Yamaha Ténéré 700
The first long day on the Ténéré reveals pros and cons
It can do the miles no problem, but seat comfort might need to be fixed.
Due to the lockdown almost two months have passed since I was last out on two wheels. I don’t think I have gone that long without riding since getting my licence, and to make matters worse we have had one of the nicest Springs on record.
To make up for some of the lost riding time and get some miles on to our test bikes Mikko and I decided a trip up to Whitby was in order, plus after weeks of only eating at home I was craving fish and chips, so Whitby seemed like a good bet.
Throwing a leg over the tall Ténéré for the first time in two months I was feeling a little rusty and was glad we had opted to take the A1 on the way up. We figured it would get us towards our destination quicker, allowing us more time to enjoy riding the picturesque roads of North Yorkshire. The roads were still quieter than usual so we made quick progress; this would have been one time where cruise control would have been useful. On the sparsely equipped
Ténéré this is not an option, but despite this, and obviously not being a bike designed for pounding out the motorway miles, the stint of 80 or so dual-carriageway miles passed with relative ease. The small screen offers surprisingly more protection than appearances suggest, and even wearing a peaked helmet at motorway speeds I wasn’t fighting against the wind blast. At these speeds the CP2 motor is turning at around 6k rpm and remains vibration free; impressively that seems to be the case no matter how far along the rev range it’s pushed. I’m not quite so fond of the seat, and after an hour-anda-half of being sat in the same position I was looking for an excuse to stop.
After a timely stop for fuel we turned off the dual-carriageway and headed over the Moors. On these roads the Ténéré makes more sense. The well-balanced, agile nature of the bike is a joy, and combined with the freerevving engine, which although it only produces a modest 72bhp never, feels lacking.
We were out of luck at Whitby and couldn’t find any open chippies, so after a quick stop for a brew and photos at the abbey we were back on the bikes and on the hunt for our lunch. We made our way down the coast and into Scarborough, but finding only traffic and crowds we made a quick U-turn and headed back into the peace and solitude of the country roads. Riding through Scarborough’s traffic, I was reminded of the snatchy nature of the Ténéré’s throttle; it’s only apparent on initial opening of the throttle off idle and is more of an annoyance than a problem. I suspect it’s a combination of free-play in the throttle combined with drivetrain lash, but I’ll ask the Yamaha experts to look at it when the bike goes in for the first service.
After striking lucky in Bridlington and refuelling ourselves it was time for the ride home. This time we took a slower route over the Boothferry Bridge, through Goole, and the deserted roads of the Isle of Axholme. Despite the by-now very uncomfortable seat, I was definitely back in the groove and really enjoying the ride. The open roads and clear blue skies reminded me of one of the first long rides I did on my first bike; also a Yamaha. Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder.