[Features]

Bikes: BMW 650 Sertao VS Yamaha 660 Ténéré

10 years ago | Words: Andy Wigan | Photos: iKapture Images

Does embracing dual-purpose bikes suggest we’re ageing disgracefully, or simply becoming more practical? We married inexperienced adventure riders with BMW’s 650 Sertao and Yamaha’s 660 Ténéré and headed to the hills to find out. If you’d like to read the full-length article, you can pick up a print or digital edition of Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine‘s 2012 September (#23) Issue by clicking here.

The Bikes, In Context

How do these machines sit in the model line-ups from BMW and Yamaha? To get a handle on the design purpose and target market for each bike, we spoke to BMW’s Miles Davis and Yamaha’s Sean Goldhawk.

BMW 650 Sertao – Miles Davis:

”The 650 Sertao uses the same basic platform as the popular F 650 Dakar, which was discontinued in 2007. The Sertao is essentially a refresh of the Dakar, and released earlier this year. So BMW now has two Learner-approved 650cc singles in the range: the G 650 GS with a 19-inch front wheel, and the longer-travel G 650 GS Sertao with a 21-inch front. We also have two parallel twin options: the F 650 GS and F 800 GS. Then, of course, there’s the flagship boxer-twin 1200s: the R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure. The 650 Dakar was always a very good seller, so the Sertao is a key part of our model line-up again now. It’s got a high-torque, low-stress, fuel-efficient, low-maintenance engine, a relatively low seat height and is Learner-approved in Australia, so it’s a great entry-level into full-on adventure riding or a stepping-stone to the other bikes in the range. Compared to basic 650 GS, the Sertao gets extra suspension travel, spoked wheels with a 21-inch up front, a bigger screen, and is styled to look much more like an adventure machine. It’s very fuel-efficient and often used as a practical commuter bike. With switchable ABS, it’ll handle Melbourne tram tracks in the rain, and then used to escape for the weekend. Unlike trail- or enduro-oriented big-bore singles, it can comfortably sit on 120km/h for extended periods on the road without sending you numb from vibration, or cross the Simpson Desert. It’s priced very affordably, and there’s a raft of accessories available for it – panniers and other luggage carrying options, different seat and windscreen options, engine protection kits, and an anti-theft alarm.”

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Yamaha 660 Ténéré – Sean Goldhawk:

“The Ténéré model evolved from the XT500 and was released in 1983. It went on to enjoy an illustrious record in the Dakar Rally. The bike was revamped and re-released in 2009 with major upgrades to components and styling. As with the first Ténéré, its development was driven by Jean-Claud Olivier, who was the President of Yamaha Motor France until recently and who regularly competed in early Dakar races. With its 21-inch front tyre, 23-litre fuel tank, and new-generation fuel-injected powerplant, the relaunched 660 Ténéré made a clear statement about its off-road capabilities. It also acted as a precursor to our 1200cc Super Ténéré released soon afterward. With the two models, it positions Yamaha Australia very well to capitalise on the growing adventure bike market. We sold more than 200 units of the 660 Ténéré in both 2010 and 2011, which is similar to the numbers BMW did with all variants of their 650 GS. Along with Yamaha’s more road-oriented XT660R – which comes with a smaller tank and less suspension travel – the XTZ660 Ténéré is Learner-approved and, in effect, Yamaha’s entry-level machine for those looking to get serious about adventure riding. When dirt bike guys take a look at the recommended service intervals for the Ténéré, they do a double-take. Owners don’t have to think about oil changes or valve clearances for 10,000 or 20,000km. The 660 Ténéré does come with ABS in Europe. But it’s not available in Australia, because there’s limited demand for it from off-road riders here, plus it would make the model significantly more expensive. Priced at less than 14 grand – including $660 worth of free accessories – it’s excellent value for such a low-maintenance, versatile machine that’ll happily travel anywhere in, or around, Australia.”

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How The Bikes Compare

So where do the 650 Sertao and 660 Ténéré ‘fit’ into the motorcycle landscape? Well, they’re much more than a tarted-up DR650 or KLR650 with inflated price tags. They’re both low-maintenance, go-anywhere, purpose-built adventure bikes. With fuel-injected engines, cush-drive hubs and wind protection, they’ll comfortably sit at highway speeds all day, and yet they’ve got enough suspension and ground clearance for extended off-road stints. We took the two machines for a 1000km shakedown (about 30% of which was off-road) over three days to get a feel for their relative performance. Both were in standard trim, aside from a set of Akrapovic pipes that had been fitted to the Yamaha. And we dropped the air pressures in their standard Metzeler Tourance dual-purpose hoops to 22-24psi for better all-round performance.

Componentry & Ergos

At first glance, the Ténéré is a noticeably bigger and more imposing machine. It’s taller, wider, heavier, comes with almost twice as much fuel as the Sertao, and appears to be built with a distinct leaning toward off-road terrain. As a package, the Ténéré has a more modern, edgy, genuine adventure bike aesthetic. Its cast swingarm says off-road more than the Beemer’s. It’s slimmer through the girth. It gets protective rubber boots on the fork sliders and a rally-style front mudguard. And its instrument panel (digital speed and fuel-level readouts and an analogue tacho) is practical and easy to read. The 650 Sertao may be a refreshed version of the 650 Dakar, but BMW’s design team could certainly have made a more concerted effort to upgrade its component spec in the five years since the Dakar disappeared.

With a 40mm lower seat height, the Sertao is less intimidating. It seems to be designed for the rider who spends most of the time in the seat. In the standing position, it’s porkier than the Yami and forces you to ride with bowed legs. Tall riders will feel pretty cramped on the BMW, and look to fit the higher seat option. But at $400, that’s not a cheap tweak. Having ridden in sub-zero temperatures, we can confirm the heated grips are no gimmick. Though an aftermarket kit can be fitted to the Yami for $130. On the downside, the BMW has no fuel gauge, but it does have a warning light and 4 litres of reserve.

Both bikes have long-life steel sprockets, headlights that actually work and bashplates and handguards as standard equipment. But what’s with the 1980s-spec spindly little footpegs they both run? If you plan to spend much time off-road, a decent set of pegs will be the first thing on your shopping list. Similarly, the brake pedal and gear-shifter are old-school steel units and easily bent. And while the Metzeler Tourance tyres are okay for the firetrail, you sure wouldn’t plan a Simpson Desert crossing with them.

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The Engines

With a similar bore and stroke configuration and lots of oil volume, these two machines’ powerplants are designed to be big on torque and small on maintenance. If you’re thinking about adding performance parts, then you ought to be buying something else. A new exhaust system isn’t going to unleash a heap of latent grunt. That said, both bikes capable of accelerating uphill in fifth gear from 2500rpm, which is exactly the sort of power you want after eight hours in the saddle. They’re broad, torquey, smooth and versatile powerplants, albeit thoroughly unexciting if you’re used to a big-bore enduro-spec dirt bike.

As you’d expect, both machines run tall final gearing with five-speed transmissions. At 100km/h, the Yami revs at 4000 in top gear, whereas the BMW is at 4700rpm and could do with a sixth gear for highway use – both to bring the revs down and help fuel economy. However, we calculated that the Beemer uses just 4 litres per 100km, making it extremely fuel-efficient. That’s why it can get away with the relatively small 14-litre fuel tank, and travel 350km between fuel stops.

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The Handling

The BMW handles surprisingly well on the road. It’s nimble, tips into turns easily, has neutral steering and isn’t easily unsettled when you hit a mid-corner bump. But it soon finds it limitations in loose, rough terrain. To us, the Sertao feels more like it’s designed to tolerate off-road conditions rather than embrace them.

Despite its bigger screen offering pretty good wind protection, the Yamaha isn’t as composed on the black stuff. Its suspension wallows on faster bumpy corners, and it takes more of a conscious effort to crank it into turns. But as soon as you hit the dirt, the Yamaha is noticeably more confidence inspiring, especially on the bigger hits. Of course, neither of these 200kg machines likes to be jumped, but the Yami resists bottoming better. Under acceleration, and even with its dual-purpose tyres, the Ténéré’s rear-end hooks up nicely on gravel roads, and the shock does a very respectable job of keeping the rear wheel on the ground and driving predictably.

As riders with a dirt bike background, we can’t help point out both bikes’ limited suspension adjustment. We get that they’re intentionally kept simple for newcomers to the adventure market. But for machines designed to work both on- and off-road – and carry luggage on occasion – added suspension adjustability would certainly make them more versatile. The OTF preload adjuster on the Beemer is handy, but there’s no adjustment at all on the bike’s fork. The Yamaha runs a conventional preload collar on its shock and has a huge range of fork preload adjustment – which is just as well, because the bike’s front-end is way too soft until you wind on 20 turns (of 27) of spring preload. The Brembo brakes on both machines aren’t state of the art, but they offer plenty of stopping power and pretty good feel.

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The Verdict

Both the Sertao and Ténéré are the perfect introduction to the adventure bike market. The Beemer is more at-home on the tarmac than dirt, while the Yami is the other way around. Compared to the BMW R 1200 GS Adventure – which is generally regarded as the benchmark in the adventure bike market – these machines aren’t in the same realm. Sure, the Sertao has heated grips and switchable ABS, but neither Sertao nor Ténéré get any of the electronic safety features of the Adventure – such as traction control, tyre pressure monitoring or electronic suspension adjustment. Then again, they come at less than half the price. And they’ll get you started with an addiction you can live with for life!

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If you’d like to read the full-length article, you can pick up a print or digital edition of Transmoto Dirt Bike Magazine‘s 2012 September (#23) Issue by clicking here.

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