Are you the type of rider who’s thought to yourself that the Yamaha Ténéré 700 is quite appealing, except it’s a little taller than you’d like? If you’re a shorter rider, then that could be you. More specifically, if you’re a shorter rider in Europe, then Yamaha Motor Europe was clearly thinking about you when it introduced the 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Explore.
It’s a more touring-oriented version of the T7—and it’s one that also offers reduced suspension travel and a lower seat height to improve accessibility for more road-oriented riders. The combination of a 21-inch front and an 18-inch rear wheels remain, as does the skid plate for your off-road explorations.
Engine
Like other members of the T7 lineup, the 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 is powered by Yamaha’s liquid-cooled, dual overhead cam, 689cc parallel twin CP2 engine. It makes a claimed 54 kilowatts (about 72.4 horsepower) at 9,000 rpm and 68 newton-meters (about 50 pound-feet) of torque at 6,500 rpm. Bore and stroke are 80.0mm by 68.6mm, and compression ratio is 11.5 to one. This engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox fitted with a quickshifter from the factory and uses a chain final drive.
Chassis
The frame on the 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Explore is a steel tube double cradle unit. Suspension-wise, you’ll find a revised 43mm KYB front fork setup which offers 190mm (7.4 inches) of wheel travel—a full 20mm (almost 0.8 inches) less than what’s found on the standard T7.
In the rear, you’ll find a KYB shock absorber with an increased spring rate and a remote adjuster. It offers 180mm (just over 7 inches) of travel, which is 20mm (almost 0.8 inches) less than the regular T7. This shock absorber, Yamaha says, offers strong comfort and control characteristics even when it’s laden down with gear on a big tour.
The combined suspension adjustments also enable an 860mm (about 33.85-inch) seat height, which is 15mm (almost 0.6 inches) lower than the standard 875mm (34.4 inch) seat height of the standard T7.
Brakes consist of a dual two-piston 282mm disc setup in front and a single 245mm disc setup in the rear.
Additional Features
The 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Explore features a higher, wider windscreen from the factory, which Yamaha says increases surface area by a full 50 percent over the screen found on the standard T7 for better touring protection. You’ll also find a quickshifter fitted from the factory on the Explore.
A 5-inch full color TFT display comes standard on the Explore, as do mounting brackets for your choice of side cases. Please note that side cases themselves do not come standard on the Explore, but you can add soft panniers or hard aluminum cases as available accessories from Yamaha if you like.
Full LED lighting, a USB socket, and a 16-liter fuel tank also come standard on the 2024 T7 Explore.
Dimensions
Wheelbase is 1,590mm (about 62.6 inches). Length is 2,350mm (about 92.5 inches), width is 905mm (about 35.6 inches), and height is 1,500mm (about 59 inches). Minimum ground clearance is 225mm (about 8.85 inches). Yamaha lists curb weight of the T7 Explore as 211 kilograms, or just over 465 pounds.
Pricing and Availability
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Yamaha has only announced the 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Explore for sale in European markets, where several other T7 variants have already been released. Many of those have not been released outside of Europe, and it’s not clear whether they ever will be.
Pricing and exact timing of availability has not yet been given. If you live in Europe or the UK and are interested in getting your hands on a T7 Explore, your best bet is to reach out to your local Yamaha dealer for answers to your questions.
If you live in a non-European market and are interested in the T7 Explore, we’ll be sure to keep you updated with information if this model is released elsewhere.
