straights, with that 21 inch just tracking its way and the ease with which the rest of the motorcycle follows. Coming around a corner as well, I was faster than I would have been comfortable with on my CB500X, even so much so that the rear stepping out is no longer a surprise.

 

 Love the gear ratios, though I do feel like the 1st is a little too short, so that had me starting from 2nd and sometimes even 3rd from standstills. On gravel, 4th seemed to be my favorite slot to be in whether I was chugging around at 40kmph or pushing upto 70kmph before shifting over. On the tarmac, 6th gear is geared perfect, to go all day at a 100kmph and then open throttle to over take and then let off the throttle to come back to a 100kmph. Depending on what the life of the chain and sprocket is, I might consider the +1 on the front.

[Tenerider]

Regarding wind buffeting, there is a loooong thread here somewhere.

I found a SHORTER windscreen to be a lot better. Head is in less turbulent air then (almost as quiet as when standing up).

An additional spoiler seems to be a good solution, too, but I'm always looks before function

[AZJW]

@motonap Again, good detail on your reviews that'll be beneficial to prospective T7 owners.  Addressing your niggles,  fairly sure the side stand and wimpy brake pedal can be solved with parts from our forum vendor,@Camel ADV, but I do see the lowered side stands are currently out of stock.  

 

Regarding the windscreen thread @Tenerider was referring to, I believe it is this one.  I too am a believer in the very reasonable ( <$30) spoilers as they've resolved the buffeting issue for both of our family T7's.

 

[Tenerider]

22 minutes ago, AZJW said:

@motonap Again, good detail on your reviews that'll be beneficial to prospective T7 owners.  Addressing your niggles,  fairly sure the side stand and wimpy brake pedal can be solved with parts from our forum vendor,@Camel ADV, but I do see the lowered side stands are currently out of stock.  

 

Regarding the windscreen thread @Tenerider was referring to, I believe it is this one.  I too am a believer in the very reasonable ( <$30) spoilers as they've resolved the buffering issue for both of our family T7's.

 

That's the thread, thanks buddy!

[Zero600]

@motonap  I also moved from a CB500x to the T7.  My list of irritations with the CB was long.  My list with the T7 is very short.

 

I have come to terms with the rear brake and I actually like the modulation when off road.  I highly recommend the AltRider Dual Control brake pedal add-on.  It puts the pedal at the right height when standing on the pegs, so you don't have to push down so far.  Perhaps the single best upgrade I have made for confidence and control off road.

 

I agree with you about the bars - ouch.  I tried the Protaper Evo Adventure before landing on the Renthal 605.  The extra 15mm of sweep has eliminated my elbow pain.  I reversed the OEM bar risers (now more forward) to keep weight over the front wheel.  Good setup for me.

 

AltRider has a new, adjustable-length kickstand that can work with your lowered bike.  @DuncMan Has recently posted a link to a review here on the forum.

[Camel ADV]

4 hours ago, AZJW said:

@motonap Again, good detail on your reviews that'll be beneficial to prospective T7 owners.  Addressing your niggles,  fairly sure the side stand and wimpy brake pedal can be solved with parts from our forum vendor,@Camel ADV, but I do see the lowered side stands are currently out of stock.  

 

Regarding the windscreen thread @Tenerider was referring to, I believe it is this one.  I too am a believer in the very reasonable ( <$30) spoilers as they've resolved the buffering issue for both of our family T7's.

 

 

FYI, the lowered T7 side stands should be back from powder coating Tues-Wed next week.

[motonap]

On 1/7/2023 at 4:11 AM, Zero600 said:

@motonap  I also moved from a CB500x to the T7.  My list of irritations with the CB was long.  My list with the T7 is very short.

 

I have come to terms with the rear brake and I actually like the modulation when off road.  I highly recommend the AltRider Dual Control brake pedal add-on.  It puts the pedal at the right height when standing on the pegs, so you don't have to push down so far.  Perhaps the single best upgrade I have made for confidence and control off road.

 

I agree with you about the bars - ouch.  I tried the Protaper Evo Adventure before landing on the Renthal 605.  The extra 15mm of sweep has eliminated my elbow pain.  I reversed the OEM bar risers (now more forward) to keep weight over the front wheel.  Good setup for me.

 

AltRider has a new, adjustable-length kickstand that can work with your lowered bike.  @DuncMan Has recently posted a link to a review here on the forum.

@Zero600 The Protaper was no good or not enough sweep?  What I do like about the stock handlebar is the ergos of it when on the pegs. How did the ProTaper fare when on the pegs? And how does the Renthal 605 fare?  Isn't the Renthal more MX oriented?

[Zero600]

5 minutes ago, motonap said:

@Zero600 The Protaper was no good or not enough sweep?  What I do like about the stock handlebar is the ergos of it when on the pegs. How did the ProTaper fare when on the pegs? And how does the Renthal 605 fare?  Isn't the Renthal more MX oriented?

The Protaper bar is great quality and it had enough sweep to help my wrists and elbows.  But when on the pegs I couldn't get enough weight over the front wheel.  Both height and sweep (or really the resulting reach from pegs to bars) were too much.  I rolled them forward, which helped a bit, but then the wrist angle got funky.

 

The 605 is somewhere in between the Protaper and OEM in both height and sweep.  I was shopping mainly for sweep to help my wrists and elbows.  As I mentioned, I reversed the bar risers to minimize the change in reach despite the increase in sweep.  The added height seemed like a good idea as I am 6' tall, but I have to admit the stance is less aggressive than OEM.

 

There are limited choices in bars with more sweep.  If available I might try a bar with more sweep but OEM rise.  But it's very personal of course.  I'm not sure the "MX" or "Adventure" or whatever designation really matters, just what fits your body and riding style.