For me, yesterday was a first. Prior to yesterday I had never bought a brand new motorcycle. Ever. It is just totally against my frugal Yankee nature to want to take that big whack in depreciation when you ride off the showroom floor. No, no... my motorcycle buying MO has always been to find lightly used examples of the bike I was lusting after at the time, and negotiate a fair price for it. But yesterday was different. Way different.
So, to go back to the start of the story, while on our two week vacation ride, TMJ and I both enjoyed the trip immensely. It may have been the best vacation that we've done together in our 36 years since we tied the knot. Even while we were still enjoying it, we started talking about the next time, and I started thinking; How could we make it even better? Maybe on a bike that is a tad more comfy and rides a bit more leisurely than my '05 FJR.
When we arrived back home, buried in the pile of junk mail, free papers and catalogs was a post card from MOM's (Motorcycles of Manchester) that they were having a Yamaha Demo Truck this weekend on Friday and Saturday. "Wow, cool", says I. I wondered if it would be the truck that SkooterG works on. I called the dealership and talked to one of the sales people and asked if the truck would have a 2014 FJR and a 2014 Super Tenere on it, as those are the bikes I would be interested in riding. Yes. Yes they'll both be available, Come on down and have some fun!
So yesterday I headed over to MOMs on the B4 with the idea that I might very well be downsizing my garage full of 3 bikes down to just a single, new, SuperTenere. A great do it all bike that we could set up for LD riding with some ginormous side bags, and one that would suck up the bumpy crappy NH roads at home with aplomb.
Got to the demo triuck and signed right up for the two test rides, an FJR 1300ES and then the S10ES. Then SkooterG came back from leading a prior test ride group, and we finally got to see each other in the flesh, and shake hands, after what... 8 years of electronic conversations on this forum? What a trip. But more on that later.
Soon enough the 12:30 ride group was forming up. Skooter went over the FJR's electronic controls with me quickly. Luckily I had already read enough about them here that I was relatively aware of what could be done. Since I'm a Klydesdale, we set the ES preload to the middle stiffness (single plus luggage) and middle damping to start off. Then away we went on a roughly 10 mile ride route.
The streets of ManchVegas are well representative of NH roads, meaning they suck. I intentionally aimed at every sewer lid and crevasse in the torn up pavement and was instantly astounded with how well the new ES sucked up those bumps. The engine has infinitely smoother power deliver than my '05 had in stock form, and the handlebar buzziness is reduced by an order of magnitude. I diddled with the buttons during the test ride and tried a few different setting, including going to two up preload, and it never becomes harsh in the least. We had a good couple of miles stretch of interstate in the test loop and I really appreciated several things over my 1st gen, the airflow over the windscreen, the lack of any heat from the engine bay, and the lower rpm at cruising speeds.
By the time we rolled back in to MOMs parking lot, where fellow NERD ionbeam had arrived since we left, my helmet had become completely filled by the stupid **** eating grin I was wearing. Wow what a rush. Can the Tenere top that? Luckil;y I wouldn't have to wait long to find out as I was in the very next test ride on the S10 ES.
The S10's control functions are nearly identical to the FJR, except no power windshield, of course. We headed out and I was immediately struck by how much like my old Manstrom the S10 handles. The 1200cc engine does have quite a bit more pop, but both engines are high rev-ers if you want to generate any big HP. The six speed trans is nice as the engine is really loafing at highway speeds, but the aerodynamics are typical adventure bike, which is to say minimal compared to the likes of the Feejer. Just like on my Strom. I had a hard time justifying plonking down >15 large for a bike that I already essentially have one of.
When we got back to the parking lot, another NERD FJReady had shown up. And by then my mind was already made up. The hook had already been set deeply on that first test ride. The only thing left was getting a price and doing the paperwork.
FJReady caught me after we had taken care of the former and were dealing with the latter. I will take delivery of 2104 ES serial # 457 next Friday.
The Perfesser (ionbeam) and FJReady also took a couple of test rides that afternoon.
Alan (ionbeam) tested the FJR ES too, but then took Skooter's own 2nd gen transport, equipped with a CT, out for a (short) spin.
And Russ (FJReady) tested the same two bikes that I had earlier, here heading out on the S10 ES.
I'll let them chime in with their own impressions. But I had already snapped up the last ES they had in stock, so their pocketbooks were safe (for the time being).
Since SkooterG was in town, we just had to take the Zonie boy out for some authentic New England seafood. ionbeam, his good pillion Helen and I met Skooter at his hotel that evening after he finished all his demo duties, (TMJ couldn't make it due to a prior commitment) and we all carpooled it out to the coast to Newick's Lobster House on Dover Point for dinner. We met Russ and his good pillion Sarah at the restaurant since they live on the coast (the lucky bastidges) and it was a shorter drive for them.
We treated him to some fresh Maine oysters and, for another "first time", Skooter had his first boiled Maine lobster. After devouring the thing with only minimal instruction (he's smarter than he looks), Greg admitted that; "Now he understands all the fuss we make about eating lobsters." Yep, another convert... an honorary NERDS member now.
I think the others may have snapped a few pictures of the affair in the restaurant. I was too busy basking in the afterglow of all of the days prior proceedings.
So, to go back to the start of the story, while on our two week vacation ride, TMJ and I both enjoyed the trip immensely. It may have been the best vacation that we've done together in our 36 years since we tied the knot. Even while we were still enjoying it, we started talking about the next time, and I started thinking; How could we make it even better? Maybe on a bike that is a tad more comfy and rides a bit more leisurely than my '05 FJR.
When we arrived back home, buried in the pile of junk mail, free papers and catalogs was a post card from MOM's (Motorcycles of Manchester) that they were having a Yamaha Demo Truck this weekend on Friday and Saturday. "Wow, cool", says I. I wondered if it would be the truck that SkooterG works on. I called the dealership and talked to one of the sales people and asked if the truck would have a 2014 FJR and a 2014 Super Tenere on it, as those are the bikes I would be interested in riding. Yes. Yes they'll both be available, Come on down and have some fun!
So yesterday I headed over to MOMs on the B4 with the idea that I might very well be downsizing my garage full of 3 bikes down to just a single, new, SuperTenere. A great do it all bike that we could set up for LD riding with some ginormous side bags, and one that would suck up the bumpy crappy NH roads at home with aplomb.
Got to the demo triuck and signed right up for the two test rides, an FJR 1300ES and then the S10ES. Then SkooterG came back from leading a prior test ride group, and we finally got to see each other in the flesh, and shake hands, after what... 8 years of electronic conversations on this forum? What a trip. But more on that later.
Soon enough the 12:30 ride group was forming up. Skooter went over the FJR's electronic controls with me quickly. Luckily I had already read enough about them here that I was relatively aware of what could be done. Since I'm a Klydesdale, we set the ES preload to the middle stiffness (single plus luggage) and middle damping to start off. Then away we went on a roughly 10 mile ride route.
The streets of ManchVegas are well representative of NH roads, meaning they suck. I intentionally aimed at every sewer lid and crevasse in the torn up pavement and was instantly astounded with how well the new ES sucked up those bumps. The engine has infinitely smoother power deliver than my '05 had in stock form, and the handlebar buzziness is reduced by an order of magnitude. I diddled with the buttons during the test ride and tried a few different setting, including going to two up preload, and it never becomes harsh in the least. We had a good couple of miles stretch of interstate in the test loop and I really appreciated several things over my 1st gen, the airflow over the windscreen, the lack of any heat from the engine bay, and the lower rpm at cruising speeds.
By the time we rolled back in to MOMs parking lot, where fellow NERD ionbeam had arrived since we left, my helmet had become completely filled by the stupid **** eating grin I was wearing. Wow what a rush. Can the Tenere top that? Luckil;y I wouldn't have to wait long to find out as I was in the very next test ride on the S10 ES.
The S10's control functions are nearly identical to the FJR, except no power windshield, of course. We headed out and I was immediately struck by how much like my old Manstrom the S10 handles. The 1200cc engine does have quite a bit more pop, but both engines are high rev-ers if you want to generate any big HP. The six speed trans is nice as the engine is really loafing at highway speeds, but the aerodynamics are typical adventure bike, which is to say minimal compared to the likes of the Feejer. Just like on my Strom. I had a hard time justifying plonking down >15 large for a bike that I already essentially have one of.
When we got back to the parking lot, another NERD FJReady had shown up. And by then my mind was already made up. The hook had already been set deeply on that first test ride. The only thing left was getting a price and doing the paperwork.
FJReady caught me after we had taken care of the former and were dealing with the latter. I will take delivery of 2104 ES serial # 457 next Friday.
The Perfesser (ionbeam) and FJReady also took a couple of test rides that afternoon.
Alan (ionbeam) tested the FJR ES too, but then took Skooter's own 2nd gen transport, equipped with a CT, out for a (short) spin.
And Russ (FJReady) tested the same two bikes that I had earlier, here heading out on the S10 ES.
I'll let them chime in with their own impressions. But I had already snapped up the last ES they had in stock, so their pocketbooks were safe (for the time being).
Since SkooterG was in town, we just had to take the Zonie boy out for some authentic New England seafood. ionbeam, his good pillion Helen and I met Skooter at his hotel that evening after he finished all his demo duties, (TMJ couldn't make it due to a prior commitment) and we all carpooled it out to the coast to Newick's Lobster House on Dover Point for dinner. We met Russ and his good pillion Sarah at the restaurant since they live on the coast (the lucky bastidges) and it was a shorter drive for them.
We treated him to some fresh Maine oysters and, for another "first time", Skooter had his first boiled Maine lobster. After devouring the thing with only minimal instruction (he's smarter than he looks), Greg admitted that; "Now he understands all the fuss we make about eating lobsters." Yep, another convert... an honorary NERDS member now.
I think the others may have snapped a few pictures of the affair in the restaurant. I was too busy basking in the afterglow of all of the days prior proceedings.
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but in a gooood way.
