The Ultimate Off-Road ADV Bike? Chris Builds His Dream Yamaha Tenere 700 To Find Out.

Chris has 6 months to build his ultimate Yamaha Tenere 700 Extreme, in part 1 of this series he starts with a few basics.

[@samihasib]

Chris rides at such a high level compared to most of us that he makes any bike 'the best' for its intended purpose.

[@Alexander-of7ny]

Agree👍

[@exothermal.sprocket]

Check out Pol Tarrés. I think he's done things with the T7 no one else on the planet has done.

[@allanproctor2532]

Glad you're liking the t7 I love mine. Wee tip for abs. While in gear. Flick out the side stand. It kills the engine and when you start the bike abs settings are still the same.

[@natenobrakes6292]

Never rode off-road bikes, probably never will, but watched this video anyway. Damn you Chris!

[@pinkiewerewolf]

I’ve had a 22’ 890 Adventure for a year and a half, just picked up a 24’ T7. Still in the break-in but I’m thoroughly enjoying the T7. I think the bike is a good fit for me even though it is a bit taller than the 890, with me being only 5’8” and a 30.5” inseam.

[@iangriffiths9930]

I’m the same size as you and find the T7 just too tall, it’s fine when everything is going to plan but the moment you need to take an unplanned tab etc I’m in trouble 😮

[@pinkiewerewolf]

@@iangriffiths9930 Yeah, it takes some maneuvering of the body, for sure. I had a KLR 650 2nd Gen, Pan America and a 1290 SA-R before the 890. The 890 is nice with the shorter seat height but I was after the extra off-road clearance along with a less intrusive bike.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

We all want to hear that CP2 bark. I recon a pipe, snorkel removal, and a flash will solve the running issue.

[@kkattrap]

Yeah that sounds like some newer ECU tune that the older T7's don't have or just something with this bike.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

There's nothing by way of hardware on these bikes that shouldn't enable these engines to run absolutely perfect. It's the tuning, to please bureaucracies.

[@nhardy2480]

It doesnt- mine still is grumpy when cold despite all the upgrades!

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@nhardy2480 And not all tuners are equally reputable or know what they are doing. Tuning is an art, requires good grasp of combustion engines and electronic controls.

[@Advcrazy]

Enjoy riding kinda fast on road as much as I like riding it off road”…I’m looking for the same and can’t decide between the extreme and the World Raid. I was really impressed at how light the extreme feels. Can’t get a test ride on a WR unfortunately. Tough one. Thanks for the vid and I’m looking forward to an update!

[@Twistsquishbang]

The bike you are after doesn’t exist, I ended up with two bikes for this reason the best on road bike(ktm 690 smc r I need performance not luxury) and the best off road bike available(ktm 300 exc 2stroke lightest bang for your buck) long story short I sold them both for the tenere it does everything at half the cost, but you won’t get the best of both worlds but what it does off road is better than anything else. Not bothered about road riding now as almost every ride on the supermoto I nearly died

[@guylevyathan7418]

I’m really interested on a comparison to the 890R As a fun bike Whealy skid and all other sort of shannanigans Your opinion matters, you have a lot of experience with KTM’s

[@hardcorerider4341]

Do Tuareg Next. Pls. Do

[@Gud-y2s]

I don't know how it would fit, but putting the rally gytr fuel tanks on that bike would make it perfect. Expensive yes, but still doable if you compare it to bikes like the 890, desert x, etc. Someone will do it.

[@urbanstrencan]

Can't wait to see final product, but don't forget on Akrapovič ❤❤❤❤

[@macavenco]

Becoming a fan of this channel as i discovered recently. It would be nice to have a comparison to the Aprilia Tuareg, since the opinions on the channel seem to be independent. Because i lost count to the versions of the T7. Is it enough a unique version of the Tuareg for the four, or give, versions of the T7? Cheers

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Hi, hope you've subscribed? Thanks for your support, we will do a comparison with a few other bikes once we've finished the upgrades.

[@andreasstefanou5898]

Best adventure bike ever

[@Dzinbhudist]

Abs reset is controlled by safety certification it should reset every-time you restart your bike, no “official” way to workaround 😉

[@chrishart8548]

So why do so many other bikes not reset each time

[@Dzinbhudist]

@@chrishart8548 all new ones reset, I have bike which do not reset, because no abs at all 🤣

[@Dzinbhudist]

@@chrishart8548 example and year of manufacturing?

[@leeinwis]

It's the best because of the blue color ?

[@rideroll9609]

Norden 901 if you upgrade shitty KTM CAM shafts... Great bike with epic design. Tenere is just offroad bike without good design.

[@stefanbrycke3349]

The fulong when cool is something my Ducati 1200 does, i call it character and she makes up for it 2min later… 😇

[@CanadianTexaninLiguria]

Nope. Tuareg 660, hands down.

[@paolozampieri2691]

This guy will tell you a tricycle is THE best bike EVER if he has to. And all the gadgets he's endorsing as well!

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

"Has to"? We've not been paid anything for these vids, we're just trying to make something entertaining and informative.

[@SB-Kiwi]

Bollocks

[@bennyb.1742]

*Cries in North American market* Why can't we have nice things!?

[@Captndarty]

There must be a tariff or tax that Yamaha is unwilling to pay to import multiple models of the T7 to the United States. We here have more adventure ready terrain to ride than the entirety of Europe yet you in the United Kingdom get all the various Tenere models. Whats up Yamaha?

[@DeadRoman]

More dope shit from Yamaha that we wont get in America.

[@Emily-ou6lq]

Way too heavy though

[@chrishart8548]

I would prefer a honda NX500 but with single cylinder engine would still make 47hp easy. And would make the bike lighter and maybe a higher exhaust and some wire wheels. Bit more like the old NX650

[@Emily-ou6lq]

@@chrishart8548 the aircooled 650 RFVC makes maybe 35hp if you're lucky. The watercooled 650 of the XR650R doesn't even make 50hp. Honda making a 500 single with 47hp is wishful thinking. Btw their streetlegal CRF450L with a compression ratio of 12:1 makes 39hp and needs a complete rebuild including crankshaft after 32k km according to the Honda shop manual....

[@chrishart8548]

@@Emily-ou6lq how about a 600cc single ? Be a bit like that AGP 7 then but at least you could trust a honda

[@Emily-ou6lq]

@@chrishart8548 Once they retired the XR650R they stuck its engine (with a bigger 686cc piston) in their TRX700XX quad. So they already have the engine

[@jeltonjelton3437]

I very much would like to hear Chris' opinion on the Tuareg 660

[@Lopez_67]

The T7 isn't the best at anything, but it will survive anything. If Aprilia had a better dealer network, the T7 wouldn't even exist anymore.

[@SB-Kiwi]

I don't know if you're allowed to bolt on such a mod or if Yamaha will get pissy about it, but LSK Electronics do a plug & play dongle which enables the bike to remember your ABS settings when switched off. Game changer. 👍🏼

[@SMP-qs2be]

Just installed on mine . Game changer it is. No idea how they do it but switching on and off abs is now a doddle with the big switch and it holds the memory when switching off. Plug and play too. Took literally 20s to install.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Cheers, we'll check it out.

[@erickmontero6222]

Tuareg next!

[@mrbookends]

I like imagining the neighbors wondering what Chris is all about on a cold morning when he leaves his house and stalls it - "I thought that guy worked at a bike factory or something? Is he new to bikes?"

[@nastysoda9212]

The only thing stopping me from buying a tenere 700 today is the suspension. I am in the US and we only get one configuration, the base model... it stinks. If they offer this version in the us it will be sold out. Please YAMAHA, give this to the US market, please.

[@TriAngles3D]

So many aspects about this bike stand out. Smaller than these SUV sized ADV bikes. It is like a big dirt bike. But also the old-skool simplicity or otherwise lack of nonsense electronics like rider modes, traction control. I want to ride my bikes not my AMD PC's. The ABS function is a hassle. But I am sure someone will discover a work around.

[@santiagomoralesgarcia1802]

Yeah, i think the most important electronic gadghets for a bike is ABS (with cornering ABS) and digital display (no TFT display) and slipper clutch, and for bigger cc bikes, traction control and power modes.

[@rasthurlo6812]

Mostly like riding twin cylinder bikes on enduro trails. IMHO T7 is not the best off-road twin bike, Center of Gravity way too high for technical terrain. I Had a tricked out T7 with Andreani Cartriges and Ohlins shock, but found it just too much work offroad. Now have a 890R and super happy with the geometry/handling/CoG for my kind of riding That said the T7's engine is a peach

[@TriAngles3D]

The exact bike to be long-term tested by the exact person that you want to test it...

[@tomtom8552]

The ABS issue has a fix already. Pretty sure well be seeing the LSK ABS dongle kit soon in a future mod video. Cant wait to see what more You'll be doing to it.

[@guzziman]

All the reviews so focus on off road, but reality most guys owning it ride 80% on road..... that would be a good review...highway... long travel, abuse it on road :)

[@SkuStyle]

Quick answer to the question .... NO! The Aprilia Tuareg 660 is way better Off-Road ADV Bike.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Tell us why?

[@SkuStyle]

​@@BikeWorldTVshow Tuareg 660, more suspension travel, better ground clearance, tubeless wheels, more fuel capacity and situated lower down, cruise control, rider aids -Traction Control, more wind protection, better engine for low speed and all round traction... I could go on......🙏

[@2wheels.are.better.than4]

Pull the ABS fuse (which is what I did), or get the LSK Electronics dongle 👍🏼

[@chrishart8548]

Or just put a switch in line with the fuse would probably cost less than a quid

[@user-hf8ie8mf3n]

I finally figured it out. These reviews are actually about whether the bikes can withstand Chris or not. Simple as that, and if I were a manufacturer, I’d be holding my breath when these vids come out. Serious dude. 👍🤪🏳️‍🌈

[@braaaaaaaaaaap]

At least take out the spark arrestor if you haven't or put on a slip-on. Definitely recommend a full exhaust and a tune. Wakes the bike up. Fixes the power loss at high rpm, revs out much faster, gains about 6hp, loses 12+ pounds. Lithium battery to lose 4.5lbs.

[@KairyuRider]

NOT SOLD IN JAPAN!!!!! But this is Yamahas main business plan, take the best models and don't sell them to the Japanese who make it.

[@beags1979]

Chris, when are you going to test the Aprilia Tuareg?

[@Dailyrider94]

brake magazine has a cool series on modding this one. Looking forward to

[@timothymills733]

Good chance it will be as most other ADV bikes are way too heavy.

[@chrishart8548]

It makes them a lot more stable on the road though

[@kkattrap]

@@chrishart8548 The T7 is not lighter weight like the Husky 701/ KTM 690. T7 is plenty stable on road with the long wheelbase. Only when you mount really aggressive offroad tires does the T7 have problems at high speed, as would most other adv bikes with knobbies that aren't made for that.

[@chrishart8548]

@@kkattrap would you agree the 701 and 690 are definitely not stable at high speed on the road.

[@kkattrap]

@@chrishart8548 One thing I see with the 690/701 Enduros is defaulting to more aggressive tires. They both have the same front stock tire size (90/90/21) but the 690/701 has a 140/80/18 rear vs 150/70/18. Less tire contact is great for offroad breaking traction but bad for pavement. A high front fender can contribute to weird wind deflection (stock for 690/701 but aftermarket for the T7). Stock form for both, the 690/701 Enduros are not designed for high speed pavement while the Tenere is. The Tenere can be made worse for road use and the 690/701 Enduros better. Folks rip around on a 690/701 supermoto knows the engine or the overall design is not the limiting factor for road worthiness.

[@AustrisPhoto]

ABS issue is solved easily with LSK Electronics dongle.

[@ronanrogers4127]

Sounds like you need a couple of dongles to address the two things you don’t like…or are they available for KTMs only?

[@brandome4670]

If you kill it by putting the kickstand down and leaving the key in the "on" position, ABS will stay off

[@OutdoorFun01]

Did you try the Honda Transalp?

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

@@OutdoorFun01 not yet, it’s on our list.

[@OutdoorFun01]

@@BikeWorldTVshow Yay!!! Can't wait to hear more from you. Thx!

[@Shroomy801]

Does anyone know if someone thats 5’10 can fit on one of these comfortably?

[@renatojlopes]

Chris, this is cool, but what I want to see is you combined with Desert X Rally: make it happen. 😂 Thanks in advance.

[@Roadlesstraveled1244]

U get abs dongle Chris also u want to replace restrictive air box that’s best mod cold starts bike can breath

[@bernardcucuz3315]

Love to the Grand Turismo career mode progress. Love the video

[@kostasrestas]

Its 1 of the best !!! cheers from Greece , a T7 lover !!!

[@Moby180571]

Spot on review.... 2 years in and a few upgrades like suspension mine makes me grin every time.... like a big WR450

[@emperorkhan9941]

Very helpful and knowledgeable to know and well said feedbacks, loved it. Looking forward to more thoughts and impressions of the T7 Extreme.

[@JPalazzolo31]

This thing coming to the US any time soon?

[@TheSweetasanut]

If pol terres can’t break one then I’m sure you won’t

[@motoboggle7525]

Where are the videos Chris 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🙏🙏

[@Terraceview]

Mods this mods that, it should be good from the start no?

[@dumitrascuraul4729]

Best moto reviews by far. Keep it up 💪🏼

[@Bryan-lg3fn]

Chris always love your reviews , a man with your knowledge of motorcycles i trust blindly ( which is rare for me ) . I was getting excited about this Tenere extreme for a minute and then i realized i live in the states which means we won't be getting this version ......I guess Yamaha doesn't like us to much

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

So we hear, why is that?

[@Ron-n4s]

Yamaha doesn't hold the candle to the apria. Apria handles better and is Lighter

[@Twistsquishbang]

Wrong!!! You obviously haven’t riden a tenere Nothing handles off road better than a tenere

[@anshusharma1523]

really enjoyed watching this!

[@Lopez_67]

I'll save you a years worth of testing, it isn't. 😂

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

We'll race you!

[@je7647]

wouldnt consider this an off road bike at all really

[@Twistsquishbang]

It’s more off road than any bike in its class

[@franmolina7367]

aprilia tuareg 660 is better

[@Gimme_Stitches]

No

[@iangriffiths9930]

Too many small issues with them for me, hopefully Aprilia will work them all out, then it would be a fantastic bike

[@grego10r]

lol

[@franmolina7367]

@@Gimme_Stitchesyes

[@theriderdtm8650]

✌🏻😊

[@FaetalEU]

It's such an amazing bike, if not very much too top heavy :P had the old xt 600 tenere, which had the same curse. To me it's a great 2nd place behind the ktm 790/890 r platform. But i do prefer the tenere for touring (wish it had cruise control tho)

[@offroadistheway]

Can't wait to see more from this long term review! For the ABS, for a more "OEM like" solution, you have the LSK ABS Dongle (has a memory feature for whatever ABS setting you select even if you turn the bike off - but it's 150 € or something). Or for a Much cheaper alternative, you can make a switch to intersect the rear ABS sensor plug under the panel where your right knee sits to make the ABS go into Fault Mode and deactivate while still keeping your speed and ODO (FuelDongle makes one for 25 € or thereabouts). Hope this helps :) Life's better when you're riding ;P

[@MagnumMuscle1000]

Yamaha needs to make an 850 Tenere with cruise control, premium off-road suspension (manually adjustable), with no weight penalty, and upgraded electronics (TC, and fix the ABS issue). I'd buy that bike in a heartbeat.

[@7Deejay]

Nope, so far it will be CF Moto 450MT or ibex in US market i believe reasonable price for what you get

[@iangriffiths9930]

Looking forward to this bike 👍

[@chrishart8548]

Is that a twin though

[@HeavyEnduroAdventures]

For abs just buy a switch from Fuel Dongles quick install simple abs turn of on fly and if you restart the bike it remembers it being off and is dead cheap as well.

[@aluisious]

…no. A drz400 is better. Weight is the enemy off-road.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

That’s not exactly an adventure bike though is it!

[@Twistsquishbang]

Wrong this bike defies its weight and will absolutely destroy an drz400 up, down and anywhere you care to call a challenge

[@Foegol]

Adding 2 (or more) teeth to the rear sprocket might spice it up a little for you. I've done it and at first I thought it didn't make much of a difference, until I put the original back on. That lasted for about 500 meters.

[@mikeshakespeare7294]

I can't stand these half mudguard things! One thing or another please.

[@ianjohnson5365]

Bottom is for exhaust guard top is for everything else, it has its benefits

[@mikeshakespeare7294]

@@ianjohnson5365 I get it, but in my experience a low guard will clog with mud in wet conditions, hence the use of a high guard. Obviously not an issue in dry conditions.

[@gpzfan5272]

What size are those Kriega bags? I’m torn between the 6L and 12L for my DesertX. Don’t want them too bulky and in the way

[@paulcoverdale8312]

Get both see what’s best for a couple of days an send back the ones u don’t want!

[@paulcoverdale8312]

Oh an Don’t go mud pluggin or anything else!😂😂😂

[@gpzfan5272]

@@paulcoverdale8312 I got the 12L bags in the end, they’re just right

[@2day_we_ride]

Chris, you capture the point of riding so perfectly. Does it make you smile and encourage you to do the things you like doing. Also, excellent use of 'hooning around', my favourite riding verb 🤘😁

[@str8shooter2]

Looks like a fun reliable bike.Tempting to sell my old KTM 950 for one of these.

[@CRFLAus]

Bridgestone AX-41's are great. It's amazing how well behaved they are on the road for knobbies.

[@GixxerZilla]

Higher exhaust, thank me later

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

One of the next jobs

[@paulwilson9616]

Excellent video as usual Chris , I’ve had a KTM 690 usual problems, F800 GS which I took Morocco . I come from an off-road background. I bought the world raid last year. I also thought it would be a bit underpowered but as you said every time I get on that bike it puts a smile on my face. it’s bulletproof. It looks fantastic and it’s reliable. I have changed the front sprocket to 16 tooth. Which the bike still performs fantastic off-road and on road it’s a different beast giving you that longer first gear. I often do distance work down to my brothers in Dorset no problem at all on the motorways

[@josech]

Great to see Yamaha finally improved the exhaust hanger design. Oh, wait!

[@MLeitao]

I think your first mod should be the abs dongle...

[@Davinch-e6x]

Fork springs to stiff on mine bet your only getting 50mm of sag ,looks like they kept the same springs as the heavier world raid

[@siraff4461]

Exhaust, remap, tail tidy of some sort and enjoy. Oh and apparently the abs is easy to sort but since I've never had a situation where it helped but plenty where it got in the way I think I would just pull the whole system off, lose the extra weight and have brakes that do as they're told when they're told.

[@XtremeCoke]

No, best offroad is 890 adventure R. However is come with a price to own which is separate issue.

[@ridewherever]

When I test road it a couple of years ago on a 160 mile dirt loop, I couldn’t get over how clunky the gear box was. It already had 3,000 miles on it due to it being a tour rental. That was the only negative at the time.

[@Twistsquishbang]

I have to say after reading the comments that the tenere is the most misunderstood bike on the planet, stay tuned I will upload my opinion of this bike.

[@urhhoney]

Will you put on a progressive shock and forks?

[@brandonabbott7574]

I hope this leads to a “Best off-road bike” series and you test the Aprilia and the Desert X. You happen to be the best Bike World presenter. Others have ridden bikes for launches that were underwhelming.

[@Valdemhaar]

love this, got my tenere 2023 this summer... loving the hell out of it

[@Davinch-e6x]

Arrow titanium headers,,gytr stage 1 ecu next

[@mariokolenko4322]

No more DREAM RIDES?

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Yep, we’ll be back up there in a couple of weeks.

[@billcag]

You may want to have a look at LSK for the ABS fix. 😊👍🇦🇺

[@DJAguitars]

Just got my extreme, looking forward to seeing how this series evolves 👍

[@mikehbomb69]

Looking forward to how you get on with this long term 👍

[@petewatson9866]

My big problem with the T7 is its AGE, and Yamaha has done little to improve it since the T660, BUT Yamaha have increased the price. It’s just not competitive anymore with what you can buy for £10k+. No matter how you rag it around a field its competitors can do the same plus kick its ass on long motorway journeys. No heated grips or seat on UK roads 😮. No cruise control the list goes on. I just feel Yamaha are milking their loyal following, but even they will dry up

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

This isn't about heated grips or seats though Pete, so ragging it around a field is very relevant to the subject of this video, the clue is in the title!

[@iangriffiths9930]

The normal T7 is too tall and too top heavy for me, I think this extreme version must be worse. A little disappointed we are not seeing the Suzuki 800 project bike as there isn’t much UK off road content with this bike.

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

We're still waiting for the bike, won't be long.

[@longdaysandhardworkatramra8260]

If you factor in reliability yes.

[@shadowred1980]

I tested the tenere and 890, money went on the 890. Tenere was to tall and lacked power for the weight, top heavy. Ducati didn't have a demo desert x at the time.

[@kkattrap]

Higher center of gravity / top heavy nature of the T7 is absolutely a negative vs the low-slung tanks of the 790/890.

[@Avensur]

Yes Indeed my friend!💪

[@selegaso]

Thanks for the great report. 👍Can you tell me how tall you are so that I can better estimate the proportions?

[@BikeWorldTVshow]

Thanks, Chris is about 5'8.

[@mikelyon5595]

Sadly, the Extreme is N/A in the States!

[@solcambs]

Make your own - high level mudguard, world raid suspension (including rocker arm and dogbones), a set of GYTR pegs, a radiator guard (if you really have to), good bash plate, a rally seat (perhaps) and a longer side stand. You have the Extreme in function if not name.