I spent two weeks with Yamaha’s new 2020 Tenere 700 adventure motorcycle, and had the opportunity to test it across a range of conditions, with the bike proving a flexible machine on the road capable of handling anything you throw at it, as well as an exciting off-road adventure machine.
With a strong level of specification, characterful engine, light and compact feel, great comfort and well balanced brakes and suspension, the Tenere 700 offers a big step up from many of the cheaper options on the market, but doesn’t come with an extensive electronics package, making it an ideal motorcycle for those that want that real rider and machine connection.
This also means a much more reasonable buy-in price, and rather than offering an enormous two-up adventure touring machine, the Tenere 700 is much more orientated towards some serious off-roading, while still offering a significant step up on the road compared to the smaller capacity dual-sport machines, and offerings like the WR250R.
That makes for a highly credible motorcycle on and off the road, with a lot less than can go wrong on the electronics side of things, all at an incredibly competitive price – just $17,149 ride-away here in Australia.
