Yamaha XTZ660

When we tested the XTZ1200 Super Tenere earlier in the year, we were immediately impressed with the power, poise and purpose of the elder Tenere. In short, it’s a fantastic bike. But at $19,990, it’s no doubt a premium product.

Weighing in at a more wallet-friendly $13,999, the 660 Tenere is clearly cheaper, lighter and a whole deal less flash. But how important is that in the real world?

The first ride on the ‘baby’ Tenere can leave you, well, unenthused. After all, there’s only so much excitement a single can deliver and the XTZ660’s power delivery is predictably strong and flat but hardly explosive. But then what were you expecting from a mid-sized, dual-purpose bike?

The truth is that you have to search for fun on the 660. But the pay-off is that the more you look the more you find. You stop relying on power alone and start pushing the boundaries of the chassis, suspension and brakes. And once you’re in that mindset, the fun comes naturally.

Without a sea of power to control, your efforts get channelled into braking zones and corners. Min-roundabouts become supermoto-esque chicanes, while corners let you find out just how early you can open the throttle without staring at the stars (or tarmac) if it all goes pear-shaped. All of this is accompanied by a grin that crushes the pads in your helmet.

The ride takes you back to when being a biker was more fun. The narrow width of the bike means that you’ll find yourself at the front of every queue, with more than enough power to keep that advantage as the flag drops, sorry, I mean the lights change.

With the high bars and tall seat height allowing you to lord over other traffic, the nimbleness of the bike makes it great for rider visibility and input. And this feeling of weightlessness is omnipresent, making every command easier to carry out. It doesn’t stop there, either. The cable clutch is as light as the best hydraulic set-up, the steering smooth and direct, and the throttle positive.

This 2011-model XTZ can trace its roots back to the company’s seminal XT500. That model, released midway through the ’70s, heralded the birth of the true ‘go-anywhere’ machine, direct from the showroom floor to virtually whatever terrain you needed to cross. The DNA then flowed through the 550 and 600 versions of the single family.

The latest version shares a similar ‘oil-in-the-frame’ design as the 1976 original, where the oil’s ‘reserve’ gets pumped through the frame’s top tube, before circulating through the engine as normal.

But the $13,999 XTZ660 hasn’t stood still in terms of advances in other technology. The original bike’s twin drum system is now a triple disc affair, hauling the bike up with more power and control than would have been in the wildest dreams of a rider back in the day.

In truth, the braking performance is more because of the bike’s lack of weight, rather than flash monobloc construction or radial mounts. In this respect, the 660 stays true to its forefather’s business-like mantra of just getting the job done with no flash or fanfare. The same can be said of the conventional fork and monoshock. They might not be class leading, but they make for a comfortable and controlled ride under most circumstances.

And talking of comfort, the XTZ is a great place to spend time. The saddle has enough padding to please even the boniest of bums, while not being as soft as an ice-pop in the desert. The screen and headlight surround keep an element of the elements off the rider, while the handguard means fingers and levers don’t lose any car-mirror battles. In short, the XTZ660 is more practical than poise and becomes easier to live with day-to-day as a result.

It’s a shadow player when it comes to noise, too. From the 2-1-2 system comes such an inoffensive purr, you’ll not annoy the neighbourhood on those early starts. Most won’t even know you have a bike…

So there it is. The XTZ660’s not exactly invisible, but doesn’t attract massive attention to itself. And as any of you who have spent years riding different types of bikes will know, riding under the radar is the best way to have fun. And the fun on this Yamaha flows when you ride it to its strengths without just relying on pure power.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke, four-valve single-cylinder
Capacity: 660cc
Bore x stroke: 100mm x 84mm
Compression ratio: 10:0.1
Fuel system: Electronic fuel injection
Emissions: Euro 3
Claimed maximum power: Not given
Claimed maximum torque: Not given

TRANSMISSION
Type: Five-speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame type: Steel tube diamond shaped
Front suspension: Telescopic forks, 210mm travel
Rear suspension: Monoshock, 200mm travel
Front brakes: 298mm discs
Rear brake: 245mm disc
Wheels: Spoked
Tyres: Front 90/90-21, rear 130/80-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 28 degrees
Trail: 113mm
Claimed kerb weight: 208.5kg
Seat height: 895mm
Wheelbase: 1500mm
Fuel capacity: 23 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $13,999
Colours: Power Blue or Midnight Black Test bike supplied by: Yamaha Motor Australia, www.yamaha-motor.com.au
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres