2010 Yamaha Super Tenere XT1200Z Official Commercial Video

Yamaha has released its official commerical video for the 2010 Super Tenere XT1200Z and it looks pretty sharp.  Check it out below..

The 2010 National BikeSafe Motorcycle Show

The 2010 National BikeSafe Motorcycle Show starts at the Sheffield Arena on Saturday June 12th and runs for two days.  The show is open from 10am to 5pm both days and is well worth stopping by.  With over 100 exhibitors and trade stands, stunt riders, free assessed ride-outs plus lots of family attractions there is something for every motorcycle and scooter enthusiast.  What’s more the show is completely free with free entry and free parking.  For more information check out the official website at http://www.bikesafeshow.co.uk/

Rumour has it there will be a Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 on show and available to test ride, something of a treat as for this year the bike is only available to purchase unseen and untested online from Yamaha. – (UPDATE – this has now been confirmed by Yamaha – ‘Yamaha will be giving free test rides (subject to criteria) on the brand new Super Ténéré and FZ8 at the upcoming National BikeSafe event. This will be the first UK showing at an outside event of both models so be sure to visit the Yamaha stand early to book your test ride.’)

Perhaps even more exciting is the new electric BMW C1-E, the safety enhanced scooter featuring a roll cage and harness for the rider.  Safety may be improved but unfortunately you’ll still look like a complete tool riding one!

BMW Motorrad celebrates 30 years of the GS

BMW is producing special limited edition anniversary models of its range of adventure bikes to celebrate 30 years of its Gelande-Strasse ‘GS’ (on/off road) brand.  GS is still the one to beat when it comes to popular adventure bikes whether you are touring the globe or green laning on the weekend.  Most recent attempts at taking the adventure crown from the hugely successful GS1200 have failed to surpass its core abilities despite valiant efforts by the Ducati Multistrada 1200 and the suspiciously quiet after launch Yamaha Super Tenere.  Below is BMW’s explanation for the special editions and details of each of the bikes updates;

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Launching the “30 Years GS” limited edition versions of the BMW R 1200 GS, the R 1200 GS Adventure, the F 800 GS and the F 650 GS, BMW Motorrad is paying tribute to the outstanding success and popularity of the GS concept.

Back in the autumn of 1980, BMW Motorrad unveiled the R 80 G/S, a unique motorcycle that pioneered the Adventure Motorcycling genre. Offering the unique combination of on-road, touring and off-road qualities, without the slightest compromise in everyday use, the R 80 G/S paved the way as a brand new concept, the first true Adventure Sport motorcycle.

The special edition “30 Years GS” models feature the celebrated BMW Motorsports colours of the legendary eighties’ R 80 G/S Rally Raiders that propelled the likes of Hubert Auriol to victories in gruelling Paris-Dakar races,almost three decades ago.

As well as the glorious retro colour scheme, each “30 Years GS” model has arrange of additional features and equipment.

Highlights of the BMW R 1200 GS “30 Years GS”:
• Paintwork in Alpine White.
• Three-coloured decals in the livery of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
• “30 Years GS” model designation on the tank.
• Cross-spoke wheels with black hubs.
• Hand protectors.
• Tinted windshield.
• Red seat with “GS” stamp.

Highlights of the BMW R 1200 GS Adventure “30 Years GS”:
• Paintwork in Alpine White.
• Three-coloured decals in the livery of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
• “30 Years GS” model designation on the tank.
• Extra-large hand protectors.
• Aluminium engine protection guard.
• Seat in red/black with “GS” stamp.

Highlights of the BMW F 800 GS “30 Years GS”:
• Paintwork in Alpine White.
• Three-coloured decals in the livery of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
• “30 Years GS” model designation on the airbox cover.
• Hand protectors.
• Aluminium sump guard.
• Tinted windshield.
• White direction indicators.
• Seat in red with “GS” stamp.

Highlights of the BMW F 650 GS “30 Years GS”:
• Paintwork in Alpine White.
• Three-coloured decals in the livery of BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
• “30 Years GS” model designation at the rear.
• Magnesium-coloured cast wheels.
• Hand protectors.
• Engine protector.
• Tinted, higher windshield.
• White direction indicators.
• Seat in red with “GS” stamp at the front.

The “30 Year GS” range will be launched at BMW Motorrad Dealers on 19th June when prices will be announced.

Yamaha Super Tenere Adventure Tour Could Feature ..YOU

RTWW got a Super Tenere Newsflash this morning and it sounds like Yamaha are organising a dream ride-out for a very good cause.  The message reads;

Are you ready to Go Beyond on one of our five Super Ténéré bikes?

To celebrate the launch of the new Super Ténéré, we’re organising an adventure ride like no other.

We’re calling it Ride for Life 2010. It’s a long-haul, continent-hopping adventure that will see five new 2010 Yamaha Super Ténéré bikes go all the way from France to North Africa.

Ride for Life starts in Paris, on May 4th 2010 where Yamaha Dakar legends will kick off the ride. They’ll be taking the Super Ténéré squadron as far as Lisbon, Portugal. Then it could be your turn.

Guided by Yamaha Dakar star Helder Rodrigues (4th in Dakar 2010), you’ll be riding from the Portuguese capital down to the North African coast, and through Morocco – towards your final destination, the exotic and ancient city of Marrakech. Yamaha will then donate these 5 Super Ténéré bikes to the Riders for Health organisation.

As a bike born on the Paris-Dakar rally – where previous Super Ténéré bikes won multiple titles during the 80s and 90s – it’s a chance for the new Super Ténéré to return to its roots.

Five riders will make that happen! Could you be one of them? Do you have your motorcycle license for more than five years and are you the adventurous type we are looking for, then click www.super-tenere.com/ride-for-life and find out how you could become one of the members of the Ride For Life 2010 team.

Pay How Much for a Yamaha Fazer8 & FZ8!?!?!?

Help I’m Choking!!!……cough……cough…… Ok better now, but still a bit light-headed.

Why the drama?  Yamaha have just officially released the UK pricing for their new Fazer8 and FZ8 models.  Now before I cause you all minor heart attacks let’s look again at the bikes in question.

The new Fazer8 is Yamaha’s new 779cc middle-weight sports bike.  It’s half-faired for a bit of weather protection, comes with ABS, and is built around an aluminium frame to keep its weight in check.

The FZ8 is the Fazer’s naked cousin with all the same spec just minus the fairing, and personally I prefer the look of it to the Fazer8.

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Now to the heart-stopping stuff.  The Price for the Fazer8 is £8799, and the FZ8 is £7799!  Come on now pick yourself up off the floor.

The last time I used the ‘Pay how much’ title for an article was for another Yamaha, the Super-Tenere and its eye-watering £13499 price tag.  However while the Super-Tenere is in a class of similarly priced machines, the Fazer8 and FZ8 have priced themselves out of the market for middle weight sports bikes.  The list of similar, or better, machines that are £1000, or more, less than the Fazer list price is too long to mention here, but a good example comes from a story we did at the start of the week on Suzuki’s new GSX1250FA, a fully-faired, ABS included, 1255cc sports tourer priced at £6995.

Yamaha is supposedly in financial difficulty …. pricing bikes like this won’t help.

The New Suzuki GSX1250FA Launches.

The Press have been out in force at the launch in Spain of Suzuki’s new sports-tourer the GSX1250FA, unfortunately that didn’t include RTWW this time around but we can give you the heads up on the bike’s specs in readiness for first ride reviews which should start appearing soon.

Based on the Bandit 1250 this bike uses the same well-respected engine and, while made to a sensible budget, it’s not without a few useful basics including ABS as standard, adjustable seat height, gear position indicator, and centre stand.  The full fairing should give decent weather protection which will be most welcome if, as Suzuki intends, this bike becomes your tourer of choice.  Accessories for the bike show it to have a complete tour outfit and with a starting price of around the £6700 mark, this could be a great success for the company.

While it’s great to see the Multistrada, and Super Tenere in all their high-tech glory it’s worth remembering it comes at a cost that is beyond a lot of us in the current economic climate, or any other time for that matter, as I watch moths flutter out of my wallet.  The technical spec of the GSX1250FA is below along with some more images.

Technical Specification for the Suzuki GSX1250FA

Engine Type		4-stroke, 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC
Bore x Stroke		79.0 mm x 64.0 mm
Engine Displacement		1255 cm3 (1255 cc)
Compression Ratio		10.5 : 1
Carburetion		Fuel injection
Oil Capacity (overhaul)		3.7L (3.9 US qt.)
Ignition		Electronic ignition (Transistorized)
Starter System		Electric
Lubrication System		Wet sump
Transmission		6-speed constant mesh
Primary Drive Ratio		1.537 (83 / 54)
Final Drive Ratio		2.388 (43 / 18)
Rake/Trail		25.2 degrees / 104 mm (4.1 in.)
Suspension	Front	Telescopic, coil spring, oil damped
	Rear	Link type, coil spring, oil damped
Brakes	Front	Disc, twin
	Rear	Disc
Tires	Front	120/70ZR17M/C (58W), tubeless
	Rear	180/55ZR17M/C (73W), tubeless
Fuel Tank		19.0 L (5.0 US gal.)
Overall Length		2,130 mm (83.9 in.)
Overall Width		790 mm (31.1 in.)
Overall Height		1,235 mm (48.6 in.)
Wheelbase		1,485 mm (58.5 in.)
Seat Height		805 / 825 mm (31.7 / 32.5 in.)
Curb Mass		257kg (567 lbs.)

NOTE: Specs. are not final

CMG Review of the Ducati Multistrada 1200

Canadian Motorcycle Guide has a great indepth review up for the Ducati Multistrada 1200.  Reviewer Costa Mouzouris certainly gives it both thumbs up and makes it sound like not only a great motorcycle, but a very unique high-tech experience.  It’ll be interesting to see if the Yamaha Super Tenere can measure up.

Check out Costa’s review here…

“Ducati has poured a lot of resources into this machine, testing it extensively for two years prior to its release (the company built 110 pre-production models for testing; the usual number is about 80), and it has incorporated just about every rider aid available into one bike.

The hard work has paid off.” -Costa Mouzouris

The 2010 Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere – now taking orders..

Yamaha have announced on Tuesday 03/09/2010 that the on-line ordering system for reserving and purchasing the new 2010 Yamaha Super Tenere is now available at www.super-tenere.com

Some people have commented that this form of web only buying is a disastrous move by the company, given the economic climate, and the fact that Yamaha’s finances aren’t looking too good at the moment.  However Yamaha executives are defiant, stating that the revamped 2009 V-MAX started out the same way and was a big success for them.  Time will tell if the expensive (£13,499) Super Tenere can tempt buyers, who can’t sit on one in a showroom, into splashing out on technical specifications …. and blind faith.

Accessorise Your New Yamaha XT1200Z Super Tenere!

Ride The Wild Wind is slowly turning into Yamaha’s press office it would seem, but as mentioned in earlier posts the Turkish Motorcycle Show in Istanbul has seen a flurry of Yamaha news this week and RTWW is just reporting on it, honestly.

However … if Yamaha would like to donate a Super Tenere as the official RTWW bike I won’t say no, just in case any Yamaha staff are checking us out : ) yes I have no shame….

Annnyway… Back to business….

Yamaha has added an accessories page to its web site for the new Super Tenere, and it all looks rather good.  Have to say I’m really impressed by this bike so far, and increasingly nervous that first ride reports will show it to be complete pants! (cough! Honda VFR1200f cough!)

Much of the accessories are pretty standard adventure bike stuff, taller screen, crash bars, belts and buckles for luggage, tank bag, pannier and top box bags, fog lamps etc.  One of my favourites has to be the lower seat option shaving a further 35mm off the standard seat’s lowest setting of 835mm.  Brilliant for those of us who are somewhat, how shall we say, inner leg challenged.  The best one however has to be the original PR image of the ‘Lord of Adventure’ as a tank pad!

Check out the full list of accessories here

More Details on Yamaha’s 1200cc Super Tenere ‘First Edition’

So it’s finally out there motorcycling’s new potential adventure bike king.  On looks alone the new Super Tenere appears every bit the capable do everything bike, and certainly more off-road capable and robust  than the 2010 Ducati Multistrada.  I’m sure BMW are pouring over specs this morning to consider the impact Yamaha might have on GS sales this year.

However, while there’s nothing official yet, rumoured pricing for the Super Tenere was pretty high and it would need to really outperform BMW’s GS variants to justify a possible £2000 more.

Yamaha has listed the big features of the bike as being;

• Shaft drive inline 2-cyl engine – 270-degree crank
• Mass kept low and central for agile handling
• Intelligent Unified Brake System and ABS
• YCC-T with 3-stage traction control plus Yamaha D-mode
• First edition adventure pack
• Tough spoked, tubeless aluminium rims
• Adjustable front and rear suspension
• Adjustable seat height

All of which sound very exciting and technically it appears to tick all the necessary boxes given the bike’s multi-purpose role.  The first road tests will be interesting especially on the hot topic of tank range, with recent ‘tourers’ being barely capable of a blast to the corner shop!

This 2010 Super Tenere is dubbed, understandably, the ‘First Edition’ with no other variants available this year.  For the buyer this means, as well a snazzy ‘First Edtion’ sticker you get aluminium panniers with brackets, aluminium bash plate, and a headlight protector (not for road use).  All this is fine but I worry if it’s a way to justify that rumoured painful showroom price?

RTWW will report on any road tests as they appear and below you’ll find some more images of the bike and a link to Yamaha’s product page where you’ll find quite an exciting video detailing the Super Tenere’s features.

Doesn’t the shaft drive look great! …. and yes I know how weird that sounds.  Yamaha’s Product page can be found here, and don’t forget to check out the features video.

More news and reviews as we get them.