You’ll have to wait for the Yamaha Tenere 700

The much anticipated Yamaha Tenere 700 aka the T7, debuted at EICMA today, with all the specs announced and also a Canadian release date. Good news, you have more time to save up your money: it won’t be sold in Canada until the fall of 2020. The version unveiled at EICMA was for the Euro market.

The basics are as follows: as everybody knows the Tenere 700 uses Yamaha’s 689 cc liquid-cooled parallel twin, as seen in the XSR700 and MT-07 (previously, the FZ-07). In current format, that means 72 hp and 50 lb-ft of torque. That motor has been around for a while, and is a trustworthy and more importantly, cost-effective unit—just the thing you want in today’s world of shrinking margins.

As it’s intended for more serious offroad work, the T7 comes with a 21-inch front wheel and 18-inch rear wheel, which should allow for optimal tire selection.

Fuel capacity is 16 litres, which is significantly less than some full-bore adventure bikes, but fuel capacity ought to be decent due to the smaller engine, and Yamaha claims an average range of 350 km.

Yamaha says the Tenere 700 will weigh 205 kg at the curb.

There’s a pair of 43 mm inverted forks up front, with 210 mm of travel. From the marketing copy, it sounds as if the forks and rear shock are fully adjustable.

The front brakes have 282 mm discs, there’s a 245 mm rear disc, and switchable ABS, but no word on leaning ABS.

Yamaha says the Tenere 700 will have rally-style gauges, and of course, that cockpit houses LED headlights that look straight off a dune-blasting race bike.

And now for the kicker: Although Yamaha has been teasing this machine in concept form for years, and even showed off the production-ready bike in a world tour this year, it won’t be in Canada next spring. It won’t even be in Canada next fall. While Europe will get the motorcycle for next season, here’s what Yamaha’s presser says about North America:

“Due to differing government regulatory standards and factory production line schedules, the European model will be produced in France. The 2021 Ténéré 700 will arrive in North America in the fall of 2020. Production for the North American model will take place at Yamaha’s factory in Japan.”

So, get ready to keep on waiting.