Yamaha XT660R

Mile Muncher

Two of the biggest growing sectors of the motorcycle market today are the scooter and the dual-sport crowd. The dual-sport machine is a hairy man's bike - one that will take you to the farthest reaches of the Earth and back again. Like a packhorse, it'll carry all that you need to survive in the world's most inhospitable regions, and it's built to accept nothing less than a zero mechanical failure rate. Whereas a scooter would crumble under the weight of Charlie Bormann's incessant whinging - the dual-sport trooper marches on.

The range of dual-sport bikes has never been greater and everyone has something to offer. From Aprilia to Honda, Suzuki to BMW, your favourite colours and countries of origin are all catered for.

Yamaha has been quiet for some time now though. The tuning fork mob hasn't really had anything that could truly be called dual-sport since the death of the Ténéré. They have however, a long and distinguished history in dual purpose bikes. In 1983 they released the XT600Z Ténéré model and it was a huge success for the company for over a decade. Fast forward to 2008 and Yamaha have again used the XT platform to re-enter the 'go anywhere' market, with release of the XT660R.

Based heavily on the XT660X motard bike, the 660R certainly looks the goods, with a styling that satisfies for off and on-road tastes. It wouldn't be out of place out the front of a fashionable cafe or an outback pub.

The engine looks all dirt, but aside from the frond guard, the rest of the bike looks like a tar burner. I like it. It's not as cool looking as the BMWs or the sweet new Honda Transalp, but it's very sharp and modern.

The controls are neither a great leap forward nor are they a let down.

The LCD speedo unit is an attractive bit of kit and looks pretty sturdy, but the windshield is too small to be of any use to anyone over two and a half foot tall. A dual-sport bike should have a good sized windshield to help fight those battering winds of Moldavia, or Sydney's F3 freeway. The footpegs and side-stand assembly are not great. Suzuki's ancient DR650 offers better quality here. I'm not suggesting they'll break, but if it was all a little more sturdy there wouldn't be any complaints from me about build quality because the rest of the bike is well presented.

The dual pipes are a cool look and the bike idles cleanly and quietly, with a nice snappy response from a brap of the throttle. But when sitting still, you appreciate nothing greater than the soft wide seat. It truly is your bum's best friend. In fact the bike's pretty comfortable overall. The tank is big between the legs, but it doesn't feel like you're humping a Volkswagen, as you do on a TDM, and although the seat climbs the tank at an angle that looks unfriendly to your precious cargo, you can still get pretty far forward without it getting too uncomfortable.

SMOOTH OPERATOR
The fuel injected engine in the XT660R is smooth and strong straight off the bottom. It doesn't feel like it wants to throw you off its back, but it gets to highway speeds quick enough. The only gripe I have about the engine is that when you reach the higher rev range the bike starts to vibrate quite strongly throughout the chassis and the bars and can be distracting on long stretches.

The bike feels stable on the road, and although it steers quickly, it doesn't feel too flighty on the dirt. The suspension doesn't like big hits, but no dual purpose set-up does. Even so, I had very few nervous moments and I wasn't exactly taking it easy. A bashplate is must however, because the 660R offers only 210 millimetres of ground clearance with 172 kilograms dry weight - plus rider - so its belly tends to do a fair bit of heavy earthmoving.

We managed to take the XT up and down hills that would be a challenge on a smaller bike and it never balked. You can certainly feel its weight when braking on steep descents, and the while front brake does a good job it's not complimented by the rear brake. It is surprisingly nimble for a big bike though, and as long as there's some traction the engine eats hills by the mouthful. Being fuel injected, the XT will happily chug away in a gear higher than ideal, or tiptoe through a slippery section, and happy to reward you with a mild beanie spin when you stretch its legs on a nice open fire trail.

CHOOSE YOUR WEAPON
With a retail price of just $10,999, this is a modestly priced bike that'll achieve most everything higher priced models will. It's perfect for the dirt road explorer, but isn't phased if the going gets tougher. It's easier to handle in the tricky stuff than a big GS Beemer, but it's not the one I'd to ride to Mongolia. It's a more modern bike than the Kawasaki KLR650, but it's about $2000 more. The XT660R is a bike for the rider who doesn't want the end of the tar to be the end of the ride - but who will be home that night. I'd buy one for shorter to medium distance rides, but there are better options for the hardcore mile munchers.

HISTORY
1976 - Yamaha releases the XT500 and thus set in motion a love affair with ludicrously large dirtbikes that the world still enjoys today.

The race version of the XT500 looked like an IT490 with a huge tank and was Yamaha's gun machine in the Paris-Dakar Rally.

Gauging a lot of interest in these behemoths, especially from Europeans, Yamaha released the XT600 Ténéré in 1983. Loosely based on the factory race machine, the Ténéré was named after a particularly nasty stretch of African desert in the Paris Dakar.

The first generation featured a front disc brake at a time when drum brakes were the norm, and a 30 litre fuel tank that fed the 43 horsepower 595cc engine. For its time, the first Ténéré was an imposing machine and its striking red and white colour scheme a real head-turner.

1986 - The Ténéré received some changes- gaining six more horsepower while loosing seven litres from the fuel tank.

1988 - The bike receives a complete overhaul. The third generation featured significant changes to the engine, as well as a rear disc brake and the large faring and dual headlight assembly that have since become synonymous with the Ténéré.

1991 - Yamaha had another go over the Ténéré, this time moving to a 660cc five-valve, liquid-cooled engine and updated frame. Along with a 20 litre fuel tank, the changes produced a smaller overall feel and a bike that was obviously more suited to road riding than previous models.

1994 - The last of the Ténérés' hit the road and while there were no significant changes to the mechanicals, the aesthetics were revised to resemble the Super Ténéré twin 750 released in 1989.

2008 - The mighty Ténéré is back! Hitting the market as an XT660Z Ténéré, Yamaha has breathed new life into the bike, with an eye still on the past. Yamaha product planner Takeshi Higuchi explains, "In the eighties, when adventure touring, particular through Africa, was at its peak, the first choice was either an XT500 with a big tank, or later the XT 600 Ténéré.

"The reasons were obvious. The bike was relatively light and its big tank offered over 400km range. The air-cooled single has been very reliable and economical. The bike was made in a simple way and you could service or repair it next to the road if you carried tools. It was the ideal bike to go to remote places.

"At the same time, the all-round functionality made the Ténéré a favourite choice for commuting, and even qualified as a first bike for young riders. The motorcycle industry today, and that includes us as Yamaha, has forgotten some of these qualities. The XT660Z Ténéré will bring them back."

I don't know how many of you can tinker with EFI on the side of the road. Nevertheless we're keen to get hold of one of these and rack up some kays to see if it upholds the reputation of its previous incarnations.