Tenere as a two up touring bike.

[Treloco]

Hi all! Jumping straight into it. I am interested in getting a T7. I've been reading reviews and comments for quite some time now (not quite positive on this matter) and would like everyone's honest opinion / experience on whether this bike can be turned into a good touring bike for two up. Of course I am not looking for GS comfort and power-wise I would be more than happy with the CP2. I can't stand looking at the competition (Tuareg, Transalp, 790, Vstrom) they all look way too ugly to me. I was hoping for a T9 to be announced in EICMA but even that would probably be way more pricey and with more bells and whistles and I guess we will have to wait longer for it to become reality (if ever). I really like the looks of the T7, the community, the aftermarket options and to me feels like a classic. Any help, photos, reviews with your personal two up riding experiences is more than welcome! 

[sunndog]

I'm 220lb and I've had a 100lb ish woman on the back without issue. 

 

As a touring bike though? 

Do you need off road capabilities?

Any bike can do most things but two up road riding isn't the main strength of a t7. Tins of bikes with bigger seats and more room out there 

[Treloco]

Hey sunndog! I know the T7 is off-road oriented but i am not really into off-road riding. Could possibly try it if the bike is right but not my main concern. I am interested in tall position (being 1.92 height), good suspension travel and overally the looks. I am mostly looking for feedback into aftermarket seat options (like the Seat Concepts tall comfort) but haven't found any reviews for two up riding.

[ninot7]

I have the World Raid. I had the tracer 9gt and the R1200GSA before that. I will tell you honestly, the Tenere is a perfect SOLO, Soft/Light luggage travel - do it all bike. I do take my 14 yr old daughter as pillion around town but i wouldnt even think of touring 2up, let alone 2 up + luggage. Yes, people do it, but there are FAR better bikes for that. 

Edited November 11, 2023 by ninot7

[AZJW]

@Treloco Welcome from Arizona. You didn’t say what bike you had previously so providing a comparison is just a guess. In offering my perspective on T7 two up riding, keep in mind my last bike was an FJR.  Comparing the two bikes is apples and oranges, i.e. no comparison.  The FJR provided effortless passing capabilities while two up, no downshift needed and normally minimal throttle added to get around someone quickly, easy to do with 145 hp, so I was totally spoiled.   The T7 with half the horsepower requires deliberate downshifts ( sometimes 2 gears) and judicious planning to safely pass vehicles.  While gaining speed entering a highway/ Freeway, it usually requires copious amounts of throttle to merge into fast traffic.

 

That all said, the T7 is fine for shorter trips ( under 100 miles) unless you and your pillion are like minded and enjoy "togetherness ", longer trips can be a grind.  I did get the Seat Concepts Tall Comfort seat that my Mrs. does appreciate on the half dozen times a year that she'll ride with me.  For the most part, I ride my T7 solo and it's great, but as mentioned above, there are much better bikes out there for two up riding, especially if you're doing lots of miles and would be using luggage. 

Hope this helps.

[Tenerider]

I'm 187 cm, long legs, and tend to use much of the seat's space, roughly sitting in the middle of its complete length (I have a one piece rally seat). I love the ergonomics and seating position, but wouldn't love it any more if I had to sit closer to the tank - which you'd have to do to make space for a pillion.

[Treloco]

Thank you all for your replies! @AZJW previous bike was a CB500 so not much to compare either. I test rode the T7 with pillion for 30 minutes. Pillion complained that the top case fitted to the test bike (weird) was pushing her a bit too much forward . Other than that I would say it is was fine in every aspect regarding two up riding though the real test would be riding for 3-4 hours and see how it goes.

[Nick H]

I have used my T700 for several longish European touring trips with my wife and luggage.  To be honest it was far better than I expected and she preferred it to the GS1150 we had before..... There is enough space, though you do need to think about the best luggage to use.  I ended up with pannier racks and soft panniers (21 Brothers which are great and really good value).  It was fine on the motorway but better on single carriageway roads.  No, it's not all that powerful, but we are around 150-160kg between us and I was really happy with the bike's performance.  Hope this helps.

[Treloco]

Thanks Nick, your reply is quite helpful! Didn't expect this remark in regards to the 1150! If you don't mind me asking, did you travel on stock seat or some aftermarket option? Pics always welcome! Regarding the weight limit of the bike, is it based on the springs~suspension setup or/and the subframe?

[Alsoran]

If your main mission for the bike is two up, I would look more towards a Super Tenere. Yes it's doable on a T7 and especially for short trips if it's set up properly for you're pillion. However I have both and it's clear that the Super Tenere is the go-to for our two up trips. It's much more "appropriate" for the mission and it gets even better by adding some extras to bring additional pillion comfort. You may want to look at a Super Tenere as pricing likely is not much more for a pre-owned one. Plus it's an awesome long travel bike!

 

I agree that you can't beat the looks of the T7 and if I had to replace mine for any reason, I would buy another one. Great all around travel bike however two-up is slightly out of it's wheelhouse.

[Colddog]

I put in a number of trips with my girl on behind and it works excellent!  I got proper rear spring for my weight that sets me up solo with 2 clicks preload, add 10 clicks for the missus and we are off on all roads adventures!  The two of us rode about 5000km together, didn’t do much single track, but loads of double track and gravel.

To be honest, the bike rides like a dream with both of us on it, just turned up the rebound dampening a bit.

My season is done as the snow is trying to stay, but we are planning for next season already!

Originally I was thinking of a trade for an S10 if the T7 couldn’t haul us both, but I was proven wrong!
 If you want to keep your missus happy, get a good seat for her!  I built a good one, that is a must!

 

[Treloco]

@Alsoran Super Tenere isn't available anymore (only pre-owned) and to be honest I don't really like it in terms of appearance. I understand there are better bikes for this task out there but I can't stand looking at them and I wouldn't really be happy seeing them in my garage  The only 'reasonable' alternative, given that I am not really interested in off-road riding, is the Tracer 9 GT which is not too far in terms of pricing from the T7 Rally version (If you include racks - panniers it's almost the same price). When I sat on it, it felt okay-ish but looking at some photos later it seemed like I was sitting in a playmobil toy and also felt like the feet are a bit backwards which for sure wouldn't be comfortable after a few hours.

@Colddog I am so glad to hear this and happy that the bike works out well for you and your missus! Different springs are a must from what I gather!

[ninot7]

4 hours ago, Treloco said:

@Alsoran Super Tenere isn't available anymore (only pre-owned) and to be honest I don't really like it in terms of appearance. I understand there are better bikes for this task out there but I can't stand looking at them and I wouldn't really be happy seeing them in my garage  The only 'reasonable' alternative, given that I am not really interested in off-road riding, is the Tracer 9 GT which is not too far in terms of pricing from the T7 Rally version (If you include racks - panniers it's almost the same price). When I sat on it, it felt okay-ish but looking at some photos later it seemed like I was sitting in a playmobil toy and also felt like the feet are a bit backwards which for sure wouldn't be comfortable after a few hours.

@Colddog I am so glad to hear this and happy that the bike works out well for you and your missus! Different springs are a must from what I gather!

 

I had the Tracer 9GT prior to my World Raid. If i was to stick to tarmac, the 9gt would be my choice 100%. Problem is the 9gt hasnt got any true offroad potential. 

 

That's why am really hoping Yamaha would release the Tenere 900. 

[Colddog]

21 hours ago, Treloco said:

@Alsoran Super Tenere isn't available anymore (only pre-owned) and to be honest I don't really like it in terms of appearance. I understand there are better bikes for this task out there but I can't stand looking at them and I wouldn't really be happy seeing them in my garage  The only 'reasonable' alternative, given that I am not really interested in off-road riding, is the Tracer 9 GT which is not too far in terms of pricing from the T7 Rally version (If you include racks - panniers it's almost the same price). When I sat on it, it felt okay-ish but looking at some photos later it seemed like I was sitting in a playmobil toy and also felt like the feet are a bit backwards which for sure wouldn't be comfortable after a few hours.

@Colddog I am so glad to hear this and happy that the bike works out well for you and your missus! Different springs are a must from what I gather!

When it was new, it was so terribly undersprung that it would dive on braking and almost bottom out!  New springs front and rear, .65 and 85 rally raid.  Front end saw the shim stacks modified and mid valve installed, never did this before but instructions were clear and I ham fisted my way through it and it rides great!  I would love to try someone’s bike with an expensive set of front and rear suspension to see how far off I am.

[sunndog]

On 11/14/2023 at 7:48 AM, Treloco said:

@Alsoran Super Tenere isn't available anymore (only pre-owned) and to be honest I don't really like it in terms of appearance. I understand there are better bikes for this task out there but I can't stand looking at them and I wouldn't really be happy seeing them in my garage  The only 'reasonable' alternative, given that I am not really interested in off-road riding, is the Tracer 9 GT which is not too far in terms of pricing from the T7 Rally version (If you include racks - panniers it's almost the same price). When I sat on it, it felt okay-ish but looking at some photos later it seemed like I was sitting in a playmobil toy and also felt like the feet are a bit backwards which for sure wouldn't be comfortable after a few hours.

@Colddog I am so glad to hear this and happy that the bike works out well for you and your missus! Different springs are a must from what I gather!

 

 

Having read all your replies here...mate just buy a t7

 

It's clearly what you want so go for it. Sure there's better suited bikes but unless you and your girl are 200lb+ each a t7 will manage and have enough room.

 

People have been doing everything on not the best bike for the job forever 

I ride like a hooligan on the road used to either 650 supermotos or 150hp muscle bikes yet I still enjoy the t7 for road work...is it as good as the others at what they are best at? Hell no but it's still a good bike 

Edited November 15, 2023 by sunndog

[random1781]

Y'all are all wrong. If you want a bike for two up or more, you should be looking at something < 250cc. This seems to be the standard in most places...

 

[Treloco]

@ninot7 T900 could be the absolute bike (at least for me). It’s a bit hard to justify paying 12k for the rally version when you could have the Tracer GT with 15k. I know we talk about different bikes, but in terms of value with GT you get relatively more. I will try and rent a T7 to check two up touring on highway. 

[ninot7]

19 hours ago, Treloco said:

@ninot7 T900 could be the absolute bike (at least for me). It’s a bit hard to justify paying 12k for the rally version when you could have the Tracer GT with 15k. I know we talk about different bikes, but in terms of value with GT you get relatively more. I will try and rent a T7 to check two up touring on highway. 

 

yes i had the 9gt and it's an absolutely amazing bike. It'll be way better 2 up than the Tenere imho. However, it has virtually no offroad manners, lots of expensive plastic panels and paint work, and likely to end up paying big sterling if dropped. If i was to stick to road and very - very light gravel and tour 2 up with luggage id defo go for the 9gt. Solo and any road then Tenere.

If you are after 2 up adv touring with gravel and fire roads, id look at something like the Vstrom 650 or 1050, both have a beefier rear subframe that can cope with pillion and luggage. Or something like the Triumph 900s, Africa Twin? All better options for sure. 

I re-convinced myself about the above when i installed my tail tidy on my Tenere, took all rear plastics off and really the subframe looks quite fragile for any significant load. 

 

Edited November 17, 2023 by ninot7

[STL-T7]

While I don't tour 2 up on the T7, I do take the wife on short trips. Usually less than 100 miles round trip.  I have the Corbin Canyon Dual sport with the backrest for the 2 up trips.  It is very comfortable, and the wife likes the backrest.  We don't need a top case for the short trips. Still use the stock seat solo riding, but may get a Rally seat or something else for solo riding at some point.  As for 2 up riding, T7 is perfectly fine, plenty of power on the highway, plenty of room for both passengers.  However, as others have already mentioned, if 2 up touring is the main objective, there are many other bikes that will provide a better experience.  The T7 is really a Swiss army bike. It can do quite a lot of different things pretty well, but it's sweet spot is adventures that involves multiple variations of terrain.