While we patiently wait for Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 to touch down in the States, brands like Givi are already producing aftermarket components for the middleweight adventurer. It’s comforting to know that we’ll already have luggage options once the bike hits showroom floors in North America but that’s not stopping other companies from developing products to further compete with Yamaha’s accessories catalog.
One such company is Rally Raid, and UK-based supplier recently announced a line of components to prepare the Ténéré 700 for the most rugged tracks. Early reviews of the adventure bike frequently cite the budget suspension responding poorly under heavy loads or gnarly off-road terrain and Rally Raid’s offerings aims to address the shortcoming.
Off-Road Chops:
Starting off with the rear monoshock, the company developed a stiffer spring for the stock unit. At only £84 ($103 USD), Rally Raid can outfit the rear suspension with a new spring that ranges from 80N/mm to 100N/mm and support riders up to 100 kg (220 pounds) and 30 kg (66 pounds) of luggage. The Northant-based brand will even install the heavier spring if you mail in your factory monoshock.
If you’re looking for a complete overhaul of the rear suspension, Rally Raid has you covered with a rally-style or adventure-style remote-reservoir rear shock. Both units retail for £923 ($1,138 USD) and feature improved damping and weight savings over the original equipment.
Up front, T7 owners can keep the fork internals intact while adding tunability with a set of Rally Raid fork preload adjusters. The caps allow up to 23 mm of preload with a price tag of £270 ($333 USD). Full closed cartridge fork kits are also available at £1199 ($1,478). The Extreme and Rally cartridge setups both feature a much larger piston for accurate damping control.
In addition to the suspension goodies, Rally Raid also offers supplementary wind protection, Barkbuster handguards, and foldable mirrors for those whirlwind adventures. A top bar clamp also allows the user to mount a GPS device directly onto the handlebars and right below the LCD display.
For those looking for a new set of wheels, the company also sells tubeless spoked wheelsets with an exchange program for the original set. At £898 ($1,107 USD), owners can deck out their Ténéré 700 with the latest wheel technology while capturing the look of rally machines of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Of course, Rally Raid couldn’t leave us wanting in the power category and a Scorpion slip-on exhaust gains 1.1 horsepower, but more importantly, sheds 3.7 pounds off the stock rig.
We don't know if this news scratches your itch for the Ténéré 700 or only amplifies it, but we’re certainly excited by the possibilities. Rally Raid won’t be the last aftermarket brand to release components for Yamaha’s latest enduro and we can’t wait to see what comes out next—aside from the bike itself, of course.
Sources: Rally Raid, Motorcycle News, Car and Bike