A_R_R_2015_04

56 | AUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER

STORY AND PHOTOS: MARK

HINCHLIFFE

T

here are nearly as many

adventure bikes as there are

roads in Australia. Finding the

right one for the right road is

diffi cult and always a compromise. You

can’t criticise an adventure bike for being

too heavy, too tall, too road-oriented,

too rough, too powerful, too slow. You

just have to fi nd the right bike for your

height, weight, riding ability and the type

of adventure you want to do.

While most bikes are an emotional

decision, adventure bikes are a far more

practical proposition and good looks, an

over-abundance of power and plenty of

bling can be counter-productive. If you

seriously look at what you need rather

than what you want, a single-cylinder

thumper may be just right for you.

The Yamaha XTZ660 Ténéré is like

the Toyota RAV-4 of this category; a

handsome and dependable so roader.

But when the going gets tough, it can be

found to be a li le too so. Yet with some

modifi cations, the RAV-4 can be turned

into a rugged li le go-anywhere machine.

Similarly, Yamaha Motor Australia

reckons the Ténéré can be toughened

for Australia’s harsh conditions and

they have thrown together an accessory

pack, costing almost $3000, that turns

the Ténéré into the true Dakar-style

adventure bike that its Sahara Desert

name and looks have always suggested.

YMA marketing guru Sean Goldhawk

says they have “Australianised” the

bike with a bunch of Australian-made

accessories that consist of performance

and handling modifi cations, protection

and creature comfort items. He hopes to

off er the pack to customers or at least a

voucher for suspension work.

The most popular and usually the fi rst

modifi cation riders make to their bikes is

a replacement muffl er. This bike comes

standard with a dual exhaust system

which Yamaha has replaced with a single

Barre muffl er that saves some weight.

While the low-compression, bullet-

proof engine has been around for ages,

the fuel-injected model is a li le more

lively and economical and there is no

need for any retuning as the EFI adjusts

“They have ‘Australianised’ the bike with a bunch of

Australian-made accessories that consist of performance

and handling modifications, protection and creature

comfort items”

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