Tenere or...

[THE_T_RAV]

I'm new to the off-road/Adventure  motorcycle scene ( aside from riding dirt bikes as a kid and owning a KTM 890 Adventure that I rarely took off-road). However, I have a great deal of experience on-road with mid-size to full-size street motorcycles. I also have a lot of experience off-road with four wheelers big and small (even a 1987 Honda 250 three wheeler lol). 

 

I'm on the fence between the Tenere and the CRF300L. I plan to spend 70% of my time on-road but the other 30% will be everything from slow and technical off-road to easy ( firebreaks, hard pack, gravel).

The technical riding stuff is what is making it complicated for me. If I planned to ride mostly off-road the CRF300L would be a no brainer. If I planned to ride mostly street and occasional wide open and easy off-road the Tenere would be my obvious choice. I'm not looking for race bike power but the CRF is definitely anemic compared to the Tenere and what I'm used to. I've searched the forum and watched hours and hours of vidoes on both bikes but I'm still stuck. I thought I wanted the CRF and even put a deposit on one but now I'm interested in the Tenere after watching videos and reviews but I'm not completely convinced either way.

 

 I'm looking for advice from experienced Tenere owners before I make a decision. Thanks!

[sunndog]

70% street? tenere all day imo

 

T7 is for a fairly slow and sedate street bike, there's no way I'd go down to a crf300 unless you're fine with only just keeping up at like 7k rpms 

[THE_T_RAV]

My son wants a dirt bike for trail riding  so I’m buying him a crf110 (he’s 11) so that’s another reason I considered the 300l, riding together. But I don’t see why I couldn’t follow him around on the Tenere. 

[THE_T_RAV]

15 minutes ago, sunndog said:

70% street? tenere all day imo

 

T7 is for a fairly slow and sedate street bike, there's no way I'd go down to a crf300 unless you're fine with only just keeping up at like 7k rpms 

Thanks for the input. I see the videos of these guys ripping it up off-road but they’re always out in the desert or mountains on open trails. I’d love to see someone trail ride one on the east side of the USA in the mountains and foothills. Tons of trail bikes out this way but I rarely see any mid sized adventure bikes. 

[Dougie]

My mate’s getting rid of his 300 as it’s too underpowered and still quite heavy. Mostly road then forget it. Even the t7 could do with more punch for fast roads. 

[sunndog]

Yeah only you know the terrain you'll be riding on.

 

An adv bike could be described as a street bike that can go off road, they aren't dirt bikes.

Even my 650 singles feel llike 250 two strokes in comparison.

 

You gotta compromise somewhere. 

T7, decent street bike fair off roader.

Crf300, decent off roader only just capable street bike

 

T7 50kg heavier, crf 50 horses less

Stock suspension arguably more in need of an upgrade than a t7

 

 

[sunndog]

11 minutes ago, Dougie said:

My mate’s getting rid of his 300 as it’s too underpowered and still quite heavy. Mostly road then forget it. Even the t7 could do with more punch for fast roads. 

 

153kg and 27hp @8.5k 

You'd shoot a horse if it were in that condition 

 

*edit

My ktm 640 is about the same weight but dyno'd @55hp 

Edited August 25, 2023 by sunndog

[OK185]

T7 is not an enjoyable bike for tight single track and technical stuff imo.

It's a pig to pick up and even turning around on a tight trail can become a challenge.

For local dirt riding it's not the right bike in my opinion.

 

For me it's a really good all around bike but I don't have any offroad near my home.

In that case I would probably keep my T7 and buy a cheaper dirtbike or dual sport. 

[Hibobb]

Obviously you need two motorcycles....

[Hollybrook]

@THE_T_RAV I was in the same situation. I had the T7 and my daughter bought a TTR125 to learn to ride on.  For really easy trails, the T7 was fine, but as the difficulty progressed, I started to get into trouble with the weight of the T7.

 

I now have a YZ250F and have NO problem keeping up with her.  

[neil_]

I was in a similar position almost a year ago, needless to say I decided on the Tenere. I'm doing probably 80% on road. I think the 300l/rally would be just a bit too under powered for me, especially if the bike is fully loaded with kit. I came from a 2019 Africa twin adventure sports. To me the Tenere is the middle bike, considerably lighter than the AT (243 kg wet) and also generally a smaller bike. It is also a down on power, though part of that is cancelled out by the weight difference. I did take the AT off road, but it was a little too big/heavy for the kind of off road I do (sometimes quite technical UK green lanes). Overall I am very happy with the Tenere, for sure the 300l with some upgrades would be better off road, but the Tenere is still an extremely capable bike.

[Hollybrook]

I should have added that I still have the T7 and ride it off road quite a bit on gravel, two track and easy single track. I just don't like it for more technical trails.

[kdeleon]

30% offroad, i'd definitely pick the T7.   

 

I've ridden in our local trails with a CRF300 and other similar dual sports, with even riding skill level, those bikes literally will run circles on the T7 while you are struggling getting it turned around in the tighter, gnarlier tracks.  With that said, the T7 shines when things open up, double tracks are a hoot and is very playful especially with that power.   The slow stuff, it's a bit of a struggle with that weight.  Is it fun, for sure, especially if you have friends to help pick up the bike.  I did enjoy riding the 300 for a bit, but personally, i am looking at DRZ400, CRF450 as my dual sport ride since i know i'd be looking for power.  

 

Also those videos you see of folks riding the T7 like dirt bikes, they are very good riders, plus most of them are wide tracks where the T7 and other midweight adv bikes shines.  

[Chris618]

I have both (well 250L).  I ride the 250L following my wife on her 230L.  That is the only time it gets ridden since getting the T7.  250L is a good bike if you realize it is a cheap, slow dual sport bike and is not a full dirt bike or a very good street bike.  T7 is definitely a better bike, but to just put put around the 250L is good.

[NeilW]

6 hours ago, THE_T_RAV said:

My son wants a dirt bike for trail riding  so I’m buying him a crf110 (he’s 11) so that’s another reason I considered the 300l, riding together. But I don’t see why I couldn’t follow him around on the Tenere. 

The T7 is not for "trail" riding unless you are an expert. I am an expert trail rider - single track-goat tails, rocky etc- on a 250# dirt bike with a 57 inch wheel base. Unfortunately  500# and 63" wheel base  has turned me off to trail riding my T7. Dropped it too many times making switchback type turns or crossing muddy ruts. I absolutly love this bike for what it is designed for - Adventure touring. forest roads and long days !

 

[JB700]

7 hours ago, OK185 said:

T7 is not an enjoyable bike for tight single track and technical stuff imo.

It's a pig to pick up and even turning around on a tight trail can become a challenge.

For local dirt riding it's not the right bike in my opinion.

 

For me it's a really good all around bike but I don't have any offroad near my home.

In that case I would probably keep my T7 and buy a cheaper dirtbike or dual sport. 

True 

I have a KTM 350 EXC-F too

They both do a different job 

 

[Alter Ego]

I have the same issue as the OP. I have the T7 now but have come to the conclusion that for technical stuff I have to get a smaller bike. I come from a MX/enduro racing background and the T7 just is not capable of allowing me to attack the trails and obstacles like I'm used to on a smaller machine. One thing that hasn't been discussed is fitness and strength training. The guys who take these heavy bikes out on difficult terrain have to have the muscle and technique to make it work.  In my experience if you do take a T7 out in the difficult stuff, besides the obvious bike upgrades, being in great physical shape is every bit as important and makes a huge difference.

[AZJW]

Sounds like @Hibobb nailed it, you'll need 2 bikes to cover your needs. I have a Beta 520 4 stroke ( 260 lbs.) for the gnarly stuff and the T7 for everything else.  Best description I've found to explain the T7's capabilities ( re: my abilities) is it's a great "dirt road " bike, not a dirt bike. Ymmv

[THE_T_RAV]

Thank you all for the awesome real world advice! The down to earth and honest input is exactly what I was looking for. 
Ive decided that the best choice is two bikes. I think I’ll start on the 300l to build my off-road confidence and that’ll give me time to see if the Tenere extreme comes to the USA. 

I really appreciate all of you taking the time to reply, it’s refreshing to post on a forum without ridicule. 

[Norcalslowpoke]

Great choice!   IMHO.  That 300L will get you anywhere while still being able to trail ride with your son..by far the most important factor.   

 

You will only learn frustration by trying to trail ride the T7..and might get injured if you run into unexpected technical trails.

 

To me the Tenere is a (bit too heavy) travel, go anywhere  bike, and works perfectly as such.  Hell, even the 300L might feel too big/heavy for some trails. I don't know your area/skill level. 

 

The old recommendation for this quandary is the classic DR650, could do worse if only getting one bike.

 

Down the road, as you say, if you want an ADV/Travel bike, grab a used Tenere, see if you like/need it for what it is, sell it if you don't.  That 300L seems to cover a lot of ground, none of it perfectly, but adequately. 

 

Enjoy your time with your son, nothing else really matters.

 

Just a thought or two.

[winddown]

I'd start with the 300, both have a similar seat heights and that seat height is important when starting out, as is the weight.   It's tricky in the dirt and takes quite a while to build confidence.  Building over-confidence is easy, lots of dropping the bike involved in that path though lol.

[DT675]

@THE_T_RAV looks like you’ve made your decision. Congrats. Personally, I had a heavily modified crf250l recently and moved to a KTM 390 adventure. The 390 is a waaay better bike imo than the Honda and spot on for what you were asking. Way lighter than my t7 way better on the road than the Honda and pretty darn good off road too.  The Honda’s stock suspension is horrible. 

[Bugs]

I like your decision because it's the same choice I made. I have a T7 and a WR250R.

I am not skilled enough (and probably too old) to deal with the T7 on tight, twisty trails. The WR helps me look somewhat competent. 

Edited November 13, 2023 by Bugs
typo

[Danrides]

T7 is a big girl if you don’t ride her aggressively.

 

But she responds well when you do.

 

If you ride her timid she will for sure catch you out off road

[headwinded]

Some random thoughts:

 

If you're a physically larger guy you may find the CRF cockpit to be a bit cramped, which isn't something you can easily fix.

The T7 is always going to be top heavy, also not fixable.  And while it can be incredibly competent off-road, you simply aren't throwing this bike around like a sub-300lb'er.

The T7 will be a much, much better street / fireroad solution in terms of cruising capability, though the CRF will be passable on the road.

Both bikes will require some modding most likely to get them where you want them.   Not a huge deal for the CRF, but once you look at the T7 + mod costs, other bikes might fall into your scope.

You really need to decide how important the 30% is to you.   In my personal experience, as you improve as a rider, that 30% is probably going to get more of your focus, and you'll want something a bit more dirt capable than either of these machines (which is why I'm seriously considering adding a 3rd bike to the garage next year)

 

Edit - whoops, didn't see that you had already chosen

Edited September 7, 2023 by headwinded