Yamaha XT 600 Z Tenere: review

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Yamaha XT 600 Z Tenere: review

Permanent slipper

Is the new edition of the Yamaha XT 600 Tenors a child of the desert? After all, Yamaha names last year’s factory machines in the Paris-Dakar Rally as parents.

Pop stars, detergent manufacturers and motorcycle manufacturers all have one problem: when they are on top, they have to stay ahead of the competition. This is how it works for Yamaha, for example. The original Tenere version, named after the worst part of the desert between Paris and Dakar, has found 10,500 buyers in Europe since 1983. What now? So it was a sales success. In spite of this, or maybe because of it, a new model with an extensive list of technical improvements is coming out. The 1986 Tenere should be able to do everything much better. Point one of the changes is noticeable when you sit down. What has remained is the comfortable, well-padded bench. The height of the workplace has changed (860 millimeters). Even chauffeurs who weren’t too bothered by it now have both feet firmly on the ground without the help of curbs or other props. The start-up really has nothing to do with adventure or tough men’s sport. It is done with the help of casual thumb pressure. The electric starter sets the crankshaft in motion via five gear wheels on the left side of the engine housing. This of course requires a fair amount of electricity. And so she got XT 600 Z Tenere a larger twelve-volt battery with twelve ampere hours in the frame triangle.

Available in blue and white: Yamaha XT 600 Z Tenere.

During the first few kilometers of driving through inner-city traffic, it is immediately noticeable that the XT 600 is significantly more light-footed than the rather massive appearance suggests. Even turning maneuvers in the smallest of spaces can be mastered nimbly and without fear of falling. The pilot sits just high enough above the road that he does not have to look into the rear window of the cars in front, but can see confidently over the roof. The XT accepts gas commands with vigorous, yet non-violent use of force. From 2000 tours – including the motor rumbles and jerks ?? accelerates the load pleasantly soft and supple. This thrust lasts up to 6000 revolutions. Then the acceleration curve tilts and the vibrations increase. The unrest of the revised engine does not reach the extent of the previous model; however, the positive character traits have remained.

The new one weighs more

Jump start: starter behind the cylinder based.

The XT four-valve engine wants to be moved between 2000 and 6000 revolutions. Because this is where he feels most comfortable. He deserves one of the top places in his class. The improvements can be explained with technical details: The inlet valves and the two colleagues on the outlet side grew by one millimeter in diameter (inlet 36 to 37, outlet 31 to 32 millimeters). The shape of the combustion chamber is trimmed so that the gasoline / air mixture ignites faster and more effectively. The crankshaft was given a stronger crankpin to improve durability, and the exhaust and intake ports were enlarged. The list can be continued. However, the resulting driving characteristics are more important for the buyer. The new XT edition has a deeper focus. This was achieved by attaching the air filter box over the frame backbone and reducing the tank volume from 28 to 23 liters. In addition, the tank was also pulled down to the side. The better driving characteristics due to the lower center of gravity are particularly evident in the terrain. However, the journey on loose ground must not be started too quickly. A weighty objection is namely the pounds of the by no means lightweight Tenere. It’s 354, or better: 177 kilograms. Not a stick of paper for an enduro, bigger deeds off-road also thwarted the series tires, which are more intended for road use

Protects against moisture, mud and damage: plastic cover for the brake disc.

Even so, the Yamaha cuts a fine figure with occasional detours. Because the spring elements and the frame geometry, almost unchanged from the predecessor, are ideal for use on asphalt or earth. Back to the road, which is the actual area of ​​application of the XT. Tatort Autobahn: high-speed travel with a fluttering Thermoboy. The Tenere, raped into an express train in this way, stubbornly takes its course. No unrest on the handlebars, no straight-line stability can be detected. Even maliciously initiated rolling movements subsidy immediately. The desert ship behaves in an exemplary manner, remains sovereign. Even with brutal use of the somewhat moisture-sensitive, but otherwise quite powerful disc brake. The Tenere front does not dip too deeply, as is often criticized in competing models. The manual force required when braking is quite acceptable. And the moral of the story: The XT is a really well done street enduro that is unnecessarily marketed as a rally racer. But she certainly doesn’t need this sales aid. In conclusion, we can only hope that the motorcycle world will be spared from fully wired enduros, as they appeared in this year’s staging of the Paris-Dakar spectacle on the desert horizon.

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