Tenere 700: The T7 Journey Begins (own)
2020 will go into the history books as an auspicious year with the impact of Covid-19 & the arrival of the much hyped Tenere 700 after a 4+ year teaser campaign/delays by Yamaha. I'm sure that pandemics & sunamis were not in Yamaha's business plan...which manifested in their challenged ability to meet demand! After 5 years & 40k kms of pampering, tweaking & customization to my much loved 2014 Yamaha Super Tenere 1200 ES to get it set up & kitted to perfection for me, my plan was to ride & enjoy 😀
2014 Super Tenere 1200 ES - farewell "Dark Night" June 2020
My 2014 Super Tenere 1200 ES Ownership can be viewed elsewhere on this is blog
But the changing tides & realization that the few character flaws my S10 had in terms of off-road handling aggravated by a double whammy of worsening neck & low back issues for my 60+ year old well seasoned body encouraged re-evaluation of my adventure class riding going forward. A little crystal ball gazing is always good for the soul, if not the bank account, had me taking note of the systemic shift in the motorcycle industry & in particular the adventure genre, to downsizing. If a lighter bike with improved off-road chops was an eventuality, then now was the right time to maximize my return on the S10...better to be at the front of the curve.
With Yamaha's May introduction of Phase 2 of the T700 pre-sale program that now incorporated refundable deposits vs last years non-refundable program my S10 was offered for sale & sold in June. I originally ordered a white/red T7, but after finally seeing it in the flesh with its high gloss paint & 2 different colour reds at the dealer, opted for a Black/Grey bike which delayed delivery by about 3 weeks. Curiously Canada received bikes about 2-3 weeks earlier than the US.
1st Ride Review
This is my 1st ride impressions of the T700 after taking delivery today (176 kms pavement), tempered with comparisons with my highly modified 2014 Super Tenere ES & 40k kms of use. Immediately noticeable is the 60 kg (133 lb) weight difference (as per Yamaha w/fuel) & lack of girth with the T700 as I get acquainted with her doing slow speed maneuvers in the parking lot….wow, I cannot overstate the difference both at rest & doing figure 8s. The CP2 motor immediately steals the show with its impeccable slow speed manors & light, easily modulated clutch. Relative to the S10, miss T7 is slender & lithe with a more athletic, taut feel…I’m sure those coming from smaller dual sports will have a different impression...regardless, I think both rider spectrums will agree that she has a large dirt bike feel J
At 1.85 m (6’1) & 90 kg (198 lb) & 85 cm (33”) inseam & reach w/std oem seat she feels tall, allowing me to just flat foot…the bars fall comfortably & naturally at hand & the rider triangle/knee bend feels good…plenty of room to move forward & back on the seat which is firm & relatively flat with the softest spot being where it transitions up the rear of the tank…it became uncomfortable after 150 kms…your mileage may vary J. The widening flare of the tank when you stand & the bulge of the clutch cover that bumps against your right calf are the only real reminders that she is not Husqavarna 701 skinny. Tank pads will provide better knee interface against the slippery plastic side panels & wider footpegs for my size 12 are a must. The T7 is a return to basics type motorcycle in many ways & although there are clues as to where Yamaha opted to cut costs, she feels solid, with a quality feel. The suspension lacks sharp edge compliance & the rear spring feels soft compared to the front, but she tracks beautifully, feels composed on pavement at sane velocities & is fully adjustable.
Interestingly, the T7 oem bar risers put the bar at a very similar height as my S10 w 2” Rox Risers & almost spot on for standing…I will rotate the bar risers 180 degrees from their oem position that is closer to the rider, for a more balanced standing position that moves them slightly forward & up. If you cover the levers (clutch not adjustable, brake is) you will feel a mild higher frequency vibration than the S10, other than that the motor transmits very little else through the bars or tank, which have nice small diameter wide grips. Yamaha has reason to be proud of this motor because it is a jewel, torquey without the heavy flywheel feel of the S10…engaging, punchy, linear & playful….making the T700, with lower than typical 3.067 (15/46) gearing, feel snappier than my ecu dyno tuned flash, Arrow decat headers, Unifilters S10…weight, or lack of it, can be your worst enemy or your best friend!
The tranny, while not being KTM or Suzuki snick, snick is far improved over the agricultural S10, easily accommodating clutchless shifts & finding neutral. The oem wind management will need to be addressed for my frame with a larger windscreen & perhaps MRA X-Creen adjustable spoiler..the oem setup, while producing moderate buffeting, was noisy for my Nexx WED 2 Full face helmet..things quieted substantially while standing in clean air. The tall profile of the T7 was susceptible to cross winds. There has been some criticism of the rear brake to date, but it is too soon for me to draw any conclusion other than to say that they seem to lack initial bite, but are linear & never left me needing more during my 1st day of pavement only break-in riding where I was focusing on varied & controlled loading on the motor. The exhaust note is very pleasant, if slightly subdued, with some nice burble & slight popping on run down in the lower gears. Despite being a similar cross plane design/architecture as the S10 motor, the T7 CP2 motor is far quieter & more refined. There has also been some criticism of the fueling (on/off throttle jerkiness & some driveline snatch in the lower gears…which can be fixed with an ecu flash). However, I was overall impressed with the fueling of my Canadian bike, (Canadian S10 maps were slightly different from US models)…4th through to 6th gear was smoother than the 3 lower gears. I will need more seat time, but because the motor has such a broad, linear & torquey powerband, combined with the lower than normal 3:07 gearing, I was feeling that slightly taller gearing might be beneficial, at least for pavement riding…a tour company with a fleet of T7s in Australia has already gone with 1 tooth (16) larger front sprocket for that reason.
Which brings me back to the goodness of this motor, which has an
electric motor feel to it from idle on up with a delicious mid range & the
overall goodness of the T7...it coddles you in simplicity, devoid of
overachieving electronics that mask poor technique/skill/bike geometry, that just flat work….ABS can be turned off (adding a
switch to the ABS motor pump fuse may be a work around option for it defaulting back
on when the motor is cycled off with the key, just like the S10, for dirt biased riders)...urging you
to push it & explore its virtues!
If only Yamaha could have squeezed in 4 more litres of fuel AND designed a tucked in rear exhaust that didn’t hit the swing arm when downed or bend the muffler hanger, allowing for much narrower luggage racks AND why is the muffler hanger not bolted vs welded to the rear subframe like the passenger foot pegs (which have already been removed)…a US T7 has already been written off by insurance because of this short sightedness, resulting from a parking lot tip over after being backed into by a car, bending the hanger which is part of the frame.
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