Another couple of interesting test rides on a very pleasant and very warm day. I shall start, if I may, with the Tenere 700 World Raid. This is a very tall bike and not even a little bit dwarf friendly, at 6'2" and a bit (33" inside leg) I could comfortably flat foot it however. The riding position was not quite as spacious as I was expecting and could have done with a bit more legroom and slightly higher bars (for me). The 700 parallel twin motor is an absolute peach and has a surprisingly cheely exhaust note and is quite sprightly. The only issue I had was that it could be a bit snatchy transitioning from a closed throttle to open making it a bit jerky out of some corners. I think you would probably get used to that after a few hundred miles or so, possibly operator error... The gearbox is OK, a bit clunky but in a good way and it felt very positive in it's action. The brakes were just adequate and no more than that, maybe because it was quite new ? Whatever, they didn't inspire a lot of confidence unlike the chunky Pirelli tyres which were remarkably grippy. The posh Kayaba suspension is top class and this thing just wafts along, barely noticing bumps and never getting out of shape in corners. The bike steers quite well despite the 21" ferris wheel out front, but like most bikes with a 21" wheel and narrow section 90 tyre I never feel 100% that there is going to be enough grip. The seat was surprisingly comfy despite not being very wide and I think it would be good for all day, loads of room to shuffle around too. The issue for me is value for money, £11,800 is a lot of dosh for a 700cc bike. By the time you throw in luggage, centre stand, bash plate etc it's up to around £14k - for a 700 ??? And like most bikes the standard screen is a joke, barely taking any wind off me but at least it wasn't noisy.
On to the Africa Twin 1100 DCT and a bike I was really looking forward to trying. The first thing I noticed was how cramped I was when I got going, the pegs are surprisingly high and quite forward. The bars are nice & wide but low so I was hunched over the tank a surprising amount. The DCT gearbox is the work of the very devil himself and changes gear as if by magic. The standard 'drive' setting is dull and the bike tries to change into 6th by 25mph. Putting it into Sport and level 2 (of 3) it was much better and very responsive. The 1100 motor is laden with torque and pulls hard pretty much everywhere in the rev range with instant drive. The issue I noticed was a fair bit of vibration through the footpegs & seat and a bit of tingling through the 'bars. Not as bad as the 1166 Tiger I rode the other day but far from ideal. I found the suspension to be a bit harsh (compared to the 700 and my Tigger) and the front dives like and Italian footballer at the merest hint of a brake application. The Africa Twin is very steady turning into a corner and does like to run wide I noticed, probably the 21" front wheel set up ? The seat was OK but the rest of the ergo's just didn't work from me. The worst bit by far was the screen. The adventure sport used to have a huge screen but now it has a silly little 'noise generator' instead. Horrible, harsh wind noise and anything above 40 mph just got louder and more unbearable as the speed went up - shame on you Honda. I actually cut my test ride short because of it. There is a good bike in there but it would need a few £££'s thrown at it to tweak it (in my opinion).
So, to conclude I've tried a few bikes lately and non are as good as the Tigger so it's going nowhere. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes out next year to see if anything can tempt me away, but as it stands it's a keeper
Pics are - 1. Tenere 700, 2. A Twin and a random 1200 Tiger (not mine but a near identical model) and the 3. The A Twin in the best colour scheme (I have a soft spot for gold wheels).
