| Author | Message | ||
     Mikef5000 |
  Well I wanted to wait to have the Uly in my possession again to do a back to back comparison, but I ended up writing out my thoughts for someone that emailed me, so I might as well just go ahead and post them here. Keep in mind, I'm going to be a little biased, I love my Uly, but I did just spend mega-bucks on the Tenere to replace it. I tried to be blatantly honest and unbiased, but it's a little difficult The Bikes: 2012 Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere versus a 2009 Buell XB12XT Ulysses Touring Comfort: I find the Uly seat a bit more comfortable. The Tenere's is not bad, but the Uly's is about the best in the industry, for me at least. The handlebars and footpegs all feel neutral to me, not unlike the Uly. The Tenere has an adjustable rider seat, and removable passenger seat. Both nice features. With the passenger seat removed, you have a double sized luggage rack, a pretty cool feature if you do some touring alone. The Tenere looks big; especially when sitting on it, with that mammoth gas tank and fairing in between your arms. The wide handlebars also add to the effect. But it is so light on it's feet it's just about mind boggling. Knowing how heavy it really is, I'm not sure how Yamaha pulled off. Buell is all about 'mass centralization', which I understand and respect, but the idea that Yamaha can make this beast feel this light/nimble is very impressive (especially considering the huge muffler hung high out back, and the 6 gallons of heavy fuel sitting so high up front). To be fair, I ride my Uly 100% of the time with a top box and side cases (generally empty), both are very anti-mass-centralization. When I get my luggage on the Tenere, surely it will effect this (negatively) a bit. General handling characteristics: The Tenere feels quicker steering/leaning, which is odd, as slow steering is a common complaint with the bike. I can throw it into corners effortlessly. It has much thinner tires than the Uly, which may contribute to this feeling. On the contrary, the Uly has significantly better lean angles. I've dragged the pegs on the Super Tenere through the fun S-curve in my neighborhood. The only time I've dragged pegs on the Uly was on a race track while dragging knees; pretty drastic difference here. The lower peg position gives you two positives though: a slightly more relaxed leg position and a center-stand. The center stand is extremely handy for maintenance and parking on soft surfaces. If you're planning on hard touring, many would deem it a requirement. But it does reduce available lean angle. If you're planning on hard cornering, the lean angle of the Uly will be welcome. This is a fairly large trade-off, that is not something the aftermarket will be able to help with. I'd say your Uly 'chicken strips' will be able to tell you if you will use that extra lean angle. I run my Uly to about 1/4" from the edge of the back tire under normal (fun) riding. This same type of riding will run the Tenere to the very edge of the back tire, where your just about at the limit of lean angle. Short answer: The steering of the Tenere feels quicker and easier, but the Uly has more raw ability in the twisties. I'll do a head to head comparison when I get the Uly back, but the Uly tires are only at about 20%, and tires in general handle poor when they get that low, so it may not be a good comparison. Engine Comparison: The Uly is more linear; from about the time you let the clutch out to redline, the uly pulls like a tractor, nice and smooth and fun. The Tenere uses it's engine management to change the characteristics at different rpms. It's hard to make a direct comparison, because you've got Sport Mode and Touring Mode, and then even the different levels of Traction Control change things. Let's say we do a fair battle, Uly, versus Tenere in Sport Mode with Traction Control off... This is as close to 'all out' as you can get. The Tenere's a faster bike. It's going to walk away from the Uly at any speed I think. The catch is, with an extra gear, your shifting the Tenere more often, the Uly's wide ratio 5-speed is going to draw out each gear a bit more, which can be more enjoyable than constantly shifting while blasting up to speed. But the spec sheets don't lie in this regard, the Tenere does the quarter mile in about 10 and a half seconds, where as the Uly is a good bit over 12. Back to reality though, and the Tenere does feel similar. In touring mode, it feels slower to start, but that's because the computer is heavily limiting the throttle under 3k rpm (at such low rpms, more gas hurts fuel economy, while not helping acceleration much). There is a noticeable kick in the power-band at 3k rpm in touring mode. Also, for the first couple thousand miles, that low rpm seemed down on power a bit more, possibly due to the tight motor. For this reason, I was fairly certain the Uly had much more low end kick than the Tenere, although after that 3000-3500 rpm kick, the Tenere would still walk away. Now that it's broken in though, the bottom end opened up a good bit, plus Sport Mode opens up the bottom end more as well. It still gives you a kick at 3k rpm that the Uly doesn't have. I'd say, with the lower lean angles of the Tenere, but quicker acceleration, they'd be a pretty decent match-up on a twisty road or track. All of that having been said, I can't wait to get the Uly back to do some back-to-back comparisons. Transmission: The Tenere has the 6th gear overdrive that we all asked for on the Uly. It's not required by any means, the Uly does well with it's wide 5 speeds, but I feel much more comfortable cruising at higher speeds on the Tenere. 75 is about the max I'd cruise on the Uly, we all know it'll do much more than that, but it was just a mental thing, I don't know if it begins to sound like it's straining, or begins to vibrate a bit, or the wind, I honestly don't recall. What I do know is that I find myself (especially down south where people drive FAST) purring along at 80 on the Tenere, which has never happened on the Uly. Shifts are super smooth, and the hydraulic clutch works flawlessly. No complaint here. Really for either bike though, they just work. Final Drive: The Yamaha drive shaft is a well known and trusted system. No more carrying a spare belt around with me on trips. It does take the added maintenance of changing the fluid every 12k miles, but that's a 5 minute process, with only 200 mL of a standard fluid. There is a bit of drive-line lash, which is perfectly normal to anyone used to a shaft or chain, but it's new and different if you're used to a Buell's constant belt tension system. Not a negative, just different. Windshield: The Tenere's is adjustable from the factory, which is nice, but like the Uly's, it's just simply not that great. I'm going to live with it, but folks more particular than I (or willing to put more money into it) will prefer a different shield to eliminate buffeting. The Tenere has a factory option of little winglets that mount to the fairing. Supposedly these make a noticeable difference. Fuel Economy: I get nearly identical mileage between my Tenere and Uly. Where the advantage come is with the extra gallon and a half of fuel in the Tenere. I love that big tank, and the range was my biggest complaint with the Uly. I hated the idea of needing fuel every 150-180 miles when touring. The Tenere easily passes the 200 mile mark, and should under most circumstances pass 250 miles on a tank when touring. On my trip on the Tenere, I netted a 'best' of about 55 mpg for a whole tank (cruising around 55-60 mph), and 45 mph for a 'worst', cruising at 80mph. Entirely city riding in sport mode will drop that number down to about 40 (or below), which is still identical to what I'd get on the Uly. Brakes: The Uly works great! Nothing fance here (well, ZTL, but I mean 'feel' wise), it just works. Until you get pulsing in the front rotor. Then it's time for an EBR 6mm rotor. For me, this came at 25k miles. The Tenere, it works great too! BUT, then it also has a well-thought-out linked brake system, and then it has a best-in-the-industry ABS system. The linked brakes works with the front brake lever, apply front brakes, and it'll apply both. Apply rear brake only (or initially), and it'll keep the system separate. That way you can trail brake, or brake off pavement, without any unexpected outcomes. You'd never know the system was there if I didn't tell you, it's that seamless. The ABS just works as well. Many complain that there is no 'off' button (which has easy work arounds if you really want it off), but it's because it never needs to be off. It just works. On pavement, off pavement, anywhere. I've activated the rear ABS on several occasions, and it did exactly what I wanted. I've never activated the front ABS; that would take some seriously slick stuff, or seriously hard braking, but I have faith it will work as well as I've been told. Even dirt riding, the ABS lets you ride aggressive as you want, but it keeps everything in check. It's an awesome system. Traction Control: I don't know, I mean, I don't need it, but I guess it's good to have. Most agree that TC1 is too limiting. TC2 is about perfect for most, and TC-OFF is needed for off road riding where tire spin may be necessary. The downside is, upon starting the bike, it always reverts back to TC1, no matter what it was in when you shut it off. I ride in TC1 about all the time, but I don't ride that aggressive on pavement. TC1 will keep the front tire firmly planted, no matter how hard you try to throttle wheelie. It'll also keep yours tires tracking perfectly off pavement. TC2 will let you float the front tire a bit on pavement, and will let you get a little sideways off pavement, while still keeping everything in check. I'm more or less under the impression that traction control, ABS, and the engine management settings could all be combined to one adjustment: Touring mode has (obviously) touring mode on the engine management, TC1, and ABS on. Sport mode (again) has sport mode engine management, TC2, and ABS still on. And then OFF, could be in sport mode engine management, with TC and ABS shut down. I can't think of any situation where you'd want limited power (touring mode) but the ability to spin the tire or wheelie. And vice versa, when would you want FULL POWER, but an extremely aggressive traction control system keeping you have doing anything even remotely aggressive. Really not a big deal, just some thoughts. Gadgetry: The Uly is pretty simplistic. Take that for what it is, simple can be good. But, the advanced stuff on the Tenere is pretty sweet. The on-board computer can tell you the air temperature, engine temperature, current fuel economy, average fuel economy, and, um, something else which I cannot currently remember. The digital speedo is not my favorite. Not this unit in particular, but in general, digital speedo's are constantly flickering between numbers, even when cruising, it's always going to blink between a couple digits, just a little annoying to me. It's not nearly as high tech as the Beemer unit, but that's also not a terribly bad thing either. Take for example when the BMW starts blinking big unknown symbols at you, and you'd surely think something was about to catch fire and destroy you and the bike both, only to learn later you're 2 psi low in your back tire. Plus there's the little fact that the BMW computer is an optional accessory ($$$), but that's neither here nor there. The Tenere has a fuel gauge! The Uly does not, and really, once you get to know your bike, you can have a pretty good idea of fuel levels simply by watching the trip meter, but still, it's very handy to have the gauge, score one for the Tenere. Both bikes have a power outlet on the dash, but the Uly has one beneath the seat as well. I've never used it, but I can see how it would be handy, and I'll give them credit there. HEATED GRIPS! This is a gadget that any bike even remotely considered a touring type machine should have. I mean, required; make it a law. It is unacceptable for Yamaha to sell a bike of this caliber (at this price point) without heated grips. Their optional kit works very well, but is bulky and ugly. Huge points to the Uly here. Mine came with heated grips as standard, but even the optional Buell kit installs in the switch housing and is stealth and seamless, just the way it should be. Tires: This is where the intentions of the two bikes begin to show their true differences. The Uly can be considered an adventure tourer, at least, that's what I considered it. But the fact of the matter is, you will be running street tires. So, should it be considered a sport tourer? That's probably more accurate. To take the Uly off pavement, you have to be good. The bike will do anything you want, but the talent has to be there to make it do things well. I've ridden my Uly off pavement plenty, and without the necessary skill, it can quickly become terrifying and difficult, or more simply, no fun. A dirt road that starts out hard packed and dry can be a blast, but who's to say that a mile up that road it doesn't turn wet or loose? Then I have to turn around. I know that Conti now makes the TKC-80's in Uly sizes... but the fact of the matter is, the bike was not made with the intentions of running knobbies. It has street tires and street suspension, so, you know, if it looks like chicken and smells like chicken... Still, the Uly does sport touring, and if that takes you on rough roads, it'll eat them up, but it's not made to go off pavement. The Tenere is a different animal. with a skinny19" front wheel, and thin 17" rear, it runs the same tires as the rest of the Adventure class, which means there are nearly endless possibilities; from cruiser tires that wear like iron, to full on knobbies, and everything in between. Beefy higher travel suspension and more ground clearance wrap up the conclusion, the Tenere is more apt for off-pavement travel. Make your own conclusion if that's what you're looking for. Personally, the thought of over 100 mountain passes around Colorado that are only accessible by an off-road capable machine are enough to know, I want that ability! Do I live near Colorado, or have I ever been before? Nope, but it sure as heck is in the plans for the future. Passenger: The Tenere is a bigger bike. There is more space for the passenger back there, and the seat seems just fine. I will get a more accurate assessment from my girlfriend once I put a top box on it, we've done a few good rides thus far, but she's used to the triple tail and top box of the Uly to lean against. I guess that triple tail is another feature of the Uly; the Tenere has a luggage rack (or two), but no passenger back rest. The Tenere handles added weight better than the Uly. Perhaps this is due to the added weight of the bike to begin with, but the Tenere just doesn't seem to mind when I throw a passenger on the back. The suspension holds up perfect, the brakes, the engine, everything is consistent. On the Uly, I can tell a difference in the suspension and engine when I put extra weight on the back. I didn't like touring 2-up on the Uly. The weight of all that luggage in addition to the passenger simply made it feel overwhelmed. I could feel the belt tightening as the rear suspension compressed towards its limit. Protection: Comparable! Both the Uly and Tenere come with factory frame pucks. The Tenere has a drastically larger aftermarket for engine guards and skid plates, but that goes back to the fact that they have slightly different intentions. The Tenere, with it's wider front end, provides the rider with more protection from the elements. I rode for several hours in misty rain, and my pants stayed mostly dry. On the Uly, the water from the front tire mists my lower legs. Other notes: The Tenere has valve adjustments. They're not often, every 24k miles I believe, but still, the Uly has none. They both vibrate, but in completely different ways. The Uly vibrates at idle, and the higher the rpm, the less vibrations are noticeable. The Tenere vibrates under load. This is most noticeable at high speeds (like when passing someone in 5th or 6th gear), it's also noticeable in lower gears if you have more weight, like a passenger, or are hard on the throttle (causing more load on the engine). The Tenere has a more noticeable bark from the exhaust, especially in sport mode, but normal riding will produce less noise overall out of the Tenere. The Tenere is much wider with side cases. I mostly blame the fat exhaust pushing the left case out. The Uly can be close to 30-32" wide at the panniers, where as the Tenere can easily reach (and pass) 36" wide. Conclusion: If you ride the Uly like a tall sport bike, like I know several folks do, you're going to miss that available lean angle. If you ride it like a tourer, you're going to appreciate the gas tank and features of the Tenere; the dealer support and final drive reliability being a couple major touring advantages. If you ride it off-pavement, the Tenere is leaps and bounds ahead of the Uly. If you ride it like all of these, like I do, then the Tenere is a compromise just like the Uly, but with slightly different trade-offs. In the end, the Uly was introduced 4 years before the Tenere, and that extra 4 years shows in the technology and overall ability. They both have plenty of power; any rpm, any conditions, they're both going to get the job done. Specifically 'testing' or racing is the only time you're going to notice the added power of the Tenere (unless you often ride near WOT). Similarly, both bikes handle great. Regular or spirited pavement riding, and they're both fantastically enjoyable. Extreme cornering or track days, and the Uly has the major lean angle advantage. Off-Pavement handling, the Tenere takes the cake in a major way with it's better tire choices, tech advantages, and general sure-footed-ness. Well there it is! The best I can do from memory, having put 28,000 miles on the Uly over 2 years, and 6,000 miles on the Super Tenere over 2 months. I hope it wasn't too biased. | ||
| Skifastbadly |
First of all, excellent write up. As with your ADV trip reports, extremely well written. Much of your observations confirm my thoughts. I took the ST for a test ride several months ago. The bike I test rode had those accessory "wings" on the windshield, and they work fantastically well. Not sure what Yamaha charges for those two pieces of plastic, but surely worth it. I have thought about the ST, the Triumph Tigers (all four), and everything else. In fact, I was at a dealer today who has the 800s, 1050, and the S10 on the floor. He hasn't gotten the Explorer yet. Here's the thing. I love the Uly. I love the power, the belt, the looks, the valves, the tires, everything about it. I just got off a 170 mile ride today, just bombing around with a huge grin on my face. But I don't trust it. It reminds me of a hot girlfriend I had in college, no matter how much fun she was, I knew that eventually she was going to break my heart. My 07 suffered a series of problems, failures of the fan, the ECM, rocker cover gaskets, rear bearings, just to name a few before the crank failed. The 08 I bought used and the ECM crapped out in the middle of Montana and stranded me for three days in Missoula. If the damned things were reliable, I'd never even consider another bike. But if we want Adventure bikes, we have to have some confidence. It's a pity I cannot. | ||
| Nittanyxt |
Nicely put Mike! I like 'em both for different reasons. I will tell you one thing,when you get on the uly after riding the Tenere the Uly feels like a bicycle! | ||
| Cpilot |
Mike, An excellent write up. I too am looking hard at the Tenere and the Explorer (once they are released). There is something really satisfying with the Uly character, so we will see what happens. I really appreciate you taking time to do the comparison. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Thanks for the write up. We sat on a ST at bikeweek and liked everything about it. It will probably be on our list of bikes to consider when we look at adding or replacing one of ours. "But I don't trust it" That is exactly where I'm at with the XT at the moment. When I took it out on Wednesday to see if the adjustments he made with ECM spy made it run better, I was on pins and needles waiting for it to start missing. As soon as it missed, I felt sick to my stomach. This morning I quietly went to my dark place, checking out Triumph Sprints and Tigers for sale online...just in case. I have to have a reliable ride over the summer. Any buyers remorse on the Tenere, Mike? | ||
| Cpilot |
Mike, One more question, what type/kind of bags are you going to put on the Tenere? | ||
| Mikef5000 |
No buyers remorse at all. I don't like the idea of a monthly payment, and I'm slightly worried about selling the uly, but I do love the Tenere. As far as luggage, I have a set of muffin-top panniers (happy trails knock offs) that I'll be adding on some sw motech quick release racks. Same boxes I've had on my uly for awhile now. These here:  I'm a bit hesitant, but I believe I'll be adding the matching happy trails aluminum top box as well. | ||
| Firemanjim |
Quarter mile time for Tenere listed at 11.69 not mid 10's. Be sure and look at the 1050 Tiger well.I love mine! | ||
| Cyclonedon |
Mike, first of all, nice write up about the two motorcycles. I've never ridden a Yahama before so I know nothing about them but I just received a coupon in the mail this last week to take a free test ride on a Yahama and receive a free pair of Oakley sunglasses so I might just take them up on the test ride. Second, what was the list price of your Yahama as compared to the Buell Ulysses? That could be a big reason that the Uly doesn't have all the electric gadgets on it. | ||
| Dcc46 |
Good write up ,I agree with everything written. If my Uly hadn't crapped out on me I would probably have never even looked at the Tenere. I'm at just under 10k miles on the Tenere now and I love the bike. It seems as the miles go up the bike just keeps getting better. As for the price I paid 12.9k for my 10 Uly XT just before the fire sale and I paid 12.9 for the S10 last November. If Erik makes another adventure tourer I'll be the first on line to check it out but until then I am very happy with my Super Tenere.  (Message edited by dcc46 on April 22, 2012) | ||
| Dr_greg |
Excellent writeup. I test-rode a Super Tenere a coupla weeks ago since the Ducati Service Manger and I were having a slight disagreement (it has since been worked out). I was quite impressed with the S10, but the distance to the windscreen is SOOO long compared to the Uly (and the Multistrada). But if I were again in the market, the Super Tenere would definitely be a candidate. --Doc | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
I trust my Uly. It isn't perfect but nothing really is. If'n you'd ask me, I'd say the Yamaha is pretty much status quo and nothing worth lusting about in the least. Over weight, too much plastic, no regard to how the muffler is in the way, valve adjustments, front wheel way overweight. That bike just seems to be a weak excuse to throw something into the adventure touring mix without any real thought. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Yawn. Hopefully Buell is working on something that'll get the juices flowing, but I'm currently satisfied with my Uly even though it was built back in 2005. | ||
| Pontlee77 |
I'm sure the Triumph out beats the Yamaha in many ways. | ||
| Buelldualsport |
The Uly, in our eyes, is more bang for the buck than the same generation Triumph as well as the parts bin Yamaha. Just our $.02 worth. Cheers | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Electro glider, have you ridden one? | ||
| Pontlee77 |
6 years of evolution........... | ||
| Rwven |
Parts bin? | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Thank you Rwven. I didn't want to sound overly defensive, but I'm not sure of a single part that could be considered 'parts bin'. And frankly, that's the last argument I'd expect to hear on a Buell forum. And I can't help it... That bike just seems to be a weak excuse to throw something into the adventure touring mix There were only two solid 'Adventure' choices available; the dirt oriented KTM Adventure, and the street oriented BMW GS. The Yamaha fills the gap between them, and adds a level or reliability not previously available in the category. If you'd like to focus on the spec sheet, enjoy. But if you're going to post your opinion for the public to see, I'd encourage you to read some real world reviews first (perhaps starting with the one above). I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. | ||
| Fung |
Thank you for your write up! The super 10 has me very interested. | ||
| Buellerxt |
Mikef5000, Thanks for the great comparison and 'real' experience sharing. Much appreciated. I have read nothing but very good reviews of the Yamaha. I'm looking forward to test riding one. Enjoy, be safe, and please stay around. Your input is appreciated. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
Mike, No I haven't ridden one. It is just that I've come to expect a certain level of Buellness when it comes to even thinking about wanting a bike. That Yamaha looks to me like it is a slightly reworked and rebadged TDM with a bigger engine. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_TDM850 So to me it is a 1990's tech bike whose engineers flunked or never even heard of mass centralization. I owned a shaft drive 1989 1300cc Yamaha Venture Royal and it was the most top heavy overweight pig imaginable. Just to get to the back tire took about two hours because Yamaha bolted and screwed everything together with zero regard to the owner maintaining the bike. Replacing the plastic will cost you way more than you are prepared to pay. You will come to understand where I'm coming from the first time you go to the dealer and he tells you to grab your ankles. You are just smitten with the new bike smell and smooth engine. Be smart and hold on to that Uly as you'll soon be bored with the Yamaha. | ||
| Timberwolf |
I haven't had the chance to ride one yet, but did get to sit on one at the IMS a couple months ago. It by no means felt top heavy (I don't know if there was any gas in the tank). I really like it. Now the Triumph Explorer DID feel top heavy. I was not that impressed by that bike, although I wouldn't want to pass too much judgement by a showroom seat test. | ||
| Rwven |
Whodathunkit? My Uly is nothin' but a POS Parts Bin evolution of a Buell Lightning! (Message edited by rwven on April 23, 2012) | ||
| Rwven |
Mike, You made an excellent choice. | ||
| Uly_man |
Mikef5000. Thank you for the write up. Very good. The only way to know a bike is to spend some time on it and not the 20 odd miles some "bike mag guys" do or just on a track no matter what type of bike it is. I am not sure about the lack of quick handling of the Uly over the Super T. Both of my X Ulys are as fast as any sports bike I have had and more stable as well. I think it is about suspension setup and the right rubber on a Uly. It is a FACT that the Uly is a "road bias" bike and I do ride it like a tall sports bike so thats how I have set it up. I went on tour with the Uly and I did not get 100 miles before it let me down. I was very pissed off about that one. Ok so I know better now about what to take with me but the bike is not something I would use for lots of touring. A key thing, for some of us, is money. My 2010 Uly was a year old, unmarked/new condition, with 2k on it, a years dealer warranty, has many extras, FSH and came from the "best-one-ever" UK Buell dealer Blackbear. It was close to half the price of a basic GS or Duke of the same year with more than twice the miles on them. Its hard to beat those sort of numbers. (Message edited by uly_man on April 23, 2012) | ||
| Mikef5000 |
So to me it is a 1990's tech bike whose engineers flunked or never even heard of mass centralization. I owned a shaft drive 1989 1300cc Yamaha Venture Royal and it was the most top heavy overweight pig imaginable. Sorry man, I'm trying to be unbiased and reasonable here. I know I'm on a Buell forum speaking the unthinkable praises of a Jap bike, and I really should just leave well enough alone... But come on. Yamaha's have changed over the past 23 years, I can assure you. I could go on on that topic, but it isn't worth it. I'm glad you've found the bike of your dreams; and that's the honest to God truth. Enjoy that Uly. I thoroughly enjoyed mine, but it was time to move on. Unfortunately (also honest here) that took me away from Buell. I have a drawer full of Buell shirts, 2 Buell jackets, a box of spare parts/extras, and a 5 year history of swearing by them to all my riding buddies. I'm known as 'Bueller' at several local hot spots. And I bought and built my Uly with the full intentions of putting 100k miles on that bike. It honestly breaks my heart that I had to replace it already. But I ride for the ride, not for the bike. If my only option was a Honda, or Vespa, or Harley, or freaking Segway... I'd ride the shit out of it. I have ridden in 26 states, and 7 Canadian provinces. I've got 23 more reachable states, and 4 more provinces, and I needed a bike that I could trust, that would get me to the far corners of this continent with as little risk and worry as possible. I did my research online like all of us do. I read comparisons, and spoke with locals that own the bikes. I sat on them in the showrooms for awhile, and bit the bullet on the bike that sounds like it fit me best. I would encourage you to expand your horizons a bit, not because you should get a new bike, but simply because there are other bikes out there that aren't '20 year old tech top heavy pigs'. Alright, I'm done with the topic. Sorry again. | ||
| Uly_man |
Thank you Mike. I have to say that I agree with you "word for word". I am not a "Buell Man" or any other bike fan. I like them all. And why not. I am into bikes, not brands and have no problem putting down a Buell or anything else if it is justified. The XB series is not by any means perfect but I will tell you this much. A good one that runs right and set up right, in the right hands, will out handle anything on the road today. And that, in case no one is sure about it, is what they were designed to do. Mike has put up a very good comparison of the two bikes gained over many miles on them. What he likes or dislikes, as he said, is just a personal thing. I for one thank him, even though I can not afford a Super T anyway, for his input about the bike because I know it will help others. | ||
| Motorbike |
Very nice write up Mike. Thanks for taking the time to do so. Have you ever considered writing for a magazine? You'd be great at it. There is no doubt that the Yamaha is a great bike and there are always a few who will argue that the Buell is a better bike, only because that's what they ride. I love my XT but there are tons of other bikes out there that I know I would like just as well if I owned them. Thanks again for writing! | ||
| Ejbeert |
I traded my sportster for a klr 650 and am happy and find things about the klr I wish were on the buell and vise versa; been looking at the tenere.. Thanks for the write up, it is good to read comparisons from people who have both bikes. | ||
| Buewulf |
Mike, I appreciate you taking the time to be so comprehensive. My impression was similar from the relatively short test ride I had on the bike, and it is good to know you have had some decent seat-time on the ST while forming your opinions. And I cannot believe that the bike with the most model-specific, newly designed parts in Yamaha's lineup was called a "parts bin bike" on a Buell forum.  It doesn't get more parts bin than an XB!!! No disrespect to the engineers at Buell, but the guys at Yamaha could teach the elves a thing or two about mass - like how to mask it. Like Mike said, the Uly has more raw cornering capability due to lean angle and more purposeful tires, but the Super Ten made my Uly feel like a heavier bike in comparison and top-heavier at that. Yamaha's engineers may know more about mass centralization than you think - they certainly know a great deal about mass placement. My Uly is a very good bike when it actually runs, but unlike many here, I don't find anything exceptional about it except for one thing: the only "buellness" I would miss would be the sensation that I am riding a unicycle - not being able to see anything in front of me. I love that feeling. It is the only reason I still have the bike and may yet keep it even when I replace it this summer. |
