Yamaha’s New Raid Prototype Takes the Tenere 700 to the Next Level

Since its introduction, the Ténéré 700 has grown into a very successful model, with massive demand across Europe and North America. With its smooth yet powerful 689cc parallel twin engine, its compact chassis designed for rallying and its agile handling, the bike has proven to be one of the most versatile machines in its class.

However, one of the things T7 owners tweak most often is its suspension. Its performance and rides do not measure up to other dirt-focused adventure bikes. And it looks like Yamaha has been listening. Feedback from the riders motivated the Japanese manufacturer to explore how to take the Ténéré 700 to the next level and today they started to write a new chapter in motorcycle history with the unveiling of the Prototype Ténéré 700 ‘Raid’.

This high-end rally bike was developed in Europe by Yamaha based on the experience of off-road riders Alessandro Botturi and Pol Tarrés, with the aim of exploiting the full off-road potential of the Ténéré 700, widely validated by the two Yamaha ambassadors in the Moroccan desert. The bike was built with heavy use of GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) performance parts.

The new Ténéré 700 ‘Raid’ prototype seems to be everything we hoped for in a capable off-road version of the T7. Yamaha has upped the horsepower with new performance modules, while giving it stronger protection and durability for aggressive off-road riding over rough terrain. The brakes have also been upgraded with bigger caps and better quality components. One of the common criticisms of the T7 has been lackluster braking, so it’s nice to see this problem fixed.

Better yet, they gave the Raid a suspension worthy of a rally bike. The new prototype gets larger 48mm forks with 10.6-inch suspension travel and mounts them with CNC-machined aluminum triple clamps for extra stiffness. The rear shock has also been upgraded with 10.2 inch suspension travel and also benefits from a revised suspension linkage.

If Yamaha is actually planning to release it as a production model, it clearly has the KTM 890 Adventure R Rally in its sights. And with the weight advantage on the World Raid side, with similar rally-grade components, it definitely has a chance to dethrone the current king of the all-terrain ADV class. We just hope that Yamaha will no longer play with our emotions with this latest T7 prototype and will soon make it available for sale to the public.

Just the beginning

The Ténéré 700 Raid prototype will soon race towards the next horizon, and will write a new story that is sure to deepen the legend of Ténéré for a new generation of adventure pilots. We’ll be keeping a close eye on this project and sharing more details as they are revealed. Stay tuned!