Two off-road legends in one test: The new Yamaha Ténéré in the Moroccan desert

Suddenly I find myself stuck in the middle of the vast, desolate land — the Agafay Desert, just meters from the Sahara, Morocco, Africa.

A missed turn left me alone in the back, with no phone signal, a small bottle of water in my jacket pocket, and no clue what to do.

Utter helplessness.

And then — Stéphane Peterhansel came to rescue me.

To most people, that might sound like just another little story about a man with a name no one knows how to pronounce. But for me, it’s an event that’s hard to even grasp. It’s like receiving a pass from Messi at Camp Nou, like jamming alongside Jimi Hendrix, or — well — riding next to Peterhansel, the man who participated in 35 Dakar Rally races and won 14 of them, back when they really did start in Paris and ended in Dakar, Senegal. A man who is truly a living legend — and considering how brutal and deadly the rallies were back then, it’s no small feat that he’s still alive to tell the tale.

The event we gathered for is the launch of the new Yamaha Ténéré 700 — the third generation of a particularly beloved machine, the one that in 2019 went against the current — and succeeded. The Ténéré, named after a desert in the heart of the Sahara, resisted the direction the adventure bike market was heading. Originally based on Dakar bikes that allowed for both off-road and on-road use, adventure bikes gradually gained bulk and weight, packed in excessive horsepower, and added countless electronic systems to tame them. This escalated to bikes exceeding 1,000 cc — machines that may be very comfortable for long two-up road rides, but good luck taking them off-road or squeezing them through the average Tel Aviv traffic jam. That’s a new definition of “adventure.”

But wait — a bit more history.

The first Dakar Rally was founded in 1979. In the first two rallies, Cyril Neveu won the motorcycle category on a Yamaha 550XT. In fact, out of the nine podium finishes in the first three years — seven were Yamaha. Riding this success, Yamaha released a sort of replica in 1983 — the XTZ600 Ténéré, which became the best-selling motorcycle in France. By 1989 came the Super Ténéré 750 (later also 850) — a desert monster charging through Africa at 200 km/h, winning first place seven times with one rider — yes — Stéphane Peterhansel.

Fast forward to today. The new Ténéré is more of an evolution than a revolution. In terms of design — although the plastics have changed, you’d be hard-pressed to notice it’s a new model. Perhaps the new square LED headlight might give it away.

One of the main criticisms of the previous Ténéré was its high center of gravity. Now, the fuel tank has been shifted slightly forward. This doesn’t lower the weight, but it does place more mass over the front, which is supposed to give better feedback and more confidence in turns. The gas cap has also been moved to make refueling easier, and the clutch cover on the right side — which bothered some riders — was pushed inward. There’s a new, larger and clearer 6.3-inch display. The seat is longer, allowing riders to shift their body forward and backward — especially helpful off-road.

The most dramatic change is the addition of a ride-by-wire throttle, which allows for traction control and two engine modes called “Sport” and “Explorer,” the latter offering reduced power for less experienced off-road riders.

Additionally, there are three ABS modes, including one that disables the rear only, or disables ABS completely. Traction control can also be turned off. You can order a quickshifter for an extra fee. Strangely, there’s still no fuel range indicator on the screen.

The suspension has been improved — the front is now fully adjustable, and the rear is completely new and 7 mm taller. The footpegs are larger with removable rubber for better grip with off-road boots, and the cockpit has been reinforced to reduce vibrations.

The engine is the familiar, friendly, and reliable CP2 — a 689cc parallel twin with the same power and torque figures, now compliant with Euro 5 standards. The torque is now felt at slightly lower RPMs.

That’s it. Let’s ride.

“Our bikes aren’t just pretty promo shots in the dunes — they can actually do this stuff,” says Leon Osseloff, Yamaha Europe’s product manager, in a clear jab at the heavier competition. And indeed — they immediately take us into the desert.

We hit the trail on gravel roads, and standing on the bike gives that elusive feeling of meeting an old friend — everything feels natural, falls right into place, like there’s someone to talk to. A bit of standing to warm up, a quick test of the lower-powered “Explorer” mode, but very quickly the pace picks up and I switch to “Sport” mode, which is more suitable for the group ride frenzy kicking up desert dust clouds.

Just a few hundred meters in and you already start to understand the magic of this unique machine. It’s not intimidating, it gives you the sense that it’s on your side. The not-too-heavy weight, the long-travel suspension that effortlessly soaks up holes, the way it allows you to slowly crawl up rocky climbs, the gentle rear-end slides — it flatters your riding skills. A charming motorcycle.

Add to that the breathtaking desert scenery, turning greener as we climb higher toward the snowy Atlas Mountains in the distance, peaking at over 4,000 meters, and you wonder whether you’ve somehow ended up in a picturesque Swiss town — it’s hard to believe this is Africa. You gaze at the pink-toned adobe houses of Moroccan villagers and feel a deep joy — a human-nature-machine connection that only motorcyclists truly understand. How great are Your works.

The blessed simplicity of this bike lets you focus on pure riding. There aren’t dozens of confusing ride modes — just throttle, frame, and engine, delivering exactly the right amount of power. You forget that this is a large motorcycle (which, unfortunately, gained 3 kg compared to the previous version), not a lightweight enduro athlete. You find yourself dancing with the bike — and it continues even when you hit winding asphalt roads, where the Ténéré proves it’s also capable on tarmac. Not that there were major complaints about the previous model, but Yamaha claims that the subtle changes made the new Ténéré more manageable and rider-friendly.

Then we climbed onto the second model — the “Rally.” And “climbed” is no exaggeration — this is a very tall motorcycle, suited for long-legged riders or those heavy enough to compress the suspension. The Rally version comes only in a gorgeous retro light blue, with golden anodized rims and a high front fender. It’s upgraded for off-road capability with thicker, stiffer, and especially longer suspension.

It’s a bike that demands fast and aggressive off-road riding — a tool that’s an absolute blast to blaze across desert trails at 100 km/h, adrenaline pumping. But it seems the standard Ténéré will give the average rider everything they need.

Yamaha emphasizes that they also cater to riders setting out on long journeys through third-world countries, so the Ténéré is tuned to run on 89-octane fuel.

Those looking to compete will be glad to check out the GYTR catalog — Yamaha’s official performance division (and plenty of other aftermarket brands) — offering endless off-road and travel upgrades: a 30-liter extended fuel tank, reinforced skid plate, taller windscreen with GPS mount, Kevlar parts, and an endless array of protective gear.

That day, I’m riding behind Peterhansel, who accompanies us as Yamaha’s ambassador leading the group. Foolishly, I try to keep up with him. I shift my body side to side on the bike, pulling tough faces behind the helmet as the rear wheel kicks up dust and sand. But nothing helps. Stéphane, without a hint of drama, barely moving his body, just floats away into the distance. How the hell does he do that?

The kilometers fly by — almost 200 in one day. Dust particles settle between your teeth, and your palms are blistered and bleeding — the wounds of a lover. Just as you start to fantasize that with some more training you could one day be Peterhansel, or at least Pol Tarrés, you encounter an elderly Moroccan riding an anonymous Chinese scooter on the same remote road. Against your fancy gear and Kevlar helmet, his riding “armor” is a blue robe and a keffiyeh.

He signals you to stop, and your caution kicks in — but all he wants is to sell you a piece of quartz at an outrageous price. Just to be safe, I try to mask my Israeli identity — not far from here there have been demonstrations — but the old man sees through it instantly. With the brotherhood of two people alone in the desert, he smiles and says: “Israel! Our brothers you are.”

The new Ténéré continues the path of its predecessor — “make it simple.” A machine that proved exceptionally reliable and endlessly customizable. A motorcycle that feels very “Israeli” — in a country where motorcycles (like everything else) are too expensive, where ride distances are short, and where there’s always a little dust to taste. A few days before the official launch, I took the previous model for a short ride to work, to the newsroom.

On Highway 1, the spring fields on the roadside beckoned. I couldn’t resist — and so, right before the suit and tie and all the news that hits us every day, I slipped away for a short, therapeutic ride — a cleansing of the soul. Because this is a motorcycle that can do nearly everything — even be a psychologist.

Seat height: 875 mm (860 mm in the lowered version)

Wheelbase: 1,595 mm

Ground clearance: 240 mm (225 mm in the lowered version)

Fuel tank capacity: 16 liters

Wet weight: 208 kg