The Yamaha Ténéré 700 has to be one of the coolest bikes to roll out of Yamaha’s workshop in the last decade. It’s the kind of machine that feels at home almost anywhere, whether that's on a twisty backroad, a gravel fire trail, or a multi-day adventure into the unknown. But as good as the stock T7 is, Yamaha’s GYTR division has taken it and cranked the volume all the way up.
What started out as a versatile, go-anywhere middleweight ADV has now been transformed into a full-blown rally monster. It’s leaner, meaner, and ready to tear across dunes and forests without slowing down.
If you’ve got a standard T7, you’re already ahead of the curve. But once you see what the GYTR version packs, there’s a good chance you’ll start wondering if your beloved bike just isn’t quite wild enough. That said, let’s take a look at exactly why this just might be the case.
Take the suspension, for starters. The stock bike runs a respectable 43 mm fork with 210 mm of travel and a rear shock offering 200 mm—enough for most trails, and for us mere mortals. Now imagine swapping that out for a 48 mm KYB closed-cartridge fork with 270 mm of plush, rally-ready travel. Out back, a Paioli shock offers a huge 360 mm of movement and full adjustability for high- and low-speed compression. Throw in a 25-way adjustable Scott steering damper and suddenly the GYTR Ténéré isn’t just off-road capable—it’s off-road obsessed.
Then there’s the weight. The standard T7 is no heavyweight, but the GYTR version drops a solid 18 pounds thanks to a redesigned brake setup. Instead of dual front discs, the GYTR runs a single oversized rotor with a new master cylinder. It’s lighter, sharper, and tuned for precise feedback, while the upsized rear disc gives better control when flicking between brake drifts and throttle-steered slides.
Of course, no rally bike is complete without some serious fuel range. The stock T7’s 16-liter tank is fine for most rides, but when you’re out in the wild, more is always better. The GYTR kit adds twin black-painted nylon tanks up front, each with transparent strips so you can keep tabs on your fuel at a glance. Add the rear auxiliary tanks and you’re sitting on a whopping 37.6 liters of total capacity. With that kind of range, fuel stops aren’t just rare—they’re optional.
Protection and ergonomics also get a major glow-up, too. The stock bike’s bash plate and crash bars do the job, but the GYTR version is wrapped in armor built for rally punishment. There’s a full rally tower with mounting points for a roadbook, tripmaster, and all the gadgets serious riders drool over. The bars are higher, the foot pegs wider, and the seat thicker and better padded for those long days riding on the pegs. Every touchpoint has been reworked to keep you locked in and comfortable, even when the trail disappears.
Last but definitely not least is the engine. The stock 689cc CP2 twin is a gem, and is hands down my favorite motorcycle engine. Ever.
It’s torquey, smooth, and plenty responsive with its 73 hp and 68 Nm (around 50 pound-feet) of torque. But with the GYTR Stage 1 Performance Kit, it gets a new lease on life. A larger airbox, foam filter, Akrapovič titanium exhaust, and a remapped ECU bump output to 82 hp. That might not sound massive, but on a bike this light and responsive, you’ll definitely feel it in your butt dyno.
At the end of the day, the Ténéré 700 GYTR doesn’t just raise the bar—it vaults over it and keeps going until the road turns to sand and the horizon disappears. It’s the same T7 at heart, just reimagined through a rally lens. If you’ve ever looked at your own Ténéré and wondered how you could make it even better, well, Yamaha just answered that question.
And now your bike probably feels a little too clean, a little too quiet, and a little too stock. So, are you ready to upgrade yet?
