A lonely hermit, a Bedouin and a nomad - the famous “Japanese”, the permanent winner of the Paris-Dakar rally, was compared with whom. The all-terrain motorcycle received the name “Tenere” in accordance with its endurance, which is so necessary for long-distance trips and two-wheeled tours. This is the name of the most lifeless and desolate area of the Sahara Desert.
Modest and tasteful
The seating position of the Yamaha XT 660Z is quite high and opens up a wide view of everything that is happening ahead, allowing you to calculate a possible strategy. The rigidity of the seat compensates for the softness of the suspension during long travel, giving the ride confidence and comfort.
The engine holds 660 cubic centimeters and is water cooled, which allows it to avoid overheating either high in the mountains or in heavy traffic jams. Despite the fact that this is an enduro, the acceleration is very powerful and fast.
Long-haul transport is excellent due to the more serious chassis and steel frame, which can easily support additional panniers. And the intricate tread pattern adds external charm to this handsome man. Championship on a broken track, riding a Yamaha XT 660Z tenere, is guaranteed to its owner. But to conquer the sand, it is better to have a set of replacement tires, specially adapted for dunes and sand dunes.
The entire general appearance of the motorcycle car against the backdrop of a desert or stone landscape looks like its own. Young bikers are not recommended to try out all the capabilities of this two-wheeled wanderer. Multiple reviews of the Yamaha XT 660Z tenere indicate that controlling this two-centre motorcycle monster, especially at speed, requires experience, dexterity and muscle strength in the arms and legs. The bike is quite sensitive to imperfections in road surfaces ; strong side wind flow requires timely attention and, again, driving experience.
Almost none of the enduro owners find any defects or assembly defects. The presence of an injector explains the absence of a kick-starter “leg,” and the exhaust has two symmetrical mufflers. The exhaust quality complies with EURO-3 standards. The front fork is corrugated, the seat is wide in leather, the engine is in a plastic panel, and in front there is a fairly high windshield.
Design of YamahaXT660Z Tenere
By reviving the bike, the engineers wanted to show the bike as familiar to the user of the early tenere as possible, so most of the parts of the bikes are the same. But there are also differences.
Long travel front fork.
The towing eye is stock.
Steel frame and rigid chassis.
Having added ABS to the stock package, I had to recalculate the suspension . The braking force penetrated the shock absorbers of the old one. The front fork received a stroke of 160 mm for versions with ABS or 210 mm without it. Rear, respectively 145 mm or 200 mm .
Having slightly increased the fuel tank by only 3 liters, the developers redesigned the fuel system, which increased the range from one refueling to 600 km if not “annealed”.
For comparison, the distance from Moscow to Kursk is 520 km , to St. Petersburg - 700 km .
Exterior
The external body kit of the motorcycle has received a more pronounced enduro look.
Front end
Stock windshield.
The headlamp grille is available as an option.
Mixed type dashboard.
- The windshield looks unusual . It is not attached to the body kit according to the canons of the genre, but covers it starting from the lower technological opening and continues upward, having an average length for a road bike. Behind it is the head optics and instruments. Snooze signals are LED candles on the sides of the motorcycle.
- The mirrors are spaced wide apart, showing the situation well. The high seating position of the motorcycle, as well as the long mounting posts, will not create problems with the ears of passenger cars.
The mirrors are large enough to not protrude beyond the steering grips.
- When it comes to protecting the fork from dirt, the motorcycle has no competitors . In addition to the standard covers along the wheel, the rest of the part, going to the beam, is dressed in a corrugated pipe. The stock front fender was cut down in size.
- For those who are afraid that dirt will fly onto the engine, you can install from the old version. All hinges, wheel size and position remain the same. The crankcase cover received additional massive protection against impacts when driving over rocks.
The metal plate also covers the oil pipe, which runs exactly under the crankcase.
Back view.
- The design of the rear body kit has been revised for new tasks. Tourists often have side panniers attached to them, so a pair of exhaust pipes were taken out on both sides and lifted and pushed under the saddle—the cans don’t get in the way. To prevent them from moving, each one is secured with a light clamp to the frame.
Back view.
LED flashlight.
Double seat.
Trunk plate.
Additional trunk case.
Full body kit.
- The rear optics unit neatly protrudes from under the body kit. LED candles on the sides, stop and clearance diodes in the center. They also took care of the rear carpet; there is enough space, but it, like the side ones, was not included in the stock package - to save money.
All other solutions were standard and differed little from the first tenere.
Yamaha XT660Z - Brief Review
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere / Yamaha XT660Z Tenere
Few touring enduros can match the off-road performance of the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere. The successor to the Dakar series of motorcycles, the XT660Z combines the unique qualities of its racing predecessors in a more comfortable, “cultivated” version. The versatility of this enduro is enviable - the Tenere series is equally good at operating on desert routes with sandy surfaces, on a flat highway and in the city.
The heart of the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere is a 48 hp 660 cc engine that delivers high performance. The energy-intensive suspension is equipped with corrugations to protect against liquids. Its characteristics, combined with a 260-mm ground clearance, allow you to confidently overcome difficult terrain changes, rocky roads and comfortably move on highways. The 23-liter tank emphasizes practicality and suitability for long-distance travel.
The rider is protected from the wind by a front half-fairing. A comfortable fit, a soft saddle, an aerodynamic windshield and a large list of available touring gadgets made the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere more comfortable for travel. Optional aluminum cases can withstand any drop and keep your cargo intact.
Specifications
The bike's engine received several changes at once.
- The first tenere is the third generation of engines in the XT line, the new bike is the fifth .
- The fifth valve , has disappeared from the technological diagram .
- The fuel supply system has changed - the engine becomes fuel injection .
The main changes were applied at the turn between the third and fourth generations. But overall the concept has remained unchanged.
Engine – left view.
Engine – right side view.
It was a 1-cylinder, 4-stroke engine.
- working volume - 660 cm3;
- power - 48 hp;
- number of valves - 4;
- cylinders - 1;
- cooling - liquid;
- fuel supply - Mikuni 44 mm injector;
- ignition - TCI;
- start - electric starter;
- fuel tank - 23 l.
Transmission and clutch
The chassis has not received any changes:
- 5-speed gearbox;
- Multi-disc clutch;
- Main drive chain.
Brakes
ABS has become the main highlight of the new product.
Front brakes - two discs.
Rear brakes - single disc.
For this reason, the diameter of the front pair of discs became 298 mm , the rear - 245 mm . Support and type have not changed.
Brief history of the model
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere (Europe).
Factory designation
: 11D1.
2009 - no significant changes.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere (Europe, South Africa, Australia).
Factory designation
: 11D2, 11D3.
2010 - no significant changes.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere (Europe, South Africa, Oceania).
Factory designation
: 11D4, 11D6, 11D7.
2011 - appearance of modifications with ABS.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere + ABS (Europe, South Africa, Oceania).
Factory designation
: 11D8, 11D5, 56P1.
2012 - no significant changes.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere + ABS (Europe, South Africa, Oceania, South America).
Factory designation
: 11D9, 11DA, 2BD1, 2BD2, 2BE1, 56B3.
2013 - no significant changes.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere + ABS (Europe, South Africa, Oceania, South America).
Factory designation
: 2BD3, 2BD4, 2BE2, 56B5.
2014 - no significant changes.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere + ABS (Oceania, South America).
Factory designation
: 2BD5, 56B6.
2015 - no significant changes.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere + ABS (Europe, South Africa, Oceania, South America).
Factory designation
: 2BD6, 2BD7, 2BD8, 2BE3, 2BE4, 2VD1, 56B7.
2016 is the last year of production.
Model
: Yamaha XT660Z Tenere (Oceania, South America).
Factory designation
: 2BD9, 56B8.
Driving performance
According to the developers, the restored tenere was supposed to be a little slower and accelerate a little faster.
The instructions stated a speed of 160 km/h .
Acceleration to hundreds
Acceleration to 100 km/h according to the same instructions - 5.7 seconds .
Fuel consumption
The declared fuel consumption was supposed to be up to 4 liters per 100 km . As always, the actual numbers depended on the quality of the canvas.
Between the rains...
Somehow the second half of September was not at all good in terms of weather, it got colder and there was a lot of rain. The weather has become unpredictable, the rains can be so localized that sometimes it rains on the next street, but here we have the sun. A lot of mushroom pickers have appeared in the forests, and sometimes traffic jams form from cars exporting mushrooms, yes, I myself found it funny to listen to two “rams” arguing about who should give way, it’s easier with a motorcycle, you can try driving through the bushes. This weekend we decided to warm up the engines and take a ride on the enduro track near Kyiv. Local endurists built it themselves, in a rather interesting place, with many climbs and good sand, falling on it is not so painful. There are special sections on the track with logs, jumps and wheels, we decided to just look at the track, there is no point in going there with elephants. It turned out to be such a video, we were just having fun, without a hint of professionalism.
Dimensions and weight
Even by its very appearance, the XT660Z Tenere demonstrates the impressive potential of a real SUV without any reservations.
In general, all dimensions of the new bike have become slightly larger than the original:
- curb weight - 215 kg .
- length - 2,245 mm ;
- width - 865 mm ;
- height - 1,480 mm.
- seat height - 900 mm .
- ground clearance - 262 mm .
- wheelbase - 1,502 mm .
For whom is it intended?
The high seating position and sale only in Europe and Latin America meant that the motorcycle would only be comfortable for a person of average or above average height.
A high-mounted saddle gives a verdict - there is no place for “short people” here!
Video
- A quick look at the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere motorcycle.
- A short test of the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere motorcycle.
Yamaha XT660Z Tenere
- medalist and winner of the famous Paris-Dakar race. The feeling of personal impunity is present from the first meters of the ride behind the wheel of the Yamaha XT660Z Tenere. The main thing is not to get carried away and not to become impudent - the rules of the road are the same for everyone! And it’s better to release the energy somewhere on a difficult journey, since this enduro was created specifically for long journeys.
The seating position on the XT660Z is high, from above you cover the entire flow and perfectly “read” all the intentions of the cars on the track. The seat is quite hard, but the soft long-travel suspension makes riding this motorcycle extremely comfortable.
The Yamaha XT660Z Tenere 660 cc water-cooled engine ensures you won't overheat in traffic or when conquering mountain passes. The dynamics of acceleration are simply hurricane-force for a motorcycle of this class; you get less adrenaline from running this enduro and slalom in traffic jams than on a sportbike.
Fans of long-distance travel will be pleased with the durable steel frame and reinforced chassis; those who are also thinking of buying a Yamaha XT660Z Tenere for long-distance travel will like the ability to install large panniers on the frame. On a broken road, where all other motorcycles and cars crawl like turtles, you can go far ahead on this Yamaha.
Flaws
- High center of gravity.
- Very soft suspension.
- Vibrations.
and dignity
The energy-intensive suspension of the motorcycle absorbs all road irregularities well. However, you can ride this bike without breaking the road at all.
- Ease of maintenance.
- Reliability.
- The seating position allows you to see the traffic situation “over the heads” of passenger cars.
Takar 2014 or better than mountains there can only be mountains
Last year we managed to organize a wonderful format of a motorcycle rally, not the usual come and get drunk, no, everything is different when there are mountains and enduro-tourist motorcycles nearby. After all, they were created for this purpose: to conquer bad roads and enjoy the beauty of the world around them. This year the program was slightly expanded, the route was thought out more interesting, there were mountains, rivers, fords, ascents and descents, and high-speed serpentine roads, and stones from the mountain, and just “goosebumps” beautiful landscapes. Many thanks to the organizer and everyone who helped, although we all helped little by little, since the event was not at all commercial. I suggest watching the video
and some photos
Soils along the Dnieper Upland
Spring... I fell in love with this time back when I was in the army, because in the spring you go home, because in the spring you throw off your heavy clothes, and now spring is also an opportunity to enjoy a motorcycle. Everyone gets this pleasure in their own way, some just “roll out” to a cafe, some “shoot through” the night avenues, others just go for a ride, but we... we just like to ride a little on dirt roads. And so, we decided to go to the village of Trakhtemirov, which is located on the Dnieper Upland, on a peninsula formed by a sharp bend of the Dnieper on the banks of the Kaniv Reservoir. Just a short video report.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=J7c2SYFi4fQ
Takar 2013 or better than mountains there can only be mountains.
After traveling to Georgia, I somehow felt very sad, I wanted to go on the road again. It also happened that Alpik left me, he has a new owner, and I was lucky enough to buy a Yamaha XT660Z Tenere. Everything happened spontaneously, unexpectedly and was decided in a couple of days, as they say, I just kept the flow. I’ll write a separate post about my impressions. In the meantime, a little story about how the Transalpovody or the first long-distance trip on Tenerka got together. It all started back in the winter, the Takar (Trans-Carpathian Raid) event was invented as a reason to meet in real life, discuss and ride together in the mountains. It was immediately decided to move away from the standard rally. There were people who acted as organizers (Doc, thank you, I’m still impressed). We set a time and place for the meeting. You can see how it all went in this slightly long video:
