Disclosure: RIDE Adventures is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program as well as other affiliate programs, designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites at no extra cost to you. Please see our Disclosure for more details.Our review of the new 2025 Yamaha Tenere 700: Is a higher tech T7 really what adventure riders want, or do added electronics just make for added weight? Here's our take after a few months in the saddle.
The Yamaha Tenere 700 borrows its name from the Tuareg languages of Northern Africa: “Tenere” meaning either “desert” or “solitude” depending on the context in the region.
It’s a fitting moniker both for the 150,000 square-mile Ténéré region of the Sahara desert, and for the T7 itself.
"Yamaha stuck to their roots by designing the T7 as an 'off-road first' adventure bike" photo: Yamaha
One is an inhospitable sea of sand that sees temperatures over 120 degrees in the summer months, and the other marks a lineage of motorcycles that's conquered this arid stretch in countless rally races over the last four decades.
We’ve had the Tenere 700 in our fleet since the first one launched back in 2019, and back then, we believed it was deserving of both the “desert” and “solitude” meanings of the word.
“Desert” for obvious reasons: The T7’s off-road chops are as at home in the desert stretches of our “Baja On Down” tour as they are in any of the nine national forests we cover on our “Best Week In Oregon” adventure ride.
"One of our new 2025 Tenere 700 rentals reporting for duty."
“Solitude” was equally appropriate back then, as the Tenere stood alone in the adventure motorcycle segment for its incredible value, industry-leading reliability, and lovable “back to basics” design.
The latest update, however, changes all that. Technology has finally crept into the Tenere 700 formula for 2025, bringing ride-by-wire throttle, traction control, and a fancier full-color TFT display to the mix.
So is this still the Tenere 700 we've grown to love over the last five years, or has the T7 traded its charms for modernity? We've added a few to our rental fleet, and have a few insights to share.
Below we’ll dig into the latest specs and give our take on the new 2025 model after a few months of serious use and abuse.
2025 Yamaha Tenere 700 Specs
While the latest update marks the single biggest change the T7 has seen since its initial launch, you'd never guess it looking at the specs. In fact, aside from the new instruments, it's hard to spot any changes at all compared to 2024.
"It may not look any different on paper, but both the looks and performance have changed." photo: Yamaha
The engine, chassis, geometry, brakes, and capacities are all identical to the original, but as we've found over the last few months, there's much more to the new T7 than meets the eye.
Tenere 700 Engine:
- Engine Displacement: 689cc
- Type: Parallel-Twin
- Cooling: Liquid-cooled
- Bore x Stroke: 80.0mm x 68.6mm
- Compression Ratio: 11.5:1
- Valve Train: DOHC; 4 Valves Per Cylinder
- Fueling: Fuel Injection, ride-by-wire throttle
- Max Power: 72hp @ 8,000 rpm
- Max Torque: 50 foot-pounds @ 6,600 rpm
- Transmission: 6-Speed
- Clutch: Multiplate Wet Clutch
- Final Drive: Sealed O-ring Chain
Chassis, Suspension, And Brakes:
- Front Suspension/Travel: KYB 43mm inverted fork, 8.3-in travel, fully-adjustable
- Rear Suspension/Travel: KYB single shock, 7.9-in travel, remote adjustable preload, adjustable rebound
- Front Brake: Brembo twin-piston floating calipers, 282mm dual front disks, selectable ABS
- Rear Brake: Brembo single-piston caliper, 245mm disc, selectable ABS
- Front Wheel: 21-inch, spoked, tube-type
- Rear Wheel: 18-inch, spoked, tube-type
- Front Tire: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 90/90R21
- Rear Tire: Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR 150/70R18
Dimensions:
- Rake (Caster Angle): 27 Degrees
- Trail: 4.1 in
- Ground Clearance: 9.4 in
- Seat Height: 34.4 in
- L x W x H: 93.3 in x 35.6 in x 57.3 in
- Fuel Capacity: 4.2 gal
- Fuel Economy: Approx. 50mpg
- Wet Weight: 459 lbs
Instruments and Electronics:
- Headlights: LED
- Tail light: LED
- Instruments: Full-color 6.3-inch vertical TFT display
- Rider Aids: Three-mode selectable ABS, multiple throttle maps, selectable traction control
2025 Yamaha Tenere 700: The Good and Bad
"The good? Plenty of aftermarket protection is already available."
2025 Yamaha Tenere 700: The Good
- Still feels like a Tenere
- Upgraded suspension is a big improvement
- Improved ergos boost confidence
- Better low/mid-range power delivery
- New dash looks/works great
- ABS stays off!
- Legendary Yamaha reliability, 25,000mi service intervals
We'll start by making one thing clear right off the bat: if you loved the original Tenere 700, have no fear: the 2025 T7 isn't some radically different machine that rides and feels nothing like the original.
While the list of features and level of sophistication may have grown, the changes all feel minor, incremental, and for the most part, they're all small steps in the right direction.
"There are plenty of small changes, but the core Tenere experience is still intact." photo: Yamaha
Take our single favorite part of the new bike for example, the KYB suspension. While the previous T7 was an outstanding machine, its comparatively soft suspension was always a bit lacking when the serious off-roading started.
Yamaha has solved the issue in two ways. First, they've firmed up the internals all around, which gives the 2025 Tenere much better hold-up in the rough stuff. It also feels more controlled when pushed at speed, and much less likely to bottom out on big hits.
The second major improvement is that preload adjustment has been added to the fork, a feature that was notably lacking from the otherwise fully-adjustable setup on the previous bike.
That's a big deal, because setting sag on the old bike required aftermarket intervention, either through new static spacers or replacement fork caps. The new system allows fine-tuning of the bike to better suit a wider range of rider weights.
"Updated suspension improves damping and adjustability on both ends."
Another great example of a small-but-mighty update is a slight tweaking of the fuel tank shape, which is designed to shift more of the bike's weight over the front end.
Combined with the improved suspension, all of our staff members who have ridden the two bikes back to back noted that the front end feels much more planted as a result, especially when you're sitting down on the bike.
"The tank has been reshaped and shifted further forward, and the seat reshaped to match." photo: Yamaha
Yamaha also tweaked the shape of the T7's seat to match the more forward-biased layout. Together, they make for a machine that feels narrower and easier to grip between the knees, something off-road riders will especially appreciate.
Speaking of off-road, one of the most annoying aspects of the previous Tenere was the ABS. Yes, it was completely switchable, but every time you shut off the bike, the ABS would switch back on. That's no longer the case.
"That fancy new dash ain't just for looks: Yamaha programmed it to save your ABS and traction control settings when you shut off the bike as well."
The 2025 Tenere 700's new TFT dash saves your settings every time you switch off the bike. That includes your selected throttle map, your choice of traction control, and, most importantly, your ABS selections front and rear.
Other improvements we've noted include a small increase in low and mid-range grunt due to a revised intake and fuel mapping, a larger and downright handsome dash we can't help but love, and improved Bluetooth connectivity features, for those who partake.
"You'd never guess by looking at it, but the new T7 actually weighs 7 pounds more than the outgoing bike." photo: Yamaha
Yamaha Tenere 700: The Bad
- Weight increased by 7 pounds
- Traction control is nothing special
- Fit and finish aren't particularly fancy
- Price is up another $200
Truth be told, we were pleasantly surprised by the 2025 Yamaha Tenere 700.
We went into buying our first couple of fleet bikes expecting them to have lost much of the analog charm and character that made the original so endearing. That hasn't proven to be an issue, but we do have a few gripes to share on the update.
"We don't love the electronics, but at least the switchgear is fairly straightforward." photo: Yamaha
The first is that somewhere along the way, the Tenere managed to gain 7 pounds. Maybe that's the new tech enabling ride-by-wire throttle and traction control, maybe it's added emissions equipment to help future-proof the big redesign.
Whatever it is, it's a step in the wrong direction for a bike that built a reputation on being light, simple, and off-road focused. Seven pounds more isn't the end of the world, but seven pounds less is something we'd be much happier to pay for.
"Traction control can make power delivery and handling harder to predict off-road." photo: Yamaha
Our other biggest complaint is that in our experience, all that added technology hasn't actually added any utility or appeal to the bike for us.
The Tenere 700 never really needed traction control or multiple throttle maps. The CP2 engine is already well-suited to creating traction and so easy to control that the extra features that accompany ride-by-wire hardly seem worth paying for.
We'll also note that the off-road traction control feels a bit clunky when it intervenes during a slip or slide, and is nothing like the highly advanced systems people are willing to pay top dollar for when they buy a KTM.
True, it would probably save your bacon on the street in a wet corner, but the bike is more controllable and predictable off-road with the system shut off entirely in our experience.
"That new dash is nice, but elsewhere the cockpit remains covered in chunky black plastic." photo: Yamaha
Last but not least, while we think the new headlight and body work look sweet, elsewhere the bike retains the lackluster fit and finish of the previous bike. That big colorful dash is nice, but it's still surrounded by generic black plastic panels everywhere you look.
The same goes for the factory handguards, which are the same sort of all-plastic hardware found on the previous bike. We've experienced a few low-speed tip-overs without issue, but still opted to upgrade to Acerbis hardware on our rental fleet.
Final Thoughts on the 2025 Yamaha Tenere 700
"Verdict: it's still worth the money, and it's still the most desirable middleweight out there for most riders." photo: Yamaha
Overall, we think Yamaha achieved what they set out to do: this is hands-down the best Tenere 700 to date, and it does this without ruining the parts of the proven T7 formula we all know and love.
While the new looks and flashy dash are definitely appreciated, we can't help but find it a little ironic that the most impactful tweaks are actually the simpler analog ones.
Yamaha did the right thing by improving the performance and adjustability of the Tenere's suspension. The same goes for the small tweaks between the knees, which improve feel and confidence at the front tire.
As for the new tech, we've never felt that the Tenere needed traction control or even multiple power maps for that matter. The fact that we rarely use either comes as little surprise, and the same would probably be true even if they were better executed.
At the end of the day, we think the extra $200 bump in price is justified, even if only for the improved suspension, sharp looks, and an ABS system that stays off when you tell it to. It ain't all roses, but ultimately this is still our favorite Tenere to date.
