2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 First Look
Rennie Scaysbrook | November 5, 2018
We now have a Yamaha Tenere 700 Review. We traveled to Spain and spent two days riding the European model that will be available there about a year ahead of the North American model.
2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 First Look—You know those times when you were a kid and you knew your parents were finally going to get you that present you always wanted? That was the level of anticipation American ADV riders felt this morning as they watched the international unveiling of the Yamaha Tenere 700 adventure motorcycle at EICMA in Milan, only to find out the U.S. will not be seeing the motorcycle until the second half of 2020, as a 2021 model.
It was the moment American ADV riders found out Santa was not real.
2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 First Look
Despite the disappointment of how long we’ll have to wait, the Tenere 700 still looks like it will have the goods when it arrives. It’s powered by the 689cc CP2 parallel-twin motor currently propelling the MT-07 and XSR700, with new gear ratios better suited for off-road riding (read: shorter gears down low, taller gears up top).
The 700 gets an all-new frame that claims 9.4 in. of ground clearance with the 21-inch front and 18-inch spoked rear wheels, 43mm inverted forks with 8.2 in. of travel and a monoshock rear set-up with 7.8 in. of wheel travel, full rally race styling with a tall windscreen and a new LCD display, switchable ABS, and a 4.2-gallon tank Yamaha says will get you a 217-mile gas range.
The Tenere 700 does indeed sound impressive, however, the fact we have to wait so long in the U.S. while the rest of the world gets the machine a year before could mean Yamaha USA will exhaust the last of the enthusiasm for the machine before it arrives. This is a machine that, on paper, should dominate the mid-size ADV market but we’ve got about two years yet to find out just how good it can be.
2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 First Look
- High-torque 689cc four-stroke CP2 parallel twin-cylinder engine
- New lightweight double cradle tubular steel frame
- Slim, compact and ergonomic body and seat
- Aggressive rally-bred face with four LED headlights and two LED position lights
- Adjustable 43mm upside down coil-spring forks with long-travel (210mm)
- Remotely adjustable link-type rear suspension with 200mm of travel
- Compact rally-style cockpit with tapered handlebars
- 21-inch/18-inch lightweight spoked wheels with adventure tires
- Slim, long-range fuel tank with 4.2-gallon capacity for an approximate average 217-mile fuel range
- Compact rally-style multi-function instruments
- ABS can be disabled to suit off-road riding preferences
- Screen and handguards give good rider protection from the elements
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European models are shown below.
