ted

Reading a few of these comments - especially mikerbiker's just above - made me realize that I may have gotten some my answer last September, when I had the opportunity to ride a friend's Super Tenere on a 2500 mile trip through parts of Alberta, Montana, Idaho , Washington and BC in September. Obviously the Super T and Tracer are not truly "comparable" bikes - in terms of weight the Super T is much more akin to the FJR. And I'm sure the Tracer has it hands down in the fun department (the FJR is more fun than the Super T!) . But I did like the upright riding position and very much appreciated the increased legroom, both of which the Tracer offers. The Super T also provided a taste of diminished weather & wind protection compared to the FJR, but I didn't find that to be too much of an issue for most of the trip. Only that first day with the onset of early winter between Edmonton and the US border (sub-freezing temps and flurries)...and the day of pouring rain and chilly temps in BC... but had I not been a naive Texan traveling north for the ride lacking the quality of gear needed for those conditions, it might have been a different story!!

Great comments from so many - very much appreciated!

This is similar to the "new member, not owner yet" thread -- for the past three years I've been riding a 2015 FJR and have enjoyed it (prior to that I'd only ridden cruisers). It's a great bike, perfect in many ways for the 1-2 long trips I may make per year (3000+ miles over a week or so) as well as the more typical 200 mile single-day jaunts closer to home. But I keep wondering if something smaller and lighter would be suitable for those long hauls while at the same time being possibly more fun on the day trips? Ideally I'd have both, but I'm not sure I can justify that. So, wonder if anyone else out there has made the switch (or has both in the garage) and how you'd stack one up versus the other. Again, I know they're different bikes - and I also know that experiences are subjective - but would appreciate any personal insights that might be out there. FWIW, I'm a shade over 6' tall, 180 lbs, with a 32-33" inseam and in pretty decent shape for a "1957 model".