Suitable Partners Yamaha Tenere 700
Since 1983, the Tenere has been an intrinsic part of the Yamaha lineup, first in single cylinder 600cc form and later, as the 1989 Super Tenere 750cc twin. It has survived, prospered even, because the model hit a chord with the more adventurous riders everywhere – a motorcycle that could take on the gnarliest of terrain without raising a sweat, yet be possessed of manners that would happily take you to work in between conquering mountains and deserts.
“... this really is the kind of adventure bike people can do real adventure riding on.”
36 years after its birth, the Tenere has justifiably achieved Cult Status. Both versions grew in engine size (to 660 and 1200 respectively) in 2009, but even though they continued to find happy owners worldwide, the question of an all-new replacement has gathered momentum.
Then, more than one year ago, privileged journalists attended an international launch where that motorcycle – the long awaited ‘new’ Tenere – broke cover. OK, so let’s have it, went the clamour. Not so fast, was the response from Japan, but here we are, just before Christmas 2019, with the news that Australia’s first shipment is imminent – and completely sold out. In the interim, the pre-production versions have been comprehensively flogged by a crack team of development riders that includes Australia’s Rodney Faggotter, a veteran of Dakar and many other raids.
So here it is, but what is it? If the 689cc parallel twin cylinder engine looks familiar, it should be. Coming from the hugely successful MT-07 and variants, this engine is a real gem, compact, light, torquey and incredibly versatile, as can be seen from the fact that it powers everything from bikes for beginners (in LAMS form) to the new Tenere. Apart from the powerplant, the Tenere 700 shares little with its brethren, having a bespoke chassis which is in high tensile steel with removable front down tubes, with a massive looking but light, pressed and welded aluminium swinging arm. The whole chassis weighs just 17.75kg. Up front sits a set of 43mm KYB USD forks with 210mm of travel, while the link-type rear suspension and KYB Monoshock has 200mm of travel with a handy pre-load knob on the left side.
Any motorcycle with this amount of suspension travel and ground clearance will of necessity be tall, but with a seat height of 870mm the Tenere 700 is not that much of a stretch, and once aboard, it feels extremely light. The seat is narrow and a bit plankish, but you’re supposed to stand up much of the time anyway, and doubtless there will be an accessory version soon. There’s a big, vertically-mounted instrument panel right in front of you, sitting behind the windscreen which also covers the rather futuristic looking headlight with its cluster of four LEDs inside.
But specifications are one thing, practicality is another. It’s a fact that many an SUV (car, that is) or so-called adventure motorcycle is purchased with dreams of attacking the outback on a regular basis, riding where no man has dared to ride. There are plenty of bikes on the market that will take on that role in a heartbeat, but with varying degrees of suitability for lighter duties. Weight is the penalty of such versatility, and the older we get, the greater that weight, er, weighs on our minds. So a scoot such as the new generation Tenere, which can competently tackle either task, yet doesn’t feel like it has been cloned from a Dakar support truck, is a tempting package indeed. Two bikes in one, or the best of both worlds, if you’ll pardon the clichés.
So what’s it like in the saddle?
At the time our test bike was made available, road tester par excellence Rennie Scaysbrook was briefly back home from his US base and put the ‚
Tenere 700 through its paces for us. Our test bike was in what Yamaha call Light Offroad spec. fitted with Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tyres, a Genuine Yamaha Skid Plate and Headlight Guard. Here’s the verdict.
“I had a feeling the Tenere 700 would be a good thing long before I hopped on it. This is a bike that’s been teased since the winter of 2016, having gone through various ‘T7’ prototype phases and the most drawnout PR spin this side of a Presidential campaign. Now it’s finally here and we’re all the better for it, because this really is the kind of adventure bike people can do real adventure riding on. “There are three reasons for my liking of the 700. The first is the beautiful little 689cc parallel-twin motor that’s been swiped from the MT-07 and XSR700. This is the most versatile motor in Yamaha’s range— I’ve seen it power everything from road racers to dirt trackers, custom builds and commuters, and now, adventure bikes. It does it all and does it very well. Throttle response is delightfully smooth – Yamaha’s done a great job with the fuelling for low speed/low rpm throttle increments like when you’re on a tight trail – and there’s more than enough torque to power you on the freeway. Final gearing might be a bit on the tall side, but it certainly makes for a comfortable highway ride.
“The second great point on the Tenere is the tall, rangy chassis and the way it carries its weight. With so much ground clearance, you can ride over anything short of a supercross track. The suspension is supple and although it’s not fully adjustable, should handle most things you can throw at it. Turn in takes a little getting used to as turn speed offered by the 21-inch front wheel falls into the corner much faster than a 17 or 19-incher, but the off-shoot of that is excellent off-road performance, allowing you to explore more places than ever before.
“And finally, the third and best thing about the Tenere 700 is the almost total lack of electronics. You get switchable ABS and that’s it. No variable riding modes, no traction control – this is a big dirtbike aimed at real adventure riding. Let’s face it: being stranded in Birdsville because a traction control sensor has sent your bike into limp mode isn’t much fun, and this is something you’ll not have to deal with on the Yamaha. I’d have liked to have cruise control for those tarmac stretches, but I get why Yamaha didn’t fit it.
“The Tenere 700 fills its design brief perfectly. It works well on road and would prove a fine commuter, but it’s such a good bike off road – not just in how it rides but also what it doesn’t have i.e electronics – that I won’t be surprised to see more manufacturers take Yamaha’s ‘less is more’ approach’ to adventure riding in the coming years.”