With so many “spy shots” of future bikes hitting the news lately, some have been prompted to question their origin. Take this latest sighting: a divergent Yamaha Tenere 700 cruising rather conspicuously on a road. True test mule or marketing device? If you’re like us, the answer is: who cares! Especially when the “secret” model, so crudely shrouded in black canvas, hints of something potentially awesome.
In this case, the undisclosed bike, rolling on those tell-tale blue wheels, seems to be a travel-intended version of the Yamaha Tenere 700 with an oversized fuel tank under the shrouding. The standard T7 and Rally edition both use a 4.2 gallon (16 liter tank), while this tank by the looks of it could hold somewhere in the region of 20 liters, or 5.3 gallons. Judging by the stock bike’s fuel range of up to 200 miles, we could be looking at a range of over 250 for this variant.
The engine appears to be the standard 689cc, 4-stroke, CP2 parallel-twin that powers the T7 and T7 Rally Edition, though a tweaked exhaust manifold may indicate emission changes to meet new, tougher Euro 5 regulations. The radiator is also either larger or may be repositioned lower to accommodate the larger tank.
The prototype Tenere 700 in the photos seems to also be sporting a new fork, which may signal suspension improvements coming. The spied bike also features a larger skid plate that is at least as burly as the plate featured on the Dakar-inspired Rally Edition, yet more modular, appearing to wrap around the new manifold and CP2’s bottom end.
From what we can tell, the rear of the bike appears to be straight from the base model, wearing the stock exhaust as opposed to the Akrapovič slip-on muffler found on the Rally Edition. We assume the seat, shrouded in these photos, will be designed for longer stints seated on the bike.
Interestingly, those pannier racks aren’t Yamaha ware, but instead are the GIVI racks and backing plates that fit the GRT709 soft pannier system. Whether it’s a forthcoming collaboration or just a place-holder for proprietary bags, this new model will likely come with factory luggage.
A best case scenario would involve this new model incorporating some of the much-appreciated off-road features found on the ready-for-the-rough Rally Edition, which offers a higher standard specification than the base model, and is equipped with a number of exclusive, useful components such as tank grip pads and off road grips.
But even without the upspec’d rally-inspired goodies, a new long-range travel model that has the T7’s adjustable, long-travel suspension, switchable ABS, 21/18 inch spoked wheels and knobby tires sounds like a pretty tasty option.
Whether it’s a marketing stunt or some poor bloke who actually got caught by the bike paparazzi while he was putting miles on Yamaha’s latest adventure bike project, we’ll keep you posted on fresh sightings or updates regarding the latest adventure mount potentially headed for the Tenere 700 stable.
Photos: Autoevolution
Author: Jamie Elvidge
Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.October 16, 2020 at 11:42PM
https://ift.tt/2H6M8DM
Spied: New Long-Range Yamaha Tenere 700 Caught Out Testing? - ADV Pulse
https://ift.tt/2ZqQevw
Yamaha
No comments:
Post a Comment