adventure magazine 14

1st Recce for 2010

Super Tenere Launch Report

Droomers Yamaha Feature

2 Adventure Magazine

Industry NewsGear ReviewDealership FeatureCape Adventure Bike Challenge RecceSuper Tenere Launch Report

3Adventure Magazine

ContentsIndustry NewsGear ReviewDealership FeatureCape Adventure Bike Challenge RecceSuper Tenere Launch Report


Issue 4t33nWhat a month we had. The Super Tenere has just had its official launch in Swaziland and the Cape Adventure Bike Challenge had its 1st recce for 2010 in the Rooiberge outside Van Wyksdorp.

The launch looked like it ran smoothly and some of the journos who attended are saying that its just the best adventure bike currently available. Bold statement I think. Ill keep the big three shootout a little under the table then.

We head on down to Droomers Yamaha in Belville to check what they offer the market.

We would also like to welcome a new Advertiser - Leatt Brace, Have you got yours yet? I would like you guys to support our advertisers because without them, we wont be here.Till next month! Please submit your stories to [email protected]

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Featured Gear

Bmw Enduro GS 3

R3950-00Available at Hamman Motorrad

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Featured Gear


Featured Gear

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Droomers Yamaha Belville

11Adventure Magazine

Droomers Yamaha Belville


New Rides


Droomers Yamaha has been around for ages. I remember as a kid, I used to run in there and go and look at the Yamaha Blasters and Banshee’s. Man did things change in the last 15 years or so.

They recently relocated their acces-sory and gear shop to the second floor and what a nice store it is. They carry most of the gear you could ever want and need. From Hydration packs to helmets and even socks chances are if you need it, they will have a product for you. Yamaha has really made an impact on the adven-ture market in the last 2 years and it shows. Yamaha just launched its Super Tenere and I’m sure it won’t be long until they have a ride able demo available.

Droomers caters mostly to the road and adventure market, but they also have a decent marine range with jet-ski’s and power boats. Their workshop is obviously also kitted out to serve both sides of the industry.Why not drop in and check it out for yourself. David and his team can’t wait to meet you.


New Rides


New Rides

Super Tenere Launch By Dualsportafrica.com


New RidesThe Route: Swaziland

To be fair to a motorcycle of this stature, a route was created to put the big girl through her paces without being too difficult for the group of 20 plus media journalists.

Starting in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, NE South Africa, we headed East along gravel service roads adjacent to the railway line running out of town. The road was laden with loose quarry stone, thick powdery dust and deep concrete storm water culverts, which, if you weren’t paying attention had a tendency to drop you in and then rocket you skyward out the other side!

Into Swaziland, the gravel roads were in good condition in some places, but descending down the valley to our overnight stop, we en-countered steep and very loose gravel, tight corners and cattle - the Super Ténéré got it a chance to show us how well the Unified Brak-ing System and Traction Control really work.

On the second day we made our way North out of Swaziland and into the lush forests of Mpumalanga in the Barberton region. A well placed water truck wetting the dusty roads gave me the opportunity to push the traction control to the max in the slippery wet clay.

Along the various tarred sections of the 680km, we were able to open up the 1199cc V-Twin motor and experience the delight of

rapid acceleration in “Sport Mode” and the smooth top end of around 219km per hour.A special thanks to Adrian Bac (Red Cherry Advertising) and Jan Du Toit (Country Trax) for creating this fantastic route.

Traction ControlThe REVOLUTION has begun..... the days of having to switch off the traction control and ABS systems when you hit the dirt are of-ficially over. The XT1200Z Super Ténéré has the most advanced technology available on a commercial Dualsport motorcycle today.

The True Test: Imagine freshly wet hard packed clay roads - as slippery as it gets. We passed a water truck along the way, wetting the forest roads - needless to say I have never ridden in such slippery condi-tions.The traction control has two settings - De-fault Mode 1 (Most traction) Mode 2 (Moder-ate traction but a little bit of wheel spin) and OFF Mode.

With the Traction Control set on Default Mode 1 (Most Traction), it was nearly impos-sible to get the rear wheel to spin even in the wet clay. The acceleration is smooth and there is no engine spluttering. It feels like the clutch is slipping as the bike accelerates smoothly forward.

With the Traction Control set on Mode 2 (Moderate Traction) the back-end was a little loose, but the bike behaved incredibly


well on the slippery surface and always still accelerated with very slight wiggling.

With the Traction Control switched to OFF MODE - the bike began to behave like its other 1200cc and 990cc competitors would on an ice rink - almost putting me down in the mud.

There is no doubt some riders will prefer to ride with the bike in OFF MODE all the time, allowing for drifting and wheel spinning, but if you need to get the bike under control in adverse conditions, or you are a novice Dualsport Rider, the technology won’t let you down - or put you down.

What does Yamaha D-Mode do? - (Drive-Mode)The NON technical explanation is that it gives the rider a choice to manage the (Engine Mapping) power output in accordance to the terrain being ridden. Example:On the XT1200Z Super Ténéré, the Sport Mode will give you quicker acceleration on the tar, but maybe too powerful for a technical rocky river crossing. The fuel consumption is also greater in S-Mode.Touring Mode will be noticeable more docile, but will be better to handle in loose sections and wet conditions - fuel consumption is improved in T Mode and you will lose a bit of top end as well.So for road riding, short day rides where fuel economy is not an issue you would want to use S mode and Traction Control mode 1 or

Mode 2.For Gravel sections and tricky loose or rocky sections you would want to use T Mode and Traction Control Mode 1If you are more experienced and like to ride like a hooligan, then switch the Traction Control ,to Mode 2 or OFF Mode and the power to S Mode - for a more, OLD SCHOOL type of riding.Seat Height and Comfort:With Adjustable 845-870 mm – which is even lower than the XT660Z Ténéré, allowing for a much wider range of riders - Yamaha hit the nail on the head with this important feature. It keeps the centre of gravity lower as well. The broad seat is superbly comfortable and has a stippled texture for bum grip so you don’t slide around.

Wind Protection:The standard wind shield is more than ad-equate due to the fact that it can be adjusted to two positions and the added low seat position. Higher screens are available if you are an exceptionally tall rider.

Fuel Economy:Depending on the mode you’re riding in, Sport Mode or Touring Mode - your economy will range between 18km and 21km per litre. If you prefer to ride with traction control in OFF Mode and D-Mode set to Sport - then in loose conditions with the rear wheel spinning you can expect as low as 16km per litre. The top left reading on the dashboard will indicate litres per hundred kilometres.


Off Road Handling:Here is a bold statement - “The XT1200Z Super Ténéré has off road handling that is, without a doubt, ahead of any of its competi-tion - 800cc, 990cc and 1200cc alike - The Super Ténéré wins hands down.”Changing the combinations of D-Mode in T-Touring and S-Sport mode and the TCS mode between Mode 1, Mode 2 and OFF Mode gives the rider the choice of just how much power, how much wheel spin and how much fun you want to have. Throw in fully adjustable rebound and damping front and rear suspen-sion - and you got an unbeatable Dualsport motorcycle for experts and beginners!It feels very much like its younger sister the XT660Z Ténéré - agile, light, incredible suspension and very confidence inspiring.

On Road Handling:The ability to vary the Fuel Mapping with YCC-T- Yamaha Chip-Controlled Throttle system - allows for smooth, gutsy sport handling and instant response acceleration, like you would expect from a Sport bike. The low centre of gravity permits riders to throw the bike around as if on a race track. With the standard fitted dual sport tyres you can expect super smooth handling well in excess of 200km/hour. The max speed attained by me personally was 219km/hour on a flat tar road.

Bike Weight - can you feel its weight? (261kg wet)

At no stage during the nearly 700km trip did I feel the bike was anything heavier than 180km. As previously mentioned, it feels very much like a XT660Z in the dirt, obviously with more grunt. On tar the Super Ténéré feels like a big sport bike, but not a heavy one that’s for sure. The side mounted radiator is equally balanced out with the bike battery and electronics on the opposite side.You can put the bike down on its side and easily pick it up on your own.

UBS - Unified Braking System - (ABS Type)Gone are the days of switching off the ABS... This is the second and most noticeable part of the riding revolution. Until now if you have been riding 800cc, 990cc or 1200cc dual sport motorcycles, you’re probably used to stopping as you hit the gravel, switching off the ABS and then proceeding with caution, especially on steep loose gravel sections, right?One would think that a bike weighing 261kg and having 81kw would be a bitch to handle in the rough but Yamaha has changed the course of riding history with the XT1200Z Super Ténéré. The UBS works off road and on road - pe-riod!!! -subject closed-According to the load and the speed you’re travelling, the rotation speed sensors in the front and rear wheels on the Super Ténéré will intelligently utilise the braking to ensure safe stopping on ALL surfaces.

When the ABS computer detects a wheel


locking tendency, it sends signals to an infinitely variable hydraulic pressure unit that modulates braking pressure smoothly to avoid wheel lock-up. In this way, it often takes action before a slide even begins, to deliver smooth, controlled, confident stopping power.

If you grab a hand full of front brake in the loose gravel or wet, the rear is activated first and then the front, unifying both wheels together.If you stand on the rear brake first, then its activated independently and will even allow a little slide - but still stop you rapidly even on steep loose gravel. So you NEVER get that “Run Away Train” feeling.

Of course some riders are going to moan about the lack of an OFF SWITCH for the UBS, but once you’ve ridden with it, there is no reason to want to switch it off - maybe that’s why Yamaha allowed a little slide, just to please the hard core riders :)


This year’s first recce takes place on the Rooiberge outside Van Wyksdorp located in the Klein Karoo on a game farm called Rooiberg.

When we were asked by the organisers (Motorrad Adven-tures) to join them on a recce out in the field we jumped at it. Not knowing what to expect, we were quickly put to ease. We were assured to not worry about a thing and that’s exactly what happened. We left Worcester on Friday morning, making our way through Barrydale and heading towards Van Wyksdorp via the R62. We turned right onto the gravel road and reached Rooi-berg Lodge after about 90km or so. We were greeted by the hosts and quickly showed our chalets. Heading off to supper where we were served some lovely curry and minus some onions for a few of our compan-ions. Saturday morning, we were quickly recruited to go and sam-ple the red route. Things started really slow with me hopping on the KTM990, but soon found out that the Pirelli Scorpion rear just did not have enough grip

to tractor up the mountain. I headed back down again and hopped on my back up Yamaha WR450- really, the best tool for the job. Boris on the BMW GS Adventure in front of me coped really well with the terrain and showed some great skill ne-gotiating the rocks and boul-ders. I caught up to the group quickly and we started follow-ing the 35km mountain trail. There sure are some great views up here, I though as I just casually followed the trail. This is definitely a great route for the guys who want a little more of a challenge than just a dirt road with a few interesting bits. Little did I know that few kilometres down the line things were going to get really inter-esting. With Chris Hamman out in front and Boris having dropped the GS Adventure a couple of times, I could see, this is no Mickey Mouse trail. We headed down the down slope of the mountain. At first it started out a zigzag, nice and slow but then it got a little more interesting with some more challenging bits. Neverthe-less, if you possess the skills


and know you and your bikes capabilities, you will seriously love this trail. After we came down the mountain, we turned into what I’d like to call a little bit of bundu-bashing with some awesome mini obstacles. We rode through some interesting river beds which will probably be even better after the winter.

We headed back after I found myself in a thorn bush, whining like girl, according to our pack leader. I must say, I would have probably still been there if Hen-nie did not help me up out from underneath the bike. A couple of moments later, he too found himself in a thorn bush with some thorns staying behind. Heal soon mate!Our Steaks and Boerewors sup-per was out of this world, with some awesome Irish coffee’s making our tummies warm and eventually putting us to bed.

This year’s CABC really should not be missed by anyone. The Green and Orange route will be very scenic and well organised. For more info and even more pictures, check out www.cabc.co.za

adventure magazine 14

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