Ténéré - The Desert Through Yamaha's Eyes.

The Ténéré is the very symbol of adventure at Yamaha, with a touch of Dakar right under the handlebars. It all began in 1983 with the XT 600 Z (Type 34L). It was a direct replica of Hubert Auriol’s bike. A massive fuel tank, a grasshopper-like look, and reliability that could withstand anything.

In 1988, the 3AJ arrived, often considered the culmination of the 600. To correct the flaws of its predecessor, Yamaha improved the reliability of the upper engine and radically changed its look.

In 1991, to meet emissions standards and in pursuit of performance, Yamaha launched the XTZ 660 Ténéré. The engine switched to liquid cooling and adopted a 5-valve cylinder head. Its design became sleeker and more urban, with fairing that integrated better with the fuel tank. It lost a bit of its “wildness” but gained in comfort on the highway.

The saga would take a 10-year hiatus from 1998 to 2018. After this long hiatus, during which the Ténéré name nearly disappeared from mid-displacement catalogs, Yamaha made a big splash in 2008 with the XT 660 Z. It sported the look of a “true” modern rally-raid bike (tall silhouette, vertical headlights). Its fuel-injected single-cylinder engine is indestructible, but the bike is a bit heavier. It is the last representative of the big “single” capable of crossing continents before the arrival of stricter emissions standards.

In 2019, the Ténéré 700 marked a major revival. Yamaha swapped the single-cylinder engine for the CP2 (twin-cylinder) engine, but retained the original philosophy: simplicity, no unnecessary electronics, and genuine off-road capability. The T7 instantly became the benchmark. By returning to a 21-inch front wheel and a slim chassis, it recaptures the agility of the 1983 600, with the added power of the twin-cylinder engine. The lineup gradually expands (World Raid, Extreme, Explore) to cater to all riders, from the traveler to the hardcore off-roader.