Two Tenere 700s and a Tuareg 660 take on the Smokey Mountain 500!

[@timbradbury3826]

I am 60 yrs old and just bought my T7 Yesterday out today put 100 miles on to test it out God willing will be heading west soon I am from Iowa! God Bless and thanks!

[@NoahWyka]

Awesome! You'll love the bike.

[@MrB846]

Good to hear. I hope at 60 I’m still riding. God bless you,have fun and safe travels to you

[@InterestingWorldLove]

I can only ride maybe 4 hours a day. U young folks are amazing! Thanks for the video

[@mayo_moto]

Nice video man! That dash setup is mint!

[@take5th]

The smokies are gorgeous, so peaceful I never even thought of braaapping through there. Great ride.

[@oneusmarine]

Great video. 8 of us did the SM500 last month and had a outstanding time. I ride a T7 as well. We wimped out and stayed at hotels and one cabin site since we did not really know what to expect. Next time we will just camp. One broken foot peg on my sons bike and one flat tire on another bike. Definitely learned to take good tubes and a pump next time. Look forward to our next Adventure soon. Keep the video's coming.

[@kyjelly5524]

Motel is the way to go. Better nights sleep and less to carry. A shower is also amazing after a long day.

[@rotasaustralis]

Well Noah, you & your mates are definitely keen as mustard, I'll say that.

[@bikegiant1376]

So fun! Loved watching this.

[@NoahWyka]

Thanks! It's an awesome route! I'd love to finish it out later this summer.

[@holisticaustralia]

Nice country, looking forward to seeing more, Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺 👍🏻 🍻

[@loopinglarry]

The tenere700 is a very impressive motorcycle. It's a monster on and off road.

[@NoahWyka]

I agree! It's lightweight, good power to weight ratio, and comfortable!

[@loopinglarry]

I live north Georgia, not too far from two wheels. I noticed your georgia tag.

[@explorewithjames]

Adding this one to my list! Looks like a blast.

[@donaldpratt3892]

I just rode this section last week, good times!

[@spingel88]

The first time I crossed the Tallulah River, I was going the other direction and went up where your buddy was standing to record the second guy. It got a LOT deeper there. LOL Cheers to popping your water crossing cherry. 🍻 Charlie's Creek Rd is a good one to do it on.

[@NoahWyka]

A rider from a group right before us drowned his R1200GS in the deeper part as you go to the right up the river. He was there for two days flushing his engine and changing oil. Our big fear was the rainfall would make our crossings fast and deep, but all of the crossings we hit went really well!

[@spingel88]

@@NoahWyka Yeah, it's a fun area to ride. I end up there often, because it's only 30 minutes from home.

[@blakeberlin6295]

Nice riding, and you did a really good job with filming and narration. I felt like I was with you.

[@advmike]

I’m putting this ride on my list! 🙌

[@phatsmitty]

Noah, you pick good lines ... great video. Even if I was in shape, don't think I'd ride that many hours in a day.

[@NoahWyka]

Thanks! I haven't ridden much in the slick mud like that, and my riding buddies were relatively new off road and running stock Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires, so they didn't have quite as much traction as I did. I tried to find the path of least resistance for them! It was a long day of riding for sure. Luckily the T7 is a very easy bike to ride, and eats up highway miles just as easily as backcountry miles!

[@MrCaptainCrazy]

Fancy bikes!!! I ride a DR650. If you boys make it to Eastern NC, let me know and we get muddy.

[@joseph401]

Going to do this next month, at least some of it, I am down near Savannah and will trailer my bike there. Looked like a good time despite te rain.

[@NoahWyka]

Sounds good! It was an awesome time! The only thing to watch for with the rain is high water at the river crossings. We met another crew out there where one of the riders hydrolocked his R1200GS crossing the first river in this video, and spent several days (and several oil changes) clearing the water out of the crankcase. It can ruin your week for sure. Other than that, it's a great ride!

[@zerobucks9]

we did that water crossing a few months ago and it was about 6 inches higher. you had the perfect line. ride out to the tip of the island and turn up stream.

[@NoahWyka]

The videos I was watching of past crossings at that site had me nervous, especially with the rain the night before, but I was glad it wasn't too deep for us!

[@tjworsham1272]

Nicely done video Noah! It looks like a great ride

[@NoahWyka]

Thanks! It was a really great route.

[@DirtbikeXpeditions]

As you saw with that drop….invest in good handguards…the stock ones are basically good for keeping the wind off your hands and that’s it…

[@NoahWyka]

Barkbusters are on the list of additions! I had them on my KLR, I just couldn't find a Tenere-specific set in stock before this trip.

[@kyleshandyman]

Charlie's Creek is one of the longest and easiest crossings you'll ever do.

[@maybeerainmaybeesnow]

Good times!

[@bamills6771]

We are getting ready to run the SM500 in October. Hopefully less rain.

[@NoahWyka]

You should be out of the rainy season by then!

[@offroadagain]

Nice tour! Get some real hand guards, the plastic version can easily end a cool trip with a broken lever. Barkbusters or similar are a good option.

[@NoahWyka]

Yep, they're on the list as soon as they're back in stock on almost any website! My Barkbusters saved my KLR levers many times over.

[@rp6122]

not noobs to never done a water crossing before in less than 5 mins!

[@NoahWyka]

@@rp6122 The vast majority of my techical riding was in the deserts of El Paso and New Mexico where water crossings are incredibly rare. I've done a lot more since shooting this video last year!

[@rallye81]

Do you have a video or plans/documentation of how you moved the T7 gauge cluster and mounted the Garmin 62 GPS? I like that set up.

[@NoahWyka]

I don't have video, but I did post plans and an explanation for the plate I fabricated on the "Yamaha Tenere 700" Facebook group. It's called the "WykaTech Tenere 700 Speedo Offset Plate. Group link: facebook.com/groups/642177616261054/

[@rallye81]

@@NoahWyka Thank you. I had a little trouble opening the file, but I’ll continue attempting to get the template. Great video! Looked like a lot of fun!

[@NoahWyka]

@@rallye81 there are two files, one is a printable PDF that you can just glue to a piece of aluminum or steel and cut it, and the other file is a DXF that you can send off to have CNC machined! If you're having issues opening the PDF, please let me know and I can send another version to you.

[@drew5287]

Take the baffle out of the HP Corsa, has a great note

[@NoahWyka]

I've definitely considered it! I generally like a quiet motorcycle over a few more horsepower, though.

[@justingoodger5383]

Just asking. What do you have rather a KTM 690?

[@NoahWyka]

I'm not sure I fully understand your question, but having ridden both, it really depends on what you want to do. The 690 Enduro is well set-up for technical off road with some camping and adventuring gear on it. It's lightweight, low center of gravity, has loads of suspension travel, plenty of power, and it's smooth for a single. The main advantage the T7 has is its comfort on the highway, and its versatility, though. I rode 200 highway miles from my house to the start point, rode about 90 miles of adventure riding through multiple water crossings and rutted, poor roads, then rode 200 miles home. It was comfortable and easy to manage throughout the whole day! If I could only pick one bike, I'd stick with my T7. The KTM shines when it's a dedicated adventure bike, I think.

[@justingoodger5383]

@@NoahWyka Thank you. I think that you answered the question. Although I didn't give the question really. So I was just saying if you were going to do the transmerica trail again, which bike would it be? And you answerwd the t7.

[@BERZERKERSV4]

My 1996 Accord did the same route….

[@NoahWyka]

Your poor car, haha. It's true, a majority of the SM500 is well-graded roads with minimal technical aspect to it. The water crossings and long, steep downhills are the most challenging part.

[@Bscott-390]

Would the T7 be too much bike for a beginner?

[@NoahWyka]

The Tenere is both tall and top-heavy, so if you've never ridden a bike before and want to ride off road with it, it might be just a little bit of a steep learning curve. It's also a bit expensive of a bike to drop over and over as you learn, but that can be mitigated with crashbars and handguards. As far as power and engine, though, it's relatively mild-mannered and controllable, so I don't think it would be a bad choice!

[@victorp5491]

How can you see with 3 electronics blocking your view?

[@joseph401]

The same way you see with a hood blocking your view. :)

[@NoahWyka]

Good question! The cluster is significantly lower than my eye line, especially when standing. The speedo is actually lower than its stock position on my adapter plate! The GoPro is on the bottom edge of my helmet, so its view is a little obstructed when I'm sitting. :)

[@MADDOG100ful]

Stand on your pegs, much more control, better balance, better reaction time when doing water crossing and technical riding you will have much more confidence

[@NoahWyka]

Good tip! I was standing on almost all the technical terrain, especially the tight turns on the switchbacks and the water crossings. The other two riders with me were new to dirt riding, and were on tires without a lot of lateral stability, so I was trying not to push it too hard and make them feel like they had to catch up. Appreciate it!

[@richardmilsom3350]

And don’t use 1st gear.

[@MADDOG100ful]

@Richard Milsom LOL I kind of thought that was a given, but maybe not if you're not familiar with riding Offroad. A good point, the 2cd gear will give you more stability in most cases, mass and weight moving forward, which gives the bike a lighter, more nimble feeling of control .

[@richardmilsom3350]

@@MADDOG100ful he’s doing 18mph in 1st for extended periods. Video should be taken down for that kind of blasphemy

[@iSim0641]

"We are not noobs" 2mins later "we never really did water crossings" "I never really ride in mud" Don't get me wrong, you all did great but I don't think your first statement was that true :)

[@NoahWyka]

Haha, it was more for good luck blessings than anything! The other two are very experienced street and track riders, but brand new to ADV riding. Most of my riding experience is in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado where it's all sand and rock. I really haven't done much mud riding, even on dirt bikes. Appreciate it, though!

[@db2474]

If you need someone to help steady your bike...you bought too big of a bike or you do not know what you are doing.

[@NoahWyka]

I generally agree, you should be able to handle your bike in all conditions without assistance. I'm confused what you're referring to in this video, however.