REVIEW: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere

REVIEW BY HEIN JONKER

Time to chill, me to take in some of our countrys best scenery right on our doorstep of KZN, and what beer way to do it than on a Dual Purpose bike such as the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere. This bike breaks every rule of you can only go where the road takes you; nonsense I tell you, make your own way, no limits. Well ne, everything has its limits, but it just didnt feel like that with this bike. There is no end to the amount of fun you can have on a bike such as this; road or o-road truly sasfying; lets ride! The rst thing I liked about the Tenere, when I picked it up from Perry Yamaha, was that I could look over normal trac and see whats coming. Yes, Im all for a bike that has presence on the road and this certainly plays that part no doubt. Aer a while I got fed up with trac and couldnt wait to get to Eston and Mid-Illovo and ride this bike for what it has been built for. dirt roads, yeah! Yes I know, I never thought Id say that, Im a road bike rider by heart, but this is life. Let me share some of the key features with you. The Yamaha XT660Z Teneres engine is used in a number of other bikes such as the Aprilia Pagaso, MT-03 as well as the XT660 X and R models. The engine accelerates cleanly from a closed throle and pulls well for a single cylinder. Fied with a 660cc liquid-cooled 4-stroke single-cylinder SOHC motor, it promises to deliver a strong low to mid-range curve enough to get you in and out of any situaon. The smooth-shiing 5-speed transmission is equipped with carefully chosen gear raos that are designed to opmise the bikes strong low to mid-range torque output. Underlining the machines serious long-distance potenal is a large-capacity 22-litre fuel tank which blends seamlessly with the beaufully sculpted front cowl. To help reduce rider fague on long journeys this rugged new all-rounder is equipped with a stylish front cowl and tall screen which deect wind away from the upper body. Overall handling is good and despite the relavely heavy weight and tall seat height the Yamaha XT660Z Teneres wide bars and good balance really responds well to slow speed riding. Like most motorcycles with o road abilies the forks dive harshly under braking and the rear squats under acceleraon leading the bike wide out of turns. Riding o road the chassis copes well with most condions but Im sure, as said earlier, even this must have limitaons. Durable rally raid panels are xed to vulnerable areas on the Yamaha XT660Z Teneres fuel tank and engine and are designed to prevent excessive damage in a fall. Small fairing is surprisingly eecve even without the oponal taller screen. Genuine, but expensive, Yamaha accessories such as metal panniers are available. The Yamaha XT660Z Teneres engine is used across a wide range of machines which proves to be a solid and dependable motor. Yamaha have obviously spent me on the detail of the Tenere and tried to make the bike as user repairable as the Euro 3 rules allow. The Yamaha XT660Z Tenere has an impressive blend of on and o road ability with some neat and well thought out design touches which makes it excellent value for money. If you steer clear of Yamahas expensive opon list and source aermarket parts its possible to have a genuine alternave to some of the other dual-purpose bikes on the market. Whats my nal verdict? I can only add this; once you start riding the Tenere you just can not stop, I want to ride this every day for as much as I can, done!