YAMAHA HAS BEEN on a roll recently with success after success, but it’s a firm which has so far struggled to make hay in the adventure bike sunshine.
The XT1200Z Super Ténéré has plenty of appeal on paper but can’t come close to the R1200GS in terms of sales, and the XT660Z Ténéré looks likely to be ditched next year when its old single-cylinder engine can’t meet Euro4 emissions laws. But the good news is it will be replaced with this handy-looking MT-07-derived twin cylinder bike.
Yamaha hasn’t made many mistakes so far with its MT-09 and MT-07 machines, and these spy pictures suggest the next variant will be another blockbuster. Going head-on against bikes like Triumph’s Tiger 800 and BMW’s F800GS, but with a lower price tag and more serious off-road ability, the MT-07-based Ténéré could turn out to be the ideal compromise between the overweight, overpowered big trailies in the class above and the uncouth singles offered in the class below.
While carrying the MT-07’s 55kW, 689cc parallel twin, the new bike has a unique chassis, fork and swingarm. This suggests it will get its own designation rather than a variation on the ‘MT’ branding. The Ténéré name is virtually certain to be used, along with an XT-07 or XT700Z model code.
It will sit alongside the just-revealed Tracer 700 – a more road-oriented adventure tourer, shown opposite – and is likely to adopt a similar attitude to Honda’s Africa Twin. Unlike more road- biased rivals, all indications are that the XT-07 will have real mud-plugging credibility, combining a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear with high-rise, long-travel suspension and a rugged double-cradle frame.
To keep weight and costs down, the screen is fixed in place rather than adjustable, and there’s clearly been some thought put into details such as the high-mounted indicators to protect against damage from undergrowth or low-speed drops.
Given the MT-07 is already a featherweight, tipping the scales at 182kg with ABS and a full tank, there’s hope that despite its larger capacity and extra cylinder the XT-07 will be lighter than the outgoing bike, which comes in at 208.5kg wet.
Priced right the XT-07 might quickly become a best-selling adventure bike when officially launched, probably at some point next year.
CHECKOUT THIS STORY IN OUR BUMPER ADVENTURE ISSUE Vol 65 No 21 28 April 2016