Tag Archives: yamaha ténéré 700

Review: Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid

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It’s already been five years since I attended the Belgian launch of the Yamaha Ténéré 700. In a short time, the T7 established itself as the reference within the mid-range adventure segment. The most common criticisms of the standard model were its somewhat limited range and the suspension, which was considered too soft for more serious off-road work. Yamaha addressed this by introducing four additional Ténéré models, offering something for everyone.

The Ténéré 700 Extreme has longer suspension travel and lightweight components, while the Ténéré 700 Explore offers shorter suspension travel and more comfort than the standard model. The World Raid is a T7 with a 23-liter tank and better suspension, and the latest addition to the line-up is the World Rally: a World Raid with a nice retro color scheme and goodies like an Akrapovic exhaust.


Electronics

When it comes to the equipment of the T7 models, we can be brief. The World Raid was the first one to feature a Continue reading →

Mine! Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally Edition

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When I first rode the T7 in 2020 I asked myself if it would become the successor to my 800 GS. After writing that review, I couldn’t get the bike out of my head. And if you follow Jean Le Motard on Instagram, you know what happened eventually.

Last October I visited my local Yamaha dealer who needed a bit of luck to find one of the last 2021 Rally Editions for me. Two weeks later I said goodbye to my 800 GS. 110,000 km on the counter, 12 years old. Thanks for the good times!

In the meantime I have equipped the T7 with a few extras: a centerstand and a shorter Yamaha license plate holder, a Donner-Tech GPS holder and connections for a trickle charger and my heated jacket. I also hopped by at Allroadmoto for Bumot Defender panniers, Barkbusters handguards, Double Take mirrors and Outback Motortek crash bars. Coming soon: an Altrider clutch arm.

Still on my wishlist: heated grips and a small (but hard to find) rear luggage rack.

Meanwhile I’ve put some decent milage on the bike, riding 2000 km’s through the south of Spain. Really happy with the switch from the 800 GS to the T7!

Review: Yamaha Ténéré 700

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It was the year 2016 and as the first pictures of the Yamaha T7 Concept came in, I couldn’t stop drooling over them. It was a long wait until the Ténéré 700 finally arrived in 2019 and an even longer wait until I could finally swing my leg over it mid-2020. Enough with the drooling, shall we go for a ride?

Before I turn over the key, let’s have a look at what I’m dealing with. A middleweight adventure bike. That’s a very crowded segment with all the usual suspects and mavericks. It’s not hard to find some ten competitors once you start listing them up. BMW F 850 GS, Triumph Tiger 900, KTM 790 Adventure, Suzuki V-Strom 650, Moto Guzzi V85 TT, Ducati Multistrada 950, Kawasaki Versys 650, Benelli TRK 502, Royal Enfield Himalayan, Honda CB500X … almost all brands have got one in their model range. What added value can Yamaha offer?

The looks and equipment clearly state which side the Ténéré 700 is choosing. Offroad? Yes, please! It turns its back on more road-focused adventure bikes, thereby shortening the list of competitors.

The high, slim figure, the rally-inspired face, the long suspension travel (8.3 inch front and 7.9 inch rear), block pattern Pirelli’s, aluminum engine guard: it all looks pretty tough. The seat matches the adventurous appearance: Continue reading →