Yamaha Tenere 700 Explore 2024: Specs & Facts

The Machine's Character

The Ténéré 700 Explore wraps Yamaha's 689 cc parallel twin, 73 hp at 9,000 rpm and 50 lb-ft at 6,600 rpm, in a steel double-cradle frame with a 21-inch front wheel, an 18-inch rear, and 8.9 in (225 mm) of ground clearance. Suspension is adjustable at both ends under an upside-down fork, and the electronics stay deliberately thin: ABS, a TFT dash with smartphone connectivity, an up-only quickshifter, LED lighting. In a middleweight adventure class that keeps stacking on modes and menus, the Explore sits firmly on the mechanical side of that line, and that is the entire point of it.

It carries its 465 lb (211 kg) better than the number suggests, though the 33.9 in (860 mm) seat still asks for a decent inseam. This is a machine for riders who plan a route and then go ride it, not for riders who want the dash making decisions. There is no traction control and no ride modes, so traction management stays with the rider. It ages cheaply: 57 mpg, simple hardware, and a parts catalog deep enough to build whatever you actually need. One caveat before money changes hands. Confirm the 2023-2024 clutch recall work has been completed on the bike you are looking at.

Hard Numbers

Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.

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Key specifications
Power	73 hp (54 kW) @ 9,000 rpm
Torque	50 lb-ft (68 Nm) @ 6,600 rpm
Displacement	689 cc
Engine	Parallel twin
Cooling	Liquid-cooled
Gearbox	6-speed
Final drive	Chain
Fork	Upside-down (USD)
Front brake	282 mm
Front tire	90/90-21
Rear tire	150/70-18
Ground clearance	8.9 in (225 mm)
Front travel	7.5 in (190 mm)
Rear travel	7.1 in (180 mm)
Seat height	33.9 in (860 mm)
Wet weight	465 lb (211 kg)Adventure Bikes Under 500 Pounds Wet →
Fuel capacity	4.2 gal (16 L)
Fuel economy	57 mpg (US)

Equipment check

Chassis

Manually Adjustable Front Suspension Standard
Manually Adjustable Rear Suspension Standard

Comfort

Luggage System Optional

Connectivity

TFT Display Standard
Smartphone Connectivity Standard
USB Charging Port Standard

Drivetrain

Quickshifter Motorcycles With a Quickshifter → Standard

Lighting

LED Headlight Standard

Safety

ABS Standard

Known issues

Clutch recall on 2023-2024 models

drivetrain rare Recall

A manufacturing defect can cause clutch dragging and unintentional movement. Yamaha has issued a recall (NHTSA campaign not yet listed) to replace the clutch steel and friction discs on affected units.

The Expert Benchmark

Where this Yamaha Tenere 700 Explore pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.

What kind of bike this is — character vs. the class

Long-Range Trust

Offroad Credibility

Suspension Range & Load Control

Luggage-Ready Escape Value

Low-Speed Balance

Rider Command While Standing

Torque in the Dirt

This bike Class average

The shape of the Yamaha Tenere 700 Explore — numbers and character vs. the average Adventure

Head-to-head: Yamaha Tenere 700 Explore vs. its rivals

Power

73 hp This bike 48 hp Honda CB500X 76 hp Moto Guzzi V85 TT Evocative Graphics 67 hp CFMOTO 700MT 80 hp Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

Torque

50 lb-ft This bike 32 lb-ft Honda CB500X 59 lb-ft Moto Guzzi V85 TT Evocative Graphics 44 lb-ft CFMOTO 700MT 52 lb-ft Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

Displacement

689 cc This bike 471 cc Honda CB500X 853 cc Moto Guzzi V85 TT Evocative Graphics 693 cc CFMOTO 700MT 659 cc Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

Wet weight

465 lb This bike 434 lb Honda CB500X 505 lb Moto Guzzi V85 TT Evocative Graphics 529 lb CFMOTO 700MT 439 lb Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

Seat height

33.9 in This bike 32.7 in Honda CB500X 32.7 in Moto Guzzi V85 TT Evocative Graphics 31.5 in CFMOTO 700MT 35.9 in Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

The Long-Haul Verdict

Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the Tenere 700 Explore is actually built for.

Aerial view of a winding asphalt road cutting through volcanic terrain on La Gomera, Canary Islands. The road curves through sparse green vegetation with rocky volcanic peaks visible in the background and a settled valley to the left. Clear lane markings, dry climate, partly cloudy sky.

Best motorcycle for Moab?

For slickrock and sand it gives you the 21-inch front, the clearance and the front-end feedback you want. At 465 lb (211 kg) it rewards technique over muscle in the tightest sections.

Made for Kane Creek Recreation Area · Moab · Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area

Best motorcycle for BDR routes?

This is the bike your BDR logistics can be built around: 57 mpg from a 4.2 gal (16 L) tank, hardware simple enough to trust, and enough aftermarket to kit it exactly how you want.

Made for Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route · Southern California Backcountry Discovery Route · Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route

Best motorcycle for Highway 1?

It will string together 200 to 400 mile days of twisties and stay rock steady at highway speed. Accept the tall seat and the missing cruise control and it's a genuinely good scenic-route bike.

Made for Black Hills · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway

Alternatives to the Yamaha Tenere 700 Explore

If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.

Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Yamaha Tenere 700 Explore. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.