With more than 3000 miles under my belt, I feel I’ve got a pretty good handle on the Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid .
Most of those have been on the road, where I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how it covers long distances with ease. Its plush suspension, impressive stability and slick cruise control make it a good place to be for extended periods.
With just a claimed 72bhp, it’s not the most powerful bike, and on faster A-roads where you need to overtake, the lack of any real top end is disappointing. But on the plus side, it makes you work that little bit harder to time overtakes more accurately, rather than just rely on big-power acceleration. Which in turn is good for harnessing skills and maximising concentration.
From a road point of view, apart from the lack of power, I find it really enjoyable to ride. It changes direction well, the brakes are strong with plenty of control, and the balance through the corners is neutral, so you have lots of confidence at lean angles.
A lot of its positive points are down to the high-quality, big-travel 46mm KYB forks and adjustable rear shock. These are also the components put on the bike to handle its monstrous 220kg kerb weight as well as contribute to its off-road capabilities . And don’t get me wrong, they work – but there is a catch.
Since its launch in 2019, the Ténéré has had a bad rap for being top-heavy, mainly due to its high fuel tank. The World Raid, with its 23-litre tank (seven litres more than the base model), brings the same top-heaviness. And while the suspension can handle it, the extra travel makes the bike particularly tall with an 890mm seat height.
As a result, I’ve not wanted to venture too far off the beaten track because, unless I were on a flat gravel track, I wonder if I’d be able to pick the bike up in the event of a crash.
I guess my question is, did Yamaha get it wrong? If they wanted to build a real road-focused adventure bike, they could keep the big tank, as the range is great, but run shorter suspension to lower the seat height. Or maybe go the whole hog and run smaller, road-focused wheels – which in turn gives greater tyre choice. After all, they have the Rally for more serious off-road use.
What do you think? Email me at michael.guy@motorcyclenews.com
If you’re running 21in front and 18in rear wheel sizes on your adventure bike and you’re using it predominantly on the road, then the Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR is very hard to beat. They offer exceptional grip, feel and turning, and they last – mine are 3250 miles into their life and still going strong.
Sports Editor - If you’re looking for sport insight that’s got its finger firmly on the pulse and gets to the very heart of the action with the fattest contacts book in bike sport (rather than simply relying on watching TV coverage and hoovering up what other people are saying on social media) – then Michael is your, erm, ‘guy’.
Sports editor, adventure bike nut and thoroughly cheerful chappy