Yamaha Super Ténéré
Yamaha’s new go-anywhere machine is inspired by the Sahara. Our writer appreciates its talents in rather cooler conditions
The name Super Ténéré is supposed to evoke images of sand dunes and scorching sunshine — the Ténéré being a particularly inhospitable area of the Sahara. Right now that seems a bad joke: on a mountain pass in France’s Massif Central, the weather has taken an unseasonal turn for the worse and snow is sticking to my visor.
It’s early afternoon on the second day of the Yamaha’s launch. The 18 riders in our group are on identical XT1200Z Super Ténérés, and up here on the 4,039ft Col de Légal the dry heat of the desert is far from anyone’s mind.
At least, if I have to be riding a new bike, the Super Ténéré is not a bad choice. It is truly a bike for all seasons. This is a rugged, go-anywhere machine, inspired by the 1990s model of the same name, which conquered the Sahara’s Ténéré region and took seven wins in the gruelling Dakar rally.
This 1199cc Super Ténéré, much bigger than its 750cc predecessor, was created to compete with BMW’s R1200GS, familiar to bike enthusiasts as a kind of two-wheeled Range Rover. Like the BMW, the Yamaha has twin cylinders. Unlike BMW’s air-cooled, horizontally aligned boxer engine, the Yamaha’s cylinders are arranged vertically and cooled by water.
The Yamaha is as tough as a three-day-old baguette, especially when kitted out with sturdy aluminium pannier cases, matching the bash-plate that protects the underneath of its engine. Handguards on the wide handlebar add to the indestructible feel. And although the Yamaha is tall, and heavy at 261kg, it’s a doddle to ride.
Its 108bhp motor is excellent: powerful, flexible and with an engagingly sweet-revving character that you don’t always get with parallel twins. As we headed south on the autoroute from Paris, the Super Ténéré chugged along effortlessly at 80mph, with plenty of acceleration towards a top speed of 130mph. At motorway speeds you are thankful for the small screen that keeps the bitter wind off your chest.
Despite its hard-man image the Super Ténéré is a sophisticated bike. Its frame is made from simple steel tubes but the bike’s list of high-tech features includes an adjustable traction control system to reduce the chance of rear-wheel slides. There’s also a choice of fuel maps, allowing you to alter engine performance by changing the mix of fuel and air: “sport” for hard riding or “touring” for a softer throttle response.
Off the autoroute and onto winding roads and the bike’s handling comes under scrutiny. It carved through the turns in response to gentle pressure on the handlebars, feeling lighter and more agile than I’d expected from its statistics. Under hard cornering, though, its long-travel suspension felt rather soft and vague.
One thing the Yamaha lacks is the R1200GS’s option of electronically adjustable suspension, which allows instant fine-tuning from the saddle. Although the Super Ténéré’s remote rear-suspension adjustment knob was useful, it was a poor substitute. But I had no complaint about the bike’s powerful linked disc brake system, which, backed up by antilock braking, was reassuring when rain made the roads slippery.
Normally I’d be glad of the 23-litre fuel tank’s generous range of almost 200 miles. Instead, I was counting down the miles until we stopped at a service station to wring out sodden gloves and warm fingers on hand-dryers. Fortunately, the Yamaha’s broad seat is as comfortable as a chaise longue, so it didn’t add to the pain of an 11-hour day.
It is off the tarmac that this bike really shines. On bumpy, potholed dirt tracks, the Yamaha’s suspension and tyres ploughed through with impressive ease. Any machine this big and heavy is bound to be unwieldy off road, but the Super Ténéré’s blend of flexible engine, capable chassis and tough character made it fun on the dirt tracks — until the mountain fog turned to snow.
In Britain the Super Ténéré comes with a range of optional accessories including a bigger screen and heated handlebar grips. The aluminium bash-plate and panniers are standard on this First Edition version, which can be ordered now from Yamaha for £13,499. A cheaper, basic model will be available through dealers next year.
For that price I’d expect hot grips as standard, especially as the proven R1200GS can be equipped with those plus other useful accessories for less money. But Yamaha’s newcomer is a fine and distinctive machine that gives the BMW serious opposition as a commuter, tourer or globe-shrinking all-rounder. Yamaha has donated five of these bikes to Riders for Health, which provides healthcare by motorbike in several African countries. This two-wheeled camel should prove ideal.
Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré First Edition
- Engine 1199cc, parallel twin cylinder, eight-valve, four-stroke
- Power 108bhp @ 7250rpm
- Torque 84 lb ft @ 6000rpm
- Acceleration 0-60mph: 3sec
- Top speed 130mph
- Wet weight 261kg
- Price £13,499
Original Article in The Sunday Times In Gear magazine and Times Online (very similar to his article in Motorcycle Monthly)
(n.b. bold emphases not the author's)
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