Motorcycle specifications Yamaha700 Ténéré World Raid 2024 In search of Arkana

What could be more common, more common, more gloomy than a hundred keys scattered across a keyboard, with that continual tap, tap, tap during office hours? Dullness, cold coffee, Facebook on another screen instead of Prozac and colleagues talking about scooters - in short, horror.

Until a letter posted by Antoine, who lives in St-Exupéry. A little sand escapes after the opening, then the sun escapes from the postcard. In the background, a 700 Ténéré World Raid. With a few branches in the hoof, dust up to the muzzle, a scorpion stuck in the rear view mirror - The next moment, the disenchanting keyboard flies across the room, the scooters lurk, then the need-my-dose-of-rally impulse overtakes consciousness.

Yamaha wants to recapture the craze of an era blessed by the Dakar, when the XT 600, 660 and 750 Ténéré took over the adventure on the trails as well as in the valleys. Forget the big 1200 SuperT, the brand has put the MT-07 on its feet to make a 700 Ténéré eager for treks and rocky terrain. But when the latter calms down at the idea of going much further into arid regions, this World Raid comes to the rescue, designed to go further and more efficiently. This is no accessorized version like the Rally or Explorer, but a genuine variant with enhanced potential.

This Yam is not afraid to reach for the horizon. Its larger bodywork leaves no doubt as to its determination. Protection is all the better for it, especially as the bubble has grown by 15 mm. The look continues to be strange and menacing, with its quartet of spidery eyes. Just in time to catch a glimpse of the new LED indicators, the big shoulders assert a different kind of robustness - even more so with a more enveloping 3-piece aluminum skid plate. The radiator gets a new grille, and the footrests also show signs of support for the raid. Wider for better grip and less pressure on boots when the going gets rough.

bob , Spartacus and Rebecca think about refueling between each stratum. A far more secondary concern for the Ténéré World Raid. One of its main features is its fuel tank... a double tank! I should add. You'd almost think you were in an Endurance race, with two fuel filler flaps in front of the seat. Total capacity is 23 liters, which the manufacturer claims gives 500 km of range. But R&D's gas experts didn't just weld two cans next to each other. The entire design has been rethought so that this double tank is lower than the 16-liter kyphosis of the standard 700 Ténéré. With its specific construction, it limits fuel movements much more effectively than a large tank. A carefully thought-out weight distribution and a center of gravity that's barely disturbed suggest that handling will be little affected by the extra liters and weight. 16 kilos separate the two versions of the Ténéré. However, to put the benzine in, you have to think twice.

Further , but not faster. The engine is identical, with its two 270° cylinders, its 689 cm3, its 73 horsepower and its success. Yamaha has no intention of changing its recipe. Tonic, the CP2 does the job well and doesn't shy away from multiple situations.
The frame and aluminum swingarm are identical. But that's where it ends. The front gets a new 43-m Kayaba fork with more adjustments (preload, in addition to rebound, compression and air bleed on the Ténéré) and 20 mm more travel. The rear shock benefits from the same 20-mm gain and a general overhaul: connecting rods, spring rate, wider stop and all the adjustments to configure it to best effect. With these elements, suspension travel increases to 230 mm / 220 mm and ground clearance by 10 mm, for a total of 250 mm. As the World Raid's vocation is more adventurous, an Öhlins steering damper has been offered, with 18 tranquilizing positions.

With most trail bikes, the madness of electronic chips is such that some have nothing to envy a military aircraft. Right from the start, the 700 Ténéré stood out for its off-road rather than GT approach, and also for its lack of on-board assistance. A real breath of freedom and simplicity. Just a deactivatable ABS, a liquid crystal display and basta.
The World Raid doesn't see it that way. Its ABS is more advanced, with 3 modes to suit different profiles. Mode 1 for normal ABS, mode 2 to deactivate the rear ABS for skidding on terrain with little grip, and mode 3 to switch off the ABS for more experienced riders.

the technical difference is greatest in the instrumentation. Still in the vertical position, the display has become a 5-inch (12.7 cm) color TFT model. It can manage the phone's basic functions (call and text notifications), send it information on any technical problems, and features 3 types of display: a modern "Explorer" with essential data, a more classic "Street" with needle-style rev counter, and a roadbook-style "Raid" to display two simultaneous trips with mileage countdowns. No internal GPS or navigator, but a USB port next to the tablet so you can plug one in.

The 700 Ténéré and World Raid share the same engine and double tubular steel cradle, as well as the same 282 mm front disc with 2-piston calipers / 245 mm rear disc with single-piston caliper, the same 21" and 18" spoked wheels, the same Pirelli Scorpion Rally tires, the same 5 mm adjustable front mudguard, but not the same seat. Its height is 15 mm higher, for a total clearance of 890 mm. Arg, that's high! It's made of two types of leather, grippier in the center and smoother elsewhere for mobility, and consists of two parts.

Where Tonio has set foot, there are no computers, fags, smog, cockroaches or bumblebees. Just a bee or a beetle intrigued by a bike in the middle of .... Desert? Forest? Swamp? Canyon? The new Yamaha 700 Ténéré World Raid made him want to go there. The only worry is that it will cost 2,600 francs more than the basic Ténéré. A month's salary for Antoine's buddy, who'll be wondering what he came back to his job for...

Recall campaign:

On 11/08/2023, Yamaha launched a recall campaign on its Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid concerning a problem with the turn signal switch attachment on machines sold in 2022 and 2023.


1. Machines concerned: Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid (XTZ 690D)

Model: TENERE 700 XTZ690D
Model codes: BAG1
Serial number type DM116 from 0000101 to 0004256

A total of 691 machines sold between 2022 and 2023 concerned for the French market.

Type of problem:

A hose clamp may have been mistakenly installed at the factory on the left-hand commodo harness. This clamp puts stress on the left-hand commodo harness, creating a pulling force in the commodo, on the blinker switch.In extreme cases, this could cause the turn signal switch to become dislodged when the turn signal switch is operated.

Customers who own these machines have been notified by registered mail and should make an appointment as soon as possible with their Yamaha dealer to have this work carried out free of charge.

M.B - Manufacturer's photos