Yamaha Is Planning Something Big For EICMA 2026. Will We Get The Tenere 900?

Yamaha just announced that it's going to launch something big at EICMA, "redefining the standard".

By: Robbie Bacon

Aug 25, at 7:38am ET

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The run-up to EICMA is intensifying with various spy shots coming from BMW's camp. But now, brands are starting to release their own statements to ramp up public excitement, and the latest has come from Yamaha's camp. Last week, MotoBob speculated on the announcement he received from Yamaha, but opinions are still divided as to what form the latest addition to the Japanese brand will take.

The announcement from Yamaha reads, "Yamaha is redefining the standard. The industry has followed the same rhythm for quite some time. We are ready for that to change. Something new is coming." The accompanying image is of a cardiac monitor showing three distinct beats, although the spacing between the beats isn't identical. Between the statement, accompanying image, and rumors about what Yamaha has been up to over the past year, we can surmise a couple of theories.

The leading idea is that the three beats indicate an inline-triple engine that'd power an all-new Tenere 900. The fact that the beats are off tempo could indicate an unusual firing order, so it wouldn't be a case of lifting the CP3 engine from the MT-09 and putting it in a new platform; in therory, you could liken this to Triumph's T-Plane engine used in the Tiger range, which has less of a tendency to spin and is instead more inclined to dig in and find traction.

The other possibility is that this is a completely new standard naked bike—hence the use of "standard" in the announcement—which would replace the MT-10-sized hole in Yamaha's lineup, as it's now discontinued in Europe. Back in 2020, Yamaha built a three-cylinder turbocharged engine and installed it in a modified MT-10, and that was the last we heard about it. But since then, Yamaha filed a patent application for an electronically assisted exhaust-gas turbocharger. Are we about to get a turbocharged, three-cylinder MT-10 successor?

What do you think?

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Between both options, I think a Tenere 900 is more likely; however, I'd be far more excited about a forced-induction super naked.

Thankfully, we won't have to wait too long until all is revealed, as Yamaha will make everything clear on November 2, just before EICMA kicks off the following day. What do you think Yamaha will pull the cover off?