The Rajasthan sun had only just begun to spill across the morning sky when we rode out of Jaipur. Stretching ahead were the winding, dusty, and uneven trails leading toward Jodhpur—ideal terrain to put the updated 2025 Yamaha Ténéré 700 Standard and Rally models to the test. Yamaha may prefer showcasing these machines in the dramatic Atlas Mountains, but here in India, the rugged desert borders, rocky scrublands, and long gravel stretches of Rajasthan offer all the chaos you need to judge a true adventure bike.
And if any motorcycle embodies raw, no-frills adventure, it’s the Ténéré 700. With both variants—the refined Standard and the more aggressive Rally—at our disposal, the mission was straightforward: ride hard, swap bikes, push limits, and discover whether these middleweight ADVs can genuinely live up to their legendary name on Indian soil.
Standard and Rally – similarities and differences
While they might share the same DNA, the Standard and Rally models aren’t just color and sticker variants. They feel different from the saddle, and even before you swing a leg over, the visual cues are clear. The Standard, with its more neutral stance and lower seat (875 mm), feels more approachable. The Rally stands taller (910 mm), looking like it’s straight out of a Dakar bivouac, with its exclusive Heritage livery whispering stories from the 1980s Paris-Dakar runs. Out on the dusty trails near Sambhar Lake, the suspension difference, 20 mm extra travel on the Rally, became immediately obvious.
The Rally soaked up rocky patches and sudden ruts without breaking a sweat, where the Standard felt a bit tighter and more communicative. That’s not to say the Standard was uncomfortable, far from it. It just had a bit more of a “connected-to-the-ground” feel, which worked well on packed dirt and smaller gravel roads. Where the Rally excels is on rougher ground. I dropped off a ledge near Khimsar dunes, and the suspension barely flinched.
If you’re the kind of rider who’s comfortable launching over desert crests, the Rally is your weapon. Still, both weigh roughly the same, 208 kg for the Standard and 210 kg for the Rally. That minimal weight difference doesn’t translate into a major handling disparity. They both felt equally flickable through the camel tracks outside Pushkar.
CP2 engine optimized for Euro 5+
Yamaha’s beloved CP2 parallel twin is the heart and soul of the Ténéré 700, and in its Euro 5+ compliant avatar, it’s lost none of its charm. The 689 cc twin makes 73 hp at 9,000 rpm and 68 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. Twist the throttle, and the delivery is immediate, smooth, and surprisingly punchy at low and mid-range revs. That came in handy when climbing a rocky trail outside Osian, modulating the throttle in first gear gave me total control, and the CP2’s linearity made technical climbs feel less intimidating.
Yamaha’s new YCC-T ride-by-wire system introduces two modes: Sport and Explore. Sport gives you a crisp throttle snap; Explore is more relaxed and predictable. I toggled between the two depending on terrain, but even in Sport, the bike never felt too aggressive for low-speed maneuvering. Interestingly, there’s no quickshifter as standard. That might sound like a bummer, but shifting is delightfully smooth and precise with the clutch, something I rediscovered while standing on the pegs blasting through sand trails near Merta.
Top off-road chassis
Chassis-wise, both bikes are phenomenal. A 43 mm KYB upside-down fork and a central tube double-cradle steel frame give the Ténéré 700 its trail-taming capability. In the Rally version, the extra suspension travel (230 mm front / 220 mm rear) genuinely helps when riding off the beaten path. While charging through rocky passes en route to Jodhpur, the Rally felt planted and composed even at higher speeds. On flatter gravel, the Standard was actually a bit more fun, it had a more agile feel and was easier to toss around at speed, especially when doing fast transitions through sandy trails. ABS can be switched off Yamaha nailed the braking setup here.
Twin 282 mm discs up front and a 245 mm disc at the rear, with ABS that’s fully switchable, either completely off or just the rear wheel. When I deactivated rear ABS while descending a steep, loose-gravel incline near Nagaur, I could precisely steer the rear with a gentle slide, confidence-inspiring and fun. And finally, they fixed something small but huge: the ABS setting now remembers your last choice even after switching off the ignition. No more diving into menus mid-ride. Just tap the button near the display and go.
Pleasant ergonomics and secure stand
Both versions of the bike feel purpose-built. Standing on the pegs, the bars fall perfectly to hand. The wide titanium footpegs on the Rally gave excellent grip, even when I was riding through fine sand with wet boots. The Rally seat is flatter, firmer, and higher. It forces you into a more aggressive riding posture, especially useful when tackling technical terrain. The Standard’s seat is cushier and lets you move around a bit more during long hours on the saddle. At fuel stops, I found the 875 mm Standard easier to mount and dismount. But once moving, both bikes feel equally narrow, thanks to the slim 16-liter tank, which also makes gripping with the knees much easier, an unsung hero when navigating deep sand.
A little more electronics
Adventure purists, relax. Yamaha didn’t go full digital circus with the Ténéré. Instead, the updates are thoughtful and functional. The new 6.3-inch vertical TFT screen is gorgeous. Clean, minimal, and easy to read even under harsh Rajasthan sun. It has a RAID-style layout, with connectivity through the MyRide app and navigation features. We didn’t use the navigation much, maps can be a bit dodgy out here, but connecting a phone worked flawlessly. There are only two riding modes and no traction control gimmicks. It’s just you, the throttle, and the terrain. And that’s exactly how a Ténéré should be. Would I like cruise control and heated grips? Maybe. But honestly, the raw simplicity is part of the bike’s charm. It doesn’t hold your hand. It just keeps up with wherever your adventure leads.
Conclusion
By the time we rolled into Jodhpur, sweaty, sunburnt, and very much alive, the verdict was clear. Yamaha hasn’t just kept the Ténéré 700 relevant; they’ve enhanced it without watering down its DNA. If you want a middleweight adventure bike that’s ready to head into the unknown, the Standard Ténéré 700 is more than enough bike for most riders. But if you’re the type who lives for rocky hill climbs, sketchy drops, and standing on the pegs until your legs go numb, the Rally is a no-brainer. Either way, what you’re getting is not just a motorcycle. It’s a passport to your own story, one trail at a time. And Rajasthan? It was the perfect canvas to let the Ténéré paint its picture.