Yamaha Ténéré 700 Rally coming

It looks like Yamaha will be adding to its massively successful Ténéré 700 range with a new Ténéré 700 Rally model in the near future.

At the moment Yamaha only offers one version of the Ténéré 700, although customers can tailor the bike to their tastes with optional extras and a choice of accessory packs – the touring-oriented ‘Explorer Pack’ and off-road-aimed ‘Rally Pack’. However, new documents suggest that the firm is going to add a distinct new model to the range in the form of the Ténéré 700 Rally.

Unlike the current ‘Rally Pack’, which is a set of bolt-on extras, the Ténéré 700 Rally has its own distinct model designation. Where the normal Ténéré 700 is internally known as the XTZ690, the Ténéré 700 Rally is the XTZ690D-B. It’s recently been type-approved in Europe as a model in its own right, suggesting that sales will start imminently.

Exactly what will distinguish the Ténéré 700 Rally from the normal Ténéré 700 remains unclear. The limited specification on the type-approval documents show that the bike has the same power as the normal Ténéré 700 at 54kW (72bhp), with an A2-legal 35kW (47bhp) version also approved for sale. Its noise level is also the same, suggesting it doesn’t have the current Rally Pack’s Akropovič end can. It’s also identical to the normal Ténéré 700 in terms of weight (204kg wet), length (2370mm), wheelbase (1595mm) and perhaps most importantly height (1455mm). That last number shows that the Ténéré 700 Rally doesn’t have taller suspension than the non-Rally version.

So why is it type-approved with its own name and model number rather than being covered by the normal Ténéré 700’s approval? That remains to be seen, although the specs suggest it’s more likely to be a limited-edition paint scheme – perhaps a replica of the Monster Energy WR450F Rally that raced in this year’s Dakar Rally (below) – than a heavily revamped model.