MCN - Tenere 700 v KTM 790 Adventure R

[ibgary]

17,000 miles in 53 weeks. Never failed to start. Heading north tomorrow. Wyoming border CDTR to Canada and DT, BH, back. Guess I'll be at about 19k in two weeks.

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[johnnyboxer]

The specs on the t700 strike me as being out of date. It's very much like the discontinued BMW 650 Sertao. Same tech, Sertao is lighter and will go about 100 miles farther and can be found for 1/2 the cost. I had the BMW and put 60k on it. Glad I didn't wait for the T700.

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Big difference - ones a twin though !

Different riding experience to a single as you will appreciate

T700 is 22 more Bhp and more torque than a Sertao or Dakar (I have owned them) and wet weight fuelled is 12kg more for the Tenere - so not much more

Having had BMW singles, the suspension on the T7 is in a different planet to BMW’s frankly substandard offering

[Andy A]

I didn't manage to test ride the KTM but took a tenere out this week with a half arsed thought that i may be interested, just an hour and a half on a roads and some local fire road type lanes, so i didn't really test the suspension properly and i appreciate that at the very least i would need to upgrade the rear spring for my weight and intended riding. This bike is so well balanced, slick gearbox, easy to ride and plenty of horses for what i want. I am now looking for an excuse not to order one and think it could be an expensive weekend coming up. i am easily impressed though my current bike is a 600 tenere 55W from 1986 so the 700 was always going to be powerful and smooth!

[johnnyboxer]

I didn't manage to test ride the KTM but took a tenere out this week with a half arsed thought that i may be interested, just an hour and a half on a roads and some local fire road type lanes, so i didn't really test the suspension properly and i appreciate that at the very least i would need to upgrade the rear spring for my weight and intended riding. This bike is so well balanced, slick gearbox, easy to ride and plenty of horses for what i want. I am now looking for an excuse not to order one and think it could be an expensive weekend coming up. i am easily impressed though my current bike is a 600 tenere 55W from 1986 so the 700 was always going to be powerful and smooth!

The T7 does that - it sucks you in and says ‘buy me’

[phil_h]

Just reading this lot because I spent last weekend riding a 790R at sweetlamb, and today riding a T700 next door to them.
The only thing I didnt like about the 790R was the gear lever position - too easy to kick it into neutral. Everything else, especially the weight distribution, was outstanding.
The T700 in comparison was extremely disappointing - terrible snatch as the throttle is opened, very 'tippy' feel to its balance, very 'flighty' feeling to the steering, super-slippy tank and seat sides so you cant grip it properly, ABS that you _have_ to turn off when offroad which isnt remembered when you power off, no TCS at all. TBH it just feels like a road bike in the wrong clothes.
Dont want to ride a T700 again but I've booked for another weekend with the 790R.

[ibgary]

I looked at the 690 a lot. Decided on the 790 because, (well I rode the Wyoming and Idaho sections of the CDT this week and the took the hwy back home yesterday). Didn't think the 690 would be fun on the hwy. The 790 can eat up both the dirt and the hwy.

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[dave h]

nice.

[daveuprite]

nice.

Excellent vid. Love the exhaust sound as it quickshifts up and down the box.

[bowber]

I've not ridden the 790 but I'm sure it's a nicer bike than the T700, I have ridden the T 700 and it's a nice bike, my wife liked it enough to buy one, she wanted a lighter bike than her old AT but no more power and the T700 fit the bill.
She did wonder about a 790 but I'm afraid KTM needs to address some of it's reliability issues before I'll have another road KTM again, nice bikes but I've not owned a single road KTM that didn't have at least one problem, cam chain tensioners being the main one, fuel pumps, fuel filters clogged from crap in the tank, odd oil leaks. I've felt more like an r&d rider sometimes. My 701 is a great bike but it's not a ride and forget bike and that's what my wife needs.

Steve

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

I've not ridden the 790 but I'm sure it's a nicer bike than the T700, I have ridden the T 700 and it's a nice bike, my wife liked it enough to buy one, she wanted a lighter bike than her old AT but no more power and the T700 fit the bill.
She did wonder about a 790 but I'm afraid KTM needs to address some of it's reliability issues before I'll have another road KTM again, nice bikes but I've not owned a single road KTM that didn't have at least one problem, cam chain tensioners being the main one, fuel pumps, fuel filters clogged from crap in the tank, odd oil leaks. I've felt more like an r&d rider sometimes. My 701 is a great bike but it's not a ride and forget bike and that's what my wife needs.

Steve

A very fair comment...the basic engine platform on the Yam has already been used for years on different bike models without major problems, and the long delay bringing the 'adventure' version to market indicates that a lot of testing was done.
I own 2 KTMs and like them both, but can't help wishing that the Austrians would spend more on rigorous R&D and less on buying up other European brands for the orange empire. I suspect that relocating production to China will be a big mistake, especially if they start sourcing/manufacturing components there too.
Increasing numbers of enduro riders are trying other brands (Beta especially), because they have found their last orange experience was anything other than 'ready to race' out of the box.
I feel rather sad as I write this...I love my (old) KTMs, but I'm not sure the complex electronics route taken is the right one fo the adventure market. And the list prices are silly. the widespread discounting needed to shift metal at the end of the season knocks consumer confidence and residual values.
This is where Royal Enfield have got it so right with the price of the 650. The list price is very competitive, and never discounted. Used ones cost nearly as much as new ones. After they launched it, they were encouraging test rides even if you had no immediate intention of buying. But you had to complete a feedback survey, and all that got fed back to HQ. I rode one out of curiosity, and could well buy one when I get older.