by Howard Mellet

In these commercially troubled times for the motorcycle market, sales of adventure bikes are among the most buoyant. BMW dominates the charts with its GS range of dual sport machines, while KTM plays an important but supporting role. It’s no secret that Yamaha has been eyeing this sector and is determined to take a slice of the lucrative pie

The weapon Yamaha chose to spearhead its attack on the adventure bike market is the impressive, all-new XT1200Z Super Ténéré which had its world launch right here in South Africa recently. The Ténéré has its genesis in Yamahas prepared for the brutal and unforgiving Paris-Dakar rally. It is named after the Ténéré desert in North Africa, one of the most inhospitable regions on the planet. Does the bike live up to this image? Most certainly. A run down the specification sheet left me in no doubt as to the degree of seriousness with which Yamaha is taking its quest to produce an all-conquering adventure machine.

The latest technology is very much in evidence. For example, the all-new 1 199cc liquid-cooled parallel twin engine features a 270-degree crankshaft – a ‘cross plane’ design similar to that found on Yamaha’s R1 superbike. A huge amount of stump-pulling torque is the most obvious benefit, perfect for the toughest off-road challenges.
The electronic controls are right up-to-the-minute with a ‘fly-by-wire’ throttle – also similar to the R1 – and a three-mode traction control system.
There are two engine performance maps; an economy or touring mode for cruising and a sport mode capable of delivering razor sharp throttle response and all the power the impressive engine can muster. Also under the technology heading comes the ‘trick’ unified braking system, controlling front and back brakes from the handlebar, unless the back brake is applied first. There’s also an ABS system that’s a fixture – it can’t be turned off.
ABS, I accept, is a boon on tar, particularly in the wet. But I got a cold chill when I remembered just how unstable bikes I’ve ridden with activated ABS systems are in off-road conditions. What was I in for?
With the seat in the standard setting (845mm) I found the Yamaha quite tall – very much like the standard BMW GS 1 200, but not as tall as the GS Adventure. And like the Beemers, all the controls are ergonomically correct and fall easily to hand. I was given a heads-up by Yamaha PR man Adrian Bac who warned of the quite heavy wet (full tank) weight of 261Kg. He said I shouldn’t be discouraged by this, however, as the mass was well positioned, low down to aid manoeuvrability.
What’s more, he had been doing some unofficial weight testing of the Ténéré’s opposition. Despite quoting lighter wet weights, he said, they were practically a lot closer to the Yamaha’s figure. The playing fields are level then...
Unfortunately, I couldn’t ride the dirt roads on first acquaintance with the Yamaha, having to use the big twin for commuting for a day or two first. But this gave me a good opportunity to get to know the machine in the urban jungle, where I guess many will spend most of their time.
I can confirm that the bike is very easy to ride in traffic. Being quite narrow (without the panniers) it tackles diminishing gaps between cars with ease. The flexible motor produces a lot of low-down punch and this characteristic, combined with a silky clutch action and a superb gearbox with positive shift, makes it an ideal commuter.
Out on the highway, it’s more of the same. The motor is virtually vibration-free, thanks to balancer shafts, and quiet. It will cruise effortlessly at 140-150km/h and top speed is excellent – I managed over 200km/h. Buffeting was minimal, thanks to the well designed, height-adjustable screen.
On tar, I had no qualms about throwing the bike around, even exploring its ABS system which worked perfectly. The suspension is fully adjustable, front and rear, but I left it as Adrian had set it, probably a compromise between on- and off-road. The long travel was not ideal (I should have taken time to wind on some preload and beef up the damping), but it was marvellous on dirt, especially on the rough track I’d chosen which was almost as badly potholed as Johannesburg’s tar roads!
What about the ABS on the loose stuff? I must confess to taking things very easy until I was confident in the Yamaha’s stopping ability. I was mindful that the bike was equipped with dual purpose tyres; “70% on-road and 30% off-road”, according to Adrian, a recognised off-road expert.
I needn’t have worried. The ABS was so good it was hardly noticeable. Quite why this is so, I have no idea. Frankly, I was surprised and put it down to the bike’s sophisticated computer controlled electronic ‘brain’ which must be far in advance of anything else, particularly for off-road applications.
The same can be said of the linked braking system. It unobtrusively distributed stopping power between the front and rear wheels – depending on speed and weight distribution – without any conscious input from me. I also enjoyed the traction control system. It was fun to see just how far out of line I could get in each of the three settings. The first is very much a ‘nanny’ setting, but the second and third are fine. I did end up switching it off completely, however, in order to have some serious fun on the looser surfaces I encountered.
I didn’t get to try out the touring mode engine map for any distance. In my opinion, the throttle response is dulled to an unacceptable degree for around-town or off-road riding. But I’m sure it will do a good job on the open road, extending the range of the generous 23 litre tank. In sport mode I was averaging around 6,7 litres/100km, according to the read-out, for a range of well over 300km. Closer to 400km in touring mode maybe?