We've been incredibly lucky to be one of the few Kiwis invited on the Australasian launch of the Yamaha Tenere, with Yamaha Australia putting on what should be a legendary launch event in New South Wales.
The Tenere 700 has been one of the most highly anticipated bikes of 2019, and with five days of riding both on and off-road, we should come away with some real insights as to how the $16,999 Tenere 700 truly performs in a variety of conditions.
Specs-wise the bike will be the same as what has been launched elsewhere in the world already. The Tenere 700 is based around Yamaha's brilliant CP2 parallel-twin which made its debut in the MT-07, with a few minor tweaks to optimise it for the adventurous Tenere. Those being the intake and exhaust systems, but otherwise, its exactly the same engine as the MT-07 High Output Which produces 70hp/55kW of peak power around 9,000rpm. That is pretty much where the similarities to any other Yamaha product ends, however, with the rest of the Tenere 700 designed from the ground-up for adventure.
Key points we'll be looking at in the launch report are handling, ease of use for a novice-intermediate skill level rider, comfort, and of course overall enjoyment.
The five day adventure ride has been hosted by Australian adventure riding experts Ride ADV, with plenty of opportunity to test if the Tenere in conditions I generally wouldn’t expect the average Kiwi rider to take on. With lots of single trail and 4wd tracks dotting the landscape offering easy access to off-road riding unlike anything we have in New Zealand.
First impressions have been very good.
Despite gets basic approach to technology the Tenere 700 hits the nail in the head for controllability and ease of use. While no LAMS version is currently on the cards, novice adventure riders should find the new Tenere an excellent intro into adventure riding. It certainly feels like a bike that will help you grow as a rider.
Comfort is good too, with the 880mm high factory seat being much more comfortable than it appears.
Fuel range is ample, with Yamaha’s claim that over 350km is attainable from the 15.5-litre fuel tank Tuning true. Nearly 100km is said to be able to be squeezed out of reserve alone.