Photo by Joseph Agustin
Roads Less Traveled
The popularity of adventure bikes is largely due to their versatility . The Ténéré 700 can go just about anywhere and do just about anything , and it ’ s aimed at riders who place a high importance on off-road capability . Its 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels are better for rolling over technical terrain and accommodate a wider variety of knobby tires than the 19- / 17-inch wheels found on many adventure bikes . The T7 ’ s Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires have a 70 / 30 on / off-road bias , and they work quite well in the dirt yet also provide decent grip on pavement without being noisy at highway speeds . The T7 also has tube-type spoked rims , which are light and will take a beating , but they make flat repairs a more involved process than with tubeless tires .
Furthering the Ténéré 700 ’ s off-road prowess is fully adjustable long-travel KYB suspension , which has good damping and soaks up big hits and dips like a champ . During the off-road portion of our photoshoot , Thad Wolff said he felt comfortable right away , allowing him to slide , jump , and wheelie the T7 like a big dirtbike . During my off-road ride through the mountains of Cleveland National Forest , I had fun jumping the T7 off water bars and lofting the front wheel over small gullies on the trail , maneuvers that were made easier by the bike ’ s 48 % front / 52 % rear weight bias
Top : The new color TFT dash has two display modes and smartphone connectivity to Yamaha ’ s Y-Connect app . Middle : A new Off-Road ABS mode deactivates anti-lock braking at the rear only . Blue anodized spoked rims look trick but require tubes . Below : The big “ pumpkin ” turnsignals have been replaced in 2024 with clearlens LED indicators .
2024 YAMAHA TÉNÉRÉ 700
Base Price : $ 10,799 Price as Tested : $ 11,219 ( quickshifter , rally seat ) Warranty : 1 yr ., unltd . miles Website : YamahaMotorsports . com
ENGINE
Type : Liquid-cooled , transverse parallel-Twin , DOHC w / 4 valves per cyl . Displacement : 689cc Bore x Stroke : 80.0mm x 68.6mm Compression Ratio : 11.5:1 Valve Adj . Interval : 26,600 miles Fuel Delivery : DFI w / 38mm throttle bodies x 2 Lubrication System : Wet sump , 2.75 qt . cap . Transmission : 6-speed , cable-actuated wet clutch Final Drive : Chain
CHASSIS
Frame : Steel perimeter frame w / removable lower rails , steel trellis subframe & cast-aluminum swingarm Wheelbase : 62.8 in . Rake / Trail : 27.0 degrees / 4.1 in . Seat Height : 34.4 in . Suspension , Front : 43mm inverted fork , fully adj ., 8.3 in . travel Rear : Single shock , fully adj . w / remote preload adjuster , 7.9 in . travel Brakes , Front : Dual 282mm discs w / 2-piston floating calipers & ABS Rear : Single 245mm disc w / 1-piston floating caliper & ABS Wheels , Front : Spoked , 1.85 x 21 in . Rear : Spoked , 4.0 x 18 in . Tires , Front : Tube-type , 90 / 90-21 Rear : Tube-type , 150 / 70-R18 Wet Weight : 452 lb Load Capacity : 417 lb GVWR : 869 lb
PERFORMANCE
Horsepower : 63.1 hp @ 9,000 rpm ( rear-wheel dyno ) Torque : 43.4 lb-ft @ 6,500 rpm ( rear-wheel dyno ) Fuel Capacity : 4.2 gal . Fuel Consumption : 49 mpg Estimated Range : 206 miles
RIDERMAGAZINE . COM / FEBRUARY 2024 / 19