The Yamaha Tenere 700 is not for sale in India, but with a lithe, slim and lightweight body, as well as decent off-road capability, it promises to be a very capable option in the middleweight adventure capability. The 689 cc, parallel-twin engine from the Yamaha MT-07 platform has an output of 72 bhp at 9,000 rpm and peak torque of 68 Nm at 6,500 rpm. With a 19-litre fuel tank, and wet weight of 205 kg, the Yamaha Tenere 700 promises to be a rugged machine, yet compact and nimble, compared to its competitors in the middleweight adventure bike segment. Now, it seems that Yamaha could be considering the possibility of introducing an even more extreme and off-road focussed model of the Yamaha Tenere.
The Tenere 700 has no riding modes, and no traction control, only switchable ABS
According to Italian motorcycle publication Motociclismo, Yamaha's project leader for the Tenere 700, Takushiro Shiraishi, has said that the Japanese brand may be thinking about introducing a new Tenere variant that will be more hardcore than the standard model that was unveiled. However, his comment also mentioned that provided there is enough demand for such a variant. The Tenere 700 now has a 43 mm upside down front fork with 210 mm of travel, with full damping adjustment, while the rear suspension or adjustable for preload with 200 mm of travel. It has got respectable kit even in current form, although more experienced riders will welcome some more suspension travel.
Yamaha Tenere 700 powered by 689 cc parallel-twin engine
So far, there's no concrete proof that Yamaha will actually be introducing an even more extreme, off-road capable version of the Tenere 700, given that the bike in stock form is quite a capable machine. We of course, have not had the pleasure of riding the Tenere 700 yet, and India Yamaha seems to be more content on focussing on the mass market side of the product portfolio for now.
Nevertheless, the Triumph Tiger 800 is the most successful middleweight adventure bike on sale so far, in India. And there seems to be a definite but niche market for middleweight adventure bikes in India. However, to make something like the Tenere 700 successful in India will require local assembly, and very competitive pricing, to take on the likes of the upcoming Triumph Tiger 900, the KTM 790 Adventure and the like.
