The Ténéré spirit is hitting the world stage again with the 2018 Ténéré 700 World Raid prototype.
Yamaha’s commitment to the adventure segment is as extensive as it is impressive. The first bike ever to win the Paris to Dakar Rally was the Yamaha XT500. Not only was it the first bike to win the Dakar Rally, it was the first vehicle to win it outright. Initially the rally had no separate car and motorcycle classes so the Yamaha machine was battling against rally tested giants such as Range Rovers and Renaults to pull off a spectacular Yamaha 1-2. After another Dakar win the following year on the XT500 Yamaha found stiff competition as more manufacturers saw the potential of the rally which lead to a return to the drawing board and eventually the XT 600 Ténéré. From there the Ténéré name became synonymous with adventure and over the decades Yamaha worked hard to make sure they produced machines that yearn for exploration.
This chapter of the Ténéré story began in November 2016 when Yamaha revealed the T7 concept and the Ténéré spark was reignited. The idea behind the concept was to remind the world that Yamaha are dedicated to the ideal of exploration and wanted to get a new terrain stomping model out into the wilds in the future. One year later a bold new design was revealed at EICMA, the Ténéré 700 World Raid. A prototype model which is being used to develop the final specification of the production model.
The Ténéré 700 World Raid prototype was designed with adventure in mind, the perfect machine on which to chase your dreams. The bike retains the rugged, rally bred character of the T7 concept bike but has been extensively developed over a year’s worth of intensive testing on the T7. The Ténéré 700 World Raid’s chassis is light in weight and slim, which is in sharp contrast to its competitors right now. This new approach to the adventure scene means the Ténéré 700 World Raid has incredible handling both on and off road. The compact 689cc twin cylinder provides a wide band of tractable power that’s easy to use and perfect for anything the roads or mountains can throw at you. Add to all this an expanded pilot area for navigation equipment, Dakar Rally inspired 4-project headlight assembly and tweaks to every part of the chassis; what you get is a bike ready for any condition, any terrain, any time.
Experiencing Adventure with the 2018 Ténéré 700 “World Raid”
The 2018 Ténéré 700 “World Raid” is an event that will put Yamaha’s most advanced adventure machine through its paces over every terrain imaginable, through all the conditions you could conceive and over incredible distances. This isn’t just about getting out there and showing the world what the Ténéré 700 World Raid is about, it’s about giving you the chance to see a machine engineered for achieving the impossible, realizing an adventurer’s dreams. The Ténéré 700 World Raid will be piloted by ambassadors who are some of the greatest names in off-road racing, true pioneers, ground breakers and visionaries. For those wanting to keep up on the tour, to live the dream along with the ambassadors and teams out there in the wilds, check out the dedicated website and make sure you follow us on all major social media channels using the #’s listed below.
Chasing the Next Horizon with the Ténéré Tragics
The 2018 Ténéré 700 World Raid kicked off in Australia, a land of wild weather, unique wildlife and danger around every corner… a dedicated explorer’s delight. The tour’s first ambassador, Yamalube Official Yamaha Rally Team rider Rodney Faggotter, has the local knowledge of this continent. Rodney has a decade long history riding Yamaha’s both for official teams and independently. He carries a weight of experience with him that’s hard to beat having battled the odds and elements to conquer the mighty Dakar Rally at the start of 2018. Rod hooked up with Australia’s own Ténéré Tragics, where they attended the Ténéré Tour, a specialist tour full of Ténéré bikes from throughout the years. The Ténéré Tragics are dedicated to the ideal of capturing the next horizon, a philosophy that runs deep in the Ténéré line. Finding the next horizon focuses the rider on always searching for the next step in their own never ending adventure.
Conquering the Dunes with Stephane Peterhansel
The second stage of the tour takes place in one of the world’s most inspirational locales for off-road adventure, the Moroccan desert. Deserts, plains, rocks and mountains abound in a landscape that screams adventure, mystery and intrigue. Follow the tour as it finds its way to Merzouga, a legendary location for its yearly rally, part of the Rally Raid calendar, but also as a part of the historic Paris to Dakar Rally. The Ténéré 700 World Raid picks up the perfect ambassador for the job, the living legend Stephane Peterhansel. Of the thirteen Dakar wins Peterhansel has racked up over his record breaking career, six of them have been on bikes from the Ténéré line. Join Peterhansel in his stomping ground, the place where he made history, and see what dreams can be made of.
Living the Dakar Dream with Adrien van Beveren
Stage three kicks off in Argentina with Adrien van Beveren taking up the reins as ambassador. Follow him as he heads back to attack the harsh conditions in South America, a place where legends are born and where the highest peaks carry the promise of great things. The Yamaha Racing star has racked up an outstanding three back to back wins at the legendary Enduropale du Touquet on his Yamaha YZ450F. On top of that he wowed the world with his first outing in the Dakar Rally netting a staggering 6th place overall as part of the Yamalube Yamaha Junior Rally Team. That performance earned him a place in the Yamalube Yamaha Official Rally Team where he stepped up again, this time taking 4th overall, finishing only 1 minute off a podium position. Adrien will be pushing the Ténéré 700 World Raid to its limits in the terrain that he came so close to victory over earlier in the year at the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Reaching New Heights with European Legends
For stage four, we dive into the largest part of the 2018 Ténéré 700 World Raid, the European stage. Nick Sanders, world famous bike explorer will be bringing his globetrotting adventure lifestyle to the experience. His company, Nick Sanders Adventures, is a cornerstone of the Destination Yamaha Motor platform and for good reason. In his career he has racked up numerous superhuman feats and set out to achieve the unachievable at every opportunity. From record breaking circumnavigations of the globe to long boating across the English Channel, Nick is an inspiration to dreamers everywhere.
David Frétigné joins the tour as ambassador and is ready to help those eager to learn, delve into the Ténéré life. David has had a long and successful career as a top flight Enduro racer and has brought home the French Enduro Championship title on multiple occasions with the Yamaha WR450F. He’s also a seasoned Dakar rider and has completed the 2015 Africa Eco Race on the XT1200Z Super Ténéré displaying his affinity with the Ténéré spirit, never waiting to chase the next horizon.
Touratech founder Herbert Schwarz has adventure in his veins and he’s dedicated his life to enabling other intrepid explorers in achieving their dreams. His first two items were a set of aluminum panniers and an illuminated motorcycle computer that Schwarz created for his own travels on all continents and from there, the new adventure segment was born. Herbert Schwarz has developed adventure equipment for almost three decades now and represents everything the Ténéré Spirit is about. Joining the 2018 Ténéré 700 World Raid as ambassador, Herbert Schwarz will be putting over 850,000km of worldwide adventure experience to good use.
Cristóbal Guerrero has enjoyed great success in Enduro, winning the Spanish Enduro Championship four years in a row aboard Yamaha machines as well as placing solidly in the top six for years for Yamaha on the world stage. His experience in off road will be essential on the 2018 Ténéré 700 World Raid.
Alessandro Botturi takes the lead on the Italian leg. Botturi is a legend in the Enduro scene, competing in twelve seasons of the world championship and winning nine Italian Enduro Championship titles as well as two ISDE wins as part of Team Italy. He made the move to Yamaha and secured a win at the 2015 Merzouga Rally as well as three Dakar Rally entries aboard his Yamaha WR450F. The Italian leg of the tour marks the end of the adventure and Botturi and the 2018 Ténéré 700 World Raid crew will be taking you on an odyssey through the mountains at the Hard Alpi Tour. A weekend’s worth of whipping around the alps most spectacular trails both on road and off, high above the clouds and amongst snowy peaks. What better way to finish the tale?
