No matter which way you slice it, the Ténéré 700 has been one hell of a goal kicker for the bLU cRU. If you’re looking for a barometer that indicates business is good, nothing’s better than selling every unit as fast as you can make them. And that’s been the story for the Ténéré 700 over the past three or so years.
Sure, a global pandemic has played out during that time, but it’s only recently that supply has been catching up with demand. And not just here in Australia, but also in markets all around the world.
The Ténéré 700 has been the right bike at the right time for legions of ADV riders, and Yamaha read the market like a book. The time was ripe to relaunch the famed Ténéré legend, the all-new bike was powered by the acclaimed CP2 twin-cylinder 698cc engine that had won so many fans in Yamaha’s MT07 road bikes. And when the wraps finally came off the production version of the bike as it was ferried around the world and promoted by a flotilla of Yamaha’s Dakar Rally legends, it played hard on the rally-raid replica styling that all us desert dreamers desire.
But arguably the most appealing aspect of the new Ténéré to many buyers was Yamaha’s devotion to the KISS principle. Oh yeah, they sure did Keep It Simple, Stupid. There was no traction control, no riding modes and no over-complicated electronics. Just get on it and go ride. And that’s exactly what streams of buyers have been doing, to the point now that T7s are almost like backsides: everybody’s got one. Well, not everybody, but you sure do see a lot of T7s out there in the boonies. And they just keep on riding because they just don’t break down. We used to say DR650s were unbustable reliable — well, the T7 is the modern-day multi-cylinder equivalent. Go search
