2012 Yamaha Super Tenere

Yamaha's oddly named Super Tenere is pronounced "Tey-ney-rey," and though the bike's lineage spans nearly three decades and includes twin-cylinder ancestors like the XTZ750 Super Tenere (which claimed six Paris to Dakar Championships), the all-new 2012 Yamaha Super Tenere marks the model's debut in the United States.

The Super Tenere is powered by an all-new 1,199cc parallel twin that sports dual

counterbalancers and a 270 degree crank. The crossplane crankshaft is also found in the "Big Bang" Yamaha R1, and its uneven firing interval aids traction while adding character to the engine's exhaust note. Though official output hasn't been released for the US-spec bike, it shouldn't stray far from the European-spec model's 108 horsepower figure. A side-mounted radiator enables a shorter wheelbase and better weight distribution, and fuel capacity is a bladder-busting 6.1 gallons. The engine can be run in one of two modes: "Sport," for a sharper throttle response, or "Touring," which is less aggressive. Those modes can be switched while riding as long as the throttle is closed. The Super Tenere's traction control system detects speed differences between the front and rear wheel every 1/1000th of a second and modulates throttle response, ignition timing, and the volume of fuel injected into the engine. Traction control operates in one of three modes: "1" (more intrusive), "2" (slightly less intrusive), or "Off." The riding modes remain in place when the bike is shut off, but the traction control automatically resets to mode "1" for safety.

Something that’s noticeably absent on the street-oriented Ducati Multistrada 1200, the Yamaha Super Ténéré is more than at home anywhere in the rev range, including the 1,000-3,000 RPM band, making slow speed maneuvers effortless and stumble free. It really is hard to convey how important this aspect of the Super T is when traveling through slow-speed traffic or tackling technical dirt sections. In what would have been an exercise in clutch and throttle control on the Ducati’s over-square v-twin motor, the Super Ténéré’s longer stroke, 270° firing order, and superb fuel management allows for one to keep the bike in virtually any of the first three gears at slower speeds without stumbling, thus allowing the rider to focus on more important things like not falling off the side of a cliff for example.

Price: 13,900

Safety Assist: Standard ABS & Standard Traction Control

Available Colour: Blue & Black

Engine Configuration: Parallel-twin

Engine Displacement: 1199cc

Engine Power: 108 HP

Fuel Capacity: 6 Gallons

Power: 108HP

Rear Suspension: Monoshock, adjustable preload & rebound damping

Combustion Cycle: 4-stroke

Length & Width: 88.6 & 38.6 (Inches)

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