YAMAHA TENERE 700
YOU ONLY KNOW WHAT YOU KNOW Coming from years of commuting on my MT-07 I thought I knew the Yamaha CP2 engine . I truly thought I understood what it was capable of , how it reacted and how it handled . Yes , you may recall that my MT-07 was a LAMS model , so it only had the 655cc engine instead of the full fat 689cc version of the T700 , but how much difference could that really make , right ? Well , it turns out it ’ s a LOT . Forget for a minute that the T700 has different fuel mapping , a different frame , different ... ummm everything , and let me compare an apple to a pear for a moment . Riding the MT-07 , I could get it to lift a front wheel in first gear , maybe in second if I was having a really good day and all the moons were aligned . The T700 on the other hand , has the power to lift the front wheel in first and second , and even third if you know what you ’ re doing . Yes , I ’ m aware that gearing plays a role in this , but theres a big difference I can feel in the engine . It just has , well , bigger balls . Not that I ’ m doing that sort of thing on public roads mind . Ohh no , that would be reckless . And I ’ m a father now , and an upstanding member of the community . I ’ ll give you a moment to wipe that mouthful of coffee off the screen ...
MORE TORQUE , MORE GEAR OPTIONS My MT-07 had a six-speed gearbox , and it always intrigued me as to what sixth gear was actually for . The bike needed to be doing 120km / h for it to be of any use , so great if you live in Europe . But here in NZ with our 100km / h limit I felt I was labouring the engine if I tried to do
KIWI RIDER 103