Longtermers: Ténéré reaches end of the road, and carries on...
Taking a look back at a year with Yamaha’s middleweight adventurer
I’ve spent the strangest year of my life as custodian of the Yamaha Ténéré 700 and some of the best bits of it were spent in the saddle. Here’s how the last 12 months unfolded.
600 miles
The first 600 miles are spent avoiding ‘prolonged operation above 5000rpm’ to break the engine in. No major hardship, you can hit all speed limits without issue.
1500 miles
I manage to squeeze in a few commutes and explore some local greenlanes and the Ténéré proved excellent at both. I also fit a rack in anticipation of adventures. 2700 miles I swap to some more aggressive off-road rubber and head to an adventure bike day at an enduro centre in Kent. The Ténéré really proves its mettle as it tackles the toughest sections on offer. It’s fine on the motorway there, too. I also rack up some miles with a pillion and the Ténéré handled it no problem. My passenger does complain of a numb bum after longer rides but is happy enough for shorter journeys.
3666 miles
Having ditched the knobbly tyres for some much friendlier dual sport hoops, the Ténéré impresses yet again on a long schlep to midWales (between the lockdowns). At motorway speeds the engine is thrumming along at around 5000rpm and isn’t as vibey as you might expect for a parallel-twin.
The seat is firm but you can shuffle around in it easily to keep your bum happy between fill-ups.
4861 miles
A K-tech suspension upgrade shows what the factory forks and shock are capable of with better internals. The improvements to the damping make for a smoother tip in and much more composed cornering experience. It costs a little over £340 plus labour.
5231 miles
Sadly, it’s time to wave goodbye. A final clean reveals how well finished the T7 is with no corrosion to be found. I only wish I’d been able to spend more time riding this genuinely brilliant bike. It’s a simple, unpretentious and most importantly fun motorcycle.
Head to MCN’s YouTube channel for an in-depth video roundup