Winterproof Motorcycling
So much heritage
Living with a Tenere is proving to be quite enlightening. Yamahas answer to the adventure class trades weight for power and does so very well indeed. The screen is just the right height. It’s highly functional, yet it doesn’t get in my eyeline. The TFT screen sits at a ‘portrait’ angle creating the look of a smart phone on the riders side and a road book from the other. I can scroll through a choice of displays.
That's one way of getting the mud off it
The overall look of the bike is very impressive. The forks, the tank, the shape of the saddle which runs forward and slightly up the tank. When I fill it I’m pleased to see that the weight all this juice adds is ‘hidden’. This is thanks to how low its weight is hung.
Then there’s the long travel KYB forks. This things intentions and abilities are clear. I won’t, I expect, be getting the better of it anytime soon. Then there’s the inconspicuous black button marked ABS to the left hand side of the screen. This gives the rider access to three different modes, everything on, front wheel only, and rather wonderfully, all off.
Widening my horizons
Yamahas T7 has a well earned reputation for making light of the sand and dirt. Additionally because of its tight turning circle, it’s a joy to ride through traffic.
While the parallel twin produces a little over 72 bhp, quite modest but I make good time on the national roads.
A couple of hours later and I’ve crossed the border into Donegal. The better paved roads reward the rider with plenty of twists and turns. They’re awesome.
Playing in puddles
Once off the beaten track and onto poorly paved roads the bike proves its pedigree by handling exactly the same way when I stand up as it does when I sit. The pot holes and gravel are dismissed with ease and when the rear wheel breaks loose, as it does a lot on gravel, the bikes recovery is predictable in a way that make riding both comfortable and fun. It’s almost a shame to bring it back out on the blacktop.
The standard bike is now on offer from only €11,999 for a ’24 model. Talk to any Yamaha dealer for more details.