Tall touring bike fits like a glove
Tenere great on road, but more than capable off the beaten track
Yamaha’s Tenere arrived quietly in dealerships this year after a somewhat covert introduction in the fall of 2011.
But Yamaha should’ve paraded the bike downtown with marching bands, searchlights criss-crossing the sky and a glitzy Lady Gaga stage show. A motorcycle this good deserves a little glitz.
Before you dismiss the $16,499 Tenere as “just another adventure tourer,” consider that Yamaha was into the genre long before it became cool and trendy. Yamaha won the first Paris-Dakar Rally in 1978 and racked up eight more victories in the gruelling contest before the event was cancelled.
The Tenere (pronounced “TENer-ray”) is named after one particularly nasty and remote section of the Sahara Desert that the rally used to go through.
My test bike was a factory demo that had already led a rough life. It was dinged, scuffed, used and abused by members of the public who think it’s their sworn duty to flog these bikes half to death.
Even at that, and with more than 16,000 hard kilometres on the clock, the Tenere was tight, steered precisely and tracked straight and true.
All the controls still felt like new — the shift linkage had no slop, the brake and clutch actuation was still progressive and linear, and nothing felt worn out. Very impressive, since one season of demo riding is likely equal to several years of use by a responsible owner.
The 1199 cc inline twin has a 270degree firing order and pumps out 108 horsepower with more than 80 lb.-ft. of torque. Twin balance shafts quell unwanted vibration and a dry sump lubrication system eliminates the under-engine oil sump, which could get crunched when riding off-road. The oil tank is actually inside the engine cases, which reduces weight, lowers the centre of gravity and eliminates oil lines.
The Tenere comes with two power modes and three traction-con- trol settings. In “touring” mode, the bike feels flat and listless, as if the airbox had ingested a pair of sweat socks. Dial up “sport,” and the Tenere wakes up and accelerates as if it suddenly gained a cylinder.
I tried “touring” for five minutes and never used it again, but that mode, as well as traction control, is useful for dirt riding or extremely wet conditions where wheelspin isn’t welcome.
When I first climbed aboard, the Tenere just felt “right.” It was like putting on a pair of well-worn leather gloves, where the material forms itself to every nuance, bump and physical feature on your hands.
The bars have a nice rise and pullback, the seat is wide and very comfortable, and the pegs are right where I’d put them. I’d probably hack an inch or so off the bars and go for the larger windscreen.
As with most adventure tourers, the Tenere is tall, with a seat height that’s adjustable between 845 and 870 mm, although a 35 mm lower seat is available as an option.
Some of the height comes from the generous 190 mm of welldamped suspension travel at both ends. The forks and shocks are fully adjustable, although with BMW and Ducati now offering electronic suspension adjustment, the Tenere’s manual adjustment almost seems as archaic as carburetors and ignition points. The 110/80-19 front and 150/70-17 rear tires are geared more toward pavement than dirt, and allow the bike to generate some pretty impressive cornering angles and speeds. Steering is surprisingly light and the confidence-inspiring riding position and liberal steering lock make feet-up U-turns a snap. The brakes are excellent — twin 310 mm discs and 4-piston calipers up front with a single 282 mm disc on the rear. The standard ABS can’t be turned off, which dirt riders find a hindrance due to the lengthened stopping distance in the soft stuff. Final drive is by shaft, which means no chain to lube or adjust on trips. Compared to the BMW GS’ 229 kg wet weight, the Tenere is a little bit porky at 261 kg (576 pounds) with a full tank. In the real world, once above a walking pace, you never notice the weight as it’s so well distributed. I’m not sure I’d ever take a motorcycle that big into the dirt, but on gravel roads, it’s fine. There are some nice standard touches — adjustable clutch and brake levers, large luggage rack, projector-type headlights, a centrestand and handguards. The serrated steel footpegs have rubber inserts that compress when the rider stands on them, so the steel grips the boots. Ingenious.
I did a few runs down a gravel road but most of my time was spent on hard surfaces, including one 500 km day where the Tenere returned a surprising 4.5 L/100 km. The 23litre tank will give an outstanding fuel range when touring.
Where some adventure tourers are similar to SUVs, in that they have bold names but nothing to back it up, the Tenere makes a great touring bike but won’t crush your dreams if you want to explore off the beaten path. Steve Bond writes about motorcycles for Wheels. He can be reached at: Stevebond8@yahoo.ca.