Motorcycle specifications YamahaXTZ 1200 Super Ténéré 2014 The great outdoors is mine!

first evolution for the XTZ 1200 Super Ténéré in 2014. Faced with over-armed competition, Yamaha's trail-GT has chosen to evolve discreetly.

don't look for stylistic differences. Design-wise, it's limited to imperceptible changes: LED indicators and new headlamp covers. On board, there's a new all-digital instrument panel with a bonus gearshift display. The equipment on the new Super-T is both richer and poorer. The center stand, passenger grips and top-case support have disappeared. On the other hand, the seat is more comfortable, the bubble can be manually adjusted to 4 positions, and a cruise control has been added.

on the engine side, 2 horses join the stud farm. Nothing earth-shattering, and that's not the most interesting part. What is interesting are the engine modifications (camshaft, piston rings, enlarged intake and exhaust ports, new exhaust) designed to make the engine more flexible. The twin now boasts 112 hp and almost 12 mkg of torque. Add to this the D-mode system, which offers two enhanced mappings, for city or sportier riding, and you get a machine that's even more pleasant to ride.

super Ténéré 1200 XTZ 1ere mouture: Yamaha's big trail-GT. High, majestic, with Touareg accents and a desire for space. It's taken Yamaha a good many years to offer its faithful a machine that takes up the torch of the 90s adventurer. But today's XTZ 1200 has little in common with the 750 adventurer born in 1989. It smelled of warm sand and the bewitching perfumes of rally-raids... Today, it flirts with grand touring. Its name still evokes the famous African desert, but will it be putting its wheels down between the ruts of the Atlas? Rather, in the spokes of the BMW R 1200 GS. The debauchery of technology and on-board equipment speak for themselves.

but before we delve into the bowels of the biggest XT ever, let's take a moment to be charmed by this vessel of the sands. Nostalgics will have guessed, hidden in the watermark, a hint of the spirit of the Gallic-colored machines that raced towards the pink lake.
The cat's eyes are intimidating, mysterious and, above all, a far cry from the strange look of the 660 Ténéré's little cousin. And if its build seems imposing to you, with its thick shoulders and lanky frame (in short, not too well-suited to the traps of the dunes), the Yam staff have nonetheless developed this bike for several types of trip: the European version of asphalt road or the dusty version of track.

the ancestor had a parallel twin - the 2010 XTZ will do the same. Except that the numbers have swelled, a lot. To launch into the 2nd decade of the 3rd millennium, Yam has brought us a brand-new 1199 cm3 mill. Set at 270°, with 2 balancing weights and a dry sump, this big mill isn't all about power.

and you know what you'll find in trail bikes these days? Electronics, galore. And not just to regulate the mixture according to the 2 lambda probes. No, there are bits of MotoGP in there, like in the R1 hypersport. We've added YCC-T and traction control to the right-hand controls. In other words, an electronic throttle backed up by a system that measures wheel rotation speeds. As soon as the going gets rough, Traction Control intervenes in a choice of 3 modes:

1) TCS1 (standard): kicks in as soon as the rear wheel slips.
2) TCS2: reduces the effect of Traction Control, allowing the rear wheel to slip slightly.
3) Off mode: completely disconnected.
In addition to Traction Control, a number of different mappings are available:
a) sport "S": instant response for enhanced performance
b) touring "T": for greater flexibility

when it comes to traction, the tuning fork brand hasn't done things by halves. And there's something big on the braking front too. No radial mounting (not really necessary for a trail bike...) for the brake calipers, but a nice nod to the sport - they look like those on the 2002-2003 R1. For fun, the discs are petal, a.k.a. wave-type. For efficiency, ABS is standard, combined with a coupled braking system. Braking from the front? Coupling is automatically distributed between front and rear, taking into account speed, crew weight and lever effort. Are you braking from the rear? It doesn't engage the front brake, leaving the rider free to control the front end, especially when riding off-road.

for the chassis of its trail 1200, Yam has opted out of aluminum and placed its trust in a steel frame, better suited to off-road riding. Up front, nothing less than a big 43 mm diameter inverted fork, adjustable for rebound, compression and preload. The rear shock doesn't have a compression adjuster, but the knob is easily accessible. The center of gravity and weight distribution have been carefully adjusted... But the weight is still a problem. 257 kg on this Phase II; 4 less than the first version, but still substantial. A handful of gravel less than an old Varadero, but some thirty kilos more than in Germany or Austria.

Like many road-going machines, the Super Ténéré is fitted with a cardan drive. We won't be able to enjoy the superb single-arm design of the concept presented in Tokyo, but we can console ourselves with the low-maintenance nature of this type of drivetrain. It remains to be seen whether this drive shaft will rival the GS's formidable Paralever. Spoke rims are a welcome addition, especially if you're thinking of (deliberately) leaving the road for the track. The Yam has taken care of its protection, with an aluminum engine cover (standard in 2010 with the First Edition package) and radiators raised in the side panels, as on the Honda Varadero, which itself borrowed the idea from the VTR 1000 F. Less exposed, protected by imposing covers, the heat exchangers won't fear a suicidal rock or a sleepwalking fennec.

a trail bike through and through, the XTZ 1200 is designed for both upright and seated riding, thanks to the handlebar position and the structure of the footrests. Standard handguards are of course included, and the rear of the frame is reinforced to accommodate all the necessary junk, not forgetting the annoying little essentials when they're absent: 12 V socket, height-adjustable saddle (845 to 870 mm), adjustable windscreen, and an acceptable range with a 23-liter fuel tank. A larger capacity might not have been a luxury... As for luggage and accessories, you'll have to dip into the options section. The "First Edition" bonus, with a pack comprising 2 aluminium panniers, a headlight protector, an aluminium engine cover and a deco kit, was only available for the first year of sales (2010).

yam offers a great trail bike to rival the 1200 GS, 1200 Crosstourer, KTM 1190 Adventure, and other Guzzi Stelvio models - the 900 TDM was neither up to the task, nor was it in character. The baroudeur that is the Super Ténéré has to fight in a segment where competition is the main battle today. To offer adventure better than the KTM Adventure, or travel like the BMS GS, or both... It's a daring gamble, but Yamaha isn't the type to play its cards unless it has a very good game to follow.

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