June 29, 2023
Last winter, I decided to sell my BMW R1200GSA and join the middleweight adventure crew with a new 2022 Yahama Tenere 700. My main goals were to shed weight with a lighter bike that would be easier to handle off road in more technical adventure riding, and to simplify the riding experience with fewer features that often just end up distracting me from the riding experience.
So far, my experience with the T7 has been great and I can’t wait to get out on it more this season. After getting it into my garage, I spent some time and money on several upgrades and modifications. Here is a list of everything I have done, including what I consider the 10 best:
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Ever since buying my first motorcycle with heated grips, I can’t imagine living without them! These Oxford heated grips were relatively easy to install and do a great job of keeping my hands warm when it’s cold outside. My hands tend to cramp when they get cold, and heated grips solves that problem. I used them a lot in February down in Baja, and they come in handy on cold Rocky Mountain mornings!
Doubletake mirrors are a great addition to any adventure motorcycle. These mirrors are fully adjustable and almost indestructible. I have tried other breakaway mirrors, but these are the best ones I have found. They do require an adapter, but installation is a breeze. I can easily see everything behind me and don’t have to worry about breaking them if I happen to take a spill.
Another great addition to the handlebar area of any adventure bike is handguards. Specifically, I like the Barkbusters handguards. Unlike some of the cheaper handguards you can buy, these have a full, strong heat treated aluminum backbone that offers great protection. You have the choice between several colors and styles for the plastic guard itself. I opted for the black “Storm” model.
4. Adjustable clutch and brake levers
Rounding out the handlebar area, I added adjustable clutch and brake levers. The stock levers were long and very basic. There are several varieties of levers you can choose from. After originally installing some expensive levers, I decided I liked the way these fit much better. They are shorter than stock, so less likely to break off, they come in several colors, and adjusting them is super easy.
5. Tusk Crash Bars
I’m a big fan of Tusk branded gear from Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. After shelling out a pretty penny for my new bike, I wanted to add some protection to it. These crash bars are solid and easily bolt right onto the frame.
6. Tusk Pannier Racks
While I was at it, I also ordered Tusk pannier racks. In addition to supporting soft or hard luggage, these racks provide additional protection to the back of the motorcycle. I would recommend them for any adventure rider. I ordered the racks with the Tusk Pilot bags and luggage rack as a package.
If you plan on doing any off road riding, wider foot pegs make the experience much more pleasant. There are several high quality, high dollar options out there, but I decided to go with a cheaper set of aluminum foot pegs with screw in spikes. I had a similar set on my KTM 1190, and they worked great for a fraction of what some other foot pegs cost. These did require a little bit of modification by grinding off a bit of surface area so they would lay flat, but why not in order to save over $100. These foot pegs are available in several colors and flip up if they hit an obstacle, so hopefully they don’t break. I took the advice of several online reviewers and put Loctite on each of the spikes to keep them from coming out.
8. Camel ADV 1 Finger Clutch Kit
The clutch on the stock Tenere 700 is fairly stiff. Camel ADV Products has engineered several great custom products, including their “1 Finger Clutch Kit” for the T7. This kit installs in 10 minutes and according to their website it reduces clutch pull by up to 37% and widens the clutch friction zone up to 60%. This is definitely one of my favorite upgrades. The clutch is much easier to operate with this kit installed and greatly reduced my hand fatigue while riding. Visit Camel ADV here.
9. Krause Anti-Bobble Stabilizer
One issue with the stock Yamaha Tenere 700 that you will read about all over the web is how much the GPS mount (and gauge cluster, and windshield, and headlight) shakes when you are riding off road. Several companies have come up with solutions to fix this. After looking at several, I decided to buy the Krause Anti-Bobble Stabilizer sold by ADV Motorrad. It works great. Before, the display would shake so badly that I could hardly read anything on it. Now it feels much more solid and doesn’t shake nearly as much. Visit ADV Motorrad here.
10. SW Motech Center Stand
Unfortunately, the Tenere 700 does not come stock with a center stand. Center stands make it so much easier to do basic maintenance. Once again, several companies offer center stands for the T7. I felt that the SW Motech center stand offered the best combination of quality and value. At just under 8 pounds, it is not light, but not as heavy as some of the other brands. Installation was easy. It bolted right up to the bike, and so far it has worked great! It looks like this exact model may no longer be available. See some comparable products here.
Other Upgrades
Here are some of the other upgrades I made. (Click name to see product.)
11. Headlight Guard– much cheaper than a new headlight!
12. Rubber Tank Grips– they look cool and provide cushioning and grip for your knees.
13. Frame Grips– help keep your lower legs from sliding on the frame.
14. Auxiliary Lights- these might have made the top 10 if I had bought a better brand. I will likely upgrade this upgrade! I would not recommend the ones I bought.
15. Switch for Auxiliary Lights– after searching for a while, I found a waterproof switch that fits nicely into the extra hole that Yamaha provides on the dash.
16. GPS Bar Mount– I bought the mount for the Garmin Zumo XT. Puts it in a good position and the stock wires run straight under the gas tank to the battery.
17. Brake Pedal Enlarger/Riser– nice addition for standing up or sitting down.
18. Tail Tidy with LED– probably should have made the top 10. This cleans up the back end of the motorcycle and puts everything in a better place to prevent breakage. I bought a cheap off-brand kit which worked fine, but rear turn signals angle downward.
19. Neoprene Fork Seal Guards– might be a little overkill, but Baja is sandy and I was having the forks rebuilt anyway.
20. Side Stand Foot Enlarger– really helps when parking on soft ground.
21. Chain guide– gives extra protection to the chain.
22. Suspension Work- when you’re spending this much money, you might as well make it perfect. At least that’s what I told myself! Over a third of my upgrade budget went to rebuilding the forks and shocks with new springs and valves. I had this custom work done in Denver. The stock setup is pretty soft, and at over 200 pounds, I eat too many tacos. Bike feels great with the new setup
Future Upgrade
23. Tires- the stock tires are great on the road and on easy gravel roads. They are pretty much 80/20 road tires. They did not handle great in sand and mud. I just bought a new Motoz Tractionator Adventure rear tire. I am looking forward to getting this mounted up and hitting some trails.
And hopefully this setup will be good for this riding season! Hope this helps.