2021 Yamaha Ténéré 700 First Ride Review

[MotoNews]

Published in: Bikes

The wait is finally over. The Yamaha Ténéré 700 is probably one of the most anticipated bikes to come out of the Yamaha factory in quite some time. Yamaha teased us with what appeared to be a production-ready model three years ago and every model year came and went without show. We were starting to wonder if it would ever show up on the showroom floor. Well folks, the day is finally here, and it was worth the wait. The middle-weight class has been gaining a lot of attention over the last three years and is likely to be the most popular segment for years to come.

Yamaha has a rich history in rally racing which goes back to the mid ’70s. The Ténéré 700 has reaped the rewards from all that racing history and Yamaha packaged it into a lightweight go-anywhere adventure motorcycle that doesn’t break the bank.

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 • Engine/Performance

Yamaha has always been known for their reliable, low-maintenance four-stroke engines and the Ténéré follows these same principles. First valve check isn’t until 24,000 miles. The Ténéré uses the new CP2 engine (Cross-Plane 2 Cylinder) which was pioneered back in 1996 with the production TRX850 and they continue to use this technology in multiple models of their line-up.

The super-compact, low-vibration CP2 engine features a bore and stroke of 80 x 68.6 mm with a 11.5:1 compression ratio that produces ultra-smooth and torquey power output. Even though the engine is basically the MT-07, the Ténéré 700 has its specific ECU settings, exhaust system, air box, cooling system, and final gear ratio of 46/15 that allows the engine to work perfectly in both on- and off-road situations.

This engine is a blast to ride, with more than enough power and torque on tap to suit almost any rider. Riding off-road, you can ride a high gear if you feel like getting lazy. Just roll on the throttle and it builds power as you keep rolling on more. I know some of you horsepower heads will think that the numbers on paper won’t satisfy you. But, trust me, the Ténéré 700 has more than enough to power to wheelie off-road and blast light-to-light racing with your buddies.

• Chassis

The Ténéré uses an all-new steel perimeter frame with double-braced steering to handle the rigors of off-road abuse. Lower frame rails are removable for easy engine maintenance. I was hoping for a removable sub-frame like its YZ siblings. But Yamaha decided to go with a welded, triangulated sub-frame. Out back we have a lightweight YZ-style aluminum swingarm designed to stand up to off-road bashings. All this translates to a 27° rake and 105 mm trail, which is almost identical to the 2020 YZ450F. So, yes, the Ténéré absolutely does well in the off-road department.

• Suspension and Handling

Yamaha has a long history with the KYB family so it’s no surprise that the new Ténéré comes fitted with KYB front and back.

Front forks are 43 mm, with 8.26 inches of travel with fully adjustable compression and rebound damping. The range of clicks is impressive, with 0–22 clicks for compression and 0–24 clicks for rebound. For the rear, a piggyback KYB with full linkage is used with 7.87 inches of travel, offering full compression, rebound, and pre-load adjustability. Range for compression is 0–18 clicks with rebound 0–23 clicks while the pre-load offers 24–0 clicks to balance out your payload.

We rode the bike in both Comfort and Off-Road settings to experience the range offered within the owner’s manual. Comfort was used while on gravel fire roads and worked great at soaking up the small stuff. Once, in some more technical terrain, we switched to the Off-Road setting, which stiffened it up quite a bit. This section offered plenty of opportunities to launch the Ténéré off water breaks, wheelie off rocks, etc.

The spring rates are technically set up for that 165–175-lb. rider. I weigh in at just less than 200 lb., so I did have a few bottom-outs while charging hard through this section. There were still plenty of clicks left to stiffen things up more but I decided to just let it eat. If you ride a lot of off-road and love to jump off things, I’d suggest setting the Ténéré up just like you would an off-road bike, and make sure to have a spring rate for your proper weight. Don’t get me wrong, the suspension worked great, I’m just a few pounds over for the stock settings.

Braking comes from Brembo dual-28 mm twin-piston floating calipers mated to 282 mm YZ-inspired dual-front rotors. Out back is fitted with a single-piston 34 mm floating Brembo caliper mated to a 245 mm YZ-inspired wave rotor. Braking was to my liking, not firm, but not too mushy. It allowed you to grab more front brake without the fear of locking up and washing out. ABS is a standard feature on the Ténéré and is easily modulated by simply pushing a toggle button on/off. But, just like all models with ABS, you must be completely stopped to turn it on or off.

Just like most off-road bikes the Ténéré 700 uses 36-spoke wheels for strength and durability. The  21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels wear Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR M+S tires. The Pirellis  handled everything we encountered during our ride and worked perfectly on the mixed terrain we rode. I can’t wait to try the bike with a more aggressive tires to see how deep into the woods I can get.

• Ergos

This bike is narrow in the cockpit area, with a flat and narrow YZ-style seat that still has a decent amount of cushion. Seat height comes in at 34.6 inches which was completely manageable with my 30-inch inseam. A low seat option is available and, when combined with the lowering link, it brings it to 33.1 inches. There’s also a rally seat that raises it to 36.2 inches. I tried this set-up for the second half of the day, knowing we were done with the technical portion and, man, it totally changed the way the bike felt. It gave the bike a more off-road aggressive feel—more on top of the bike rather than in it. 

I did have a single issue with the side panel digging into the inside of my right knee. It was probably just the way I was gripping the bike with my knees. No other tester had an issue.

The rally-inspired windscreen with standard accessory bar is just the right height to accommodate both on- and off-road conditions. The gauge cluster is positioned perfectly to see it when standing or sitting.

 

• Electronics

Yamaha decided to keep the Ténéré simple in the electronics department. Whereas most other models offer a crazy menu of modes to select from, Yamaha has kept things more in the hands of the rider’s right-hand input. There are no traction control settings, no wet condition settings or off-road power settings, just back to the basics when you learned the fundamentals of throttle control. In my opinion, this is a breath of fresh air.

The multi-function, easy-to-read LCD display is mounted vertically, just like a rally computer, and is easily viewable while sitting or standing. There’s a switch on the right-side handlebar that allows toggling among the odometer, two trip meters, fuel reserve, fuel consumption, coolant temp, and air temperature as well as the normal MPH, RPM, gear display, and ABS on/off indicator. There’s also a standard 12V outlet with cut-out to add a second 12V outlet and an accessory crossbar above the gauges to mount your favorite electronics.

 

Lighting the way when the sun goes down are four LED headlights that are easily adjustable on the fly with two knobs located on the left and right sides behind the windscreen. This a great feature for obtaining the correct angle of the beam, especially while riding off road.

• Accessories

Yamaha has an array of factory add-ons as well as specific packages with pre-selected parts based on your riding flavor:

Rally Pack—$1,549.93

• Engine guard
• Radiator protector
• Aluminum skid plate
• Tank pad
• Mono-seat rack
• Center stand
• Chain guide

Tour Pack— $2,264.94

• Engine guard
• Center stand
• Aluminum panniers
• Pannier mounts

Although it was a long wait, it was worth it.  The Ténéré 700's  sits alone in this segment for new bikes with a value proposition that's hard to beat at the $10,000 pricepoint. Aside from the more expensive and more naked KTM 690 Enduro and it's Husqvarna 701 derivative, no other major manufacturers offer new adventure models in the hot 600-700cc range. This gives the the 2021Ténéré 700 a great opportunity to spread roots in the U.S. if we can get enough of them in stock.

The Ténéré 700 checks off a lot of the boxes we’ve been wanting in a lighter-weight, do-everything platform. The CP2 engine is just a blast to ride with its smooth, torquey, and predictable power delivery. Suspension has a wide range of settings to dial in the perfect set-up for whatever terrain your riding. The ergonomics are super slim to move around while riding off-road, yet still comfortable slabbing it to your favorite ADV rally.  MSRP: $9,999 For more info visit:  YamahaMotorsports.com

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• PROS:

• Great price for what you get
• Super-slim ergonomics
• Incredible CP2 engine
• Fully adjustable suspension

• CONS:

• Springs may need to be swapped for heavier riders
• Rear brake pedal a little small
• Pegs, grips and handguards high on upgrade list
• I don’t have one yet

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• 2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 Specifications

• Engine type—689cc liquid-cooled DOHC 4-stroke; 8 valves
• Bore x Stroke—80.0 mm x 68.6 mm
• Compression Ratio—11.5:1
• Fuel Delivery—Fuel Injection
• Transmission—6-speed; wet multiplate clutch
• Final Drive—Chain
• Suspension/Front—43mm inverted fork, fully adjustable; 8.3 in. travel
• Suspension/Rear—Single shock, adjustable preload (w/remote adjuster) and rebound damping; 7.9 in. travel
• Brakes/Front—Dual 282 mm hydraulic disc; selectable ABS
• Brakes/Rear—245mm hydraulic disc; selectable ABS
• Tires/Front—90/90R21 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR
• Tires/Rear—150/70R18 Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR
• L x W x H—93.3 in. x 35.6 in. x 34.4 in.
• Seat Height—34.4 in.
• Wheelbase—62.8 in.
• Rake (Caster Angle)—27 degrees
• Trail—4.1 in.
• Maximum Ground Clearance—9.4 in.
• Fuel Capacity—4.2 gal.
• Fuel Economy—TBD
• Wet Weight—452 lb.
• Warranty—1-Year Limited Factory Warranty
• Colors—Ceramic Ice; Intensity White; Matte Black

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