[UPDATE October 24, 2025: Looks like Australia is getting the updated World Raid for 2026 too, which is great news for Aussie adventure fans who are looking forward to it! The bad news might be the pricing, though. In case you're wondering, the price in Australian dollars will reportedly be a cool $27,349 for this up-spec T7. In US money, if you wondered, that's equivalent to about US $17,796 at the time of writing.]
If you know anything about the history of adventure bikes, as a genre, then you know that French riders have been right there, pushing the limits from the start. After all, there's a reason why it's a very specific nation with a blue, white, and red flag that initiated the world-famous Paris-Dakar Rallye all the way back in the late 1900s.
So it's probably no surprise that Yamaha's tricked-out Ténéré 700 World Raid has been a French-market exclusive since the beginning. Sure, some of us who live outside the land of baguettes and unbelievable cheeses might grumble about it under our breath, but at the same time, I think we also understand basic math. If we're honest with ourselves, would Yamaha be able to justify the sales it would make of a World Raid in other markets? Maybe, but it seems unlikely.
As you'd expect with the World Raid, which is a machine that gets the best of everything Yamaha has to offer for the T7, including a bunch of extra fuel capacity, it's not cheap.
It's also not unreasonable, given what you get; but it's not exactly couch-cushion money, either. If you look at Yamaha's current Financing Simulation (for real, that's what it's called), it currently only has information available for the 2024 World Raid, which carried an MSRP of €12,999.00 (about US $15,081 at the time of writing). It doesn't list an MSRP for the 2026 one yet, but the base 2026 T7 carries an MSRP of €11,199.00 (about US $12,993), so it's reasonable to assume that the World Raid will be a bit more.
But lest I get ahead of myself, let me tell you what the 2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid gets, and then you can be the judge.
Behold All The Tasty Upgrades On The 2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid
If you're unfamiliar with the previous World Raid models, part of their appeal is that they have greatly enhanced fuel carrying capacity. After all, how are you supposed to go on a World Raid if you have a comparatively tiny tank? Not very conducive to adventures off the beaten track, is it? I thought not.
Anyway, the 2026 World Raid has a total capacity of 23 liters of fuel across two side-mounted, interconnected aluminum fuel tanks, which Yamaha says are a full 1.5 kilograms lighter in weight than the previous model. For those playing along in the US, that's 3.3 pounds. Maybe not a huge amount in and of itself, but every little bit of weight reduction counts, especially if it's relatively high up on the frame like the fuel tanks are. Generally speaking, you want less weight, and what weight you have, you want lower down on the bike for easier handling.
What's more, the 2026 World Raid gets a new, fully adjustable KYB suspension front and rear. There's a 46mm front fork, as well as a KYB Monocross rear shock with 220mm of travel. There's also a new 16-level-adjustable steering damper included as standard equipment.
The six-axis IMU allows for rider aids like Yamaha's lean-sensitive traction control, slide control (both have modes, and are able to be switched off completely if you prefer), as well as ABS. The ABS, incidentally, can provide your choice of cornering ABS, front-only (with rear off), or completely off for all your off-road adventuring.
Gallery: 2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid
Other updates that will likely be very welcome include the addition of cruise control and a speed limiter, because your World Raid probably won't only be ridden off road. The seat and tank have also been redesigned to improve ergonomics, though of course how those changes will be received will be up to riders.
The fairings and headlight have been redesigned as well, with a new quad-square look to the LED headlight cluster up front. Additionally, the vertical TFT display is now 6.3 inches and full color. Curb weight is 220 kg (about 485 pounds), which is bang on exactly what Yamaha said the 2024 World Raid weighed. So assuming that isn't a typo (and people do make mistakes, so it could be), then the 1.5kg that it lost in the redesigned fuel tanks was presumably made up elsewhere in the redesign of the 2026 World Raid.
Still, the other upgrades do seem quite nice, and it's hard to argue with the livery they've chosen for this colorway, which Yamaha is calling Redline White. You could also choose the more stealth option of Midnight Black as your colorway, but I'm not sure why you would.
If you're in France, are you looking forward to getting your hands on a 2026 World Raid? If you're outside of France, how much do you want one? Tell us about it in the comments.
