Out of all the motorcycle brands, Yamaha is one of the few that is able to strike an almost perfect balance between performance and reliability. These two usually mutually exclusive characteristics are key to any positive motorcycling experience. Riders are quick to defend their favorite brand, which inevitably sits on one side of the fence or the other. But, with Yamaha you don’t need to choose, and that has become a key point of difference for the Japanese brand.
Versatility Takes Priority For Yamaha
Yamaha
This marriage between performance and reliability makes for some exceptionally versatile motorcycles. In an age where the interest in motorcycles that are able to serve more than one purpose has never been higher, it is fair to say Yamaha had something of a competitive advantage. With an understanding of what it takes to make a great touring bike, and what it takes to build an effective off-road motorcycle, the Japanese brand was able to produce one of the best middleweight adventure bikes on the market.
While the original Tenere 700 was great, people quickly realized it had its limitations. It was compromised in certain areas, and over the years Yamaha set about to address several of these issues. For the most part, these issues only really amounted to minor gripes, but that didn’t stop the brand from coming out with the bike in question, which might just seem like another trim from the outside, but it is so much more than that.
The Tenere 700 World Raid Proves That Yamaha Listens To Customer Feedback
MSRP: $12,999
Yamaha Motorsports
The original Tenere 700 only had a couple of flaws, neither of which were dealbreakers. It was undersprung, and it lagged behind its competitors in terms of electronics. While initially marketed as a more back-to-basics alternative in an effort to save weight, it became all too apparent that most adventure riders wanted more tech features. The Japanese brand was quick to respond, adding a ridiculously big TFT dash, traction control, and, most importantly, addressing the overly soft suspension. With the World Raid, Yamaha takes all this to another level by adding IMU and fully adjustable KYB suspension.
A Highly Tractable And Reliable Parallel-Twin Powers The Tenere Range
Power: 72 Horsepower
Yamaha Motorsports
In some cases, ubiquitous can have a negative connotation; it can mean common, and even worse, boring. We can assure you that there is nothing boring about the CP2. It may not seem all that powerful on paper, but out in the real world, where it matters, this is a highly tractable engine with a meaty midrange. Any bike equipped with it is fun to ride, and it is very easy to see why it has become so popular.
An Underrated, Often Overlooked Feature
Yamaha Motorsports
Most new parallel-twins are pretty economical and reliable (with one famous exception). But the CP2 is not your average twin. It is actually one of the most reliable motorcycle engines currently in production, which is saying something, especially when you factor in all the low-compression air-cooled singles still floating around.
Over the years it has been in production, it has proven capable of offering riders one of the most underrated features: peace of mind. Any bike that is going to be used for travel simply needs to be reliable. Not knowing if you are going to make it home safely when you are far from civilization will erode any semblance of joy that may have been there before. Anyone who has ever owned a fun, yet unreliable vehicle in the past will understand the importance of this particular “feature.”
The World Raid Gets Some Impressive Upgrades
Yamaha Motorsports
With so many of its competitors getting all sorts of tech features, Yamaha made the decision to equip the World Raid with an IMU. This is a game-changing bit of tech that was once reserved for halo models, but is now getting installed on all sorts of motorcycles these days. The only real drawback is the fact that it does add a bit of weight, which, for any bike with off-road ambitions, is something of a commodity. But, the gains are there for all to see.
This doesn’t just give the World Raid cornering ABS and lean-sensitive traction control, but also slide control and a dedicated off-road mode. This allows the rider to break traction off-road without fear of losing control, and the system will only intervene when it seems as though the rider is about to lose control. Naturally, while this is there to help you have fun off-road, it is not going to stop you from crashing if you try to give it the beans mid-corner.
Also, if you really want to explore your own limits off-road, you can switch both the ABS and traction control off. We wouldn’t recommend this unless you really are an experienced adventure rider, though. In addition to the new ride modes, you also get cruise control and the same big TFT dash you would find on the base model, but Yamaha leaves the quickshifter on the options list, even though it is pre-wired for it.
While the tech features are impressive, that is not the key point of difference between the World Raid and the base model Tenere 700. The reason you would buy this model over the base model is for its fully adjustable KYB suspension. It offers more travel, and you also get a steering stabilizer. All these features have increased the weight of the bike to 485 pounds.
But, much of this is thanks to its huge 6.1-gallon tank, which actually accounts for around half the additional weight purely in the form of fuel. Unlike some bikes in this class, the World Raid’s fuel tanks are in a more conventional position, and will make a bike that is known to be a little top-heavy, more top-heavy.
The Curse Of Versatility
Yamaha Motorsports
For most riders looking to use the bike as an exploration tool, all these additions will be welcome. Compared to what it would cost to make these modifications yourself (many owners have made similar modifications to the suspension), the World Raid looks like a bargain. But it is important to remember that any bike this versatile will always be a compromise.
With a full tank of gas and luggage, you will now be dealing with a bike that will weigh around 500 pounds, which can be a handful off-road. The added weight above the center line will also affect the handling on the road, and it still is not quite as comfortable as some other ADVs. That said, it is exactly what adventure enthusiasts from all over the world asked for, and for that, all we can do is applaud Yamaha for actually listening.
Source: Yamaha Motorsports
