The 2021 Yamaha Tenere 700

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ballisticexchris

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Man that is a sharp looking bike!! Makes me want to sell my Beta and move up to this one. Unfortunately it's still too heavy for hard core single track. OTOH, I'm not riding hard core single track as much anymore!!
 

Boondocker

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I'm still waiting to see how the T7 does in "ADV mode". By ADV mode I mean packing the bike with camping gear and supplies for a couple of days off the grid and well off the highway I took to get there.
I plan to keep my trusty S10 for 2-up touring and am happy to have the WR250R for playing around in the hills.
My in-betweener is the 1998 DR650, so chain drive, no cruise control, and tubed tires are not deal breakers for me. (not thrilled about carburetors)

By the time T7 gets to the US market, it may well be a Gen-2 and the aftermarket will be tooled up.
Yamaha's approach to favor simplicity and trade electronic sophistication for reliability resounds with me (the instrument cluster is somewhat embarrassing). I hope for MamaYama's sake there is still a market for it when it gets here.
 

EnnK

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I took my S10 for the 10 000 km service today and got the T7 for test ride. What a nice bike it is. I am not really its target customer as I do not do any offroad, gravel road is basically the most extreme that I ride. But I have to say it is a very smooth and enjoyable bike for the pavement riding. The engine and drive train work very well together, it has enought power for pretty good acceleration and runs around 5000 rpm at 100 km/h in 6th gear. Very smooth engine, no buzz and vibes. I had tried the old Tenere couple of times and they are far behind the new one.
 

Dirt_Dad

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Yes, I will have to see if the T7 can replace my wonderfully well set up DR650 on the type of adv courses I ride. .
That's where I see this bike fitting as well. More of a DR650 competitor than anything to do with the XT1200. Can't imagine it would keep up with a KTM 690 Enduro, but we'll see. For now, I'll keep my DR650 and see how it shakes out.
 

magic

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Looks like there are several other DR650 owners here. I actually ride my DR650 more than my S10 lately. I see this new T7 as more of an updated KLR650 than a DR650 competitor. Really nice looking bike but $10,000 USD. We can let the European riders test them out for us and by this time next year we will have a pretty good idea what the T7 is all about.
 

fredz43

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After having 3 KLR's the last one a 685 with Cogent suspension, I now have a 14 DR650, again with Cogent suspension, TM40 pumper, etc, etc. I bought it as I was riding more off road adv type of routes lately and the DR is better for that. Both great bikes for what they are, the KLR being better on road. The T7 appears to be in a whole different league than either of them, as it has twice the HP, better suspension and an engine that has a wonderful character, along with that major increase in HP and torque. What it has in common with the KLR is weight, as it closer to the KLR weight than it is to the DR. Wet weights = T7 452, KLR 428, DR650 368. Will double the HP make up for the 82 pound weight increase over the DR? I will decide after I ride it.

I have ridden the FZ07 and love that engine and that is mostly what has me interested. I am sure that it will be a better back road bike than either the KLR or DR and think that it will be as capable on the adv trails and routed that I really enjoy. I am leaning toward keeping the DR until I am satisfied that it will be a good replacement and make my next move depending on what I decide after that.

There is already lots of interesting feedback from T7 owners on advrider.com and everybody seems to be in love with the engine for sure and many have described the bike as brilliant. Surprisingly, I haven't read comparisons between the T7 or KLR, as it seems that many are comparing it to the Africa Twin, some having replaced their AT's with the T7 already. Seems that it may fit better in that segment than in the budget category of the other 2.

I also seem to be riding my DR650 more than my 14ES lately, but there is no danger of the ES leaving the fleet any time soon ans it is perfect for my wants and needs for a larger adv/sport touring bike. I say "lately", but overall I have 5,000 miles on the DR and 39,000 on the S10 and they are both 2014's.
 

Checkswrecks

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While the big Tenere sure has done all of them, the DR and T700 would both be a great choice to me with the lighter weight for old guys on any of the "trails" such as TAT and TET.
 

magic

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My reasons for comparing it to a KLR are the size, weight, the small windshield, small fairing and liquid cooling. I would think if Kawasaki ever updated the KLR, it would be very similar to the T7. The DR650 will eventually suffer the same fate as the KLR.
 

Don T

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Surprisingly, I haven't read comparisons between the T7 or KLR...
Not that surprising considering that the KLR have been dead and buried for years here in Europe - and never got very popular in the first place.
 

EricV

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While the big Tenere sure has done all of them, the DR and T700 would both be a great choice to me with the lighter weight for old guys on any of the "trails" such as TAT and TET.
An interesting comment. I ran into 6 riders doing the TAT a couple of weeks ago in Clinton, AR at a Super 8. All older, foreign riders from Australia and one from Tasmania. All on 650s of some flavor except one inseam challenged fellow that chose a 250. These guys were 50's-60's riders so we enjoyed some good conversations. Funny thing about their riding the TAT. They planned on doing the entire thing, and this was one group of three's third attempt to do so. All of them, with the exception of the 250 rider were wishing for lighter bikes. Drops, field repairs, tough sections, etc all had them wanting smaller, lighter bikes. The 250 guy was doing the best and suffering the least. They packed gear, but were hoteling that night. I don't think they did any camping, but didn't ask. Trying to average 250 miles a day, but doing more like 200 in the East and hoping to increase that as they moved West on the TAT.

From my discussions with them and a bunch of my Rumbux customers over the years, unless you're young and super fit, you're a lot better off with a 250 on the TAT than anything else. Heavier bikes often end up with damage due to drops. As we all know, the bigger the bike, the harder they fall and the more chance something breaks. Never mind just wrestling heavier bikes over rough terrain mile after mile. Many sections were easy gravel. The group above was not taking the difficult/expert sections, (I asked).
 

Sierra1

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For me, the T7 is to the T12, what the FJ09 is to the FJR. "sorta, kinda….not really. I'm not saying anything negative about the T7 or the FJ09, but to ME they're more of "cousins" to their originals, than "little brothers".
 

magic

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Eric, I agree, but at 6'4" and 240 lbs, I just don't fit on a 250 or even a 400. I would love to have a new Honda CRF450L in the garage, but it is just too small. There doesn't seem to be the after market parts available for it yet. I changed the seat, handlebars, footpegs, suspension, brake pedal, shift lever etc. on my DR650 to make it fit me. Funny, I changed most of those same parts on my S10.
 
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Checkswrecks

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Eric, I agree, but at 6'4" and 240 lbs, I just don't fit on a 250 or even a 400. I would love to have a new Honda CRF450L in the garage, but it is just too small. There doesn't seem to be the after market parts available for it yet. I changed the seat, handlebars, footpegs, suspension, brake pedal, shift lever etc. on my DR650 to make it fit me. Funny, I changed most of those same parts on my S10.
You'd probably love the KTM 350
 

Don T

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Ah, I didn't know that. How about the DR650, was it popular over there?
Much more than the KLR, but like the Kawa it haven't been available from new for several years because of the European emission standards.
 

Nelsonccc

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I know I'm stoked and currently figuring out how to time the selling of the ST next year in order to get the T7. The ST is a fantastic motorcycle but I find it a bit too big at times. I had a DR650 and went from that to the ST and now I have the ST, a YZ250, and a DRZ. I'll sell the YZ and ST, keep the DRZ and hopefully add the T7.

Funny that i'm coming full circle back to a DR 650 sized moto but the reason I went from a DR to the ST was for more touring/pavement but then I kept finding myself hating the limitations on BDR's of the big bike or wanting to not have to worry so muych about what type of dirt I may end up on. I'm hoping the T7 kind of bridges the differences between the DR650 and the ST. Still agile enough for solid dirt but powerful and capabel enough for the those paved sections.
 
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