YAMAHA SUPER TENERE ANNOUNCED
Yamaha’s Super Tenere has been oddly absent from the line since the 2014 models showed up. That has finally been corrected. The last of the 2014 Yamahas was just announced, along with the first of the 2015s.
The Super Tenere is a little late but with a good excuse: It brought electronic suspension to the party. It was a good move. Even though the Super Tenere blew us away back in ’11, the adventure bike world went through hyper evolution in a few short years. The BMW R1200GS was a jaw dropper and it was followed quickly with and even more stunning KTM 1190. The Yamaha was surpassed in both horsepower and electronic technology.
The 2014 Yamaha will be available in two versions, standard and ES. Even the standard version gets a number of changes. For one thing, it’s said to have more power, especially on the bottom. Yamaha also fine-tuned its power delivery, providing more disparity between its two modes. The ergos have been tweaked, with a higher, more rearward handlebar mount and an adjustable windscreen. And the instruments have been redesigned.
The Super Tenere is a little late but with a good excuse: It brought electronic suspension to the party. It was a good move. Even though the Super Tenere blew us away back in ’11, the adventure bike world went through hyper evolution in a few short years. The BMW R1200GS was a jaw dropper and it was followed quickly with and even more stunning KTM 1190. The Yamaha was surpassed in both horsepower and electronic technology.
The 2014 Yamaha will be available in two versions, standard and ES. Even the standard version gets a number of changes. For one thing, it’s said to have more power, especially on the bottom. Yamaha also fine-tuned its power delivery, providing more disparity between its two modes. The ergos have been tweaked, with a higher, more rearward handlebar mount and an adjustable windscreen. And the instruments have been redesigned.
The ES version can alter both damping and preload on command. Yamaha has already developed this technology for its road-going sport bikes and it was an easy transition to the Super Tenere. All of the features that made the bike such a big deal in ’11 are still there. The twin-cylinder engine has a 270-degree crankshaft, which means the crank pins are spaced for somewhat irregular power strokes. That results in better traction, kind of halfway between a twin and a single. It has a six-speed gearbox, adjustable seat height, a six-gallon tank and antilock braking as standard equipment.
Both versions of the bike are arriving at dealerships right now. The standard version will sell for $15,090 and the ES will be $16,190.
As for the 2015 model, it’s a new/old street model called the SR400. Street bike guys will remember the SR500 from the •70s. For old dirt guys, this model will bring back memories of the TT500. The SR400 is almost the same thing, aside from a smaller displacement and fuel injection. It doesn’t have electric start, either. The price is the biggest news about the SR. It will sell for $5990. We’re already thinking about making one into a born-again TT500.
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