yamaha motorcycle Super Tenere

Yamaha 1200ZZ Super Tenere

Fuel economy is where you would expect for a big adventure bike, it seems to easily get 16 to 17 KPL in serious dirt situations and if ridden on highways for fuel economy I believe 19 to 23 KPL is very achievable, the km per litre read-out on the dashboard does often get into the 24 km plus per litre readings, but I have never followed through for long enough to get the best out of it. I'm sure in the hands of a really sensible and patient rider the bike would be capable of awesome KPL readings.

The bike was a bit of a surprise package because even though it is in the BMW 1200GS class, it still felt surprisingly light and nimble to throw around in reasonably tight off-road situations, this is obviously because Yamaha have put a lot of thought into having a low centre of gravity.

On our long-term demo XT1200, all we have done to improve the ergonomics is to remove the foot peg rubbers which unveals an absolutely top quality set of off-road foot pegs that are not only strong but wide and comfortable to stand on all day. As the writer is over 6 feet tall, we turned the handlebars forward just a little more and put the seat in the higher position.

If I was running adventure riding training schools, then I would be doing demonstrations by applying the rear brake to back it in and then powering it out, and I could not do that with the ABS brakes. I think Yamaha have nailed this bike fairly nicely, but they really should of fitted an ABS on/off switch.

I previously mentioned a set of heavier springs when talking about the bash plate, well 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 reoil and the correct springs for the weight of the bike, it would make a large difference in more serious 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 pillion seat is well designed and if you want to carry additional luggage across the top of your saddlebags or pannier boxes, you can remove the seat and make it an integral part of your luggage carrying system, not that I recommend overloading any adventure bike too much. A back pack, saddlebags and tank bag with a swag on the carrier is as far as the loading should go, if you can't fit it in those items, don't take it. Leave room on the seat to be able to stand up, move around and control the bike.

My personal preference is with saddlebags as they are soft and fairly narrow and traditionally mount further forward, which gives better weight distribution. They are also easier on the body if you happen to end up lying underneath them. The genuine Yamaha panniers do work well, they are easy to remove, and if you like big box panniers, don't detract from the looks of the bike too much. I have used the genuine Yamaha panniers and they are a quality piece of gear, easy to get on off and a good size. For the record you can actually fit 30 stubbies in the right hand pannier!

We fitted the standard steel pipe engine guard, and this works exceptionally well, it definitely helps protect the engine cases plus everything above the cases behind the fairing side covers to a certain extent. As bike lift tests have shown if the bike is on its side, these engine cases actually make it easier to pick up as the bike seems to pivot on them.

The Yamaha headlight protector was also fitted. The genuine Yamaha tank bag uses magnets as well as strap system which does seem to work quite well, it's easy to get into the fuel cap, it does need stabilising a little bit if you've got a lot of gear in it on a really rough mongrel track.

For the winter months and the southern states, the bike would definitely benefit from a set of grip warmers, so if we keep it long enough a good set of Oxford grip warmers will be fitted, of course, for a little more money Yamaha supply a quality set of genuine grip warmers.

The servicing schedule on this bike is a motorcycle riders dream, oil changes and minor services are recommended every 10,000 km, this comprises mainly of checking all bolt tensions and control adjustments are within limits.

To sum the XT 1200 Super Tenere up, it ain't no KTM 990 Adventure but that is not it's class, but if youare after a bike that fits into the BMW1200GS category, the Yamaha more than fills the bill, and at a retail price that you could fully set it up with accessories including GPS and more and still be under the price of a BMW, and the really great thing about the XT1200 Super Tenere is that being a Yamaha it will be super reliable, as it has an already solid as a rock proven motor.