S10 test ride.

mark2jag

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I borrowed an S10 today, and I only had it for a few hours, so not sure i should be claiming its the best quite yet but did like the way it corners, almost no effort required to get it to drop into corners without having to fight it.
I liked the seat, and in the 2 hours I had it, I had no numb bum problems, although i was quite surprised to find that if I had found myself getting a wee bit uncomfortable, there is room on the seat to move about a bit if you want to. The screen is a little bit too low for me,and I'm only 5ft9", but the buffeting was restricted to the top of my lid and not directed straight at my visor. I noticed the different power modes are quite distinct , and there is quite a big difference between Touring, and Sport mode. Sport mode really seems to go for it, and Touring mode would be ideal if you want to eke out a bit more economy and are definitely not in a hurry. While on the subject of economy, I found I was getting 56.5 MPG according to the computer. This was not achieved by gently pootling either, this was done riding the bike as normal, although my interpretation of normal and the next persons is probably quite different. I woud guess that that figure is not to be sniffed at when 122MPH comes up and it doesnt change much. That speed was achieved on the runway at Blackbushe Airport by the way, before I get a mild telling off for racing on a public road. or for being a twat..

Brakes. Check, yes. seemed to pull up very well and didnt have any intervention from the ABS. The traction control did seem to work, and I'm sure i felt the back light up for a very very short space of time and then get reeled in by the traction control. the seat height is just about right too, with me being able to sit on it with both feet almost but not quite flat on the floor. Didnt vibrate too much, in fact it just got on with the job it seemed to be designed for.
I did think it was a wee bit quiet, and had it been my bike and I had just found a suitcase full of money at the side of the road, i think i would definitely invest in different exhausts for it. I would also get a taller screen,some luggage,heated grips, and i know you all hate them, but....... AN ALARM.......:D

Would I buy one??? Yes. Will it be right now, err NO.

must concentrate on my hunt for a bargain banger till i get my compo in whatever year they see fit to settle up. Oh and on the comfort side of things not a twinge or a hint of trouble from my kernackered shoulder, so looks like the bars/seat distance ratio thingy is about right too. either that or my friends Nurofen and Ibuprofen are misleading me yet again....


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I thought there was a blue streak on the Alfa 30 runway :D

I have to admit that the more I ride mine, the more I like it and actually understand what this machine is about. Proficiency with reliability, that is also at hoot around the twisties (chicken strips disappear with ease) no matter how much I load it up. It draws quite a lot of attention by those 'in the know', perhaps as there are relatively few of them about.

Like many here, I have owned and ridden many and varied machines, raced a few and killed a few. I've ridden BMW's for a living and owned a few as well. I can't say that I miss their character that much, now that I'm experiencing the S10. It must be for me the most enjoyable, comfortable, accomplished all round, all weather bike that I have ever owned. :cool:
 
I borrowed an S10 today, and I only had it for a few hours, so not sure i should be claiming its the best quite yet but did like the way it corners, almost no effort required to get it to drop into corners without having to fight it.
I liked the seat, and in the 2 hours I had it, I had no numb bum problems, although i was quite surprised to find that if I had found myself getting a wee bit uncomfortable, there is room on the seat to move about a bit if you want to. The screen is a little bit too low for me,and I'm only 5ft9", but the buffeting was restricted to the top of my lid and not directed straight at my visor. I noticed the different power modes are quite distinct , and there is quite a big difference between Touring, and Sport mode. Sport mode really seems to go for it, and Touring mode would be ideal if you want to eke out a bit more economy and are definitely not in a hurry. While on the subject of economy, I found I was getting 56.5 MPG according to the computer. This was not achieved by gently pootling either, this was done riding the bike as normal, although my interpretation of normal and the next persons is probably quite different. I woud guess that that figure is not to be sniffed at when 122MPH comes up and it doesnt change much. That speed was achieved on the runway at Blackbushe Airport by the way, before I get a mild telling off for racing on a public road. or for being a twat..

Brakes. Check, yes. seemed to pull up very well and didnt have any intervention from the ABS. The traction control did seem to work, and I'm sure i felt the back light up for a very very short space of time and then get reeled in by the traction control. the seat height is just about right too, with me being able to sit on it with both feet almost but not quite flat on the floor. Didnt vibrate too much, in fact it just got on with the job it seemed to be designed for.
I did think it was a wee bit quiet, and had it been my bike and I had just found a suitcase full of money at the side of the road, i think i would definitely invest in different exhausts for it. I would also get a taller screen,some luggage,heated grips, and i know you all hate them, but....... AN ALARM.......:D

Would I buy one??? Yes. Will it be right now, err NO.

must concentrate on my hunt for a bargain banger till i get my compo in whatever year they see fit to settle up. Oh and on the comfort side of things not a twinge or a hint of trouble from my kernackered shoulder, so looks like the bars/seat distance ratio thingy is about right too. either that or my friends Nurofen and Ibuprofen are misleading me yet again....


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Glad you ejoyed it ,Yes you do need exhaust ect, But when u do very different beast:thumb
 

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Wonder how much Hilltop retuning could liberate from it, reliably without it going Bang. Like the Black version by the way, looks very stealthy. I see Big Den is selling his with tons and tons of extras on. Wish I could lay me hands on 9 Grand TODAY, I'd be in there.

Mark.
 
For better power get an ecu unleashed flash this removes fly by wire restrictions in 1st to 3rd, and female closed loop, low to kid range is massively improved, my nog is better as well.

Steering is much better with more ride height, I now have 10mm rider dog bones.

Now turns like gs did and has loads of clearance, much more torque and rides bumps better, smoother as well (comparing to ac 1200)

Performing very well two up with luggage in alps, similar mpg to gs but extra 4l gives the range the gs sometimes lacked.

All day comfort very good with taller screen and tony archer seats.
 
Nice report, Mark.:thumb You don't see that many S10's on the road, but they do look good when you do.:beerjug: And that black one does look:cool:
 
Saw quite a few in the Alps on my holiday, obviously way outnumbered by the GS, but still seem far more popular than the UK - probably because in most other places the price is more competitive.

At our Dolomites meet there were 3 S10's to just 1 GS, the K1600's also seem very popular, we had two at the meet and at our next hotel there was half a dozen bikes while we were there, another S10 pulled in for a night but not a single GS - but yet another K1600.
 
Adv vs S10 (probably been done to death!)

Well I have just off loaded my '06 Adv which I have had for 2 years and my 3rd one. Not been without problems at only 40k miles which is not on really. SO thought I would look at the S10.

As my header says the argument has probably been aired already and everyone has a personal like.

I do around 15k pa lot in Europe and the odd shop to Tescos. Some say the S10 is more akin to an 800gs than a 1200?

Dont care about not switching the ABS

Do want a big comfy tourer that is sort of economical

I guess my question is are they really a contender to take the GS crown for mileage eating comfy touring (most I did was Madrid to Le Mans in a day about 740 miles and I felt I could have done more)

They seem a bit plasticky?

Do they have the acceleration of a 1200

I am keen for a bit more reliability and hopefully lower service bills and a little less of the superior air you get from BMW when you walk in asking for bits for an '06 like it was some old pile of junk they don't wish to deal with!

Sorry for all the questions but it seems a big jump over, but then again, maybe not.

I would be truly grateful for some no holes barred views, and thanks for listening
 
do this one simple test, then you'll know.

find as many pages of info as you can about S10 faults. Done that??? Good.
Now find as many pages as you can ref XXXXX BMW faults. Done that?? Good. Notice the difference??? I know which one I would prefer to buy, maintain , and ultimately , get serviced. I dont think ALL BMW dealers are bad, but my experience tends to suggest they dont exactly welcome you with open arms when you go back and say my bike is fucked please fix it without charging me an arm a leg and a kidney please. I am absolutely under no illusion that the Yamaha dealer would be any better, but I'm pretty certain I know which bike might be cheaper to repair.... Or even go wrong less in the first place....


The cynical gits amongst you will probably wonder what the feck I'm doing on a BMW forum if I'm such a JAP bike fan. Well to be honest Some of the BMW bikes I have had have been very good and faultless, but the majority, err well thats another story.....


Mark.
 
find as many pages of info as you can about S10 faults. Done that??? Good.
Now find as many pages as you can ref XXXXX BMW faults. Done that?? Good. Notice the difference??? I know which one I would prefer to buy, maintain , and ultimately , get serviced. I dont think ALL BMW dealers are bad, but my experience tends to suggest they dont exactly welcome you with open arms when you go back and say my bike is fucked please fix it without charging me an arm a leg and a kidney please. I am absolutely under no illusion that the Yamaha dealer would be any better, but I'm pretty certain I know which bike might be cheaper to repair.... Or even go wrong less in the first place....


The cynical gits amongst you will probably wonder what the feck I'm doing on a BMW forum if I'm such a JAP bike fan. Well to be honest Some of the BMW bikes I have had have been very good and faultless, but the majority, err well thats another story.....


Mark.

I understand that, but look how many S10's have been sold compared to GS's and GSA's, then compare the number of issues, and you'll then know which is more reliable:augie:rob:D
 
Hmm, but I don't consider having to re build major components as acceptable on a bm, lets face it it is not a cheap machine and, as Mr. Moderator points out, a vast quantity have been sold, so its about time some of the engineering quality issues were gone! just cant see it occurring on a Yamaha, that said their is a growing concern over the quality of the spoked wheels
 
I do around 15k pa lot in Europe and the odd shop to Tescos. Some say the S10 is more akin to an 800gs than a 1200?

I would say very much like the old 1200GS, maybe with a nudge towards a GSA as it has a bigger tank (23L vs 19) and is a bit heavier than a GS, but a bit lighter than a GSA.

To ride (and I have ridden GS / S10 and GSA's back to back) it feels closer to a GS than a GSA, but is a bit more laid back on steeing geometery and steers slower than a GS, but feels much more sporty than a GSA.

Dont care about not switching the ABS

Good, and many reviews reckon the ABS works well off-road, I think you need to be on pretty extreme terrain to push this issue.


Do want a big comfy tourer that is sort of economical

My MPG was very similar to my 2008 GS pre ECU Unleahsed flash, it is now about 3-4mpg better.

Big - Yes

Comfy - Yes (Slightly less pillion room than GS)


I guess my question is are they really a contender to take the GS crown for mileage eating comfy touring (most I did was Madrid to Le Mans in a day about 740 miles and I felt I could have done more)

Yes, I found it similar to GS for comfort, engine is smoother than the TC GS and it feels more relaxed at higher speeds - but like the GS will guzzle fuel if cruising above 85.


They seem a bit plasticky?

No more so than the old GS, well built IMO


Do they have the acceleration of a 1200

On the road about the same as a TC GS, more bottom - mid range, less top end. With an ECU Unleashed Flash the bike is an absolute stomp monster, not much more top end, but massive mid range pull.

I have Flash + Arrow headers which has given another 10BHP as well as a huge mid-range, by far the most useable angine I have ever experienced on the road, although without any power steps some may still call it bland.



I am keen for a bit more reliability and hopefully lower service bills and a little less of the superior air you get from BMW when you walk in asking for bits for an '06 like it was some old pile of junk they don't wish to deal with!

They seem pretty bulletproof, a few are past 75k on other forums and no common issues apart from rusty spokes, and if you cycle the ignition key without running the bike they can flood, I have doen this a couple of times when messing with electrical farkles, they normally start after some cranking.

No need to carry FPC's and FD's around, I don't even carry a toolkit on mine.

Dealer servicing is a bit cheaper, mainly due to lower labour rates, apart from tappets (every 24k) it is easy to do yourself.

I love mine, the Unleashed flash is worth every penny, I have also fitted Wilburs shock - like the GS the OE one is a bit out of its depth two-up with luggage. I also had forks re-worked, not much "wrong" with them, just a change of springs and oil makes them a lot smoother - althoug out of the crate the bike rides bumps better than my old GS (Even with the Wilburs on the GS)

I did miss the lack of dive at first, but used to the conventional forks again now. The clock controls not being on the bars also annoyed me and the Yamaha luggage is not up to BMW standards (so just fit something else - I chose SW-Motech) The heated grips are also poor with one getting very hot and the other barely warming up (again shop elsewhere)

Owners tend to love these bikes, and for banging miles on they are fantastic, they will never be as fast as the new GS or KTM, but in the real world are probably more than quick enough for most folk, even two-up.
 
I would say very much like the old 1200GS, maybe with a nudge towards a GSA as it has a bigger tank (23L vs 19) and is a bit heavier than a GS, but a bit lighter than a GSA.

Wet weight of a standard GS is 229kg and the GSA is 256kg. Wet weight of the Super Ten is 261kg, so the Super Ten is heavier than both. Tank capacity of the standard GS is 20 litres, not 19.
 
Yam is no doubt heavy but it makes that weight disappear as it appears to be carried low enough not to make it a top heavy bugger, compared to my previous XT660ZTenere the S10 is far easier to manage and push around even picking it up from its side isn't a problem.
 
I agree with pretty much all that Mr Rasher says about the S10 and I really like racking up the miles on mine. Heading for one last trundle to the Ardennes this weekend before the weather gets too rubbish to enjoy it.

As for wet weight, make sure you compare like with like. The S10 comes with ABS and TC as standard, and I have a feeling the GS weights are for a basic one wwithout ABS etc. In any case, tithe S10 is no lightweight but I find it really rewarding to ride around those mountains.

I went for the Holan luggage which is narrower for the capacity you get and (all a matter of opinion) much better looking than the alternatives on the market. I also added an MRA screen, Wilbers shock, Touratech crash bars, Givi metal top box plate, Arrow silencer, ECUnleashed flash. Touratech adjustable screen mount, fog lights and several other bits and pieces. Not that the bike is bad but I just love to personalise the bikes I buy.

I suspect I will part with the bike betwen now and the spring, not because there are any issues but because I tend to chrange bike every couple of years. I quite fancy the KTM if Mrs Monty could get used to the cramped passenger seat, but I will have a browse at the NEC and see what excites.

Matt
 
great feedback

What really useful and sensible feedback, thanks guys. Having a test ride Wednesday at my local dealer in Hammersmith, getting quite excited after having 3 Gs's
 


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