Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1414541
VOLUME 58 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 P91 W H A T D O W E T H I N K ? argue against. Haters here are simply too intimidated/busy to learn the buttons because every traction and brak- ing system on the KTM 890 works, and works well. The KTM can out-mileage just about anything compa- rable thanks to great fuel economy and capacity, and it can match the nimblest of ADV tools in the technical terrain due to fantastic weight distribution. Pony up some more cash for Rally suspension and the bike can, and has, competed in serious off-road racing. So, if we're keeping track here, it has the chops to go hard, and the technology on board to outperform just about any- thing across the board. KTM's 890 platform has matured from the 790's early production woes of leaky shocks and smoking clutches. Now, it is a proven, durable tool that has a serious sport side looking to compete. It's more hard-edged, less com- fortable in the wind and sort of wants to ride pissed off all the time to really party. So, if that's not for you... So, why would you choose the Yamaha Tenere 700 in this matchup? Because you despise electronic interven- tion (even if it helps you), you want the best looking ADV machine available, and you really like not spending more than $10,000. For this, the Yamaha is wonderful. This bike is under $10K—that still surprises me when I look at it. It provides a truly affordable platform to get off-the-grid with your rid- ing, and it looks great doing it. I absolutely love the way the Yamaha Tenere 700 looks. Now, the T7 cannot com- pete against the KTM 890 in very many performance areas, except price and the omis- sion of menu items. And that should be okay to Tenere 700 buyers. They're not looking for menu items. They're looking for simplicity and a $10,000 price tag. The Yamaha does fall short in braking performance, suspension capability and outright engine output, but it's a smaller engine, so that makes sense. I can't defend the other two shortcomings. The beauty of the Yamaha CP3 motor is hard to hate. It is massively fun, smooth and torquey—perfect for a bike that doesn't have traction control. The Tenere is also arguably more comfortable with a better gap from foot- peg to seat and much better wind protection from its rally-inspired fairing/wind- screen. For this, the Tenere is the good-looks leader and is the most comfortable on the road. However, it has a few chinks in its affordable/at- tractive armor as mentioned above. Plus, it desperately needs more fuel range, and the fuel that's in it is high and heavy, making the seemingly simple and nimble bike sur- prisingly awkward if it starts to tip over. In summary if you're shop- ping between these two bikes, the differences are clear. And the price difference is even clearer, matching those differ- ences. You need to do most of the work deciding on who you are, and what you really want to ride. For me, I've tasted the sweet extra performance the KTM is providing, and I'm not prepared to go back to not having it on the menu, so I'm taking the KTM here. But, if you're not as performance-bi- ased, are disinterested in the tech, and simply don't want to spend the extra cash, the Yamaha is the clear way to go.