Yamaha Tenere 700 Serious Off Road Test and Review - Is It An Enduro?

[@billwenzel2161]

I'm 54 years old, 6'2" and 275#. 25 years ago I had a XR650R for a bit but went 20 years with only ATVs and UTVs before getting a TW200 this April. I live in Northern WI and I'm blessed to have hundreds of miles of dirt roads, atvs trails and "make your own" single track starting only 3 miles from my house. I absolutely love the TW - so much more engaging than an atv or utv. The obvious limitation of the TW200 is any type of longer distance highway driving at anything much over 45-50mph. I don't see ever selling the TW but I was thinking about a T7. While I haven't rule it out, even with a more capable bike I will still probably be 70% offroad. Your honest review of the T7 offroad skills has me thinking an XR650L would be a better option for me... something still capable of 60mph on the highway but more nimble offroad than the T7. Thanks for a great vid.

[@Ride_XP]

This definitely deserves more views! Insightful and well articulated. 100% agree with getting your dirt confidence on dirtbikes before trying them on a bike like this.

[@resovius]

T7 owner here. Totally agree with your assessment. I started riding dirt on XT250 in 2021, then a year later, bought T7. I got fairly good at riding technical trails on XT250, but when I started on T7, it was scary off-road. I felt I had to re-learn dirt riding on it. At 5’10’ 160lbs, T7 feels tall and is damn top heavy. Dropped it twice on my first off-road ride. But since I spent the money, I stuck with it and got much better over the last 2 years. In New Mexico we have a lot of deep sand and gravel, so that was a challenge. In that regard, it’s better than XT because you need plenty of power in deep sand/gravel. But T7 still makes me nervous in technical terrain, so I try to ride it in places that aren’t too difficult or unpredictable. XT is an awesome exploration bike, a real goat. Much like yourself, I reconnoiter new trails on the smaller bike before trying it on T7. By the way, I used to have red CBR600F4 in 2002 - loved that bike. Another coincidence, we are fellow countrymen🇵🇱 - pozdrawiam i szerokiej drogi!

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Cool, thanks! Yes the F4 was a great bike in the day. As for the deep sand, better tires on your T7 will make a big difference.

[@resovius]

@@DifferentSpokesTVYes, tires make a huge difference. I switched mine almost immediately to Motoz Tractionator Adventure - excellent tires.

[@logangodofcandy]

160? That's what they make the gym for.

[@resovius]

@@logangodofcandy Check out Connor McGregor at 5’9” 156lbs. You’re right, that’s what the gym is for🙃

[@brianrahuba6919]

Deflate your tire in the sand ! I avoid sand it screws up sprockets and chains for the long term . I'll go through them, but if I don't have too I would rather not . I started on a 411 Himalayan . I didn't want a dual-purpose bike. I wanted an ADV bike . Due to they are heavier for highway riding and a beefer tail for luggage or bags . The only thing I'm not getting is the wheelie aspect of my bike. It doesn't have the punch to go vertically yet . But it 432 pds, and it's a long stroke motor bottom ends rules on this bike . I just can't see riding a 250, then to fully send on a 400+ bike, thinking that 250 did nothing but anything but slowed your learning down . What people need to concentrate on is momentum when it comes to weight . Keep riding that T7 sir you got this . Use more legs off rode as well and less imput on your bars ! You will figure it out .... Peace ✌️.....

[@richardvarnold6245]

Thank you! for someone finally taking the Tenere on a real trail with trees and dirt like my part of the country, not open barren desert roads. Being 63 years old and wanting something light weight, easy to straddle and somewhat affordable leads me to the Yamaha XT 250, Tenere is too heavy! Back in the day I had a 1978 Yamaha DT400 and loved the versatility of that machine and still a fan of Yamahas.

[@orientationandmobilitywith5902]

Great transitions between the two bikes. Your skills have definitely improved. ☺️

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Thanks ✌️I got through the trail and though, "That was it?" It was easier than on the Rally three years ago.

[@100868ful]

Great bike combo! I have both the T7 and the WR250F. Tons of fun!

[@AlanJayCathcart]

Great video. I've got an old WR250F and looking forward to picking up a T7 next year 👍

[@MagnumMuscle1000]

Getting experience on a dirt bike before tackling trails on an ADV bike is excellent advice. A couple of seasons on a real dirt bike will make you comfortable enough to ride a loaded ADV bike on easy trails.

[@arnohag1]

My background is from enduro riding to road bikes. Always have a dual purpose bike which I have swapped for the adventure bike. I ride my adventure in the bush and on tarmac. Love it.

[@emperorkhan9941]

Thanks for sharing, this was very helpful and informative. Well spoken and explained, much appreciated. Forgive me if i sound impolite, but i have to say that i noticed that your sitting down a lot when riding offrad. If i may give some advice, the way to go is by standing up, especially on single track. This makes balancing much easier/lighter to navigate the bike. Don't forget to squeeze your legs together/squeezing the tank. Loved this content, keep it up, and don't stop inspiring.

[@kostasrestas]

Tenere is fine if you have the hands !!! i love it !! cheers from Greece !!

[@russellborn515]

I have a T7 and a DRZ, and agree, the Z is more fun on gnarly stuff but the 7 isn't bad. Not that I've had much experience with it, I went down and broke my leg on it last year, haven't had much chance to off road it since. Heading to the trails with some buddies in a few minutes, wish me luck!

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Good luck. Just keep that clutch in on the slower stuff and the bike smooths right out.

[@russellborn515]

@@DifferentSpokesTV Survived, no injuries. You're right,the throttle's a little snatchy at low revs.

[@sethjeffreys3055]

I've rode nasty roots rocks steep hill climbs for 30yrs and now that im 48yrs old im ready for a adventure bike ready for a long across the USA trip for two years ive been watching and reading reviews on all middle weight adventures and I keep coming back to the t7 for somereason I keep telling myself your going to be traveling mainly HWY .So the suzuki 800de seems more practical them the cf moto 800t or the coming mix 800 seems best bang for buck and then the t7 still seems like the bike to go with its aggravating to make my choice . What do you guys think and I do like ktm I own two 300xc and a 250 xcw they are a real get you there and back on nasty trails I love these bikes hope im still riding these at 70yrs old . Love this channel great reviews and T7 is still in my head even that ill have to do suspension comfortable seat and few other things but I have to do this to every bike ive bought 6.2 240 pound guy so really guys what do you think Thankyou !

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Good luck with your choice. See if you can get a test ride on a few middleweight bikes before deciding. If you love the T7 sometimes you just have to go with your passion.

[@logangodofcandy]

High rev motors allow you to micromanage power. Power can be spread over a wider rev range, allowing you to use exactly as much power as you need and reduce or increase power more accurately as you need to without easily giving too much or too little.

[@PineyRider]

Pol Tarres doesn't care about physics limitations! He seems to break the laws all the time. I've had a KLR650, but my off road toy for the last 5 years has been my 2018 TW200. Love your channel. Appreciate your consistent, interesting content. Best wishes to Brooke and yourself. Almost time?

[@TheWrigle]

I have been making slow progress on my T7 for a few years now. Getting better every year, nut not quickly. I also come from a mtb background, and have found it to help quite a lot, but there is for sure a learning curve on the larger motorbikes. Mostly an issue with confidence for me on the t7. Would like to get a smaller duel sport to bridge the gap a bit. I keep finding myself pleasantly surprised with what I can tackle on the t7, but would love to gain some confidence on something with a bit less consequence.

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Yes, a sub 300lb bike is amazing to learn on. The consequences of a mistake are much smaller.

[@bobz1736]

Interesting and informative review. Remember that the suspension preload adjustment only affects ride height and not spring stiffness. If the springs are, as you say, designed for a 75kg rider, then the only option is to change the springs - fairly easy on the front and the rear could need a workshop to change or swap out the whole unit. 👍

[@nicholasgullo9756]

I have ridden mine on just about every trail at Hollister Hills in Ca. Motoz Tractionators and setting the suspension myself and it gets anywhere. Harder yes but very capable.

[@khaccanhle1930]

I started watching your channel before you bought that T7. At that time I was using a WR250F. Hearing you say how much you love that bike is music to my ears. It isn't quite a KTM 300 2T, but it's a sweet machine. I ust also got an old XRV750, but I have an extra set of MX tires for it when I use it for trails. But honestly, an ADV bike does not belong on trails.

[@DaleGribbs214]

Ktm 890.... it does it all

[@beardannyboy]

When I first started watching your channel I was under the impression you'd been dirt riding a long time. I guess you were more documenting your journey in motorcycling

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Yes, at first I wanted to cruise, then I wanted to go fast on motorcycle tracks, and finally I got into the dirt. This is where I belong.

[@paul.vanhout57]

Well done and kudos for sharing. I am sure your improved skills and T7 setup give you more confidence when you encounter those unexpected gnarly sections.👍

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Very true! I think that the dirt miles are adding up.

[@2wheels.are.better.than4]

Thank you for sharing your compression and rebound settings. Out of curiosity, what is your rear preload setting?

[@maybeerainmaybeesnow]

I appreciate your info! Thank you.

[@xplaur]

Thinking about adding an enduro 250-ish to my Super Tenere. We'll see....

[@ruileal5574]

You should upgrade the rear spring , stock is way to soft. You will see a big improvement just by doing that.

[@halinabiegalski9509]

Great video and you got it right, SAFETY FIRST! 👍

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Always!

[@advswede]

All the trails and forest roads that I have driven with my T7, I would like to say that it does very well :)

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Thanks for sharing. It's surprisingly capable.

[@anthonyfox5337]

Having been an offroad rider in MX and Enduro all my life and then trying my T7 in serious offroad conditions , I was totally disappointed in the experience. Yes it can do it but so boring having to ride to the limits of the T7 offroad. I have a KTM 300 EXC and a 500 EXC for offroad duties and the T7 now stays within its design parameters.

[@DanielHelc]

Great looking flowy trail, where is this? I am not an expert but learned quickly on SCORRA trails to keep your toes snug to the bike :). Also, try to do an icre cream cone style when holding the controls it will help with the T7 twitchines. I read online people having a success with flashing ECU and the throttle response is buttery.

[@carllinden533]

Yesterday I rode my XT250 on some ATV trails, deep sand, rock gardens mud, sketchy steep hills up and down. My friend followed me on his Honda NAVI. Wtf HOW!?

[@brianrahuba6919]

Well its a toss up . Its either gonna be a T7 or 800DE . I like the T7 throttle cable . Not sure if 24/25 models are fly by wire . But probably the 800DE is what I'm gonna be settling for .

[@advfortheking]

Can’t wait to get my T7, coming from an XT 250

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

It'll be an adjustment for sure.

[@paulorego86]

Hi from Portugal, I have a T7 great bike but since I am doing all the time or must of time using for traveling on offroad I am consider to sell and maybe buy a Kove Rally. I do belive is best of two worlds and maybe what I need is more dual sport world than Adventure like T7 (206kg plus acessories). To be honest is a bit of a dilema for me, also I was consider to do what you did to have 2 bike like T7 and WR... Also I owen FJR and Vmax 1700 for these reason only use mostly T7 on Dirty road. You have different opinion or you think maybe I should get a someting lither like Kove Rally and also able to travel?

[@MrEtnorb]

An enduro bike weighs approximately 110kg +/- dry. Of course a good rider can tackle some single track on a twin but you are always asking for trouble. I used to occasionally tackle trails 2 up on a fully loaded R1200GSA but as you age, weight is the overwhelming No 1 issue.

[@Underthehelm]

while I was listening to you, for a moment it seemed as if I was speaking in a different voice. especially the part about driving on forest paths and putting your feet on the ground. just like me 🤣

[@Duke98765]

I vas riding yamaha tenere700 the basic model... im hardcore rider. It is a very good bike on teren and streets.. for long time ovnership and lot of kilometers is excelent bike... Good yob yamaha!

[@mnap89]

I am thinking of selling MT07 for some kind of dual sport. CRF300L Rally seems good since I could only afford only one bike so it has to do all. I am only afraid it is too weak on road... T7 is too heavy for me - I could not lift it from kickstand :P

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

Yes, the Rally will feel slow next to an MT07. You might want to try a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, CF Moto MT 450 or wait for the new KTM 390 Adventure which they will release soon. Al those bikes are 40hp or more.

[@mnap89]

@@DifferentSpokesTV Yes, cfmoto 450mt looks promising and seems like having enough hp / tq for street. Only downside I cant think of is weight - 175kg dry. Isnt it too heavy for beginner?

[@exothermal.sprocket]

What is it with Australia and New Zealand with their propensity to produce some world class off road riders? I knew about Chris Birch, but hadn't heard about Pol Tarrés. Have you swapped footpegs on that T7? I've heard a ton of great stuff about the larger and tougher IMS footpegs.

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

I haven't gotten around to it yet, but my WR has larger footpegs and you do feel the difference.

[@exothermal.sprocket]

@@DifferentSpokesTV Was under the impression Pol was from another place, seems his background is Spain. Yeah, the grippy and wider footpegs make off-road control so much more secure.

[@brianm5753]

I upgraded from a 120kg to 150kg bike and the heavier bike handles like shit everywhere from traffic jams to midly rocky roads. Lighter is always better as long as ur willing to rebuild the engine every 2 years

[@sebastiangeorge7714]

I would be hard pressed to change the oil every 2 years.

[@brianm5753]

@@sebastiangeorge7714 huh?

[@sebastiangeorge7714]

@@brianm5753 I don’t have enough space to work on a bicycle. I couldn’t work on a bike even if I knew what to do.

[@gordonwallin2368]

Be careful, there- look at Noraly and her skills were getting pretty amazing, it's the hazard you're used to , or like flying, the hazard you've gotten used to, but SLIGHTLY different. Remember you're now riding for three. (My ex-wife used to tell me that, I never followed that, and got away with it, but I'm guessing you're smarter than me.) Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

[@markcomisky7106]

Try a beta 500 or 390

[@DifferentSpokesTV]

That's a lot of bike for a mid rider like me. I'm not sure if I'm good enough to exploit that extra performance.

[@RAF238thCdr84]

Its 'tin ear e' not 'ten a ray'. Its from the Tuareg language means desert.

[@jimperry4420]

The answer is always Drz400 lol.

[@snupermoto723]

Comment comment comment, then comment again

[@eivinherfindal6658]

Aprilia 660 all the way 😊

[@feckinegit3773]

👍