Here's the competition.

[rlkat]

http://www.yamaha-motor-europe.com/p...jsp?view=video


Yamaha 1 : Transalp 0....

... so far!!!

Rob

[Lam]

Cool ad

Honda man meself,but Yam looking good

[dasoutham]

Looks good!
It was an old Tenere which got me interested in bikes again about 10 years ago. We were at Holyhead ferry terminal very early in the morning, on our way to a holiday in Ireland, and four bikes rolled in together, loaded up with touring/camping kit. They were:
A Super Tenere
An AT (I think it was the first one I'd seen)
A Kawa 650 KLR or KLX, can't remember which
An oldish BMW boxer

Wasn't interested in the BM, although I like the current boxers (possibly age related?).
Thought the Kawa looked good, nice and light for a 650, but the AT and the Tenere both looked the mutt's nuts.
Hadn't been on a bike since about 1984 (and it was the C90!), then a local used car dealer had an AT in the showroom. I left a few nose prints on the window gawping at it, but it was just too expensive.
It disappeared for a few weeks, then it was back again, but £1000 cheaper. No brainer this time, traded my Fiat Uno Turbo for it.
I was **** scared riding it home at 35 mph (less than C90 speed!) but haven't regretted it. If it had been a Tenere or the Kawa in the window, I think I would have done the same. The new Tenere or a Trumph would probably get my money now if I was looking for another bike.
The AT and the Tenere both have a strong following, but the Kawa doesn't seem to get much comment - was it any good?
Cheers,
Dave

[moon]

the Yam does it for me (at least visually). I don't suppose I'll be able to afford one 'till they're about 10 years old anyway so the teething troubles should be ironed out by then...

[rlkat]

There shouldn't be any teething troubles. The engine's been around for ages and is used in various bikes. Reliability is good, it looks the mutt's nuts, will be cheaper than the Honda...... but it'll still be a big decision to sell the Tranny to get one!

Rob

[scorpio]

Marketing Honda answers http://it.youtube.com/watch?v=LNh1MsDA9Qw
Anyway I am curious to see the Tenerè 2008...not bad IMHO.

[Wee Jack]

Two nice ads there.............mmmmmmmmmm???

[LazyRider]

'Rlkat', you may see it as competition, but I don't

They are different bikes aimed at different markets.

The Teneré is a more focused bike, great for low maintenance, low daily mileages across difficult terrain, a bike that can be dropped without causing any real damage. It is not a bike for long quick miles then a bit of unmade roads.

I have tried to tour on an XT600E, having ridden one down through France and then along the 'jeep' tracks of through the Picos mountains on two occasions - the second time with a saddle off of a Honda CX!

2 thousand miles of frustration and discomfort for one hundred miles of pleasure. It really wasn't worth it.

If your ambition is to cross Africa or ride the unmade roads of Wales, the Teneré would be a good choice. But for anything else the TA would be a far better choice.

[sproggy]

If I had to express a preference based purely on the two videos I have to admit I'd end up with a red and white bike with tuning forks on the tank, but what LazyRider says is almost certainly true - they're chasing different markets.

I note that Yamaha don't quote power or torque figures for the 660. Neither do they quote top speed (anything over 100mph is irrelevant on a bike like this, but below that it makes a difference on long trips). I have to say that the TA looks completely out of place off road but then that comes back to different markets again.

I may not have any particular desire to take my TA off road but that doesn't stop me liking the style of the Yam

[beep]

I've tried the XT660X, supermoto styled bike the Tenere is based on and used to own a Transalp 600. The engine on the Yamaha is excellent, nice punchy midrange - the only gripe is the Efi hunting at lower revs, which can cause the bike to pogo backwards and forwards, if you try to keep a constant throttle position a low speed. In comparison the TA felt very rough, but was easier to ride at lower speeds. The XT is definately more fun but isn't a bike you'd want to take on the motorway. The Tenere should be better, having a fairing, but I doubt it'd be as good as the new TA, which will probably cruise at 80-90, whereas the Yamaha will probably be happier at 70. For what I need, I think the TA still wins.

I really hope they get the Efi setup properly on the new TA and that it improves the power delivery.