First Ride: 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700

More is often more, or so the mantra goes. So, why stop at 10 when you can crank it to 11? Why settle for medium when you can supersize?

Well, here's one reason why not. Having flown over the handlebars of a 1,200cc adventure bike in the California desert, I’m living proof that a full send can become a bad idea quicker than you can say concussion. Especially when it comes to the loose, gravelly, nasty stuff, sometimes you want a motorcycle that’s leaner 'n meaner than it is fat and fleet.

The 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 is a direct contradiction to the Platonic ideal of bigger-is-better. This middleweight adventure bike slots under the 1,200cc Super Ténéré ES and runs $10,799—a solid $5,500 less than its big bore brother. While it lacks bells and whistles, like electronic suspension and riding modes (and boasts one solitary electronic aid: anti-lock brakes), it counters with an increasingly rare focus on simplicity.

Simple but Super Solid

Historically, the Ténéré 700 (introduced to North American markets way back in 2020) has been about as Luddite as adventure bikes get. This year's Ten-Seven makes incremental changes to keep up with Joneses like the Honda Transalp ($9,999), Kawasaki KLR 650 ABS ($7,199), and Suzuki V-Strom 650 ($9,199). Updates include a new 5-inch TFT color display that makes the old monochrome screen look Byzantine in comparison, incorporating smartphone connectivity that displays incoming calls or texts (though text content is not displayed on the screen). A new ABS system with an off-road setting and a big “ABS ON” button makes it easy to reactivate the system when the trail ends. An updated switchgear control wheel has been added to control the menu system, and an accessory quickshifter is available for an extra $200.

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I traversed a jagged off-road trail in Southern California with the newest Yamaha to see if 700cc really was enough, and—spoiler alert—no handlebars were pole vaulted in the making of this review. Clad in an Aether Draft Mesh jacket cloaking a Dainese airbag vest I hoped not to deploy this time, I climbed aboard the Yammie and peered across a refreshingly minimalist view over the handlebars, with a bare minimum of switchgear at either grip. While the tall-ish saddle sits 34.4 inches above ground, the plush 8.3-inch front and 7.9-inch rear suspension travel makes it a tad easier to touch tarmac when sitting. I’m 5’11” with a 32-inch inseam, and found I could reach the balls of my feet to the ground fairly easily. The color screen can be configured with a conventional depiction of a round tachometer, or a techier bar graph style. The good news is that the display is bright and contrasty in direct sunlight. The less-than-ideal part is that the tachometer is a tad laggy when quickly revving to the 9,000 rpm redline.

The bike comes equipped with off-road-friendly basics, like 21-inch front and 18-inch rear Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires, hand guards, and a tapered aluminum handlebar. Accessories include an engine-protecting skidplate, a radiator guard, and a one-piece rally seat with flatter padding, that can set up the Ténéré for more rugged duty. Interestingly, the Ténéré's so-called CP2 engine features a 270-degree firing order, which produces even pulses of power that mimic the consistent tug of a single-cylinder engine.

Light, Nimble, and Powerful

My mindset while journeying over the 25 miles of rough-and-tumble trail was focused on one simple goal: keeping the rubber side down and not repeating the head injury from my last off-road adventure. Advantage No. 1: The Tenere 700 is over 100 pounds lighter than the big boy I took a tumble on, which translates to reassuringly responsive dynamics in the dirt. Steering effort feels feather light, making it easy to negotiate the big front wheel over sketchy surfaces. There was still some incremental slipping and a few uh-oh moments as I rode through loose gravel and cool-to-the-touch rocks. But with less mass and inertia to manage, the lighter setup makes it easier to change direction quickly when the conditions demand it, using reflexes to salvage grip when needed. The aforementioned power delivery comes on strong at low rpms, often making it less necessary to downshift and enabling the power to pull through like a billy goat. The engine power never feels peaky or irascible, maintaining a sense of tractability when pulling through low friction surfaces.

For somebody like me who wasn’t raised on the dirt, successful off-road riding—a.k.a., not toppling over or face planting into a mountain—requires a bit of extra care. I quickly learned to appreciate the forgiveness of the lighter platform, and the parallel-twin engine’s predictable power delivery. Putting out a relatively modest amount of grunt makes the idea of traction control more or less irrelevant; traction control is right there in your wrist. Though there’s a smidge of snatchiness at slightly open throttle, power is easy to modulate while revving through each gear. When ABS is switched off via the on-screen menu (or the rear ABS is disabled), the brakes can be clenched just enough to slow down the bike with a slide here and there, but no annoying intervention.

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I felt pretty good about keeping the bike upright through more than a few challenging bits on the trail. From there, I proceeded onward to a couple hours of highway riding. With a relatively upright view of the road ahead and decent wind protection from the small windscreen, the Ténéré proved itself a capable commuter on L.A. freeways.

While it’s no super bike, there’s still enough power to pass aggressively, and comfortable enough ergonomics to make long stretches in the saddle doable. Though the seat isn’t as plush as some touring and sport touring motorcycles, the setup is well-suited to the bike’s intended purpose as a dual-purpose machine with off-road capabilities. My only gripes of note were the unavailability of cruise control and the lack of heated grips. Those two features could go a long way towards justifying the Ténéré 700 as a jack-of-all-trades motorcycle ready for serious long-haul riding.

Dual-Purpose Driven

Powerful enough, versatile enough, and honest without appearing dowdy, the 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700’s balance of simplicity and restraint helps it achieve its dual-purpose mission. Bikes like this make it easy to forget the haters and ditch the hype, feeling secure in riding more of a sweet spot than an exclamation mark. Aided by solid fundamentals and incremental improvements, Yamaha’s latest punches above its weight to deliver the riding experience you never knew you needed.

Specs

• Engine: Liquid-cooled DOHC 4-stroke; 8 valves

• Displacement: 689cc

• Weight: 452 pounds (wet)

• Seat Height: 34.4 inches