Yamaha XTZ1200 Super Ténéré

Name: Yamaha XTZ1200 Super Ténéré
Brand: Yamaha

Looking for some adventure? If you're up for it, so too is Yamaha's big-bore dualsport, which continues the famous Ténéré name plate with aplomb

There are certain motorcycle marques that define a genre. Think cruiser and you’ve already got an image of a tattooed bruiser on a Harley. What if I say “Italian superbike”? Hands up who’s thinking of a red Ducati? Yup, a brand that defines a sector is the holy grail of motorcycle manufacturing.

But, for bike makers, there’s also an even higher aspiration. If I say “big adventure bike”, not only does the name BMW immediately spring to mind, but one particular model – in this case the R 1200 GS – immediately rumbles before your mind’s eye. Up till now, the mighty Beemer has been roaming the globe without equal. And I say “up till now”, because a serious challenger has ridden in from the East…

THE SPELL BREAKER

Yamaha has broken the GS’ spell with the release of the XTZ1200 Super Ténéré. It’s clear from first glance that this isn’t a cobbled-together road bike with knobbies, but a serious assault on the adventure bike market.

With that in mind, I saddle up for the ride home. It takes an hour, on tar, in traffic, and in that short time the Ténéré has already confirmed its road bike credentials. It’s awesome. I’ve rarely been on such a big bike that turns as sweetly as this – even on the block-pattern Metzelers. Just think about the turn and you’re through it. Also, throughout the wet weather that has plagued Sydney of late, the Super Ten has been one of the most confidence-inspiring bikes I’ve ridden in the wet for ages.

Even though you sit up high and are a good distance away from both wheels, you never feel remote from their actions. Wet or dry, the bike embodies surefooted security, all while hiding its weight remarkably well. So even as just a road bike, the Super Ten more than cuts the mustard. But clearly it wasn’t designed to stick purely to the bitumen, so let’s head bush.

ADVENTURE ME UP

With a 1200cc parallel-twin engine between the rails, this is never going to be as nimble between the trees as a purpose-built enduro bike. Like the mighty GS, you have to pick your adventure. That doesn’t just mean sticking to firetrails though, as the Yamaha will happily see you through much rougher terrain than that.

Standing up on the wide ’pegs offers you a great view ahead, with the bike’s size and weight disappearing beneath you the faster you go. The engine comes on smooth and strong – good characteristics for when the grip turns to slip. The 270-degree parallel-twin is vibey enough to let you know it’s there, but refined enough that those vibes aren’t intrusive. Gears changes are quick and slick.

If you want assistance with the slippery terrain, the three-stage traction control is there to help. Offering ‘off’, ‘partial’ and ‘full’ levels of electronic hand-holding, the system will help get even the most ham-fisted pilot through tricky terrain. Added to that, the switchable, three-position ABS will see you pull up quickly and securely, when needed. The brakes are ‘unified’, which means the front brake lever also affects a degree of braking at the rear. Unlike the dearer GS, suspension adjustment is a manual affair (no Electronic Suspension Adjustment here), though the rear preload knob is gloved-hand friendly.

WHO’S A PRETTY BOY, THEN?

The Yamaha looks a generation newer than the German, because that’s exactly what it is. The design is more fluid, the engine more compact. The Japanese have followed the minimalist backend of the BMW, ensuring there are fewer panels to replace in the event of a major off in the middle of nowhere.

But the Super Ténéré’s funky design and ability count for nothing if it’s not reliable or easily fixed. And that’s the rub of a new adventure bike. As the GS celebrated its 30th birthday recently, it will also be drinking to three decades of building a reputation you just can’t buy.

So can the Yamaha get in on that act? That’s a question that can only be answered in good time. As more examples are sold and more get taken to the ends of the earth, any design faults will be blogged quicker than a child eats ice cream at the seaside. A bike that packs up on the Hume Highway is far less of an issue than one that fails halfway up a snow-capped mountain. The catch for Yamaha will be the ease with which information now spreads through the online motorcycle community, and especially the overlanding motorcycle community. Thirty years ago, if your Beemer broke on a faraway continent, only you and the ‘Oo-oo-aa-aas’ knew about it. Now everyone knows about it before the bike’s even ground to a halt.

I’VE SEEN THE FUTURE

Living with the Yammie for a month, it’s clear to see the logic behind the rise and rise of the adventure brigade. With money generation – sorry, speeding detection – only set to get more profitable (sorry, stricter), it’s easy to argue against your $20k going towards the latest and greatest superbike that can do prison-sentence speeds in first gear. But thinking logically, there really isn’t that much of Australia (or the world, for that matter) that’s covered in tar. Why not have a bike that can go anywhere, rather than just down the next street?

I, for one, am convinced. If I was in the market for a new bike, I’d look to the adventure category before any other. And Yamaha’s XTZ1200 Super Ténéré would be top of that list.

Visit the Yamaha XTZ1200 Super Ténéré in Bike Showroom.

SPECS: YAMAHA XTZ1200 SUPER TÉNÉRÉ

ENGINE

Type: Liquid cooled, four-stroke, DOHC, four-valves-per-cylinder, forward-inclined parallel-twin

Capacity: 1199cc

Bore x stroke: 98.0mm x 79.5mm

Compression: 11.0:1

Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection

TRANSMISSION

Type: Six-speed, constant mesh

Final drive: Shaft

Clutch: Wet