Yamaha Ténéré 700 Statement & Equipment| Andalucia calling

A Touratech team set off with five of the latest adventure bikes for the traditional season opener in Andalusia. The programme included intensive test rides with the new accessories and an extensive photo shoot. BMW R 1250 GS, BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, Harley-Davidson Pan America, KTM 890 Adventure R, Yamaha Ténéré 700

Yamaha Ténéré 700

The T7, as it is known in the scene, combines the best of the past and the present. The basic concept is almost as simple as that of its predecessor, the legendary XT 600 Z. Simply a powerful, straightforward adventure bike with good long-distance qualities.
Yamaha fills this conceptual framework with exactly the right portion of modern technology. The 698 cubic centimetre Crossplane engine, introduced with the MT-07, offers an impressive torque of 68 Newton metres at 6500 revolutions. The Twin is pleasantly ridable and matches the effortless handling of the Ténéré perfectly.
Spring travel of 210 millimetres on the upside-down fork and 200 millimetres on the rear wheel, a geometry designed for manoeuvrability and spoke wheels in 21 and 18 inch sizes create the best conditions for gritty offroad adventures, such as those we were looking for on winding trails and fast tracks in the south of Spain.
In contrast to many competitors, Yamaha refuses to join in the electronics trade war. Here, the slogan, "As much as necessary, as little as possible" seems to apply as well. The only assistance system on board is the ABS, which no one would want to do without. As befits an adventure bike, the system can be switched off when offroad.

Vehicle equipment

When getting the T7 ready to rumble, the focus was on comfort – in addition to work on the suspension system and comprehensive vehicle protection. For what were sometimes going to be quite long daily stages, we treated ourselves to a one-piece comfort seat. The foam core, with its vehicle-specific hardness and ergonomic contour, enhances sitting comfort tangibly. The Fresh Touch cover heats up significantly less than conventional materials, even under the scorching Andalusian sun.
The Pro windscreen adjustment proved particularly valuable in mixed conditions on mountain roads, gravel tracks and trails. At high speeds, we took advantage of one of the higher positions with maximum wind protection, while on tricky passages, where the view over the front wheel is important, we locked the screen in the lowest of the seven positions.
While standing over long stages, the extra-wide long-distance foot pegs make a positive difference.
In view of the favourable purchase price of the Yamaha Ténéré 700, there was enough financial leeway for a comprehensive suspension tuning by Touratech Suspension. The combination of an Extreme cartridge kit for the fork, with adjustable spring preload, rebound and compression damping, and an Extreme shock absorber, which is also fully adjustable, takes the T7's suspension to a whole new level in terms of responsiveness, bottoming out resistance and riding precision.

Statement

The T7 is a very easy-to-handle, versatile model with good offroad qualities, which we have improved even further with our suspension package, so that even tougher situations can be handled without difficulty. This machine is just as suitable for use in everyday life as it is for touring. Thanks to its solid technology and with the right equipment, the Ténéré can be made fit for really big trips without much effort.

Thomas Nagork, Head of Sales Germany, Touratech GmbH