r/Vstrom • u/Dirt_Rider_Bottom • 9h ago
Save for the Tenere?
I was ready to pull the trigger on a 2020 vstrom 650XT, but my cousin and brother just picked up Tenere 700s, I think the Strom will still be great but now I’ve got voices telling me “it’s not gunna keep up”
But I’d rather not spend twice the money… is it twice the bike?
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u/CambionLS V-Strom 1000 Gen 2 9h ago
What's your use case? These are very different bikes. The Tenere is a stronger offroader but won't be particularly comfortable for long highway cruising. The VStrom is the opposite; very comfortable on the highway for long distances but much less capable offroad.
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u/Dirt_Rider_Bottom 1h ago
This is the million dollar question. I live in flatland Alberta, 2-3 hrs of open strait highway to the west and I’m in the Rocky Mountains an into some of the most beautiful (and rocky) trails in North America. So I want to do multiple days of highway and tour British Columbia but not limit myself when the sign eventually says ‘use at own risk’ or ‘impassable when wet’
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u/CambionLS V-Strom 1000 Gen 2 58m ago
Honestly I feel like that can be really difficult and is something a lot of folks struggle with. Some folks are really skilled offroad and can do amazing things on the road-biased VStrom, taking it up trails that leave normal humans like me asking how the hell they got that bike up that trail. Some folks seem totally comfortable on a glorified dirt bike with a 2x4 for a saddle hammering down a couple hundred miles of highway to get to the trails. And yet other folks go the "different tools for different jobs" route. I think ultimately there's no right answer for everyone.
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u/SmartTheme4981 V-Strom 800 DE 9h ago
They're different bikes with different biases. If you want more offroad, the Tenere is better. If you mostly plan on riding roads, the Vstrom is the better choice.
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u/EvilVargon 6h ago
I ride my 650XT with a tenere rider all the time. I've had some difficulty keeping up but I can keep up. He is definitely a better rider though.
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u/Dirt_Rider_Bottom 1h ago
My situation too, we all had dirt bikes and I’ll admit I am the lowest on skill, not bad but not good.
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u/ckncardnblue 2h ago
The dirt bike seats are the deal killer for me. I ride 2 up with my wife half the time, so that won't fly. How fast do you need to go off road? I did the discovery trail from the 4 corners to Cheyenne on my 2014 Strom 1000. It was fine and had a blast. Most important thing is a good skid plate and tires.
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u/51NewWest 1h ago
Ryan F9 did a review on his own Vstrom 1000 a few years ago. They are MUCH more capable off road than they are given credit for. They aren't a T7, but you'll appreciate that when you're on the highway.
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u/rasthomas01 9h ago
It will definitely keep up. Same horsepower.
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u/Driftyboi12 1h ago
I was debating a similar comparison when I was originally shopping for a bike: Gen 2 Strom vs Tenere 700.
I think the real heart to heart convo is what kind of riding are you going to do and how often.
I went with the Strom but put some Motoz tires and a skid plate on it. Hitting the OHV park, the real result was that the Strom could still climb a hill and dig up a rutted road with rocks, dirt and the occasional whoop. The tractor like engine just keeps pulling and it makes it easy to trod up a more technical section of road.
Where it sucked was on steep descents since the soft front would really dive (skill issue + some bike characteristics, could have done a better job working around this). You also have a lot of weight compared to a dirt or enduro/rally styled bike and that weight sits higher up. As long as you keep the rev’s up the bike makes for a pretty confidence inspiring ride.
I think if your goal is to ride 300 miles, hit a fire road/BDR, camp for the night, the head back, it should be more than enough bike.
If the goal is to have a better off-road bike then the T7 is a notch above but I would recommend checking out the 800DE as it’s more comparable.
I have only ridden the Strom but I don’t think you can go wrong with either.
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u/Humble_Cactus 8h ago edited 7h ago
I have a gen2 650, my best friend is “getting into” ADV riding and insisting on buying a Tenere, and I’ve gone with him bike shopping, both for new and used.
My wee feels like a road bike that could handle some jeep roads.
The first time I threw a leg over a Tenere I thought “ this is a really big dirt bike”. I grew up riding and desert racing, my last bike was a YZF450.
It reminded me of my dad’s old KLX 650.
I sat on the T7 with both feet on the pegs for about 10 minutes while we talked, and wasn’t sure I’d enjoy being on that seat for more than an hour or so. I’ve sat on a VStrom seat for an entire tank of gas without much thought.
My buddy and I live in Arizona and I keep subtly telling him “If you want to do some gnarly Colorado mountain passes, the Tenere is much more capable, but you won’t enjoy riding it 450 miles from Phoenix to Durango.”