Yamaha->ke301 had showcased its mid-weight adventure concept last year and called it the ‘T7 concept’. It was then we knew that the Japanese guys are coming up with a winner in the adventure class for the next year. Then, the brand showcased the ’Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid’ at last year’s EICMA, but for all our dismay, it was still a prototype since they had yet to turn a few knobs more.

Now though, Yamaha has officially confirmed that the Ténéré 700 Adventure Touring motorcycle will be coming to our shores as a 2021 model lineup, but will be hitting the stateside dealers in early summer of 2020. The 700 will be available in the Ceramic Ice, Matte Black, and Intensity White color schemes, with all three models carrying an MSRP of $9,999.

It all started when Yamaha made a few Dakar champions like the original Yamaha XT600Z Ténéré that opened up a slew of possibilities for them to think of making a few for the adventure folks. They soon became some of Yamaha’s best-selling motorcycles, and now the same guys will be making one using the credentials of the MT-07 (FZ-07 previously) naked series.

With the middleweight ADV segment getting hotter by the day, Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 takes on the Brit’s Tiger 800 at its own game. Then there is the all-new KTM 790 Adventure that could possibly put the Tenere down for being too late to the party. Luckily for the Yammy, they have somehow managed to price their ADV at under the $10K park, and this could be their biggest gun to win the war.

Yes, the 698cc parallel-twin “Crossplane Concept” engine might punch 20 fewer horses or lesser grunt than its competition, but it makes it all up with its rugged rally-inspired character that oozes out of this Dakar inspired looks. This is the same engine that runs on the MT-07 naked, which, of course, will be tuned to suit the harshness on the tarmac and dirt, while its mass-centralized layout and low weight contribute to the bike’s agile handling characteristics.

The Ténéré 700 starts off with laced wheels and street-knobbies that make for confident handling and traction. It gets a low 34.6” upswept bench seat to make it accessible to a wider range of riders. Yamaha claims that the lightweight, contoured fuel tank on this one has enough capacity (4.2 gal) to take the bike beyond any competition can and is contoured to give excellent ergonomics. USD 43mm forks and rear monoshocks will be handling the undulations while dual, twin-piston Brembo calipers provide the needed stopping power.

At the front cowl is equipped with a Dakar-esque 4-projector headlight assembly. Tucked in behind that will be state-of-the-art instrumentation with a mounting bracket to hold your GPS and/or smartphone. Stock handguards and the rally-style screen show us Yamaha’s attention to comfort details that’ll protect your meathooks from weather and terrain/foliage strikes. The rear has a compact taillight tucked away at the juncture of subframe and mudguard, and the underside of the subframe is all sealed up to resist and repel the rear-wheel fling.

With all this, the Ténéré 700 has a lot going on for it to rise through the competition. When it comes down as the 2021 model, the $9,999 price tag will be its biggest sidekick unless the Japanese monikers decide to unleash their developments. Honda might look to bring back the same magic with their Honda Africa Twin ’little brother’, and allow more riders to taste the adventure life.

A complete lineup of Yamaha Genuine Accessories for the 2021 Ténéré 700 is currently in development, and Yamaha dealers will begin receiving both motorcycle and accessory inventory in the early summer of 2020.