Yamaha’s revival started with the 2008 XT660Z Tenere, a delightful 660cc single-cylinder thumper dressed in traditional desert-romping plastics (high screen and seat height, long suspension). The introduction of the XT1200Z Super Tenere carries this adventure theme further.
The big sticking point is the £13,500 price tag, which makes it more expensive than a fully-loaded BMW R1200GS Adventure, over two grand more than a KTM 990 Adventure and just £700 less than the all-singing, all-dancing Ducati Multistrada 1200 S Touring.
As good as the Super Ten is, it can’t live with its rivals in terms of on-road performance, build quality and all-round fun-factor.
In short, it’s way overpriced for what it is.
Engine
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A 1199cc liquid-cooled parallel twin that is just as adept at autobahn speeds as it is lugging rider, pillion and luggage. Performance isn’t ground-breaking but the engine is smooth and there are minimal vibes. Power delivery can also be tamed (not that it needs to be) by switching to Touring mode via a bar-mounted button. Smoother throttle response and claimed improved fuel economy are the result. MotoGP tech features in this engine – by placing the crankshaft closer to the rider and low in the chassis, while maintaining decent off-road ground clearance, the crank’s gyro effect doesn’t intrude on the bike’s steering. Yamaha’s ECU-servo throttle-injection system also figures.
Ride and Handling
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A wet weight figure of 261kg borders on hernia-in-the-making. Well, you’d think so. The truth is the Tenere loses any sensation of bulk when its wheels are turning. Yamaha have got the weight distribution spot on and the only time weight is a problem is backing it out of the garage or picking it up. Surprise of the day was how stable the Tenere is at speed. At 120mph it’s rock steady and can cut an easy swathe through fast A-roads and nadgery stuff. It’s easy to get carried away… What is an absolute pain in the neck and upwards is the savage wind buffeting from the top of what is a very low placed screen. If it wasn’t there you could live with a blast to the body, but the low screen accentuates the noise in the helmet to induce a headache. It is height adjustable via four piddly screws whereas the competition has two easy grip thumbwheels.
Equipment
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The Super Tenere has ay traction control system that is hardly noticeable when it cuts in and can be turned off for off-road use, 2) clever ABS and linked brake system that can measure lever pressure against speed and balance the braking effort between front and rear. Use only the rear brake and its ABS module doesn’t cut in to allow easy/safe turning around in the middle of the road, 3) fuss-free shaft drive, 4) complete pannier system. It doesn’t come with all the toys you can get on the new Mutlistrada and R1200GS Adventure, though.
Quality and Reliability
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Purposeful chassis components… in other words there are a lot of component parts that come out of the same bins as many other Yamaha models – at least we know they work. The new engine should not be feared because Yamaha’s relationship with parallel twins is longstanding. There’s a nasty Rickman fairing-type rubber trim on the tank and for £13,500 rubber brake hoses seem cheap.
Value
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There’s nothing wrong with the Super Tenere other than the price. This is a machine with the same kind of build-quality as a Honda Transalp, which is perfectly acceptable but nowhere near worth its £13,500 price tag. If Yamaha had priced it under ten grand it would be a cracking package, but as it is you can have a lot more from the competition for a lot less.
Insurance
Insurance group: 15
Model History
2010 – XT1200Z Super Tenere First Edition launched
Other Versions
Specifications
| Top speed | mph |
|---|---|
| 1/4-mile acceleration | secs |
| Power | 109bhp |
| Torque | 84ftlb |
| Weight | 261kg |
| Seat height | 845mm |
| Fuel capacity | 23 litres |
| Average fuel consumption | mpg |
| Tank range | miles |
| Insurance group | 15 |
| Engine size | 1199cc |
|---|---|
| Engine specification | Liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4v four-stroke parallel twin. Six gears |
| Frame | Tubular steel backbone frame. Cast ally swingarm with shaft drive. |
| Front suspension adjustment | Fully adjustable |
| Rear suspension adjustment | Adjustable for preload only |
| Front brakes | 2 x 310mm wave discs with 4-piston calipers |
| Rear brake | 282mm wave disc with single-piston caliper |
| Front tyre size | 110/80 x 19 |
| Rear tyre size | 150/70 x 17 |
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