2021 Yamaha Yard Built Tenere 700 by Deus – off-road Dakar Rally style but will Malaysia get the Tenere 700?

While Malaysian adventure riders await news of the Yamaha Tenere 700 ever coming here, Yamaha Europe has gone ahead and in collaboration with Deus, created the 2021 Yamaha Yard Built Tenere 700 by Deus Ex Machina. Yard Built is a series of custom motorcycles commissioned by Yamaha, previous alumni including the Bottpower XR9 by Carbona, Double-Style by Rough Crafts, CS_07 Gasoline dragster and the SC Madras Fine Cut, amongst many others.

For the Tenere 700, Yamaha’s middleweight dual-purpose adventure motorcycle gets the retro treatment, with the Dakar Rally race machines of the 1980s providing inspiration. Originally scheduled to gets its public unveiling at the Wheels and Waves Festival in Biarritz, the Deus Tenere 700 instead was shown in France during the “prohibited” Wheels & Waves Swank Rally in Magescq, France.

Unlike the slim, svelte tank used on the Tenere 700, the Dues Tenere gets a massive fuel tank, first sculpted in #D by Camal Studio. Based on the design brief, the tank cover, fairing, side covers, seat and rear fender are styled as a homogenous unit, with the resulting panel designs sculpted from fibreglass.

As part of Yard Built design rules, the custom motorcycle has to be able to be returned to original form, which means the bodywork on the Deus Tenere is removable and Deus has mentioned it might be offered as a kit if interest is shown. SC Project provides a custom made titanium exhaust, significantly lighter than the OEM unit.

The Deus Tenere is not all looks with the front forks swapped out for longer travel units by Andreani, giving 30 mm more travel over stock while the rear monoshock is now an adjustable Ohlins unit. Protection for off-road riding in increased with a radiator guard, chain guide, Yamaha engine guard and Acerbis hand guards.

Metzeler Karoo tyres, designed to handle sandy conditions, complement the Deus Tenere 700 build and give it that authentic desert racer look. Rounding out the Deus Tenere is the installation of an old school roadbook and twin tripmeters, harking back to a item when the only computer on a motorcycle was in the rider’s head.

Power for the Tenere 700 comes from Yamaha’s Crossplane 2 liquid-cooled parallel-twin, displacing 689 cc and producing 72.4 hp at 9,000 rpm and 68 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. Weighing in at 205 kg, the Tenere 700 is stock form comes with a 16-litre fuel tank and seat height places the rider 880 mm off the ground.

Unveiled to the Europe market in early 2019, the Yamaha Tenere 700 has been received well by the riding public on the Continent. Closer to home, the Tenere 700 is available in neighbouring Thailand, priced at the equivalent of RM58,000 while there is no word from Malaysian distributors Hong Leong Yamaha Motor as to whether the Tenere 700 will ever be sold in the local market.

GALLERY: Yamaha Tenere 700