The Yamaha Ténéré is back

For the first time in nine years, the Yamaha Ténéré will make a return to the Aussie motorcycle market in mid-September, complete with its all-rounder tag still intact.

Originally developed from Yamaha's Dakar Rally-winning racebikes, the XTZ660 Ténéré built up a loyal following in the 1980s and 1990s, and now it's back with a torquey liquid-cooled four-valve 660cc fuel-injected engine, featuring a 10:1 compression ratio and bore and stroke dimensions of 100mm x 84mm.

There's a five-speed transmission, semi-double cradle frame, long-travel suspension (210mm front, 200mm rear), aluminium swingarm, long-range 23lt fuel tank, tall screen, 298mm front discs, vertical dual-bulb headlamp, LED tail lamp, rear carrier and 'smart' luggage system.

Wet weight is a claimed 208.5kg, and the spoked wheels are a 21-inch front and 17-inch rear.

Accessories include side cases, a top case, tank bag, wind deflector, Akrapovic muffler, handguards, main stand, tubular engine guard and skid plate.

The Ténéré first went on sale in Australia in 1995, and lasted or five years before it was discontinued. A Super Ténéré, powered by a 750cc mill, also sold in Australia in the early 1990s.

The new Ténéré will go on sale at Yamaha dealers in mid September.

So where does the word Ténéré come from? The Ténéré is a desert region in the south central Sahara. It comprises a vast plain of sand stretching from north-eastern Niger into western Chad.

This area forms one of the toughest parts of the original Paris-Dakar rallies. The first visit in 1983 coincided with a huge sandstorm that led to 40 competitors losing their bearings, some of whom spent four days getting back on course.