YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 Allroad Touring Enduro

YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is very capable allroad touring enduro which is no surprise. The YAMAHA factory has over 3 decades of experience in allroad, offroad and desert rally racing which are all very important and highly beneficiary for the generation of interesting allroad motorcycles such as the smaller Tenere and the big brother YAMAHA XT1200Z SuperTenere 2013. Both of them are exactly in the core of allroad touring enduros being able to explore the hinterland. All the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 basics are in order. The XT660 covers with 3 models the adventure solo rider`s challenges and the XT1200 takes care of the rest. The line of XT660 offers a version with the ABS and one without the touring features for even more demanding challenges, the XT660R.

The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is in every way a traditional adventure touring enduro for challenging routes and long legs with a reasonable payload. The XT660 enjoys the gravel, dirt roads and trails a lot. It is easy to maneuver from side to side. The XT660 is surprisingly offroad capable touring bike, but still it is not a hard core offroad enduro or designed for extreme offroad riding either. Simply the longer gear ratio is made for the road and touring. The suspension travel is long and soft from the nature which is good for gravel and dirt roads, but a little bit too soft for more aggressive tarmac riding. Shorter wheel base together with the torque engine makes wheeling with the 1st and 2nd gear quite easy. The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is a comfortable and easy going allroad touring bike which suits for everyday biking too. Although high speed and heavy loads are not a match with the XT660.

YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 Features

The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 has relative big fuel tank of 23 litres (6.08 gal.) which is in the medium size category rare breed and quite a lot together with the economical single cylinder engine. The refueling range is reasonably around the 500 km / 310 miles depending on the payload, conditions and the fan factors. As a standard the XT660 has cross spoked rims which is absolutely necessary in allroad riding. The wind coverage is quite narrow and not very tall, but it is a reasonable compromise when we are looking at the most natural routing for the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013. Those who need more, there are plenty of fairing accessories and spoilers to extend the windscreen. On the other hand, the side panels of the fuel tank protect the knees very well. The single piece seat with the hump leaves hardly any room for movement back and forward, but as long as the riding is active, the seat is comfortable. By changing the foot pegs to wider offroad pegs and riding in standing posture gives some additional variety and relief for the behind.

The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is a very good basic adventure touring enduro for those who are looking for a sensible alternative with good offroad performance, reliability and simplicity for challenging periphery routes. The key YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 features are:

YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 Instrumentation

The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is a traditional allroad touring enduro with simple basic instrumentation and without any sophisticated riding aid systems. I find that very good. It makes things simpler on the road and the price reasonable. When exploring the backcountry, any unnecessary weight and sensitive electronics in form of a traction or suspension control system is simply vulnerable. Switching the riding aid OFF every now and then can be also irritating. Some of the systems can not be put off at all which is a strange approach. Fortunately the Tenere is not one of those. The XT660Z offers the basic instrumentation with proper fuel monitoring features. The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 digital LCD display provides the following information:

YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 Engine

What makes the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 interesting, is the single cylinder engine which is reliable and resilient. The engine provides very practical torque which is ideal for challenging routes. Although the gear ratios are designed for touring and the gear box is a little bit too fast for extremely slow maneuvering and technically difficult spots. The simple engine structure makes the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 easy to service by any handyman, even on the road as long as the tools are available. Such features are always beneficiary for an allroad touring enduro since they should be able to take you there and back no matter what even, if there are no YAMAHA dealers around. Simple and up to date technology without sophisticated riding electronics can still be a perfect match.

The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 single cylinder engine vibrates at high REVs, but less than a typical single cylinder engine. When cruising at high speed over 120km/h (75 miles), the vibration becomes clearer which is surprisingly late and the YAMAHA has been successful in balancing the rotating forces. Still I would say that the XT660Z is far from comfortable highway touring. Smaller roads and a reasonable touring speed is ideal for the Tenere.

YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 Fuel Tank

Exceptionally the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 has a 23litres (6.08 USgal./ 5.06UKgal.) fuel tank which extends the fuel range considerably, being one the longest in the medium size allroad touring enduro segment without any reserve canisters. This feature has another advantage too. The weight distribution is slightly closer to the center of gravity and balancing the payload at the back. Even with the touring load the XT660Z maintains the balance and offers one of the best agility. Unfortunately there are no low octane fuel settings which would be perfect for this kind of adventure touring machine.

YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 Equipment Accessory

The standard YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is a very basic bike which requires real engine and cooler protection, the center stand, a pair of hand guards, wider offroad pegs and a side pannier set or an all weather tail bag such as the GiantLoop. The front wheel throws mud and stones to the engine and a tall skidplate plus a mud guard extension would be in order. The rear suspension link attachment in the swing is placed quite low and it requires more protection when taking the most challenging routes.

YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 Comparison

Compared to the category leader BMW F800GS Adventure 2013, the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is 21kgs (46,lbs.) lighter, carries 35kgs (77,1lbs.) less payload, provides 37HP / 25Nm less engine performance and offers 1L less fuel on board, but on the other hand it has a better weight distribution and lighter handling features for challenging riding. The XT660Z is slightly more offroad capable than the BMW which is more capable on the road at high speed with heavier payload. Compared to the brother model YAMAHA XT660R 2013, the Tenere is 27kgs (59,5lbs.) heavier, carries 4kgs (8,8lbs.) more payload, offers surprisingly 2Nm less torque, but 8L (2.1USgal.) more fuel on board. The YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is clearly more touring and slightly less offroad capable than the XT660R.

VS YAMAHA XT1200Z SuperTenere 2013

Compared to the big brother YAMAHA XT1200Z SuperTenere 2013, the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is more agile, 53kgs (117lbs.) lighter, carries 19kgs (42lbs.) less payload, provides 62HP / 56Nm less engine performance and has the same 23L (6.08USgal.) fuel tank capacity. Clearly the YAMAHA XT660Z Tenere 2013 is designed for solo riding in more challenging conditions and the big brother for 2 on board in less demanding riding conditions.