FACTORY’S RIDE

In a time not that long ago, the annual Dakar Rally was ruled by prehistoric monsters with multicylinder engines and staggering power outputs. These beasts roamed the vast, sandy deserts of the remotest corners of North Africa for the first two weeks of January each year. Barnstorming BMWs, brutal Suzuki DR Bigs, sand-spraying Honda NXRs and even exotic European wildlife like the Cagiva Elefant all took their turn chasing the glory of being top dog in the world’s most gruelling off-road motor race.

From the first Dakar Rally race in 1979, Yamaha has been a major player in the event that caught the imagination of motorsport fans right around the world. Driven by longtime Yamaha France boss Jean-Claude Olivier, Yamaha’s Dakar involvement kicked off with much-modified XT500 thumpers that saw Frenchman Cyril Neveu win the inaugural race for the Yamaha squad. He won it again the next year with an effort that eventually spawned the famed fat-tanked XT600ZL Ténéré in 1983.

Then, in 1989, Yamaha unveiled the XTZ750 Super Ténéré, another bike bred directly from the Japanese marque’s participation in the