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Power: 72bhp Weight: 204kg Engine: 689cc parallel twin Price: £8845
IF YOU WERE expecting the new, and much hyped, Yamaha Ténéré 700 to deliver the on-road performance of a large capacity adventure machine and the off-road agility of an enduro bike, then prepare for disappointment. It’s important to approach this with realistic expectations; it’s a 72bhp, 204kg bike with a £8845 dealer sticker and the level of equipment that price suggests. But within those parameters it’s flippin’ fantastic, and it’s a question; do you really need all the gadgets, power and weight of a big adventure bike, or would you prefer something lighter, simpler and more usable?
The Ténéré’s engine has the delightful thrashability of the MT-07 from which it’s lifted, and the gearbox is sweet too. There’s enough power and wind protection (albeit with some helmet noise) to maintain decent cruising speeds and surely there will be plenty of these bikes doing big miles crisscrossing Europe and beyond in the next few years. Suspension is softish, but suits the bike’s character and makes bumpy B-roads an absolute blast. On dry tarmac on Pirelli Scorpion Trails it feels like it will lean forever. In the wet
those tyres are less inspiring. Moving from tarmac to trail you can turn off the ABS with a button push, on the high-level dash (I like the high-level dash, you can’t miss that indicator warning light), but that’s the limit of the electronic rider aids. The standing riding position is good, and the shift from sitting to standing is easy. A switchable brake pedal, to allow a height alteration for if the rider is sitting or standing, would be nice, but we need to give the accessory manufacturers something to do. Build quality and equipment look good. Looks are a mix. Love the screen, headlight dash panel detail, not so convinced by the fussiness of the multi-faceted design with loads of nooks and crannies to fill with mud and filth. Love the retro Yamaha colour options too, that hark back to earlier generations of the Ténéré family.
So, back to that question. What do you really want of an adventure bike? This feels like you could actually ride it all the way to Marrakech or Mali, and then ride it off-road when you get there. And isn’t that what it should be about? The Ténéré is a great bike that deserves to sell by the truckload.
‘What do you really want of an adventure bike?’