Tenere 700: Spring Rates (OEM & Rally Raid), Sag Measurements, Suspension Settings & Weights

WEIGHTS

Bike &  GVWR (Canadian 2021 Yamaha Tenere 700) 

• Oem published bike wet weight:  205 kg or 452 lbs 
• Maximum load rating:  190 kg or 419 lbs. 
• GVWR:  395 kg or 870 lbs (using published weight).

Rider + Gear & Accessories

• Rider weight:  100 kg or 220 lbs w/gear. 
• Bike accessories installed (passenger pegs, header & muffler removed):  +14 kg or 31 lbs
• Tools/tubes/emergency kit:  9 kg or 20 lbs 
• Luggage, tank bag, dry bag (w/camping gear):  + 23 kg or 50 lbs.

Bike + Rider + Gear & Accessories

• Bike + all accessories weight + tools/tubes:  228 kg or 501 lbs + rider w/gear = 328 kg or 721 lbs. 
• Full tour weight w/all luggage:  351 kg or 722 lbs or 91% of maximum GVWR. - remaining allowable payload = 44 kg or 97 lbs.

OEM  SPRING RATES & TRAVEL

• Front = 0.60 kg/mm (6.1 Nm), travel = 210 mm  -  Rear = 7.28 kg/mm (71.4 Nm), travel = 200 mm

TENERE 700 REAR SHOCK LINKAGE

The suspension design of the  Yamaha Tenere 700 is based on a 2 to 1 ratio UNI TRAK progressive linkage designed to allow easy movements in the beginning of the stroke and fast movements at the end & 200 mm or 7.87" of travel. The bump stop on the shock absorber shaft provides an additional progressive effect. Lubed the linkage at 4,900 km, it actually had decent amounts of grease, contrary to what has been posted by some on the forums, but the bolts & inner sleeves were mostly dry with minor corrosion on the shock top bolt. 

OEM SUSPENSION SAG MEASUREMENTS

NOTE: Target static sag of 10% Front = 21 mm / Rear = 20 mm. Target rider sag  of 30% Front = 63 mm / Rear = 60 mm. Correct sag could NOT be obtained with the oem rear spring for my weight & loads.  Only rear shock has pre-load adjustment.

Zero Preload

• Front Static:  41 mm or 20%  /  Rear Static:  50 mm or 25%
• Front Rider:  66 mm or 31%  /  Rear  Rider:  87 mm or 44%

+24  of 24 Clicks Shock Preload

• Rear Static:  28 mm or 14% 
• Rear Rider:  69 mm or 35%

Preferred Shock Preload of  +14 to +16 of 24 Clicks (oem pre-load = +10 clicks)

• Rear Static:  36 mm or 18% 
• Rear Rider:  71 mm or 36% 

Preferred Fork & Shock Damping Settings

Nick Dole of Tekniks Motorsports in Australia claims that the oem shock compression adjusters are not very effective with the rebound adjusters being more effective.

• Fork Rebound:  -14 of 17 clicks from hard (oem -17)  /  Fork Compression:  -10 of 19 clicks from hard (oem -11)
• Shock Compression:  -14 of 18 clicks from hard (oem -15)  /  Shock Rebound:  -12 of 23 clicks from hard (oem -13)

Riding Observations OEM Suspension

+14 to +16 of 24 clicks preload (raising the shock higher in its stroke) hit the sweet spot for me in terms of overall compliance & reducing sharp edge jarring & reducing the harshness of the oem setting of +10 clicks. +18 clicks preload started to introduce harshness again while +24 clicks preload (max) provided the sharpest turn in but was too harsh across the board & noticeably increased seat height from the oem setting.

RALLY RAID 35 mm OPEN CARTRIDGE FORK KIT w/5.6 & 6.1 Nm Springs

Rally Raid 90 & 95 Nm Shock Springs

(Note: Evaluated 2 sets of Rally Raid fork & shock springs, travel identical to oem. Rear linkage disassembled & greased + rear oem shock rebuild & valving by Suspension Werx)

Rally Raid Spring Rates

• Front:  0.57 kg/mm (5.6 Nm)  /  Front:  0.60 kg/mm (6.1 Nm)
• Rear:  9.2 kg/mm (90 Nm)  /  Rear:  9.7 kg/mm (95 Nm)

RALLY RAID FORK & SHOCK SAG MEASUREMENTS

Target static sag of 10% Front = 21 mm / Rear = 20 mm. Target rider sag  of 30% Front = 63 mm / Rear = 60 mm. Rally Raid Fork Kit includes adjustable pre-load caps & separate rebound & compression forks.

Zero Preload

5.6 / 6.1 Nm Fork Springs 

• Front Static:  55 mm or 26 %  /  Front Static:  53 mm or 25 %
• Front Rider:  66 mm or 31 %  / Front Rider:  64 mm or 30 %         

90 / 95 Nm Shock Spring

• Rear Static:  33 mm or 17 %  /   Rear Static:  35 mm or 18 %
• Rear Rider:  77 mm or 39 %  /  Rear Rider:  68 mm or 34 %

Preload Target of 30% Rider Sag

5.6 Nm + 4 of 21 clicks preload / 6.1 Nm +2 of 21 clicks preload

• Front Static:  48 mm or 23 %  /  Front Static:  42 mm or 20 %
• Front Rider:  64 mm or 30 %  /  Front Rider:  64 mm or 30 %

90 Nm springs +14 of 24 clicks preload / 95 Nm shock spring + 8 of 24 clicks preload

• Rear Static:  23 mm or 12 %  /  Rear Static:  26 mm or 13 %
• Rear Rider:  62 mm or 31 %  /  Rear Rider:  59 mm or 30 %

Riding Observations with Correct Springs & Sag with OEM & Rally Raid Suspension

My take away from this suspension experience is, at the minimum, every rider should properly spring their bike for their weight, type of riding & set correct rider sag, particularly for the T7 whose shock is woefully under sprung for typical US & Canadian riders compromising suspension performance at both ends. Benefits abound just by leveling the chassis & having the shocks resting higher in their stroke...it may surprise you how much smoother both ends feel, particularly on sharp edged hits once properly sprung & correct sag is set...plus don't be afraid to experiment with settings. 

This is not to imply that the T7 oem suspension is terrible, but despite having adjustable fork & shock compression & rebound + hydraulic shock pre-load, it is just built to a price point with a relatively average & limited performance envelope. Proper springs, sag & valving will allow riders to extract all of the suspension's performance, providing tremendous cost to benefit ratio & highly recommend & encourage it for the average T7 rider, particularly for heavier riders & loads, those wanting to venture further off the beaten path & those with more aggressive riding tendencies.  

Quality, properly set up suspension components can infuse a silky fluidness & responsive interface with road surfaces aiding steering, suspension & braking feel, safety margins & reduce fatigue that can be appreciated with every ride. Properly matched springs, sag, shock valving & upgraded components, like Rally Raid's 35 mm Open Cartridge Fork Kit, move the T7 in that direction & can dramatically transform the riding experience & enjoyment. For more advanced, technical riding or those seeking maximum tunability with hi & low speed damping circuits, aftermarket shocks offering superior performance, but at a premium price.

Related Blog Articles

Info & review on the Rally Raid 35 mm Open Cartridge Fork Kit with 5.6 & 6.1 Nm springs can be viewed on my blog here.

Info & review on oem rear shock revalve/rebuild by Suspension Werx + Rally Raid 90 & 95 Nm rear springs can be viewed on my blog here.