Few motorcycles have the off-road heritage that the YAMAHA Super Tenere can boast. A six-time winner of the Paris-Dakar rally, the famous round-the-world motorcycle, known for its reliability and ruggedness, and neither deserts nor broken roads could stop him.
However, time and technology do not stand still, the legends grow old and can no longer compete with the rapidly developing market of “true motorcycles for real adventures”, and in 2010 YAMAHA introduces a completely new flagship tour-enduro YAMAHA XT1200Z Super Tenere, which is significantly different from the previous ones. versions – there is a new engine with its own unique character, and the long-awaited cardan drive, and a complete set of modern electronics, and a truly “tour-enduro” adjustable front and rear suspension, and much more. However, will this be enough to defeat the competition and return to its former glory?
Appearance and ergonomics
It seems that the last thing travelers care about is the appearance of their motorcycle. And we did see a lot of adventure bikes that looked more like an angular toolbox with a headlight than something fast and attractive. YAMAHA XT1200ZE Super Tenere, with all its abundance of details and elements, is undeniably beautiful and original. And, despite the fact that from the outside it seems uncomfortable and clumsy, everything looks and feels completely different from the driver’s seat. The voluminous fuel tank is significantly narrower, offering plenty of knee room for the rider, while smoothly flowing into a wide and comfortable seat, and all the rounded and protruding shapes of the bike turn into excellent wind protection.
The seat height of the XT1200Z is adjustable from 845mm to 870mm, offering plenty of room for customization, while its width and rounded front, combined with soft, comfortable padding, make for impressive daily runs. Despite the immodest weight of 261 kg, Super Tenere can be safely recommended to riders with a height of 170 cm, but in this case, skills and physical training should not be neglected. It is worth remembering that with its remarkable mass, the XT1200Z easily dumps it, as soon as it moves, and on the track, the weight will only help the motorcycle to move confidently and unshakably, regardless of the strength of the crosswind and the air flow of heavy trucks passing by.
YAMAHA XT1200Z Super Tenere engine
Keeping the traditional layout of the old XTZ750, the new YAMAHA XT1200Z also uses a liquid-cooled inline-two, but now the displacement is increased to 1199cc. cm and the engine produces as much as 112 horsepower and, importantly, 117 Nm of maximum torque. Such impressive characteristics allow the motorcycle to easily carry the rider, passenger and a huge amount of luggage without any difficulty. The engine is moderately smooth, while it pulls and is quite economical. Vibrations are noticeable, but for a two-cylinder engine of this size, they are minimized.
Vibration reduction has been achieved with two balancer shafts, with the front shaft driving the oil and water pumps, simplifying the design for increased reliability, while the engine itself has a dry sump with a separate oil tank inside the crankcase, which has a positive effect on engine size and his weight. Remarkably, just like the YAMAHA R1, the new YAMAHA XT1200Z Super Tenere features Crossplane technology, which essentially turns the character of a two-cylinder inline engine into a V-twin through a cross-shaped crankshaft, increasing low to mid-range traction and giving a distinctive exhaust sound. . By the way, the operation of the engine can hardly be called smooth and silent, however, despite the abundance of extraneous sounds inherent, as a rule, in most V-shaped engines, its design is simple and made for the sake of maximum reliability.
But what will really please the “motor-truckers” is the cardan drive of the rear wheel, which completely eliminates the need to monitor the condition of the chain and carry grease cans with you.
Chassis YAMAHA XT1200Z Super Tenere
YAMAHA has always strived to add a bit of sportiness to its touring bikes, and the XT1200Z Super Tenere is no exception. On the face of it, a heavy touring enduro should be plodding slowly from turn to turn without any possibility of being sharp at high speed. But not everything is so simple. The chassis of the Yamaha Super Tenere has been designed for maximum handling and agility. The angle of inclination of the front fork is quite sharp and is 28 degrees, which, combined with a wheelbase of 1540 mm, makes it possible to feel the ease of handling the motorcycle, even at maximum load. The frame of the XT1200Z is made of steel, while the subframe is made of aluminum alloy, and its design is calculated with a huge margin of safety. The wheels are aluminum spoked, but they are tubeless, which greatly simplifies their repair in the event of a puncture.
YAMAHA XT1200ZE Super Tenere Suspension
At the front, the SUPER TENERE is equipped with a fully adjustable 43mm reversible fork and a monoshock with adjustable preload and rebound damping. However, the standard XT1200Z model has manually adjustable suspension, while Yamaha’s XT1200ZE Super Tenere, which was introduced in 2014, comes with electronically adjustable suspension. With four preload settings and three damping force settings, you can adjust the suspension according to the load on the motorcycle while driving.
Brake system
The new YAMAHA XT1200Z Super Tenere is not just equipped with ABS, it has an advanced intelligent braking system, which in 2010 was declared the most advanced to date. In essence, the system constantly monitors the condition of the motorcycle using sensors, and then, at the moment of emergency braking, effectively redistributes the brake pressure between the front and rear calipers to prevent the wheels from locking up. In addition to such a “distributive” brake system, it also works as a combined brake system, and when the front brake lever is pressed, the rear brake is also activated, while when only the rear is pressed, the front brake is not used. In addition, the system monitors and controls the load and speed of the motorcycle for the most efficient use of the brakes.
electrical equipment
The new YAMAHA XT1200ZE Super Tenere is equipped not only with the already mentioned intelligent braking system and electronic suspension adjustment, but also with cruise control, indispensable for long-distance travel, heated steering wheel grips, a three-stage traction control system, electronic throttle control – YCC-T, which is equipped with all top-end YAMAHA sportbikes, a switchable traction control system, as well as the ability to select one of two modes: Sport for a dynamic ride and Touring for minimal fuel consumption.
Super Tenere is a good option for long trips on asphalt roads of various qualities, including dirt and gravel, while it is quite reliable, economical and comfortable. If you want to buy a YAMAHA XT1200ZE Super Tenere, then it is preferable to purchase the latest generation, in which the manufacturer has corrected all sorts of minor flaws and whose representatives will be equipped with all the listed packages of modern electronics.
Also you Can Download YAMAHA XT1200Z Super Tenere Manuals here
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