Yamaha Tenere 700 Motorcycle Review: “That bike is a cracker!”

Author: Team Adventure Moto Date Posted:13 December 2019

[ Inner circle at last ]

Steve recently spent a day with Dave Darcy from MAD-TV, putting the new Yahama Tenere 700 through its paces. And in his own words, “That bike is a cracker!” According to Steve, it exceeds all the hype, and might just be the best ADV bike ever.

We did a loop with a whole line up of dealers from around Australia, riding out of Port Macquarie while dodging wildfires. The bike rides exceptionally well on the road and is very versatile and comfortable off-road. Dave reckons it was so smooth he almost fell asleep whilst on the blacktop! When you hit the dirt it seems underwhelming at first impression, but the bike just travels so well you end up pushing it harder than you think, then you look at the speedo and see just how fast you’re flying. The suspension is perfect for an average rider under 180 lbs, and with very moderate suspension upgrades, this bike would handle most technical terrain carrying bigger riders of 200-240 lbs.

It’s also light, at just over 400 lbs dry and 450 lbs wet, and handles well enough to comfortably tackle terrain you would think twice about on a bigger 1000 or 1200 ADV bike. I found the new Tenere 700 so confidence-inspiring that I was hitting trail I’d usually reserve for a 250 single. It handles much more like a 450 or 500 when it needs to, but settles into that long-distance ride when you cruise. It has quick steering, torque, and the motor is smooth and linear.

The perfect all-rounder and, in my opinion, a total game-changer.

-Steve Smith