Overall rating Next up: Ride & brakes 4 out of 5 (4/5) Author: Michael Guy Published: 21 May 2019 Updated: 23 April 2020 We’ve waited a long time for the arrival of the all new Yamaha Tenere 700, but in it’s first two day test in Spain it lived up to expectations, and continued to do so when we took it around the MCN250 test route in October 2019. Instead of following in the foot steps of the majority of manufacturers in the adventure bike class where engine size weight and electronics have continued to increase, the Tenere comes at things from a different angle with a dry weight of 187kg (205kg wet), 74bhp and no electronic aids apart from ABS which can be switched off for off-road use. Related : Rally Raid Yamaha Tenere 700 revealed

: Rally Raid Yamaha Tenere 700 revealed Related : Yamaha Tenere 700 - the story

: Yamaha Tenere 700 - the story Related: How to ride a motorbike off-road Powered by the MT-07 engine it has 74bhp and is a fun and engaging ride with an impressive spread of power that works well both on and off-road. It may be a relatively simple bike, but it has clearly been well thought through, giving a package that is truly useable. It’s impressive engine, chassis and suspension negate the need for complicated electronics and rider aids. It is also very competitively priced, be it on a PCP or bought outright.

Ride quality & brakes Next up: Engine 4 out of 5 (4/5) The KYB 43mm upside down forks give 210mm of travel and have compression and rebound damping. At the rear there is a Sachs shock with 200mm travel. The initial impression from the front is that they are soft, but once into the stroke they are well supported giving good feedback on road. Off road it as that initial softness that inspires confidence and gives good grip. Brakes are Brembo and they offer good power while retaining excellent feel. The initial squeeze is soft braking power, a trait that shows the off-road focus of the bike where fine control is needed for loose, dusty, low grip trails. But the power is there and even when riding hard on road it was only necessary to use one finger on the brake. The rear is the same giving good levels of control even when wearing bulky motocross boots. In fact, it's worth noting that on the MCN250 in October 2019, we awarded the Tenere 700 the win when compared with the two other Yamahas on test - the MT-07 and Tracer 700 - as a road bike, completely disregarding its off-road talent.

Engine Next up: Reliability 5 out of 5 (5/5) The 689cc parallel twin motor comes from the acclaimed Yamaha MT-07 which was introduced back in 2014. It may only have 74bhp but it delivers everything is has in a fun, easy and engaging way. There is no vibration through the handel bars and the range of power and torque is impressive allowing you to let the revs drop to as low as 2500rpm and still pull completely cleany and smoothly. There is more than enough power to make brisk progress on any public highway especially if you rely on the torque (50 ft-lb) and character of the motor and learn to use higher gears than you would initially expect. The way the power is delivered in conjunction to the chassis and suspension means the bike generates an impressive amount of mechanical grip and in turn gives the rider good feedback as to what the rear wheel is doing.

Reliability & build quality Next up: Value 4 out of 5 (4/5) From an engine point of view it’s proven and reliable technology as it shares the same motor as the MT-07. It has high quality suspension and Brembo brakes and as a package has been a long time coming so expect benchmark Japanese build quality and reliability.

Value vs rivals Next up: Equipment 4 out of 5 (4/5) Priced at £8399 if ordered before the end of July 2019 or £8699 there after it is extremely competitively priced in the adventure bike class. While there are reasons why it is cheaper in terms of spec and equipment levels, it still offers excellent value for money. In October 2019 MCN took the Tenere around the infamous MCN250 test route alongside fellow Yamahas, the MT-07 and the Tracer 700. The Tenere had the best fuel economy, returning 54.5mpg, and once the 16-litre tank was factored in, also accounting for the highest range of the three, at 191 miles. At time of publication, you could get a Tenere 700 for £99 a month on a PCP deal over 36 months.