Yamaha Ténéré 700 (2025) - Technical Review

Yamaha hit gold when it launched the Ténéré 700 back in 2019 – striking a rich seam of customers looking for something with genuine off-road chops but without the weight and bulk of bigger adventure bikes. Since then the Ténéré lineup has grown to include five distinct versions and three of them are replaced with updated machines for 2025.

As well as improving the basics of the Ténéré, the changes see the range rationalised – with the confusing ‘Extreme’ and ‘Explore’ model versions disappearing for 2025. Instead there’s simply the standard Ténéré, a low-seat version to replace the ‘Explore’, and the Ténéré 700 Rally which supersedes the ‘Extreme’ variant.

Pros & Cons

2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Price

Yamaha is expecting to announce details of the Ténéré 700’s pricing at the NEC show in a few weeks and we’ll discover when the bikes are likely to reach dealers at the same time – but it’s already easy to speculate at the price points for the three models.

In the 2024 range, the standard Ténéré costs £10,116, the Explore models is £10,806 and the Extreme is £10,906. For 2025 it makes sense that the standard bike will continue at around the same level as its predecessor, and the ‘Low’ version that replaces the Explore is likely to be priced to match the standard bike. The Ténéré 700 Rally, meanwhile, replaces the Extreme and has more kit, so will logically be at a similar price point to the machine it supersedes.

The base and Low versions will be offered in two colour schemes – Icon Blue or Frozen Titanium – and will be hard to tell apart without a tape measure to check their seat height and ground clearance. The Ténéré Rally, meanwhile, comes only in a lighter Sky Blue with speed block graphics, a yellow number board and gold wheels and forks to emphasise its higher level of equipment and greater offroad ability.

2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Engine & Performance

The ‘CP2’ engine that’s shared with the MT-07 gets essentially the same set of updates that have been applied to that model for 2025 – most notably the addition of a ride-by-wire ‘YCC-T’ throttle that finally opens the door to the addition of modern rider aids including multiple riding modes and traction control.

The changes are driven largely by the need to comply with the latest Euro5+ emissions rules that come into force in 2025 but result in tangible benefits to the rider. You get two different throttle maps – ‘Sport’ and ‘Explorer’ – that can be switched using a button on the updated right-hand switch pod, plus switchable traction control (on or off, selected via a dash menu).

Although there’s no increase in outright power and torque figures, Yamaha says the torque curve is fatter at low revs to improve the bike’s offroad ability. That’s achieved via a revised intake air duct. The outright numbers are identical to the old bike, with 72.4hp at 9000rpm and 50.2lbft at 6500rpm.

Externally, the clutch cover is noticeably different, with the position of the clutch’s actuator shifted forwards by 35 degrees and a smoother surface to the cover itself, both changes intended to stop them from interfering with the rider’s right leg.

While Yamaha hasn’t (yet) added its semi-automatic transmission to the Ténéré, even as an option, the gearbox itself is improved with revised internals that promise a smoother shift.

2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

While the changes to the Ténéré’s tubular steel frame are minimal – elements like the silencer bracket and the luggage carrier attachment points have been strengthened – the suspension is improved on all three versions.

On the standard bike, the 43mm USD forks are now fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound damping, while retaining the same 210mm travel as before. They’re held in new yokes – forged alloy at the bottom, cast alloy at the top – for more strength.

Similarly, the rear shock is fully adjustable for preload, compression and rebound, and for 2025 gets a new linkage that increases the amount of shock movement while retaining the same 200mm wheel travel as before.

On the Low version, the specs are essentially the same but the fork travel is reduced from 210mm to 190mm and the rear wheel movement from 200mm to 180mm – matching the figures for the previous Explore version. Ground clearance is 240mm on the stock bike, 225mm on the Low model.

The Ténéré 700 Rally, replacing the Extreme model, gets 20mm more suspension movement at each end compared to the base model – 230mm front, 220mm rear.

There’s no change to the mechanical parts of the brakes – as before there are 282mm discs with Brembo calipers at the front and a 245mm disc at the back, with three-mode ABS. As on the previous model, ‘Mode 1’ gives ABS on both wheels, ‘Mode 2’ turns off the rear antilock, and ‘Mode 3’ is for offroad use, turning the ABS off entirely. There’s a dedicated ‘ABS’ button, and a long press of it turns off both the ABS and traction control simultaneously.

Weight rises a fraction, with the standard Ténéré up from 205kg to 208kg, and the Rally coming in at 210kg where the previous Extreme was 5kg lighter than that.

2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Comfort & Economy

There’s no change to the seat height of the standard Ténéré – it remains 875mm – and the ‘Low’ version matches the old ‘Explore’ at 860mm. Similarly, the new Rally model, at 910mm, is the same height as the old ‘Extreme’ variant. But the numbers don’t tell the whole story.

The seat on the standard and ‘Low’ version is now a one-piece design instead of the two-part setup of the old models, and the fuel tank ahead of it has been reshaped with a lower top while retaining the same 16-litre capacity as before.

The bodywork is completely redesigned, albeit carrying over a very similar style to before, and there are tweaks including larger footpegs, borrowed from the Ténéré 700 World Raid model, that are 10mm wider-set than the old ones to give better control.

Fuel consumption has got slightly worse for 2025, with a figure of 65.7mpg for both the standard and Rally models, compared to 67.9mpg for the previous generation. That means range is also fractionally reduced from a theoretical 238 miles to 231 miles between fill-ups.

2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Equipment

As well as the new riding modes and traction control that comes with the electronic throttles for 2025 there’s a new 6.5-inch TFT dashboard for the new model year.

It includes all the kit you’d expect in 2025, like phone connectivity for music, calls and turn-by-turn navigation, plus a USB-C charge port. It also has two ‘themes’ for the standard and Low versions of the Ténéré – ‘Street’ and ‘Explorer’ – plus a third ‘Raid’ mode for the Ténéré 700 Rally.

Updated switchgear includes a five-way joystick to navigate the screen, as well as new turn signals with a three-flash lane-change signal at a light touch and self-cancelling when the indicators are fully turned on. The headlight is new, too, with four rectangular LED units behind a single lens, set into an aluminium mount.

2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Rivals

While most adventure bikes in this segment of the market are rather more road-biased than the Ténéré there are a few that offer a similar stance and style – notably Honda’s Transalp, Suzuki’s V-Strom 800 and Aprilia’s Tuareg 660.

Suzuki V-Strom 800DE | Price: £10,999

Read more

Power/Torque

83bhp / 57.5lb-ft

Weight

230kg

Honda Transalp 750 | Price: £9749

Read more

Power/Torque

90.5bhp / 55.3lb-ft

Weight

208kg

Aprilia Tuareg 660 | Price: £10,000

Read more

Power/Torque

79.1bhp / 51.6lb-ft

Weight

204kg

2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Verdict

We’ll give a verdict once we’ve ridden it.

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2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 - Technical Specification

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