{"id":4242,"date":"2020-11-02T19:04:33","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T01:04:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scenicapp.space\/blog\/?p=4242"},"modified":"2020-12-07T21:05:23","modified_gmt":"2020-12-08T03:05:23","slug":"yamaha-tenere-700-t7-vs-ktm-790-890-adventure-r-vs-honda-africa-twin-crf1100l-vs-bmw-r1250gs-vs-bmw-r850gs-vs-ktm-1290-sa-r-vs-ktm-1090-adv-r-vs-triumph-tiger-900-rally-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scenicapp.space\/blog\/yamaha-tenere-700-t7-vs-ktm-790-890-adventure-r-vs-honda-africa-twin-crf1100l-vs-bmw-r1250gs-vs-bmw-r850gs-vs-ktm-1290-sa-r-vs-ktm-1090-adv-r-vs-triumph-tiger-900-rally-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"Comparing 9 Adventure Motorcycles – Yamaha Tenere 700 T7 vs KTM 790\/890 Adventure R vs Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L vs BMW R1250GS vs BMW R850GS vs KTM 1290 SA R vs KTM 1090 Adv R vs Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The journey of choosing my next motorcycle began more than 5 months ago when I wrote about being torn between the Kawasaki Z900 RS Cafe and the BMR R1250 GS<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, my thinking has ‘evolved’. The Kawasaki was dropped from the list pretty soon, while other adventure motorcycles came to my attention. What you are about to read is the result of a 6 month process with dealership visits, test rides, watching countless YouTube videos, talking to other riders and a lot of thinking, weighing options and contemplating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, I quickly dropped the Kawa from the list. It’s just not the right motorcycle for the riding that I do. Living in Mexico, pavement quality is mostly bad, and having some gravel and dirt roads during a ride is more rule than exception here. The Z900 RS is just not the best bike for that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another thing happened since that article 5 months ago: I went on a motorcycle camping trip with some big and challenging off-road stretches in it… and loved it. Definitely something I want to do more of in the future. So, I started looking at more adventure focussed motorcycles, and over time, each of the bikes below, popped up on my radar and has actually been my first choice at one point or another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Clearly I needed some structure to this all, and being the nerd that I am, I wanted to make a list and some sort of scoring system to compare these bikes against each other. And so, here it is \ud83d\ude42. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disclaimer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One disclaimer before we start the scoring. I’ve ridden only some of these bikes, sat on others, and some I’ve never sat on at all. Quite some input is coming from my own experience but I also got a lot of info from the countless YouTube videos I watched, comparison articles I read and forum topics I browsed. I’ve ridden on: the BMW R 1250 GS, the BMW R 850 GS, the KTM 1290 Super Adventure (the S model, not the R) and the KTM 1090 Adventure R. I’ve sat on: the KTM 790 Adventure (the standard model, not the R) and the Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro. I’ve not sat on: the Honda Africa Twin CRF1100L, the Yamaha Tenere 700 and the KTM 890 Adventure R.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scoring system<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that we’ve got that settled, let the scoring begin. I’ve scored these bikes against a bunch of categories, which are: weight, range, price, power, electronics, comfort, handling and reliability. Of course, with bikes it’s not all about numbers so I also added some comments where applicable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wet Weight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Obviously weight is important in an adventure bike. If you plan to do more off-road then your odd gravel road, you want a bike to be flickable and easy to handle. And when (not if) you drop it, weight will obviously make a huge difference too. Below’s chart is the wet weight with all liquids and a full tank of gas. I used measured weight where I could find it. Otherwise I used the wet weight \/ curb weight as indicated by the manufacturer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Unsurprisingly, the 1250 GS loses the weight category big time, followed by the KTM 1290 SA R. The big GS is about 45 kg (almost 100 pounds) heavier than the Tenere 700 who wins this category. To put that in perspective… that’s 3 crates of beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Range<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fuel capacity varies a lot between these bikes. From 15 liters for the BMW 850 GS, to 23 liters for the KTM 1290 and 1090. But, fuel consumption also varies, which in its turn, is related to weight again. In the end, we don’t really care how much fuel a bike can carry, nor how fuel efficient it is (leaving environmental aspects and fuel cost aside). In the end, we want to know how far we can go on one tank of gas. In the end, we care about range. To determine this I looked at the fuel capacity of these motorcycles and the average real life fuel consumption I could find (on motorcycle fora and sites such as fuelly). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The KTM’s are clearly the winners here, because of their big gas tanks and efficient engines. The T7 and the 850 GS have a relatively low range because of their small tanks. The 850GS has 15 liters and the T7 just under 16 liters. A bit surprising is the Africa Twin. With almost 19 liters it has a decent tank capacity, but the engine is kind of a fuel hog with an average mileage of about 16.5km per liter \/ below 40 mpg (US). It must be said that real life mileage numbers do vary hugely depending on riding style. The numbers mentioned here are averages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All in all, even the bikes with the lowest ranges can still go 300km \/ 200mi without a fuel stop. You will see the reserve light come on though as all these ranges are including reserve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For price I used the price in the United States, in US dollars, for the model with all the likely options one would get. E.g. for the 790 R this means I opted for the quick shifter and cruise control, and for the BMW’s I added the premium packages, as that makes the best comparison with the other bikes. Prices are not precise to the dollar. I made some guesstimates here and there. This is only an indication to see the relative price difference between the bikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As you can see, most of the bikes are around 15k \/16k, with three exceptions. The Tenere 700, with its 10k, is exceptionally low priced compared to the rest. There is a reason for that, but more on that later. It’s also no surprise that the 1250 GS and the 1290 SA are more expensive than the rest. These two bikes are in a different class – the full sized adventure class – while all the others are in the mid sized adventure class, although this too could be argued for the Africa Twin and the 1090 Adventure R. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because comparing absolute power between these bikes wouldn’t be fare, I’ve opted to compare not only the absolute horsepower, but also the power to weight ratio. In other words, how many horsepower per kilo do these motorcycles provide. For power data I used the horsepower numbers as provided by the manufacturers. Of course some manufacturers report their numbers more favourable than others (I’ve written about that here<\/a>), but overall they are a good enough indication for our purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you know a little bit about these bikes you are probably not surprised that the 1290 SA R, with its nearly 160 hp, is the winner in this category, followed by the 1250GS and the 1090 Adv R. The Tenere 700 is the underdog from a power perspective, although its low weight compensates for that somewhat. Perhaps most noteworthy is the comparison between the 790, the Tiger and the 850GS. They all offer 94\/95 horsepower, but the power to weight ratio of the BMW is noticeably lower, due to its higher weight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electronics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All these bikes, except two which I’ll get to later, come with the rider aids and electronics that one might need. Rider modes, cornering ABS, lean angle sensitive traction control, some have wheelie control, others have hill hold control, yet others have electronic suspension adjustment, etc. Some have intuitive controls (Triumph, BMW, KTM), others take a little getting used to (Honda). Some have beautiful TFTs that provide very good overview (BMW, KTM) while others are less easy to read (Honda, Triumph). Some are fully equipped with all the luxury one would ever need (Triumph, BMW) while others focus more on performance and aiding the rider (KTM, Honda). There are some slight differences in the quality of the rider aids (KTM systems are the best), but all in all these bikes offer many of the same things. If you’d like to know the details please check out the many reviews on YouTube and blogs. Lastly, as the only motorcycle in this group, the Honda Africa Twin has Apple Carplay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two motorcycles I would like to mention here. First, the Yamaha Tenere 700. The main reason why Yamaha was able to keep its price low, is the lack of electronics and rider aids. It only has ABS which can be turned off with a button, and that’s it. It doesn’t have a fancy color TFT, but in stead a very simple but effective old fashioned LCD display. Is that a downside? Maybe, depending on your riding skills and preference, BUT, it’s not as much of a downside as you might think. Because of the Tenere’s smooth engine and low weight it can do without these rider aids. Some even appreciate the purity of it all: no stopping to switch between rider modes, no distraction from an iPad like TFT display, just a throttle, a clutch and go! If anything I would have wished that Yamaha had made it possible to only switch off ABS on the back wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other motorcycle I would like to point out is the KTM 1090 Adventure R. It’s not as basic as the T7, but it’s less sophisticated (or more pure depending how you look at it) than the other bikes in this comparison. The 1090 has basic traction control and ABS which is not lean-angle-sensitive. There’s no wheelie control either and the 1090 does not have the modern TFT dash, but in stead an LCD dash with an old fashioned analogue rev clock. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but something to keep in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One more thing I’d like to note here. Yes you can call it ‘pure’ that the T7 and in lesser form the 1090 Adventure R lacking modern electronic rider aids, but please keep in mind that systems like traction control can save your life on the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comfort<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although I’ve not ridden all these bikes I believe, based on the many reviews I’ve seen and read, that I can offer a pretty objective comfort ranking between these bikes. Nevertheless comfort is a very personal thing, so please take this ranking with a grain of salt. To get a good feel for comfort you really need to sit on-, and if possible ride these bikes yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you have any doubt about the BMW R 1250 GS having the highest comfort rating between these bikes, please go ride one and have a look at the many reviews and comparisons on the internet (I’ve linked to some of them below). There’s no doubt in my mind that the big GS is the most comfortable bike amongst this bunch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve given a shared second place to the Africa Twin, the Tiger 900 and the 850 GS. You might argue that the KTM 1290 should also be in second place, but on my short test ride on the 1290 SA S I found the wind protection a bit below par and the engine producing a lot of heat against my thighs and through the saddle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I placed the 1090 a little bit below the 1290 because of its windscreen and fairing. I experienced quite some buffeting when I rode my friend’s 1090 R. The Tenere 700 is a light bike but most reviewers were surprised by its stable and planted feel on the road and its decent wind protection. Some complained about the saddle being too hard or narrow, while others were absolutely fine with it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lastly I placed the 790 and 890 at the bottom of this list. These are simply not the best machines for highway mile munching and relaxed twisty road cruising. These bikes want to be ridden hard. The engines are not made for slowly cruising along. Furthermore all reviewers complained about bad buffeting and some about wobbling at speeds above 150 km\/hr (95 mph). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Handling<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Like comfort, handling is very personal. Wether you find a motorcycle handles well or not depends on the kind of riding you do, the skill level you have and how hard your ride. There are a few things that stand out from all the reviews I’ve seen and read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n