Adventure bikes are the kind of motorcycles that make up one-bike garages. They are designed to do anything and go anywhere, whether with a single rider or with a pillion and luggage. It doesn’t really matter to the adventure bike or, ideally, its rider. This is why they are overbuilt, over-engineered, and sometimes, overpriced.
However, engineering doesn’t really jump out at a rider unless they have owned the bike for a very long time and gone riding with it in many different situations. So, the easiest way to impress a prospective customer is through the spec sheet, and that is where things start falling apart.
The Spec Sheet Syndrome
It is human to want more, so offering more will naturally attract, well, more customers. As a result, motorcycle manufacturers scramble to offer the consumer more horsepower, more fuel efficiency, more top speed, and more features. The prospective customer equates these increases with more capability and more fun. This can be true, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves that motorcycles are fun because they are simple; they are fun because they are light. In a genre like adventure motorcycles, going back to your roots can be just as satisfying as having all the computing power in the world at your fingertips.
The Technological Marvel
The king of the adventure bike segment is the BMW R 1300 GS, equipped with every imaginable feature known to the two-wheeled world, including electronic suspension, an automatic gearbox, and shaft drive. It has proved its credentials time and again. This is one of those rare models that you can pick up off the showroom floor and then set off to ride around the world, and there will be no problems whatsoever. However, for all its massive capability, it can lack that certain something that makes your heart flutter. The clinical way with which it does things can work against it.
The Wild Child
If you want your heart to flutter, then look no further than the KTM 1390 Super Adventure R. This is a full-size adventure bike that thinks – no, it knows – it is a rally-raid motorcycle. Look at the press shots, and you will see many of them with the bike taking leaps usually reserved for Supercross or the X Games. You will need the cardio fitness and body strength from a rigorous gym commitment for this one. It also depends heavily on electronics to keep things in line because this engine has too much power and torque for any normal person to handle.
Smaller And Lighter Is A Better Solution For Most
These space-age features and sportbike levels of power come at a price; the price of a midsize car, that is. And that is out of reach for most people. The answer, then, lies in the midsize segment where it is not just power that dips, but weight as well. The reduced power, weight, and size all make it easier for the average rider to have fun at regular speeds. And since the whole point of an adventure bike is to offer the confidence for you to explore further than you ever thought was possible on two wheels, the midsize segment is definitely the better bet for a large section of the public.
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The Yamaha Tenere 700 Works Better In Real Life Than On Paper
When Yamaha decided to get back into the midsize adventure bike segment a few years ago, it wanted to find a niche that was then unoccupied by any of the mainstream manufacturers. That niche was for a truly off-road-capable adventure bike without sacrificing the reliability and refinement that people associate with mainstream brands. The result was the Ténéré 700, a raw but capable adventure bike powered by the very popular CP2 engine and featuring a cable throttle. On the spec sheet, it is an unimpressive machine, but ask anyone who owns one or has ridden one, and you will hear differently. This is the adventure bike that works better in real life than on paper.
Recent Updates Haven’t Changed Its Price
The Ténéré 700 is priced in the middle of the pack at $10,999. This is without certain options like the two-way quickshifter, which you get as standard on the Ténéré 700 World Raid, a different variant designed to be a long-distance tourer. The World Raid asks for $2,000 more than the base Ténéré, but it has significant differences as well. For the kind of features you are offered with the Ténéré, the price makes it a good value for the money, especially if you are going to keep it for a long time, because it is a very reliable motorcycle with low ownership costs.
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CP2 Engine Now Has A Few More Features
The same engine that powers the MT-07 and XSR700 powers the Ténéré 700 as well. This is a 689cc parallel twin with a 270-degree firing order and a compression ratio of 11.5:1. Power and torque figures are 72.4 horsepower at 9,000 RPM and 50.2 pound-feet at 6,500 RPM. These aren’t eye-popping figures, but combined with the Ténéré’s light weight and great off-road ability, they are more than enough for a good time. A standard six-speed manual gearbox is available with the option of a two-way quickshifter. However, a Y-AMT automatic gearbox is also offered globally with this engine on the MT-07 but isn’t expected to make it to the Ténéré, given its positioning as a simple, rugged product.
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Traditional Frame But With A Focus On Cutting Weight
A double-cradle steel tube frame is selected for better handling off-road. This kind of chassis is typically not used even for adventure bikes these days because it weighs more than a trellis frame, but the trellis frame does not do as well off-road. Another hint that the Ténéré prioritizes off-road conditions is the 21- and 18-inch wheel sizes, although it does have tubeless tires on the spoke rims.
There are 43mm KYB inverted forks at the front and a single linkage-type shock at the rear. The front suspension is fully adjustable, whereas there is preload and rebound damping adjustment at the rear. There is 8.3 inches of travel at the front and 7.9 inches at the rear. Its low weight means that the front brake discs are a little smaller than expected at 282mm in diameter. They are paired with twin axially mounted two-piston floating calipers. A 245mm disc is present at the rear.
Great Size And Especially Weight For Off-Road Work
The Ténéré is 93.3 inches long and has a 62.8-inch wheelbase. This means it will be quite stable off-road, but it might feel a little lazy on tarmac. This is also a very tall motorcycle; the standard seat height is 34.4 inches, but you also get 9.4 inches of ground clearance. A 4.2-gallon fuel tank will help you go the distance, and the light 459-pound wet weight is yet another feature that helps it do well off-road.
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Basic Feature Set Is Now Upgraded, And It Is A More Rounded Product
Until early this year, the Ténéré 700 was a very basic product with a cable throttle and no electronics to speak of other than ABS. It featured a generous 6.3-inch vertical TFT screen that is very much in line with Dakar Rally styling. Bluetooth and navigation are standard, as is a USB-C charging port. An update for 2026 has added ride-by-wire throttle with two ride modes, switchable traction control, and ABS that can be switched off at either only the rear wheel or at both wheels.
The Ténéré 700 also got a taller windshield with the update, which makes it a much better highway bike. The recently launched World Raid adds quite a few more features for the extra money that Yamaha asks for it. It has a six-axis IMU, cruise control, a steering damper, and massive dual fuel tanks that make it a true long-distance tourer.
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Only One Other Bike In Its Class Is Better Than The Spec Sheet Suggests
There are some very impressive names in the Ténéré 700 class. Some of them are the Aprilia Tuareg, the BMW F 900 GS, the KTM 890 Adventure R Rally, and the CFMOTO Ibex 800. However, of all of these, it is the apparently plain vanilla Honda Transalp that performs much better than its spec sheet suggests. That is saying a lot, considering it has the highest power figure for an adventure bike under $10,000.
While its appearance suggests it is not truly comfortable off-road, it is genuinely capable and will take you wherever you want to go without complaint. The feature set might seem wanting, but it has everything you need to explore far and wide. With the addition of the standard E-Clutch, this is a bike that will deal with traffic for you!
Source: Yamaha Motorsports