Yamaha have unveiled a long distance, off-road adventure focused version of their Ténéré 700, which joins the BMW F850GSA in the land of the supertankers.
Until now, if you wanted a really long range middleweight you had to go for the BMW, or opt for something with slightly less fuel capacity such as the KTM 890 Adventure R, both of which are considerably more electronically bedecked.
Now Yamaha are hoping those who want to go a long way without too much of a fuss will be tempted by this new big-tanked World Raid edition.
The biggest change comes in the bodywork and running gear, with most focus on the new tanks. Gone is the previous single 16-litre tank in favour of dual side-mounted items, which boost overall capacity to 23 litres.
Terrain and riding style dependent, a fuel range of around 300 miles isn’t inconceivable. Despite the additional weight, Yamaha say weight distribution and centre of gravity remain the same, while the new shape helps riders move around.
The additional range will be a welcome change for many riders – we’ve had the fuel light on in as light as 120 miles on our test bikes – although the additional weight might not please everyone.
The other big chassis change comes in the suspension, with new forks and a new piggyback shock both increasing suspension travel by 20mm.
Up front, the 43mm KYBs are adjustable for preload, rebound and compression damping while a new coating is claimed to reduce internal friction.
At the rear a revised linkage along with that new piggyback shock (also fully adjustable) should provide a more progressive feel to the rear wheel travel, while a new rubber bump stop ought to reduce jarring if you bottom it out.
For a little more front wheel stability, Yamaha have kitted the new machine with an Öhlins steering damper, with a full 18 clicks of adjustment.
Despite it being known as a back-to-basics, pure adventure bike, Yamaha have boosted the electronics on the new World Raid model. For a start the bike now has a 5in colour TFT dash, which can connect to a smartphone for notifications, although it stops short of music or navigation control.
The Raid also brings a new three-mode ABS set up, cycling through On, Rear Wheel Off and Fully Off, which you can choose based on your skill and the terrain.
