Firstly, fuel economy is what you would expect for a big adventure motorcycle and it seems to easily get 16 to 17 KPL in serious off-road situations and if ridden on highways/freeways for fuel economy I believe 19 to 23 KPL is very doable, the kilometer per litre read-out on the dashboard does often get into the 24 km plus per litre readings, but I have never ridden through for long enough to get the most out of it. I believe in the hands of a really safe and patient rider the motorcycle would probably be capable of some awesome KPL readings.
The bike was a bit of the surprise package because even though it is within the BMW 1200GS class, still felt remarkably light and nimble to throw around in reasonably tight off-road situations, this can be clearly because Yamaha have put plenty of thought into obtaining a minimal center of gravity.
On our extended-term demo XT1200, all we have implemented to boost the ergonomics is always to get rid of the foot peg rubbers which unveils a really top quality number of off-road foot pegs that are not only strong but wide and cozy to manage on all day long lengthy ride. Since the author is over 6 foot tall, we switched the handlebars forward somewhat to give the rider a better position.
Essentially if I was running adventure riding training schools, i might be doing demos using the trunk brake to back it in then running it, which i could not do that while using ABS brakes. In my opinion Yamaha have nailed this bike fairly nicely, nonetheless they should of fitted an ABS on/off switch.
The next modification we will be doing to this bike is definitely to fit heavier suspension springs front and rear, there is a slight lack of dampening adjustment on the suspension, but I feel with a re-oil and the correct springs for the weight of the bike, it would make a large difference in more dangerous conditions with capable riders, and would help keep the belly of the bike off the rocks. Of course, you could always go to the next step and fit a high-quality shock absorber and do some serious re-valving mods to the front end, but if you want to keep costs down and still have a good ride, some simple really affordable suspension modifications will be fine, and that is what we will be doing for our next major adventure ride on the bike.
The bike was a bit of the surprise package because even though it is within the BMW 1200GS class, still felt remarkably light and nimble to throw around in reasonably tight off-road situations, this can be clearly because Yamaha have put plenty of thought into obtaining a minimal center of gravity.
On our extended-term demo XT1200, all we have implemented to boost the ergonomics is always to get rid of the foot peg rubbers which unveils a really top quality number of off-road foot pegs that are not only strong but wide and cozy to manage on all day long lengthy ride. Since the author is over 6 foot tall, we switched the handlebars forward somewhat to give the rider a better position.
Essentially if I was running adventure riding training schools, i might be doing demos using the trunk brake to back it in then running it, which i could not do that while using ABS brakes. In my opinion Yamaha have nailed this bike fairly nicely, nonetheless they should of fitted an ABS on/off switch.
The next modification we will be doing to this bike is definitely to fit heavier suspension springs front and rear, there is a slight lack of dampening adjustment on the suspension, but I feel with a re-oil and the correct springs for the weight of the bike, it would make a large difference in more dangerous conditions with capable riders, and would help keep the belly of the bike off the rocks. Of course, you could always go to the next step and fit a high-quality shock absorber and do some serious re-valving mods to the front end, but if you want to keep costs down and still have a good ride, some simple really affordable suspension modifications will be fine, and that is what we will be doing for our next major adventure ride on the bike.
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For more on the Super Tenere read this review of Super Tenere's and other adventure bikes.
