Yamaha XTZ1200 Super Tenere

This entry is part 6 of 320 in the series Adventure Rider Issue #1

The Super Tenere is a comfortable long-distance mount that’ll haul plenty of luggage.It’ll cope well with forestry and dirt roads.

For such a big bike, the XTZ1200 can tackle some single track with surprising results.

Any bike carrying around the moniker ‘Ténéré’ has a huge history to live up to. Yamaha’s heavy hitter in the adventure game carries that history, and a hefty load of comfort and leading-edge technology, with ease.

Yamaha has taken a two-pronged attack to the adventure market with the XTZ660 Ténéré and, more recently, the XTZ1200 Super Ténéré. Released in Australia in late 2010 as a 2011 model, it set diehard Yamaha off-road hearts racing. Here was a name most potential buyers associated with the carefree, big-fun days of their youth, but that bristled with modern updates like liquid-cooling, an 1199cc in-line twin, shaft drive, traction control and ABS.

Yamaha’s design team has also done a brilliant job of centralising the mass of what’s undeniably a big bike, and once the wheels are in motion, the XTZ conveys a sense of stability and composure on broken tar and dirt roads that’s hard to beat.

Where did we take it

We ran the Super Ténéré over a series of rough tar roads, flowing dirt tracks and a couple of tough, washed-out fire trails for good measure. Apart from a few lunatic diehards, that’s about the type of riding we reckon the huge majority of owners will be looking for on this bike.

Due to recent rains, the roads and tracks in the riding area were a dishevelled series of undulations and potholes.As it turned out, they were the perfect testing conditions for the big Yammy to show off its abilities in the natural hunting ground of the bigbore adventure tourer.

Engine

The 1199cc motor in the XTZ makes strong, progressive power and delivers it in such a way that the bike feels capable of effortlessly crossing the continent. The 270-degree crank formation gives the bike a unique character, but one that’s easy to adapt to. For those with Yamaha history, it’s the same formation and firing order that was in the fabulous TRX850, and then the TDM900. The crank angle makes the parallel twin feel like a V-twin, with a char acteristic lazy, tireless, long-legged lope, but somehow still delivering enough sting to make the thing a real pleasure. It’s now a tried and tested configuration with no obvious drawbacks.

Traction control is built in, but to be honest we switched it off early in our test and the bike was so smooth and tractable that controlled slides in the dirt were easy.

It’s a very interesting experience to ride with good traction control. When it’s working properly, the rider won’t notice it a lot of the time. On wet and slippery roads the Ténéré throttle can be cracked open and the bike drives away nicely. If it weren’t for the flickering light on the dash, you’d never know the rear wheel was losing traction under power. It’d be interesting to compare rear-tyre life with and without traction control.The bike we rode was fitted with a GYTR exhaust and the rumble it generated wasn’t dissimilar to the throaty roar of a V-twin superbike. If we had a Ténéré in the shed, this exhaust would definitely be on the shopping list.

Suspension and handling

At 261kg ready-to-ride, this is certainly a big bike, but it handles the weight well. Good geometry and solid suspension result in a very stable handling package. You do feel the weight at slower speeds, but get the bike rolling along on a dirt track or lumpy tar road and it’s composed and inspires plenty of confidence. If the pace picks up beyond sensible speeds it’s possible to overwhelm the suspension on rough ground, but that’s a fair price to pay for a bike that feels so good when things are The ABS has three settings and features a ‘unified braking system’ that offers a controlled mix of frontand-rear application no matter what you grab and stomp in a panic. On paper the technology may sound like it runs the risk of overruling the rider input, but it’s done well on this bike and doesn’t feel that way, except in extreme situations.

Ergonomics and comfort

Park your bum on the wide, well-supported seat and it’s hard not to envisage this bike conquering distant horizons. Sitting or standing, the XTZ1200 is comfortable, and realistically there are few things to complain about. The screen worked well during our test and is wonderfully easy to adjust. A screwdriver or pocketknife will alter the height in a minute or two. Generally things fell to hand nicely, engine vibration was minimal, and it’s a very plush and comfortable ride.

Off-road ability

Riding big bikes in the dirt requires a confident approach, but it’s surprising where the Yamaha will go with no more than a steady hand and some decent line selection. Ground clearance is respectable at 205mm, but like most big bikes, getting carried away can lead to mischief. Having followed one into the rock garden that is the Sundown National Park, I’ve seen they’re certainly capable when the tar ends, and considerably more so than the spec sheet would indicate.

Still, there’s no pretending this is a trail or enduro bike. It’s big, heavy, comfortable and powerful, and Yamaha has a good range of accessories including a high screen, handguards, crash bars, lighting kits and heaps more. Anything Yamaha doesn’t have, companies like Touratech and B&B have by the truckload.

It’s a big-bore adventurer alright. And a good one.

Yamaha XTZ1200 Super Tenere
Web: www.yamaha-motor.com.au Rec retail $19,999+ORC.

Engine Type: Liquid cooled, 4-stroke DOHC 4 valve,forward-inclined parallel 2-cylinder with YCCT and traction control
Displacement: 1199cc
Bore/Stroke: 98.0mm X 79.5mm
Compression ratio: 11:1
Lubrication system: Dry sump
Fuel management: Fuel injection
Ignition: TCI
Engine Management: EFI, YCC-T, D-mode
Starter: Electric
Fuel tank capacity: 23 litres
Oil capacity: 4.2 litres
Final Transmission: Shaft drive with hypoid
gear design
Transmission: Constant mesh, six-speed
Length: 2250mm
Width: 980mm
Height: 845mm
Seat height: 845mm
Wheelbase: 1540mm
Suspension travel: 190mm front and rear
Brakes front: Dual disc 310mm, ABS + unified
braking system
Brakes rear: Single disc 282mm, ABS + unified
braking system
Tyre front: 110/80 x 19
Tyre rear: 150/70 x 17
Ground clearance: 205mm
Wet weight: 261kg