5 Things You Gotta Know: 2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700

When a simple motorcycle is exactly what you need

During our second trip to northern Ontario to explore some of Canada’s dirt paths, we got to play with four different motorcycles. It didn’t take long for the Yamaha Ténéré 700 to establish itself as one of the favorites in the group, despite being the smallest of the bunch. In fact, that might have been its greatest asset. Let’s discuss why and dive into five things that make the Ténéré 700 stand out in a stacked class of adventure bikes.

Video: 5 Things You Gotta Know About the Yamaha Ténéré 700

The Yamaha Ténéré 700 and its 689cc Parallel-Twin had the smallest engine of our foursome by quite a few cubic centimeters. Except for the boring highway slab, engine size didn’t matter one bit. There’s plenty of power around town, riding through the twisties, and especially off-road. It’s metered well, too, giving the rider complete control if they want to kick up a little roost or steer the bike a little with the rear.

Fun for all experience levels

Because the T7 is relatively svelte compared to the other bikes on our trip ( Harley-Davidson CVO Pan America, KTM 1290 Super Adventure R, and Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro) and also lighter than the rest, it was the steed I tried to jump on when the terrain resembled anything technical. Considering my meager dirt skills, I wanted to ride the most reassuring bike in our group. Conversely, the more experienced dirt riders also gravitated towards the Yamaha for many of the same reasons. The light and nimble nature of the bike allowed them to really play and exploit the bike’s attributes off-road. That sort of versatility is hard to come by.

No electronics is both good and bad

It’s hard to come by a modern motorcycle these days that doesn’t have a list of rider aids baked into its ECU. This is the very reason the Yamaha Ténéré 700 is almost like a unicorn. There’s no traction control, no wheelie control, nothing to keep you from rolling backwards on an incline. None of that. Just fuel injection, ABS, and a 6.3-inch vertical TFT display. Newer riders might view that as a bad thing, as you might have become so accustomed to rider aids. However, the number of comments we see about modern motorcycles being too much like rolling computers points to the fact that plenty of riders love the T7 precisely because it’s as simple as new bikes come. That said, we wouldn’t mind if niceties like cruise control and heated grips came standard.

Weak brakes

Wearing a twin set of 282mm discs up front, with rubber brake lines, the Ténéré 700’s biggest weak point is its brakes. Whether on-road or off, reaching for the brake lever leaves us wanting more. Actual brake feel is decent, but we’d prefer more braking power. In this case, it makes sense to bring in the rear brake to help shed some speed (which is common in the dirt, but may not be for street-biased riders). Bigger discs, better pads, steel-braided lines, or even a different master cylinder would drastically improve the braking system. Short of that, better pads and steel-braided lines would net the biggest bang for the buck if you wanted to make things better on a budget.

Small tank = stopping a lot

With only 4.2 gallons in its fuel tank, the Ténéré 700 was the bike making the most fuel stops during our trip. Granted, we had it weighed down with packed panniers that were boxy and not the least bit aerodynamic. We didn’t necessarily consider the need for more fuel stops a negative, since it was nice to stretch our legs each time, but something to consider along our route. We rarely skipped on opportunity to refuel, just to be safe. If the T7 is a bike you’re considering, then keep fuel stops in mind when planning your trips.

By Troy Siahaan