Yamaha Ténéré 700 Slated For US Markets In 2020

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amaha dropped news today at the EICMA Show in Milan that American riders will soon be able to get their hands on the Ténéré 700. This popular machine, which debuted as the prototype T7 at EICMA in 2016, will be a little time in coming though, owing to what Yamaha described as “differing government regulatory standards and factory production line schedules.” The model will officially be available in US dealerships starting the second half of 2020. If a Ténéré is all you want, however, the larger Super Ténéré ES will return for 2019 and be available starting this month.

The Ténéré 700 is the exciting bit though, a machine with an effective powerband for on- and off-road use along with lighter overall weight than many of the big-bore adventure bikes that currently saturate the market. We can’t say for certain what the ready-to-ride weight is yet, since its “TBD” on Yamaha’s spec sheet.

From the start, with the T7 concept through to the Ténéré 700 World Raid prototype displayed the following year, Yamaha has hammered home the fact that this bike is built for adventure.

At its heart is Yamaha’s crossplane 689cc parallel-twin engine. The mill is designed to give decent pull at the first turn of the throttle and offer a smooth increase in torque up to the peak at 6,500 rpm. This mill is based on the one used in Yamaha’s MT-07, and I can say from experience that that particular engine has some spirit to it. It’ll be a great asset to an adventure-touring bike like the Ténéré 700. Yamaha also tailored final-drive ratios to optimize low- and midrange performance, exactly what you’ll need if you’re slogging through the dirt.

The engine is housed within a newly designed double cradle, tubular steel frame. It was built to be lightweight, rigid, and slim. This allowed Yamaha to keep bodywork slim too, and to provide a narrower flat seat so riders can easily move around on the bike as needed. Ground clearance is generous also, at 9.5 inches.

The suspension package includes a fully adjustable USD fork with 8.3 inches travel and a preload/rebound-damping-adjustable shock with 7.9 inches travel. There’s 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoked wheels wrapped in Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber. A pair of 282mm wave discs at the front and a single 245 wave rotor at the back provide a surface for calipers to bite when bringing the bike to a stop, and ABS is included, though Yamaha does allow riders to switch the system off.

The 4.2-gallon fuel tank is another nice touch, Yamaha touting a range of 217 miles between fill ups.

Rally-inspired looks come in the form of the fairing and windscreen, derived from machines used in Dakar competition. There are four LED lights at the front too, along with a multifunction LCD display that provides information on a number of vital factors.

Ceramic Ice will be the only color initially available, and MSRP will be announced at a later date, so stay tuned.