VOLUME 58 ISSUE 39 SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 P93
W H A T D O W E T H I N K ?
you get to really gnarly terrain
and you can lean on them to
get you out of trouble. Rocky
up hills are easily negotiated
with traction control on level
two or three, giving a touch of
wheel spin but not enough to
neuter drive. These electron-
ics are wonderful, and those
who knock their placement
on modern motorcycles
clearly haven't tried them.
The placement of the fuel
at the bottom of the motor is
interesting in that it gives the
890 excellent low- and high-
speed stability, but you're
constantly aware of the extra
width. A few times I was
worried I was going to bash
straight through the tank (I
wasn't going to, obviously),
but compared to the T7 you're
very aware the bike beneath
you is bigger than it would
normally be.
Get the 890 out on open
trails and you've got close
to the perfect big dirt bike,
the electronics allowing you
to slide and spin, and the
chassis soaking up almost all
your general stupidity. It's a
riding different style of riding
compared to the T7, which
is much more the traditional
ADV machine but in no way
less adept at the task.
I rode a T7 down the coast
to the mountains outside
Ensenada in Mexico last year
and was shocked at just
how good it was on some
of the super gnarly sections
my crew and I rode. Despite
having the weight/fuel up top
in the traditional place, this
is less of a concern because
the T7 is a much longer, taller
steed to the KTM. Being 6'1" I
was far more comfortable for
long distances on the Ya-
maha, not just in overall bike
size but also the comfort of
the seat, which is a great pew
for something straight off the
showroom floor.
The T7's motor is such a
sweet little thing. It's perfect-
ly dialed for off-road riding
but will get munched on the
freeway by the faster KTM.
Having no riding modes is no
problem for me, and I never
felt I was missing out while
on the Yamaha with the KTM
in front of me.
The Yamaha is, however,
let down by suspension that
isn't anywhere near as good
as the KTM and brakes that
feel like they should be on a
mountain bike, rather than an
ADV machine. This is where
the cost-cutting nature of the
Yamaha shines through. Mind
you, we try to test these bikes
pretty hard, at which point
things like this really start to
show. If your riding is going to
be on the mellow side, these
Yamaha issues might not
upset you as much as they
did me.
If it were my money be-
ing thrown at a new steed,
I would have to swing the
way of the KTM, but only just.
My argument being that by
the time I'd spent the money
upgrading the suspension
and brakes, I'd be close to
what the KTM cost, anyway.
I am a little annoyed that you
need to pay extra for a KTM
dealer to unlock the various
modes by simply plugging
in a computer, but KTM has
been doing this for years so
it's no surprise.
Having said that, I really love
the T7. For the price, you get a
stonking amount of bike for the
money, and if you're just out for
a dirt road/rutty cruise and not
planning on going rock hopping
like you can with the KTM, the
T7 is the one.
