The Cheap Adventure Bike That Makes A Used BMW GS Look Like A Financial Mistake
The BMW GS has evolved into something of an institution within the adventure community. Even though it is one of the most expensive ADVs on the used market, especially one with a few BMW-approved accessories, it is still incredibly popular. For most adventure enthusiasts, it has become the default choice, but we feel that there are a selection of more affordable options that all do a better job.
All Roads Lead To Something Smaller
Price is also only part of the problem. The GS weighs well over 500 pounds, and has a relatively tall seat height. It is easy to ride around this on the street, but it becomes far more challenging to deal with once you have your first spill off-road. Lifting one of these bikes is pretty easy on a flat surface, but very few trails offer that level of convenience. While these bigger adventure bikes are great tourers, they can sap one’s confidence off-road.
For most riders, the whole point of owning an ADV is to go exploring off-road, and everything else is secondary. The solution comes in the form of a lighter middleweight, which offers a better balance between off-road competence and touring comfort. Today, we have a wide selection of impressive middleweights to choose from, with pretty much every major manufacturer producing one.
The Yamaha Tenere 700 Offers Incredible Bang For The Buck
MSRP: $10,999
It is fair to say that the Tenere 700 gave the middleweight market the shot in the arm it needed. Up until it made its global debut all the way back in 2019, most middleweight options were pretty heavy, relatively slow, and generally failed to capture the imagination. The Tenere, on the other hand, was light, fast, and promised us Dakar-level capability with the pre-production T7.
Naturally, its final version was a little watered down, but not quite as much as people speculated. It was still a hard-edged off-road oriented machine. Customers in the US had to wait another two years, but it was worth the wait, and Yamaha actually struggled to keep up with demand for a time. Five years later, the competition has increased, and the price of the Tenere has gone up, yet it still offers sensational value to the right buyer.
The CP2 Engine Promises Unrivaled Reliability
Power: 73 Horsepower
Most middleweight adventure bikes make use of reliable, modern twins, but out of all the 270 degree parallel-twins currently on the market, the CP2 is inarguably the most reliable. In fact, it is one of the most reliable motorcycle engines ever produced, at least when it comes to larger displacement bikes. When it comes to motorcycles that are used for travel, the kind of peace of mind is a genuine point of difference.
Like most modern crossplane twins, it does a great job of emulating a V-twin. Even though 73 horsepower may not seem much when compared to its direct rivals, the way it delivers its power makes it a fun bike to ride out in the real world. Pretty much all of its torque is available from around 2,000 RPM, so the roll-on power is exceptional, and it doesn’t have all that much weight to lug around in the first place.
The More Pragmatic Choice
The Tenere was initially a back-to-basics offering, and was intentionally sparsely equipped in an effort to keep the price down. While the rugged simplicity of the original was appealing to some, many adventure enthusiasts lamented its glaring lack of features when compared to its most direct rivals. Yamaha responded in kind by gradually updating the platform, and now, five years after it was first released in the US, it is very much the finished article.
A ride-by-wire throttle was introduced, and this enables the two ride modes. It also gets ABS and traction control, which are both switchable. The original bike had a robust LCD dash, but the latest bike gets a big TFT dash with smartphone connectivity. In our opinion, these updates are all there simply to keep up with what the competition has on offer, but the most meaningful update came in the form of an improved rear shock. It was easily the biggest gripe with the original bike, and the fact that Yamaha listened to customer feedback says a lot about the brand.
The Tenere 700 Is Far From Perfect
Unfortunately, every motorcycle is a compromise. With the extra effort Yamaha put into making the Tenere more competent off-road, you do lose some level of touring comfort. Out of all the middleweight bikes currently competing in this space, the Yamaha might actually have the worst seat. It is essentially a dirt-bike seat which works great while you are standing up off-road, but after around an hour on the highway, pretty much everything below your waist will lose feeling. For riders who will be using their ADV for long distance travel, this can be a deal-breaker, but there are aftermarket solutions available.
The other factor counting against the Tenere is how much the competition has improved over the years. It lacks a certain level of sophistication, and certainly feels more like a budget offering than a late model GS would. But, if you want a more sophisticated version of the Tenere, Yamaha will gladly point you in the direction of the new World Raid edition which has a host of additional features, including an IMU-backed electronics suite, uprated KYB suspension, and a long-range fuel tank. Its tasteful Intensity White livery also gives the bike a premium feel.
It is well worth considering, especially when you take into account the fact that its base price of $13k is still $3k less than what you would have to fork out for a five-year-old BMW. Objectively speaking, that is sensational value. But, the base model still has its place, and honestly makes that used GS look like a pretty poor financial decision when you look at the price difference.
Sources: Yamaha Motorsports and KBB
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