From Berlin with South African roots.

[HomerFX]

Hello fellow adventures,

I grew up in South Africa riding dirt bikes but have ended up living in Berlin after an exploration trip on a Tenere XT600 '86 of Europe just after the wall came down.

 

Currently I ride a KTM 640 Adventure which is very similar to the old Tenere 600 but had also considered the 750 Super Tenere though finding it to heavy and bulky. I do regret not getting the smoother engine and that the Adventure is still a handful in deep sand but as a commuter it is great. For more off-road fun I ride a YZ450 with my son on my old WR400, unfortunately there are only limited areas where that is possible.

 

Unlike South Africa, where I would annually travel to visit my parents, riding a WR450 along the gravel district roads 400km to my home town. Not only was it a lovely adventure with beautiful scenery but much safer without all the traffic and likely less potholes than on the asphalt. Sure, a Tenere or KTM Adventure would be perfect but the WR was the more affordable and with a long range tank a solid option.

 

The T7 concept raised my hopes that Yamaha had found their way again after the disappointing release of the previously hyped re-birth of the Tenere, the XTZ660 weighing in at 205kg wet while still only producing under 50 horses. At least now the CP2 engine is a fantastic upgrade.

Since the T7 introduction we have seen the AfricaTwin pop up, a GS850 emerge from their folk and KTM hammer out the 790 Adventure all using the 270 degree parallel twin engine. Has Yamaha snoozed? Maybe.

 

From the first reviews it seems like they have created a balanced solid motorcycle that performs well both on and off-road, without the need of electronic aids and that bodes well to establish itself in that segment like the XT500, the Tenere from 1983 or the WR/YZ400 in 1998, not to mention the pricing.

The patience will play out in the end, leaving us with a solid basis to customize our bike for our needs and desires, soon the aftermarket will bring out upgrades in whichever direction you intend to follow, tips and tricks will be shared on forums like this one.

 

I am enjoying the discussions and sharing the excitement, this maybe the start of another classic. Darn, I will need two of them, one here and the other in South Africa, the perfect bike for that kind of off-road tour.

 

Cheers.
Homer.

 

[HomerFX]

I took the plunge to get my dream bike, one of the last euro4 models, a couple of weeks ago, I'm thrilled.

 

Big thanks to zweirad-noebel.de in Helmstead for having it in stock at the old price, a friendly family business.

 

Still running it in and can't wait to unleash it's full potential but find the power already great on the occasional blast and perfect for cruising normally. The handling lives up to the hype and reviews, on and off road.

 

I've just added a GP Mucci THOR bashplate and protection kit. It follows the lines of the bike and enhances the profile, very well made, solid and a perfect fit. Also very good and friendly service. I've gone for the natural aluminium brushed effect.

 

I'm loving it more everyday. Ride safe and enjoy your T7.

 

 

[gpmucci]

This motorbike is wonderful!