Body: Yamaha XT 660 Z Ténéré
Not everyone will agree, thanks to the colorful diversity in this world, but personally, I believe that the most beautiful motorcycle stories are written where ATVs, with the exception of tractors, are rarely ridden. On asphalt that hardly deserves the name, or even where the smooth gray surface ends and torn rubble shines in front of the rider, which is why I was very impressed with the first pictures of Ténéréjka presented last year. Yes, finally, but what kept you from letting us wait so many years?
Finally (on the outside at least) a true rally car, of course adapted for use by the average non-orange adventurous mortal. Looking at the test beauty, many noted that it is easy to paint it in the colors of the KTM Dakar Rally team. The seat with high seats, the vertical grille with very sharp strokes, the right size windshield and the dashboard behind it are very similar in position and shape to the navigational aids from the desert trials. And a wide steering wheel, rough protective plastic on the sides, measured protection of the stomach and even a side block (so that the brake pedal does not break the “girl” when falling), a narrow silhouette from a bird's eye view. peephole and a pair of mufflers under the rear seat - a real racing car!
But already at the presentation on the World Wide Web, it was clear to me that it did not and did not want to be a machine for overcoming 800-kilometer stages along the dunes. Ah, no coincidence! Look at the front forks and crosses that hold classic telescopes. Narrow rubber-coated pedals, a two-stage seat for two, a brake pedal made from bent sheet metal (rather than lightweight aluminum casting). . We understand each other? The Ténéré is not part of Yamaha's R program and we won't see it at the Dakar Rally except when it's been modified wherever it happens. But hey - that's okay, adventure isn't about adrenaline rushes and rear wheel drive!
Tenere is a horse that will proudly wait in the parking lot in front of your place of work to take you home on the wrong route. With Ténéré between points A and B you will not be looking for lines but curves in all three dimensions, and it is quite possible that somewhere along the way you will decide that B is not even a necessary visit, but you will turn to C or Ž if there is enough time. Just like I rode on the first day of the test, after I caught a grasshopper in Laba in Litiya and ended up torturing keyboards in Ljubljana. . Wow!
Damn, the ass is set high, and the passenger handles are molded from plastic, harder than my knee. Because of the audience, I just grit my teeth, curse that they don’t use knee pads, and leave. Instead of thirty, almost a hundred-third of them fell that day on rubble, and eighty percent of the rest on narrow and winding roads. Where? I'm not saying, see for yourself, (also) that's the beauty of this kind of bike.
A water-filled single-cylinder engine always likes to turn on after a short whistling sound from the starter, without bothering to top up gas or cold start levers. Through two mufflers (you just see the plastic shielding), it emits a muffled drum, sometimes flavored with the characteristic single-cylinder explosion as it sucks in gas. As we are accustomed to with the enduro and supermoto versions of the XT, with which we share a common engine, vibration is minimized. We can feel them, especially at higher revs (up to 170 kilometers per hour!), But compared to the single-cylinder engines of previous generations (like the previous generation LC4), Yamaha's latent vibration is negligible.
The engine, legitimately choked and limited, responds somewhat lazily, but therefore stable and with a very steady increase in power. No shocks when topping up the gas, no sharp braking during takeoff - in a word, the engine is very cultured. It makes no sense to lift it up, but it feels best in the middle rev range (about 5.000 on the analog indicator), and when we do not need acceleration from it, we can also turn two ” jur. Fifth gear is best for driving on a flat road at about 120 kilometers per hour, although it can go much faster.
The problem is that the windshield is set high enough for a motorcyclist of average height to have the wind whirl around his helmet. This is best experienced if you get out of your seat while driving - life's wind resistance will be higher (more intense), but there will be significantly less noise around the helmet. Of course, it is possible to get an extension from accessory suppliers that fixes the problem, and a good helmet always works as a solution.
The seat with red stitching worries about the fact that it does not allow switching back and forth, which is not very good for off-road driving, and sometimes for the road, when the buttocks have enough kilometers to sit and have to sit to the left and correctly, a little more forward and backward. Even a backpack is annoying due to the emphasized shape of the saddle! There are no comments on comfort, with a non-vibrating engine 200 kilometers rushing should not be a problem. If we multiply the measured consumption (5 liters per 3 kilometers of run) by the volume of the fuel tank, then the power reserve will be 100 kilometers! What is commendable, amid the uninhabited expanses, a supply of fuel is vital.
On the road, when you change direction, you can feel that this Yamaha has a high center of gravity. It's okay, the difference quickly disappears into the blood, and around corners is easy and fun. Also passes if necessary. It's a real joy to turn off the road onto the gravel, where the bike feels right at home. As said before, this is not a race car, but it has enough components from the off-road program to be able to drive wherever it is legal. And a bit more. The brakes are good, although I expected more sharpness from two discs, the suspension is soft and a little floating, the transmission is obedient with an average speed and travel rating.
Tenere currently has no real competitors. The BMW F 800 GS is a similar breed, but at least three-thousandths more expensive, KTM has already retired its single-cylinder Adventure from the program, but the new one, the Aprilia Pegaso Trail, is not - yes, this one is even closer to it, but works like a juvenile pauper (no offense ). If you are familiar with the method of exploring the world on two wheels from the introduction and are not going to imitate Cyril Despres with it, the choice will be right. Now we are waiting for the version with the adjective super. Maybe back in 2010?
Test car price: € 6.990 (special price € 6.390)
engine: single-cylinder, four-stroke, 660 cm? , four valves, electronic fuel injection.
Maximum power: 35 kW (48 KM) at 6.000/min.
Maximum torque: 58 Nm @ 5.500 rpm
Energy transfer: Transmission 5-speed, chain.
Frame: steel pipe.
brakes: two coils ahead? 298mm, rear coil? 245 mm.
Suspension: front classic telescopic fork, 210 mm travel, rear single shock absorber, 200 mm travel.
Tires: 90/90-21, 130/80-17.
Seat height from ground: 895 mm.
Fuel tank: 23 l.
Wheelbase: 1.505 mm.
Weight with liquids: 206 kg.
Representative: Delta Team, Cesta krških žrtev 135a, Krško, 07/4921444, www.delta-team.com.
We praise and reproach
+ sporty, durable look
+ useful, flexible engine
+ usability in simpler terrain
+ price
+ fuel consumption
– Suspension too weak for more serious off-road adventures
– distinct saddle seat
- which horse will no longer cause harm
– swirling air around the helmet
Matevj Hribar
photo: Aleш Pavleti,, Simon Dular
Basic data
Test model cost: € 6.990 (special price: € 6.390) €
Technical information
engine: single-cylinder, four-stroke, 660 cm³, four valves, electronic fuel injection.
Torque: 58 Nm @ 5.500 rpm
Energy transfer: Transmission 5-speed, chain.
Frame: steel pipe.
brakes: front spool Ø 298 mm, rear spool Ø 245 mm.
Suspension: front classic telescopic fork, 210 mm travel, rear single shock absorber, 200 mm travel.
Fuel tank: 23 l.
Wheelbase: 1.505 mm.
Weight: 206 kg.
We praise and reproach
sporty, reliable look
useful, flexible engine
ease of use in lighter terrain
price
fuel consumption
too weak suspension for more serious off-road adventures
distinctly seat saddle
which horse will no longer hurt
swirling the air around the helmet
