Why the T7 has been such a success
Two years since it was launched, Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 has opened up adventure bikes to a whole new audience. We get reacquainted with one to find out why...
ADVENTURE, THEY SAY, is not about the destination but the journey. And what a journey Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 has already been on. From the T7 ‘concept’ first shown (perhaps, with hindsight, a whisker prematurely) back in November 2016, through more than two long years of teasers and promises, hype and prototype, to a finished production bike finally arriving for 2019.
Today, another two years after that, I’m back on a Ténéré 700, picking quietly through early-morning traffic on a 90-minute meander through Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and into Suffolk. The 2021 version is virtually unchanged — if you want to get ultra-nerdy, the latest bike has now been homologated to meet Euro5 emissions standards, though its power, torque and weight figures are unaffected.
The Ténéré’s recipe is something Yamaha hasn’t wanted to mess with. More than 11,000 have been sold across Europe, with around 1100 finding homes in the UK. Even in my (rather limited) social circle I know three people who’ve bought a Ténéré. None of them are hardcore, square-jawed, steely-eyed rally fanatics, just regular road riders like you and me. They’re folk who did the sportsbike thing in the 1990s and 2000s, before slowly starting to look around for a different way to enjoy two wheels. And they found it in the Ténéré.
If we can start with the superficial, the Ténéré’s appeal undoubtedly begins with how good it looks. While other adventure bikes can appear a bit bloated and overblown, the Yamaha’s lines are lithe, its bodywork minimal and unfussy. The tail unit and flat seat look like they’ve been taken off an enduro, then scaled up. And while the T7’s
four-light face (a nod to its WR450F rally bike) at first looked peculiar, it’s grown on me in the past few years.
Crucially, that initial aura of kudos and credibility is kept up once you’re sat on the bike. The Ténéré is purposefully tall (875mm unladen seat height) but it’s so light and the saddle’s so slim that, for the first hour of this morning’s ride, it doesn’t even dawn that I can’t quite get both my feet flat on the floor. That’s despite my 5ft 9in frame being supplemented by adventure boots.
The handlebar sets hands wide and high, while pegs put feet low and relatively far forwards, giving a purposeful, engaging stance that doesn’t puncture those Dakar daydreams. From onboard, the vertical LCD dash bears a passing resemblance to a rally roadbook. The screen looks short, narrow and distant but even cruising along at motorway speed, it does a great job of deflecting wind without creating turbulence or buffeting.
In fact, despite looking all sporty and naughty, the Ténéré cruises along calmly. At 80mph in top gear, the 689cc twin spins along at 6000rpm, with no vibration reaching the rider. The perfectly-positioned mirrors stay crystal clear; seat’s a little skinny and firm, while the clock unit jiggles around a touch but otherwise, it covers ground with the refinement of a pure road bike.
This morning’s destination is a roadside snack shack on the edge of Thetford Forest. Between sips of black coffee to fend off the springtime chill in the air, I drop tyre pressures from 32/36psi to a handbook-approved 29/29, then remove the footpegs’ rubber inserts. That’s all it takes to get this relaxed road bike ready to explore a few byways. I’m not going to touch the suspension despite its myriad of adjustment possibilities, nor tweaking handlebar position. There are no riding modes or baffling rider aids to waste time altering, just one
button to switch the ABS off. In fact, the sole modification from a box-fresh bike is the accessory crash bars (£221), which Yamaha chose to fit when they heard we’re heading off-road. No offence taken, chaps.
I open a gate and ride through onto my first legal byway. A pair of parallel paths cut into the grass, snaking seductively into the horizon across wide-open farmland. All I have to do is pick one side and follow it, but the sandy surface makes that trickier than it sounds, the front wheel slewing from left to right while the bike ploughs on straight forwards. It’s an unexpectedly physical (and unsettling) start but the Ténéré places a reassuring hand on your shoulder. Just keep it in second gear, nice steady throttle, don’t panic and let it move.
Standing up on the pegs, the Ténéré is beautifully balanced. It’s been engineered to be slightly tail-heavy, allowing the front to do what it likes. The motor burbles along smoothly and obediently at low revs, with no sharp overreaction if you twitch the throttle a millimetre. Keep calm and carry on, whispers the Ténéré, as it leads by example, digging in and driving along the track.
Soon the sandy surface turns to more solid dirt, and a wider, smoother lane that’s a proper chance to relax and soak in the solitude and serenity. This is my kind of adventuring — a bit of quiet countryside removed from the rest of the world, exploring fresh air, new sights and the novelty of exploring routes most bikes will never
know even exist. Having an adventure bike is like a key to unlock an undiscovered world right on your doorstep.
When the going is flat and just a bit gravelly, the Ténéré canters along, merrily holding third or even fourth gear, with easy, smooth drive always on hand. The sense of throttle connection is superb, the rear tyre only ever attempting to step out when you deliberately wind it on too eagerly. Otherwise, it’s as if you can feel the grip through the throttle tube. It’s all just so amicable, with no KTM aggression or BMW bulk.
Before long the wide-open track funnels into a tight trail through a tunnel of trees, while the ground begins to undulate up and down like a mini rollercoaster.
Dropping speed right down, I let the Ténéré pitch back and forth over the lumps and bumps, feeling like one of those mechanical rodeo bull machines set to easy. Arms and legs soak up some of the movement, while the long-travel suspension absorbs the rest admirably. Hardcore adventurists may tell you the Ténéré’s suspension is too soft or too basic and it all needs upgrading or replacing. I think it depends how seriously you’re taking the whole thing.
That’s broadly true of the whole bike. Dedicated dirtsters decry the Ténéré 700 for not being light enough, pointing instead to the more focused KTM 690 Enduro R or AJP PR7 for serious mucky stuff. Yet to touring riders, the Ténéré isn’t substantial enough. “It’s just a 700” they
say, musing over their three-piece aluminium boxes, willing pillion and 30-litre fuel tanks.
But what makes the Ténéré so special is that it’s not tyring to operate at either of those extremes. No, it isn’t as capable off-road as a committed mudplugger. No, it isn’t as easy over a 2500-mile, two-up touring week as a shaft-driven 1200. But in between, its range of abilities is phenomenal. A completely standard Ténéré can commute one day, cross the UK in comfort the next, then at the weekend enjoy a splash through a muddy puddle or catch a foot of air along a whoopy track. It’s reliable, frugal (55mpg) and low-maintenance (24,000mile valve checks). Other bikes are better at other things, but I can’t think of another machine that credibly covers more of the adventure spectrum — and certainly not for a four-figure price tag. The Ténéré costs £9502 — literally half the price of a loaded-up GS.
Downsides are few and far between — and often more just a consequence of the Ténéré’s compromise than an actual flaw. The front brakes, Brembo-branded two-pots with fairly small discs, have a very gentle bite. On the road, the lever needs a firm squeeze to stop smartly. Off-road, it’s actually a benefit — without any sudden sharp surprises, there’s less chance of catching yourself out on a slippery surface. The fuel tank is a mere 16 litres, so at most you’ll get 150 miles before the final bar on the digital gauge starts blinking. But again, there are benefits off-road, where the smaller tank means a slim profile between your knees. No excuse for the cheap pop-off filler cap, mind — are hinges that expensive?
With the final byway completed, crash bars untroubled, it’s time to pump the tyres back up (beware overloading the 2-amp limit on the 12-volt socket) and head for home. This is when the Ténéré’s ease of use and its polished road manners excel. Thrashing about giddily on backroads, enjoying the plentiful lean angle and solid steering while screaming every last rev out of the 70bhp motor feels fun and frisky. But it never forces intensity upon you. When you want to take it easy at the end of the day the clutch lever is light, the gearbox snicks easily, and the gearing offers effortless flexibility. Fourth covers everything from 19mph to 109mph, with torque peaking around 60mph, on cue for effortless A-road overtakes.
The day finishes having covered 150 miles — 80% on road, 20% on easy trails. If that sounds like your idea of an adventure bike, the Ténéré 700 is ideal. Lighter, slimmer and more confidence-inspiring off tarmac than big-cc behemoths but smoother, speedier and more substantial on-road than the smaller-cc singles. If you’re thinking of dipping a toe in the adventure waters, the Ténéré
700 could well be the perfect partner.