Don't buy a Yamaha Tenere 700 without watching this first 

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I only wish more people were as honest as you. First class review.

If youre 6' or taller, the "omg its so top heavy" thing is more like "aaaahhh this is perfect".

My T700 has done 7000km under my seat. I would remove the fuel range from above complaints, and add crappy rear brake. I have tested my T7 properly and know it can (has) done 450 km on one tank, and it would have gone to 480. How? Background: On my previous bike, XT660R, I crossed the Australian Outback and thought (more or less correctly) that I needed the 26L tank from Off-The-Road. Though I could never get 26 litres in that tank and the extra fuel pump and taps introduced the only unreliable components to the bike, it did extend my range. I habitually got 500+ km/ tank, but riding with a Mate on a KLR with 22 litres, his fuel range was way less and we refilled together. He seldom failed to point out to me that I must enjoy transporting fuel axross the outback, since your range is effectively no more than the mates you ride with. The cost, the weight the effort and the frequent misjudgement due to complicated taps and pumps caused me a few embarrassing flame-outs. When I bough the T7, with a 16L tank, (660 has a 15L stock) I expected I would have to ad a fuel tank, but I decided to properly test it first. (I now live in Africa - Adventure Land🤩) Test Results: 👉Riding like a lunatic 140km/h into a headwind, the worst I got thus far was 18.5 km/l = 296km/tank. In Africa where I now reside, its hard to find fuel pumps further apart than that. 👉At 130 km/h on the clock, (120 on GPS), I was unable to get less than 21km/l. That gives 336 km per tank. 👉On an experimental (deliberate test) at 110 km/h with no wind, I went on reserve (blinking started) at 349.2 km. I refilled shortly after, at 354 taking 11.8 litres. That's exactly 30km/l, better than the frequent 27km/l or the usual 25km/l. (This is when I ride alone. Riding in a group take more fuel) 👉I'm convinced that in a pinch (if you know the next pump is way far, or you don't know if they will have fuel) you can maintain 100 km/h and expect 400 km per tank. The trip computer will indicate the "litres/100km" and it works like this: 👉Next pump distance is 500km? Keep the L/100 below 3.2. How? Reduce speed. At 80 km/h, it will stay at 3 L/100. Yea, 80 sucks, but is beats pushing! 👉Next pump distance is 400km? Keep the L/100 below 4.0. How? Manage your speed, around 120 on the clock will do it. 👉Next pump distance is 300km? Keep the L/100 below 5.3. Easy, but there is a catch! 👉The trip computer on my bike is pessimistic. When it reads 6.1l/100 km, I expected 16.3 km/L and a fuel range of 262. But at the pump, I calculated 5L/100km. So... its quite pessimistic. 👉Also, the reserve starts to blink with more than 4 litres remaining in the tank, reducing the actual worry free fuel range unnecessarily. My conclusion is that I do not need an extra fuel tank, as I have a good idea what can be done and how to do it. But there are factors that affect the expected range, and you should keep these in mind and you should do your own test: 👉Paniers will reduce your range. (On my GS, it reduce range with around 2km/l) 👉Larger screens and yes, crash bars, lights and bulky luggage (or a fat woman is to be avoided 🤣) 👉I rode with the Pirelli's the bike came with. Knobblies will affect the fuel consumption negatively, and road tires positively. 👉Tire and pear pressure: If your mates go fast, so will you. But they will run out of fuel with you 😜 👉We discovered that headwinds cannot be avoided and have a huge impact on consumption, especially on bigger bikes like a GS1250. On a normal ride, averaging 130/140 km/h I fully expect 300 km per tank, which is ample. If I need 400km, I reduce speed till the consumption comes down to 4L/100=25. (25*16=400km) I rode with a friend, he was on a GS1250. His fuel tank is 20litre, we had very similar fuel range, as he almost never got 20km/l. It was quite windy going west the first few days, with less wind coming east. I tested the top speed also, but will post a video on that topic. My T7 honeymoon has just begun. My friend with his GS conceded that the T7 sounds better, is better priced, is fast enough, way more fun - especially on gravel roads, much lighter on fuel. He has not conceded, but obviously, the T7 is also sexier 😍and got more attention from just about everybody under 60!!

Your review is spot on. Having owned the T7 for 2 years and done 22000km on it with no issues. The T7 has been a top seller in Australia and as you said, its not perfect but its flaws are few.

The pickup test is what really makes for an honest review….nobody else does that important bit!

I love your reviews. The lack of nonsense, atrocious music and theatrics makes people concentrate on what you have to say and take your opinion seriously.

On point review! So clear, concise, articulate and genuine. This absolutely sets the standard for an ownership review and I wish you all success so you can keep every bike you make content with in the future 😁

Great review and I agree 100%. These are areas I have made changes to my T7. (And still more work to do) So far I have 1. High exhaust 2. 48mm SSS KYB forks and tractive rear shock 3. Reduced weight as much as possible (Dry weight 187kg or 412lbs) 4. Acerbis 22ltr tank.

I just sold mine due to the weight and how top heavy it is. As a new off-road rider, I found the top-heavy weight combined with the height of the bike not really confidence inspiring. I'm excited though as I believe other manufactures will finally start making lighter weight adventure bikes given the success of the T7. Maybe I'll pick up a KLX 300 to learn on this summer. I'm excited to see the KTM 490 as I think that'll be the ideal. Anyway, ride safe all.

As a T7 owner I can say this is a spot on review. This is an awesome bike! I did however have to put on a heavier back spring which is relatively cheap. Otherwise the suspension is pretty decent for how most people ride. My biggest complaint is how hard this bike is to get up. I like to ride solo and I don’t have much problem getting it up off of a hard surface but in off-road conditions where u are dealing with sand, or mud, or ruts….it has taken every ounce of my strength and sometimes some maneuvering to get the bike back up. U really need to ride with a buddy or have some kind of portable aid (which there are such things) to help get the bike up. I have had to ride more conservative during some trips just because I got so exhausted from picking the bike up….and that’s no fun!

I deliberately did not watch other RU-vid reviews of the T7 because I was waiting for yours. You put your own money into the bikes that you review and talk about the riding and ownership experiences, whereas most journos just discuss the former. Anyway your review was worth the wait - well done 👍

Thank you so much for making a good old school review video and not under cutting it with memes throughout the entire video. I cannot watch normal youtube videos anymore. Even quality people are using memes for almost every third sentence. You are not, you present the information calmly and with no brain distractions like it seems that the newer generation needs by now or they cannot stay focused. Great honest review of the T7. Keep up the work you're doing. Thank you.

Thanks for doing this. This is a beautiful bike but the top heavy nature, would rule it out for me because I am so short at 5'4" and I'm 67 years old. The range of this bike would drive me crazy. I have a Himalayan and I have almost the same capacity. I think your insights would be very valuable to anyone considering buying one of these.

Pretty fair and accurate review Ian. I love my T7 - best bike I have owned and perfect compromise for dirt touring and harder tracks. I suspect you will miss it a lot once its gone.

Another great video, Ian. Cheers. I rode my CRF300L Rally 5000 miles in September 2021 with a friend on his T7. We did the MABDR and NEBDR plus lots of pavement. Our fuel ranges with the stock tanks were identical.

Thank you so much for your great reporting! I have watched hours of content surrounding Yamaha Tenere 700. And I am excited to say my local Yamaha dealer called me last week and told me that after months of waiting my 2024 T7 is scheduled to land at the end of September! I can’t wait to throw a leg over it and try it out myselfll!! BDR - here I come!! Kudos for the great reporting keep it up.

I rode it last year in a test ride and loved it more than the v-strom 1050, but $19500 they are charging now in Australia is ridiculous. I decided to keep my 2015 v-strom xt for more a few years. At the time the prices were $17500 for the t7 and $15900 for the v-strom 1050 standard.

Nice video. I recently tried a friend’s 790 Adventure and I loved the stability and feel that the fuel tank designs gives to that bike. The lower center of gravity make it feel like it’s imposible to take it down and the bike wants to be always upright. And even if i didn’t drop it. It seems that the side tank also function as a good crash protector , and gives you a lot of range. I don’t know why other brands don’t steal that ktm idea. Even as an optional upgrade for their bikes. I think it’s really a good engineering and design solution for safety and handling of this kind of bikes.

Absolutely the best review done on the internet about this bike. I have become a huge fan of your channel as it better matches the spirit of riding that I am seeking. I've had my T7 for over a year and half and absolutely love it. At 6'2", 205 lbs, the bike feels it was made for me. This summer I replaced the rear spring with a 200 nm one and I'm waiting on your next video to figure out what I do with the diving front end! As a very average Adv rider I don't find the top heavy nature of the bike at all a problem. For me the bike is so nimble it amazes me every time I ride it. But I know it is a problem, I guess, because it comes up all the time on RU-vid! The few times I have tipped it over I have been able to pick it up (61 yrs old, average strength). Not easy, but not really worth worry about for I rarely dump the bike. I do worry about the exhaust, but not being an aggressive off road rider so far so good. Although I might cough up the money for the Camel Adv exhaust at some point. I just added a Kaoko throttle lock as the last time I rode up the Alaska Highway I got tendonitis. On a fun note I wanted to see how far I could ride my bike, so filled it up to the brim and went 80 km/h up and down a section of the Alaska Highway. When I made it home the bike was still running and I had gone 520 km!!!! Of course going that slow one needs to listen to audio books or you'll go crazy. Looking forward to your video on the suspension and how to dial it in. Mine is pretty much a mess from my various attempts at adjusting it..

This is such an important review for us all. Presentation, facts, research, logic, thoroughness and candidness. What more could motorcyclists ask for? Ian is the master of motorcycle reviews (IMO)! I'm excited about the 2022 Yamaha T7 World Raid model. Will just have to wait for it to come to the US.

And this was what I was waiting for. Ian always does an excellent deep dive in whatever bike He gets. The T7 was going to be my next bike, but I am honestly undecided at this point. Thank you, Ian!

I hear you and I respect your opinion. I appreciate the last segment of your video, thanks for all your time. Let me share my experience with this bike which I have owned for nearly two years and put more than 20000km on in very different conditions including snow in the North-East as opposed to your South-West :). Yes, the bike is top heavy and yes I had to pull it up a number of times - maybe about 12 so far, mostly due to stupid mistakes like stalling on a tight turn. And yes at times it has been painful, not helped by my not being that strong to start with. My lifting method works well, though and I never had to remove the luggage: As always, make sure the bike is in gear and extend the side stand if possible; Turn the handlebar so that the front of the wheel is up; Crouch next to the low handle; Pull up that handle using the legs and not the back. Done. That said, yes it is heavy, not helped by all the crash bars, bash plate, luggage rack and luggage etc. I put on it. The fuel range. Yes it can go down to about 40 miles per gallon on hard terrain or going 130km/h on the highway, but on backroads at normal travel speeds I get upwards of 55 mpg. At 45 / 50 mph in 6th gear I can reach 68mpg average, measured by yours truly. Then I just always have two 1.5L bottles of spare gasoline that are my actual reserve. I disagree with the suspension segment. You do have a preload adjustment knob to adjust the sag for the weight you are carrying, and although it does not change the spring rate it does allow you to adjust your sag for when you carry a pillion, luggage or whatever. This is something I adjust systematically: I know how many clicks I need for carrying my wife, I know how many clicks for my camping gear and I know how many for commuting with it. As for the change in rake and trail while braking, yes, any long-travel passive suspension motorcycle will exhibit the phenomenon. To me the tradeoff is totally worth it. I guess the problem is "...when you are riding more aggressively on the street". I agree with the concern about the exhaust bracket welded to the subframe. The advantage of the low exhaust is it allows you to not cook your luggage. One problem you didn't mention is the seat. I did a few nine hours days (of riding, not including pauses etc.) and this is punishing on the stock seat. People tell me the rally seat is better, but it is also taller and I want to be reasonably comfortable reaching the ground every day. I did add a cheap cushion on the seat and that solved the problem for me. Be well and keep the rubber side down. Patrick

Excellent, excellent video. Very good, honest information. I like the Tenere very much, but I am happy that I decided for the KTM 890 Adventure R, especially regarding the handling of the bike and the suspension. No problems in 12.000 km so far. Hope it stays this way, reliability is not the strongest point of the KTM bikes, together with the high maintainance costs. Again thank you very much for the video, ride safe and keep up your brilliant work. Greetings from Germany !

Spot on as usual! I’m surprised that so few reviews don’t talk about the top heaviness of the T7 which is such a major thing. Which made me change from a T7 to a 890 adv r.

Spot on, honest review. As much as I love this bike, there's no perfect bike. For how I use it, I've learned to live with those 4 cons you listed. But I completely understand that these may be deal breakers for some. For reference, I've come from countless dual sports over the past 30 years and several ADV bikes over the past 10 years (1100GS, 2 KLRs, 800GS). I'm 5'11" and 215 pounds, riding mostly in AZ. As a T7 owner, here's how I've combatted the 4 cons in this video. 1. Top Heavy: I haven't had an issue with this. I ride solo, and have had to pick it up several times on one trip with no issues. I do use the handlebar leverage lift though, which I believe is a much more efficient than the stand with your back to the bike squat lift. Turn your wheel to the outside of the fall, now your inside handlebar is sticking out like a leverage arm to lift from. 2. Fuel Range: I get roughly (after tuning) 48mpg. My range is about 180-200 miles. I use the Tusk Excursions and ended up getting the two fuel bottle holders on the bottom of the bags to carry an additional 3 liters of fuel (approx. 36 additional miles). This solution also carries the extra fuel down low as well. 3. Suspension: This one's all about personal riding style. I ride 50/50 and light enduro style off-road. Simply getting the proper springs and adjusting sag first, then all the dampening correctly has made the suspension far better than stock. 4. Exhaust Hanger: This one is really picky. I've dropped it 3-4 times on the right side so far with no damage or bend whatsoever. I do wish the bracket was bolted, not welded. I do think the Camel solution is a great addition (which I plan on doing some day). I do like that it's out of the way of the rackless bags though, no need to heat shield on my application.

Nailed it. I love my Tenere 700, it is a fantastic bike on and offroad (I am in the lightweight bracket, so other than the massive fork dive under braking the suspension is great for me) However. The top heaviness, and the fear of not being able to lift it (I ride solo offroad) are taking the excitement out of the ride, as I know I will struggle to lift it , if I even can. It means I am riding it more tentatively than I even should, which at times makes it harder work offroad than if I was on the throttle. I keep thinking I should sell it, then I go out and have such a blast on it that I can't bring myself to. Spot on review. Well said.

Great review. With a 29" inseam, the first spec I go to is saddle height, the second is engine size, the third is fuel capacity. You mentioned them all thanks.

Very detailed and honest review. I remember truly wanting to buy one. With none available, however, I have been watching long term reviews, and for me, the hype has faded. The top heavy comments alone were enough. I really do not want to be dropping a #450 bike that's more of a challenge to lift than a #525 bike when the point of a lower weight ADV (To me) is to take it off road and not have to lift all the extra weight! - Frank

Nice video, and thanks for your honest point of view. I'm also a T7 owner, to give some context it's my first bike, I'm a beginner (I got m7 T7 2 months after my driving license exham) and I did almost 12.000 Km on it. I understand your critics about being a top heavy bike, but honestly I don't see how this could be a big issue. Maybe it's because I'm a big guy (193 cm tall and 100 Kg) but when I ride the T7 I feel like I'm riding a bycicle in terms of agility and ease of movement. You're not the first one I read or saw talking about how hard is to pick this bike from the ground, well I picked it only once but for me it was a piece of cake (I'm not a body builder 😅), I simply grabbed the handlebar with one hand, and the rear passenger handle (I installed the OEM rear rack frame, but there are also a lot of lighter options for rear handles) with the other one and picked up the bike with no problems. Only after I picked up the bike I thought "Wait a sec... what about all those guys complaining about picking up the bike?!?" 😂 Regarding the fuel tank I'm sure you have more experience than me but honestly I can't think of a trip so long and without any gas station in 350 Km range, maybe some remote place in Mongolia or in some desert in the middle of Asia. As many adventure traveller (and also you) reported a simple external fuel tank solves this really remote problem, and honestly if you're doing a long trip around the world 5 liters of fuel is not a big weight issue; personally I prefer to choose to travel light (with "only" 16 liters of fuel) or heavy (adding a tank with 5 more liters), instead of always travel heavy with 23 or more liters if fuel (ok, you can choose to not fill the tank completely but we know that everybody fills it up completely). On suspensions I don't have enough experience to judge how good are the T7 suspensions and I haven't tried other bikes of this type to feel the difference. For the muffler attachment you're right, it's not the best solution, but it's also quite rare to get an hard hit on it, for now the only video that I saw with a big hit the muffler was a crazy guy using the T7 as a motocross bike at crazy speed around trees. This last two examples make me think one important aspect about this bike. Ok it's a fantastic adventure bike on the dirt, way better for the average pilot than all the others, it makes offroad so easy even if you know nothing about offroad (I did myself and I never, ever though I would be capable to do offroad riding)... but it's still ad adventure bike, not a motocross bike. Maybe it's the best adventure bike on the dirt, but it would never be as good as a light motocross bike, so imho there's no point in consider those things as a defect. Like every other tool (because the bike is a tool, the objective is always travel, riding, explore) it's a compromise, maybe the T7 is the best compromise available on the market today, but it's still a compromise. My 2 cents :)

I love my 2021 T7 so far. Great review. I did a review myself and there is a couple of small things you didn’t mention, mainly more relevant for wetter countries, corrosion etc. But you covered lots of things I didn’t touch on at all. :)

A very fair and accurate review. I think the pluses and minuses of this bike have become pretty clear to most by now. My 4 gripes with mine in order: 1. The exhaust/routing/mounting. 2. The stock Pirellis 3. The suspension (mine @ 5.5K miles gets new springs any day now) 4. The stock footpegs (puny, narrow) I lowered mine because even at 5"10" I have short legs. I put in rear lowering links and dropped the clamps 1 cm on the tubes. This lowered the overall aspect of the bike slightly. As far as the lifting challenges, I specifically selected my tail rack and engine case (lower) crash bars because they provide excellent lift points. Thanks for yet another great review!

It is certainly a step up from the KLR. It is a shame it doesn't have cross-spoke wheels. Top-heavy + welded-on exhaust bracket = deal-breaker. Great video, great channel.

The Japanese motorcycle industry has been supplying under sprung and under damped for decades in my experience. As you said , it would not cost the manufacturers much at all to correct this. The top heavy feeling was evident on my Tiger 800XCx 2015, but really was not an issue once I was under way. During my 5 years of ownership I dropped it only twice. Having luggage fitted helped getting the wheels to engage the ground and stop slipping sideways on gravel surfaces. Having a rear subframe unit connected to a lever arm ( Triumph's rear pillion pegs/ Yamaha the low slung muffler) can cause frame failure. It took Triumph 10 years to address this.

Thanks for a great review. The only thing I don't like about the Tenere 700 is the fuel economy/range. 150 mile range is crap. The old KTM 640 Adventure could go 300 miles.

Thanks for no midroll ads, I let opening and closing ads run, in support of content creators, I just close out anything that comes with midrolls.

As always great review Ian , and agree this bike needs to be challenged by the top motorcycle manufacturers as this is where a big portion of the market is at. And yes cost, reliability and simplicity does make this bike a winner👍

tenere 700 is a machine that will make you sad due to its weight in heavy terrain that requires experience and some physical features, but will make you happy on mixed nature roads and asphalt. I knocked over the fender as a result of excessive mud accumulation, the front wheel was locked, it is not easy to lift, the nature of this job is to fall, the only negative aspect for me is +50 kg excess, apart from that, I love it so much I have to put it in the living room of the room and watch 🤚🤚 safe driving for everyone

After getting a preorder and putting 2500 miles on it, I agree with everything you just said. I realize they're almost a one off, but I thought the Rally Raid-ed CB500X was better than the T7 in every way, except the engine. I put 15000 miles on one of those. I sold the T7 to pick up a CRF450RL, and after a Nomad 20L tank and other upgrades, I'm so much happier with my decision. Also - been watching your channel for a couple years now. Glad to see you're getting serious traction and expanding.

with all the short comings of the T7, i'll take it before the 890r....reliability is priceless

Thanks Ian; your reviews are of the best quality. Maybe Yam put the exhaust low so that luggage can be more easily accommodated. I ride a KTM - when I took the Yam out, I was surprised by how dead and gutless the engine felt. This bike would never serve as my only bike as the performance is disappointing. I don't need massive power, the KTM's 105 hp is plenty.

Fantastic job, very smart review. I've cycled through alot of adventure bikes over the years because of spec's and bubbly positive reviews. Thank you for keeping it real.

Great review and absolutely on point. I have the exact same bike. First thing I did was the suspension, fuel range sucks. I don't find it top heavy but I get some may. We are in New Zealand and I can't think of a better all-round ADV bike. Love it

Great review. The thing I hope for, is that the success of this bike will indicate to other manufacturers what it is people want; eg simplicity, reliability, and all round capability with a reasonable price tag. I'd think that if someone like say KTM stopped changing the bikes so much (which would benefit cost and reliability) and then simplified it (electronics), then maybe they'd have a competitor? It would be interesting to see how Yamaha evolves this platform going forward.

Another fact you overlooked is the welded rear subframe In the event of an "off" when riding light, or loaded, rear subframes can and do bend - depending on the circumstances, and one cannot deny that this does happen, even though it's not something I read of frequently If this was to happen, you're left with two choices: 1 - Strip the bike right down and get the frame to a reputable frame repair shop, these specialist frame repair businesses can be found in North America and Europe, but not in all countries - plus, many riders don't have the facilities, skills or confidence to tear a bike right down - so this gets expensive if one relies on the on their dealer to undertake this [and / or the second option below] 2 - An outright frame replacement, which also comes with the woes of getting VIN numbers legally transferred to and embossed on the new frame - plus the cost of the teardown and reassembly The KTM7/90 Adventure has a removable rear subframe - just like their other bigger Adv bikes, the 1050/1090/1190 and 1290 Adventures do. This design concept hails from their "Ready to Race" heritage, and it's logical for a big, heavy Adv bike, but one cannot give KTM all the credit, because even the pre-2021 Kawasaki KLR650 sported a bolt on rear subframe design, but sadly, Kawasaki went with a welded subframe design on their 2021 KLR650, and received harsh criticism from their KL650 fan base - as many had replaced rear subframes, especially those who travelled heavily loaded on hard terrain I also agree with your valid question as to why the other 3 Japanese marques are sat on their hands in this category, it's nothing new, KTM started this off in 2003 with the 950 Adventure and then added fuel injection and extra capacity when the legendary 990 Adv range were released way back in 2006 The Japanese marques have been very slow to react, and as you stated, when they did, they just couldn't compete with the WP and electronic wizardry of the 790 Adventures Thanks for the review, I do follow you and finds your input really good, no marketing hype just good review for the layman who doesn't need to know "how many times the ECU maps the ignition/FI per second" Keep up the good work!

Thank-you for the long-term ownership review perspective. The T7 ticks a lot of boxes for me except for weight and the fact that it is so top heavy and hard to pick up. I sold my KLR and got a CRF300L which is so much more nimble off-road and relatively easy to pick up. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the CRF300L Rally. I only miss the power on the highway; the bike can keep up, but there's nothing left for hills or overtaking. Mabey a two bike solution is best. I hope manufacturers will design competition for the T7 also, but weigh 50-75 lbs less and have a lower centre of gravity. I wonder what the Aprilia Tuareg and Norden 901 are like to pick up and look forward to your reviews.

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like for those of us keeping our bikes, the downsides are fixable. Larger fuel tank, suspension upgrades, etc.

To late bought my T700 10 months ago, I do not regret my purchase.

I have had many KTM's and have loved the design and quality of all of them. However this Tenere got my attention and your review has sold me on my next bike. The stable will still hold a few KTM's but for adventure tours it will be this Yamaha.

Great review. I too like the T7’s styling. I guess the paradox is that its look is at least partially responsible for one of the four weaknesses you identified - its top heaviness.

I really appreciate your honesty. Not sure if this will be my next ride. The negatives are detrimental for my style of riding. I had hoped for more...and less. Many thanks!

Fair honest take, Ian. 20 yrs from now these will be as ubiquitous & reputable with the same global cult following as the KLR’s. And I’m willing to bet, just like the KLR, they’ll change very little in that time. Just a solid dependable money maker for Yamaha.

thankyou! this spells it out for me and I will still get this bike. Understanding the weaknesses makes me feel more confident in what I need it for.

Never can’t have a 100% perfect bike. Always a trade offs. Just leave T7 as it is. To me, it’s perfectly balanced with $. More “things” More $$$.

Great honest review. I got rid of my 2016 Africa Twin for being top heavy. Very similar to the T7 in many ways. Great bikes until you drop them and struggle getting them back up

As a beginner I tried a lot of different bikes in the driving school. I can 100% confirm what u said about the engine.. On the MT07 i did not kill the engine once.. happend a lot on the BMWs or Hondas i tried before. It just feels powerful in every condition and very easy to control.. also it sounds great. CP2 is an absolute Masterpiece.. Plus i talked to a mechanic who said that these engines are also very easy to maintain and they last forever.

Ian, a great honest review.. I had a T7 and had it lowered 50mm as I'm only 5ft 9in or 174cm. Agreed with everything thing you said.. so I sold it and bought a bike with a seat height of 710mm fuel range of 400 to 450klms and heaps of power. A very low centre of gravity even though it's heavier..and thus very confident to move it around.. Ohh yeah, it's a 117 Harley Low Rider S. Big smiles every ride on my new adventure bike.!!!

Thanks, this is the best review of this bike that I've seen. I don't own one but have been on an extensive test ride - and everything you said I entirely agree with (except the reliability, which I take your word for, but I obviously didn't get to test it long term). If I'm honest the biggest downside for me and the reason I don't own one was that it is a top heavy bike. I found this impacted both low speed handling and it's a real pain to lift. The KTM 890 is far superior in this regard (although I find the 890 to be really ugly and there are reliability issues). I'm still looking for a successor to my KTM 690!!

In my experience, suspension set up is a must on every bike I have ever owned

I can confirm that there's a T7 shortage in Australia too! Could one reason they hung the exhaust lower also be to mitigate the top-heaviness?

very nice video. including : 16:54 2:51 3:54 how the dashboard look when we riding it 11:01 the reality of owning it 7:25 17:07 side profile of it

Cheers Ian. Great review as always. I'm thinking about one of these to do a big trip on. This wouldn't put me off but some good things to think about - and add suspension costs to budget. Nice one. 👍🏻

One of the best reviews ever! Talked about the bike tipping over and actually demonstrated how the bike looks on the ground! Amazing!

Would be interesting to compare the T7 vs the 850GS vs the KTM 790/890. I know they are a price point above but they occupy the same space in the market i.e. the midsize ADV

Ian..your bike reviews are fantastic..honest..indepth..real world..I considered a T7..after watching this it only confirms what off road riders know..WIEGHT IS NOT YOUR FRIEND.. my worst nightmare is a remote trail/fire road get off and cannot pick the bike up..your other review of the KLX300 really catches my eye..THANKX :0) keep-em coming

The 'Top Heavy' hate is the only legitimate concern. I'm 34, in great shape, and can muscle it up. I work at a ADV bike shop. It's till my first choice. It's the only bike I own. It's great. But that's me. One of our regulars just sold his, because he couldn't deal with the top heavy aspect. The hangar is fixable. The range is deal-withable. The suspension is respringable and revalvable. Cannot fix the top heavyness.

Great honest review! I was looking hard at the Tenere 700 a couple of years ago. It is a great bike. I ended up getting a Suzuki DR650 and have modified it for adventure type travel. It does not have some of the nice features such as the Tenere, but simple and reliable. You have me curious as to what the next bike will be. Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro? Cheers!

Great review. I had the pleasure of riding a T7 last week, coming off a KTM 640 ADV. Firstly the motor was so smooth...really liked that. Secondly, I found the suspension felt nice. One thing I did not like was the foot peg position....its too high...and basically had me riding knees up on what is essentially a tall bike. If I buy one, the first thing I will do is lower the foot pegs. Cheers

Hopefully youll get to review Tuareg soon. Love your reviews.

im buying one. thank you for pointing out those weaknesses... i agree with your points but i'm willing to make sacrifices...

Enjoyed listening to your honest views on the bike, the bike has not been a huge hit for no reason and actually trying to get one is a big challenge as I've ever seen, anyhow after a bit of phone calling and running around I managed to buy a new 2022 heritage white Rally version, then was told there is a huge supply problem with parts for the Rally version, especially from Akrapovic, so I will have to wait a few weeks for everything to be delivered and fitted by the dealer, the dealer told me it's an absolute nightmare trying to get these bikes supplied, he didn't even have a demo bike, so I've bought one without ever riding one, just bought it on it's looks and reputation, now just counting down the days till the 19th when I can pick it up. Keep up the good reviews ;-)

Im glad you mentioned the mileage range. That might be a deal breaker for me. I got spoiled with my KLRs 230 mile range stock. I actually added a 10 gallon tank so I can ride 350 miles non stop. Although the reliability and performance are still really intriguing to me. But at the same time 11k is a lot of money for me.

Good stuff mate, I’ve just bought one as well, not delivered yet though, waiting on extras to come.

Hi, great review of the T 700. This level of honesty and information will send you to the top of the Adventure bike Journalists. I’m an ‘intermediate’ Adventure bike rider in Australia. I have owned a BMW R GS 1200 for 10 years……an excellent bike, more touring oriented than off road but super reliable. My only complaint with the BMW GS 1200 is that it just has ‘too much Tech’. Of course the ABS and Traction Control is standard, but all the extra ‘travel Modes’ become a distraction to just getting on the thing and riding. I think Yamaha is the first Manufacturer to wake up to the reality that many of us ‘Adventure Riders’ want to look at the awesome scenery rather that wondering ‘what that mysterious light pinging on the display’ is ! Put more simply…….”Less is more” and Yamaha ‘gets it’. This is a sure contender for my next Adventure bike. Cheers.

Great review Ian! The other deal-breaker for me is lack of cruise control, which I think is essential for a long-range adventure bike.

A great well balanced honest video, thanks Ian. I just changed my 2022 world raid to a 2024 Extreme, hard to find a bike to match or best it.

I met you at the Adventure Rally at Stagecoach Campground where I test rode the T 7. I am a very experienced rider (age 69) and grew up riding dirt. I was very impressed with how smooth and comfortable the bike was on the road and how well it tracked through the soft sand as long as you were traveling at a decent speed. I did not notice it to be top heavy but my ride was short. I loved it and Yamaha reliability is solid. The power was linear and predictable and fun to ride. I assume the T7 is made in Japan and my recent research revealed that the KTM 890 adventure is probably made in China. The 890 Duke is made in China.

Well done sir! I have owned the T7 for a year and used it on a BDR trip. I still absolutely love the motorcycle but your review is truthful and honest about the few concerns that have risen with ownership. Thank you for the very professional balanced review. You a true Moto journalist one of the best on You Tube and an excellent resources for the motorcycling community. 👍🏻👍🏻

SO much better than the usual boiler plate reviews which are usually very positive with some fake "niggles" thrown in to make things seem balanced. Great to see honest reviews. My choice would be the XL750 Transalp over this though.

Great review, Ian! it really is an amazing bike. I picked up one of the first four to hit Indiana and was immediately in love. I must confess that I had been drooling over it since the first concept design was released a few years back. I needed an adventure bike at that time so I ended up getting a Dr650 and began upgrading and customizing it to my dual sport/touring needs. Once I finally got the t7, I thought it would replace my Dr and be my go to for everything. That didn't work out as planned. After 13,000 miles on the t7 in one year, I ended up preferring the lighter weight and the simplicity of the Dr650. The catch here is that I've spent over five grand on upgrades for the Dr to make it perfect for me. the Dr is a great bike, but needs upgrades for most serious riders. You don't have to spend as much as I did, but a couple thousand into suspension, brakes, seat, and a few other misc items are necessary

Thank you for this. I’m back and forth between this and a KLR 650, each with obvious strengths and weaknesses. I just got back into riding after a 25 plus year dry spell and the medium ADV/dual sport bikes are what I’m drawn to now.

Funny you mention the exhaust. The first time I saw the bike, the exhaust was the first thing I noticed and realized just from pictures that it would be a major problem

Good to see a honesty review, it’s hard to find among the.. well basically ads for the bike.

In my mind, this definitely does not deserve the legendary status it has. The bad things about it are really bad and they speak volumes of how much effort Yamaha (did not) put in making it. Looking at the adventure bike market, I've been wondering why is it so hard for companies to make a proper dual sport bike that's relatively light, well-balanced and well-engineered. Tenere has ridiculous engineering flaws and is top-heavy, Both 850 and 1250GS feel too big and too heavy for actual off-road use and filtering traffic, KLR650 is single-cylinder, ancient tech and only 5-speed transmission, etc, etc. It should not be that hard. But then again, everyone's goal these days is to min/max investment/profit so it kind of makes sense.

@bigrockmoto. This was a really good review. I test rode this bike and felt the same way about the suspension. I ultimately bought a left over 23 890r for the same price as a t7. The suspension was the deciding factor….. even though I looked the looks of the t7 better

Ian you should get Japanese subtitles added to this and hopefully the Yamaha guys watch it. The Japs are great but they seem to miss somethings with their insular culture. One hack to grow channels a lot bigger is to translate them into other languages. You could even try dubbing and then have big rock Moto Italian or Japanese channels. Mr beast did this and has had even more massive growth. I’ve been wondering if there’s deep fake tech out there that could even clean up the mouth movements with dubbing potentially in post processing.

Ian i watch every one of your reviews even if im not going to buy the bike because you are the BEST reviewer on the planet.

my spider sense is tingling in the vibes of 901 for a new bike, altho I would really dig seeing desert x on here. keep up the good work man 🤙

Your honest reviews have saved me a lot of money 💰. Thanks 🙏

Truly grounded, sensible and realistic appraisal. Many others fail to come anywhere near your perceptive qualities. Well done and Thankyou !

Your review is accurate. The same comments that I've heard around here

Thank you for the excellent and honest review. I'm creating a review of all Adventure bikes, their pros and cons and this is a great start. I'm now off to the KTM 790 and 890, at the end of my research I'll decide what to buy. I've got a sneaking suspicion I'm going to end up with Ducati's DesertX as my favorite but of course it has to be the most expensive to buy and most expensive to maintain. I do like the KTMs so I'm going at this with an open mind. Twenty thousand plus for the Ducati is a lot of money. Thanks again for the review.

I've had a T7 for about 18 months now and I think it's great. I agree with all of your points apart from one. I find I get about 200 miles to the tank. I also have the Yoshi exhaust on it and I've had it mapped to suit that exhaust. I've been on ride outs with GS and Triumph riders and we all tend to fill up at the same time, but they are putting more in because their tanks are bigger. So I'm happy with the range, you just have to plan for it like any bike.

Excellent review. I am so tempted to get the T7 and reviews like yours really help to make you just sit back and and seriously think before impulse buying. Much appreciated 👍

Spot on, I've been loving it but worried about weight. Rode yesterday, great day until I was practicing tight turns on dirt roads and dropped it. I really struggled to pick her up, bloody hell! It really is way more difficult than it should be. I actually thought I might not get home.. It's the first time I told myself I can't ride alone and or I need to get rid of her. Bummer.

Wonderful. I own one. I agree w everything you said. Everything. And I’ve tried to convey to people what you have conveyed but never got to the right words. It’s like you have been reading my mind and the added value by funneling it through the perfect words. This video is a virtual dissection of my feelings toward this bike. Thank you.

I come from the world of Harleys and honestly all of the gripes on this bike make me feel like they won’t be a big deal as I dip my toes in this area of motorcycles 😅 appreciate the thorough review !

I own a Honda 450L and use it on long ADV like trips mostly off pavement on fire roads and dual sport single tracks on long journeys to a destination. I am shopping for a bike that can give me pavement performance to the trail and then off the trail to the nearest airbnb on routs like the TAT and TET and BDR like routes. Your review of this strange to me bike compares to John T Young's review of the 450 in its realistic nature for my personal evaluation. Thanks. I see that if I get this bike, I would immediatly upgrade the suspension, the tires, the exhaust, the throttle in a cruise like control, the gas tank putting some of the weight down lower, and the shitty rally tower like look (you have to look good) and steam line the profile. Thanks for the honest review.

I have about 10k mi on mine I’ve a bit over a year. Definitely love this bike for its versatility. 500 mile days in heat, doable. Single track. Doable and enjoyable if you got the chops (and don’t go crazy). And everything in between. I agree with the comments, though. To a point. Suspension? My last adv bike was KTM and I paid to get that suspension dialed in by a pro to the tune of several thousand dollars. It was great. I don’t think it is unreasonable to expect a big bill from a good suspension shop if max performance is what you seek. Impossible for manufacturers to do this because they have no idea if you’ll be touring on the tarmac or ripping through challenging sand washes and canyons. Or how much you weigh or nature of your gear. Better to have basic decent suspension (that didn’t add to overall price of bike). Same for exhaust-let the end user make those decisions. Sounds fantastic from the factory, that’s for sure.

I was really looking at this for a first bike.. but.. since I am a heavy man as is.. i think I will look at other bikes. Thank you.