This is a series of resources on the Yamaha Ténéré 700 (XTZ690), compiled from press releases, the owner’s manual, the service manual, and online forums. It’s affectionately known as the T7 by owners.

Yamaha launched the Yamaha Ténéré 700 (XTZ690) in 2019. It’s a middleweight adventure motorcycle powered by the same parallel twin as in the Yamaha MT-07, a 689 cc liquid-cooled engine with a 270-degree firing order. But the T7 sits in an upright chassis with an adventure-ready posture, with longer-travel suspension and a 21-inch front wheel.

I compile information like this on motorcycles to help current and prospective motorcycle owners (including myself!). Below you can find an overview of the motorcycle and model variants, information on the maintenance schedule and service intervals, as well as parts you need for a standard service, guidelines for basic services like oil changes, drivetrain maintenance, and torque specs.

Note: Motofomo is reader-supported. If you buy some of the products that we link to, we may earn an affiliate commission, which otherwise goes to the marketplace (e.g. Amazon).

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About the Yamaha Ténéré 700

2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 XTZ700 in sand dune
2021 Yamaha Tenere 700 XTZ700 in sand dune

Yamaha released the Ténéré 700 in 2019, with some market releases delayed slightly until 2020. It was long-awaited and very hyped, but it has earned many happy customers (and some grumbling detractors, mind you).

The Yamaha Ténéré 700 is Yamaha’s “entry-level” adventure touring motorcycle, but it’s one of those bikes that’s almost the perfectly balanced adventure motorcycle — capable on the dirt and off-road, and also very usable on highways. Like every adventure motorcycle, it’s a compromise between on- and off-road performance, but it’s a great balance for a wide variety of riders.

The heart of the Yamaha Ténéré 700 is the “crossplane concept” CP2 twin-cylinder engine, a liquid-cooled parallel twin with 689cc of displacement. It’s the same engine that’s in the MT-07, and it’s a beautiful engine.

Part of the advantage of the CP2 engine lies in its compact footprint (and thus light weight), helping the Yamaha Ténéré 700 to overall be a relatively lightweight touring motorcycle — lighter than the “big” class of touring bikes, making it a capable middleweight adventure touring motorcycle.

The Ténéré 700 is also very reliable. The parallel twin format means that it’s easy to build both strong and light. It’s not a motor that people experience things like oil leaks, lost pressure, or other reasons to crack the cylinder heads.

But many riders (us included) also love the CP2 motor for its character, something which is not often said of motorcycle engines also praised for their reliability and useful power range. It has a crackling sound, partly thank to its 270-degree crankshaft, and when opened up with an exhaust is reminiscent of fire-breathing V-twins. Pretty special!

From 2023, the T7 has started to get a lot of competition, from the Honda Transalp 750 for example, or even the Suzuki V-Strom 800, which is also powered by a parallel twin.

At the front, the Ténéré 700 has dual 282 mm front discs with Brembo 2-piston calipers, and at the rear it has a single 245 mm disc.

What’s quite interesting is that the Yamaha Ténéré 700 has adjustable suspension, which is something slightly unusual on a mid-range bike (the T7 isn’t cheap, but it’s not a “top shelf” adventure bike). You can adjust the compression and rebound damping on the front fork, and you can adjust the preload, compression, and rebound on the rear shock — that’s near full adjustability.

Maintaining the Yamaha Ténéré 700 is relatively easy, thanks to wide service intervals. You change the oil at every service (every 4000 miles in the US, and every 10000 km in the rest of the world per the different versions of the manual), and only service the valves every 26600 miles or 40000 km.

The Yamaha Ténéré 700 comes in a number of different configurations, most notably Rally and World Raid. While they have different set-ups of suspension, fuel tank size, and other features like external protection, they’re the same fundamental motorcycle underneath and have the same maintenance requirements. (See the guide to variants below.)

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Specifications

Here are the core specifications for the Yamaha Ténéré 700, along with some notes.

There are some items that are different between variants — addressed below.

ItemSpecsNotes
Engine typeParallel twin, 270-degree crank, DOHC, 4 valves per cylinderSame as the MT-07
Capacity689 cc
Bore x stroke (mm)80.0 x 68.6 mm
Compression ratio11.5:1
Fuel requirement“Regular” (i.e. not “Premium”), maximum 10% ethanol* European manual requires 90 RON.
* US manual requires 86 Octane (R+M/2).

These are both equivalent fuel specs.
Peak power54 kW / 9000 rpm
Peak torque68 Nm / 6500 rpm
Transmission6 speed, chain drive
Front brakesDual 282 mm discs, Brembo 2-piston calipers
Ride aidsABS (Switchable)No IMU, no cruise
Yamaha Ténéré 700 Specifications

Variants of the Yamaha Ténéré 700

Since release in 2019, Yamaha has released four versions of the T7: The base model, the Rally, the World Raid, and the Extreme (2024).

Specs vary somewhat by market (e.g. not every market got the colour LCD), but the below is how they stand for the US.

Yamaha also updated the base version and the Rally in 2023.

The versions all vary in

  • Suspension spec and travel
  • Tank size
  • The presence of a steering damper
  • TFT / LCD display (they all standardised since 2023)
  • Extras like protection and a high-spec silencer

There’s a bit too much to cover as the subsection of this article — so see here for a full breakdown of the spec differences between different versions of the Yamaha Ténéré 700.

Using the Ténéré 700’s Screen and Controls

When assessing any motorcycle, I like to have an overview of the interface and the important controls — things like cruise control, rider aids, and adjusting rider settings.

Using the LCD

The base model’s LCD is more intuitive, as there are obvious physical buttons.

Yamaha Tenere 700 controls LCD
Yamaha Tenere 700 LCD controls

Use the top set button to move the display between odometer, trip meters, range / fuel consumption meters, or other things. Use the bottom set button to move in the opposite direction.

Push both buttons together to set the clock.

And finally, to switch off ABS on the Ténéré 700, with the bike stationary, press the ABS button and hold it until the ABS OFF warning light starts flashing.

Using the TFT

The TFT display has three themes. The Explorer and Street themes share a lot of information, but the Raid theme is different.

Yamaha Tenere 700 World Raid TFT information panel modes
Yamaha Tenere 700 World Raid TFT information panel modes

To control the TFT, use the handlebar controls.

Tenere 700 TFT controls on handlebars
Tenere 700 TFT controls on handlebars

The left switches are for operating between the major meters (trip meters, efficiency meters, range, etc.). Up, down, and reset.

The control wheel is for controlling the display and menu system. You can rotate it up and down, but you can also do a short press or long press to activate certain functions.

Here are a few guidelines for using the wheel switch:

  • Long-press to get into the menu system. The base menu lets you switch Settings, ABS mode, Themes, Telephone notification settings, and Message notification settings. (The latter two are for Bluetooth connectivity.
  • Rotate the wheel to select an item.
  • Short press to highlight / de-highlight an item.
  • Long-press to set / confirm a setting.

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Service Intervals

Generally speaking, the Ténéré 700 (of any model variant) has 4000 mile / 6 month (US) or 10000 km / annual (Europe / APAC) service intervals. At every service, change the oil, and do a host of other checks.

Check or change the spark plugs at every service. And every 26600 miles (US) or 40000 km (Europe / APAC), do a full service and check / adjust the valve clearances.

Note on the valve service for the Yamaha CP2 engine: The CP2 motor has twin overhead camshafts and a timing chain. Checking the valve clearances is a little tricky due to clearance, but adjusting them is trickier as you have to remove the camshafts, secure the timing chain, remove and replace the buckets (possibly replacing shims), then re-install the cam shafts and the timing chain with the correct timing.

The T7 has a liquid-cooled engine, so make sure the coolant is kept fresh. Same goes for the brake fluid which must be refreshed every two years.

Finally, if you ride your bike off-road much, make sure you service a few items more regularly, including the chain, air filter, external lubrication points, and change the oil more often.

If you have a TFT display, you can set maintenance intervals and reset them via the display’s interface.

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Maintenance Schedule

Below is the maintenance schedule for the Yamaha Ténéré 700. The below information comes from our sister website, maintenanceschedule.com.

Note that there are two maintenance schedules below.

  • The US maintenance schedule has service intervals of 4000 miles (6000 km) or 6 months.
  • The Europe/Australia/New Zealand maintenance schedule has service intervals of 10000 km (6000 miles) or 1 year.

There are some other similarities/differences between the schedules, too. See here for notes on Europe / US Yamaha maintenance schedules.

We’ve generally simplified the maintenance schedules and separated them out into “Periodic maintenance” and a full “inspection checklist”.

General notes on the maintenance schedule:

  • After the final service on the chart, keep going, doing every second service.
  • Yamaha recommends that for everything other than lubing the chain, changing the oil, and greasing external parts, you should have a Yamaha mechanic perform the service.
  • Don’t clean the air filter with compressed air as you may damage it.

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Periodic Maintenance — US manual (in miles)

See below for the Europe/Australia/New Zealand schedule, in kms (it’s not a direct conversion).

Mi x 1000 (US)0.648121620Every
Perform full inspection checklist (see below)6 months
Change engine oil (Yamalube 10W-40 or Yamalube 10W-50), checking for leakage.6 months
Replace oil filter (HifloFiltro HF204RC)Year
Check spark plug condition. Adjust gap and clean.
Replace the spark plugs. (LMAR8A-9)
Check and adjust valve clearance26600 mi
Adjust fuel injection synchronization.6 months
Check evaporative emission control system for damage. Replace if necessary.
Replace air filter periodically (R-Y7N14-01)12000 mi, or more often if riding in dust/rain
Check clutch operation. Adjust or replace cable.
Replace brake hoses4 years
Change brake fluid (Castrol DOT 4) and rubber parts of brake calipers and master cylinder2 years
Moderately repack swingarm pivot bearings with lithium-soap-based grease32000 mi
Check drive chain slack, alignment and condition. Adjust and lubricate chain thoroughly (Motul chain paste)300 mi, or more often if chain gets dirty/wet
Check steering bearing assemblies for looseness.
Moderately repack steering bearings with lithium-soap-based grease12000 mi
Change coolant (Valvoline Zerex G05) 3 years
Yamaha Ténéré 700 — US maintenance schedule (miles)

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Periodic Maintenance — Europe/Australia/New Zealand (km)

This is the metric maintenance schedule for the Tenere 700 as used in the rest of the world (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asian countries, etc.)

km x 1000110203040Every
Perform full inspection checklist. (See below.)Year
Change engine oil (Yamalube 10W-40 or Yamalube 10W-50), checking for leakage.
Replace oil filter (HifloFiltro HF204RC)
Replace air filter (R-Y7N14-01)
Check spark plug condition. Adjust gap and clean.
Replace spark plugs. (LMAR8A-9)
Check and adjust valve clearance40000 km
Check and adjust fuel injection synchronization.Year
Change brake fluid (Castrol DOT 4) and rubber parts of brake calipers and master cylinder2 years
Replace brake hoses4 years
Check clutch operation. Adjust or replace cable.
Moderately repack swingarm pivot bearings with lithium-soap-based grease50000 km
Check steering bearing assemblies for looseness.
Moderately repack steering bearings with lithium-soap-based grease
Change coolant (Valvoline Zerex G05) 3 years
Check evaporative emission control system for damage. Replace if necessary.
Yamaha Ténéré 700 — Europe / APAC maintenance schedule (km)

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Service Checklist

Below is a checklist of everything to look over at every service of the Ténéré 700.

Note: Some of these are strictly not necessary at a time-based interval and can be ignored if no mileage has been done. These are marked [D] (for “distance”).

Service checklist
Perform dynamic inspection using Yamaha diagnostic tool. Check the error codes.
Check fuel hoses for cracks or damage. Replace parts if necessary.
Check crankcase breather hose for cracks or damage. Replace if necessary
Check throttle grip operation and free play, and adjust if necessary. Lubricate cable and grip housing (Protect All Cable Life).
Clean air filter check hose
Check engine idle speed
Check cooling system hoses for cracks or damage. Replace parts if necessary.
Check front brake operation, fluid level, and for fluid leakage. Replace brake pads if necessary (FA181HH)
Check rear brake operation, fluid level, and for fluid leakage. Replace brake pads if necessary (FA208R)
Check brake hoses for cracks or damage, and for correct routing and clamping.
[D] Check wheel runout, spoke tightness, and for damage. Tighten spokes if necessary.
[D] Check wheel bearings for looseness or damage.
[D] Check swingarm pivot bearings operation and for excessive play.
Check tire tread depth and for damage. Replace if necessary (see spec below).
Check front fork operation and for condition and oil leakage. Replace if necessary.
Check shock absorber operation and for condition and oil leakage. Replace if necessary.
[D] Check rear suspension relay arm and pivot point operation
[D] Check all chassis fitting and fasteners. Correct if necessary.
Lubricate brake lever pivot shaft with silicone grease lightly.
Lubricate brake pedal pivot shaft, clutch lever pivot shaft, and shift pedal pivot shaft with lithium soap-based grease lightly
Check front and rear brake switch operation.
Check side stand pivot operation. Apply lithium soap-based grease lightly.
Check side stand switch operation and replace if necessary.
Lubricate moving parts and cables thoroughly (Protect All Cable Life).
Check exhaust system for leakage. Tighten fasteners and/or replace gaskets as necessary
Check lights, signals, and switches.
Adjust headlight beam.
Yamaha Ténéré 700 annual service checklist

Maintaining Your Chain on the Yamaha Ténéré 700

The Ténéré 700 is an adventure bike that is likely to get some off-road time, or at least a lot of time in varied conditions. So the chain will get more abuse than on many everyday commuters.

Thus, it’s important to maintain your chain on the Ténéré 700. Use a good-quality and portable chain lubricant like Motul chain paste. Or for home maintenance you can use aa Motul chain care kit which comes with a couple of handy tools to maintain the chain.

Yamaha recommends you follow the following chain maintenance schedule every 300 mi (US) / or 1000 km (Europe) and after washing the motorcycle, riding in the rain, or riding in wet areas. Naturally if you ride your motorcycle off-road, you should attend to the chain more often.

Chain maintenance item
Check drive chain lubrication condition, lubricating if necessary (Motul chain paste)
Check drive chain slack, alignment, and condition, adjusting / replacing if necessary
See below for notes on chain slack
Chain maintenance — Yamaha Ténéré 700

To measure chain slack on the Yamaha Ténéré 700 of any model, measure the distance between the drive chain and the chain guide. Measure it when the motorcycle is on its side stand on a flat surface, and measure the distance between the guide and the middle of the chain pins.

Note that the chain slack on the base model and World Raid are different, due to the different suspension set-ups.

Yamaha Tenere 700 drive chain slack adjustment
Yamaha Tenere 700 drive chain slack adjustment

* Target chain slack for the Ténéré 700 base model / Rally: 43-48 mm / 1.7-1.9 in)
* Target chain slack for the Ténéré 700 World Raid: 40-45 mm / 1.6-1.8 in)

To adjust the chain slack, follow the procedure below. Make sure that the motorcycle is on a level surface on its kickstand, in neutral, with no weight on it (no saddlebags / luggage).

  1. Loosen the rear axle and the adjuster lock nuts on either side of the axle.
  2. Turn the adjuster nuts to tighten (or loosen) the chain. Keep checking the chain tension to see if it has come within spec.
  3. Keep an eye on the adjuster alignment marks on either side of the axle. Make sure that the adjustment is to the same point.
  4. When you’re done, tighten the axle to 105 Nm / 77 lb-ft, and tighten the adjuster lock nuts to 16 Nm / 12 lb-ft.
  5. Re-check the chain slack again to make sure it’s still within spec.

Yamaha Ténéré 700 Tire size and pressures

The following are tire sizes and tire pressures for the Yamaha Ténéré 700.

Yamaha even says that “after extensive tests, only the tires listed below have been approved for this model by Yamaha”, referring to Pirelli/Scorpion Rally Str tyres.

TyreSizePressure (cold)
Front90/90-21 M/C 54V M+S1 person: 220 kPa (32 psi)
2 people: 220 kPa (32 psi)
Off-road: 200 kPa (29 psi)
Rear150/70 R18 M/C 70V M+S1 person: 250 kPa (36 psi)
2 people: 250 kPa (36 psi)
Off-road: 200 kPa (29 psi)
Yamaha Ténéré 700 tyre sizes and pressures

Of course, make sure you adjust your tire pressures to whatever is suitable for your load or riding style.

Tightening Torque specs

Below are torque specs that are publicly available. These come from the service manual.

ItemNmlb-ft
Engine drain bolt4332
Oil filter1713
Spark plug1310
Cylinder head cover bolt107
Exhaust pipe header nut2015
Steering stem nut148110
Upper handlebar holder bolt2015
Front wheel axle7253
Front wheel axle pinch bolt2115
Front brake caliper bolt4030
Rear wheel axle10577
Rear wheel sprocket nut8059
Drive sprocket nut9570
Yamaha Ténéré 700 Tightening torque specs

Common Modifications for the Yamaha Ténéré 700

Most modifications for the Yamaha T7 center around making it viable for long-range transport.

Some of the first things I see people do include

  • Add better protection — Crash bars, a better skid plate
  • More lighting
  • More offroad-biased tires

Alternatives to the Yamaha Ténéré 700

While the Yamaha Ténéré 700 has a huge following, it has a ton of company in the middleweight adventure segment. Here they are below.

You can read more about all these in the middleweight adventure motorcycle guide.

Other Related Motorcycles

If you’re interested in the Yamaha Ténéré 700, you’re probably also considering other motorcycles with the CP2 motor.

Reference — Owner’s Manual for the Yamaha Ténéré 700

The above information came from a mix of the owner’s manual, service manual, press releases, and forum information for the Yamaha Ténéré 700.

Below you can see some screenshots for the Yamaha Ténéré 700.

You can also download the owner’s manual from here.

Also see this screenshot of the European owner’s manual, as evidence of the different service intervals.

Yamaha Tenere 700 Maintenance Schedule Screenshot from manual Europe 1

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