KTM 790 Adventure R vs. Yamaha Ténéré 700

Cycle World put's Yamaha's Ténéré 700 up against the KTM 790 Adventure R. Which will come out on top as we ride from the desert to the mountains on these rally-inspired adventure bikes?

The adventure motorcycle segment kicked off in 1980 with BMW’s R 80 G/S. At the time, many wondered who would want an overweight, undersuspended dual-sport. Turns out, more riders wanted one than anyone would have guessed. The segment has gained more power and long-range touring capability over the years, along with more mass and girth to wrestle when off-road. Now a new generation of adventure bikes has come along to buck the trend of bigger is better, altering what and how far are possible when the pavement ends. Leading the charge are two models inspired by modern rally racers: Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 and KTM’s 790 Adventure R. No longer do ADV bikes have to be overweight and undersuspended.

Both motorcycles are powered by parallel-twin ­engines, both are equipped with long-travel suspension, and both bear some resemblance to the machines each brand races in Dakar. And now these Yamahas and KTMs can be seen on off-road-racing starting lines around the world. But the real story with these motorcycles is that while they are the most capable examples of the segment, they also address a practical reality for many adventure riders—time.

The dream of packing all your essentials into 100 liters of aluminum boxes and aiming for the farthest reaches of a cardinal point sells motorcycles. Responsibilities have a way of keeping that dream in check. So, how to get the most dream into your schedule? Go faster and deeper off-road. Ditch the panniers, grab a backpack, and hold your own rally special stage. That’s what we did with the 790 Adventure R and Ténéré 700 in search of a quick adventure and the answer to which bike would deliver that fix best.

First up: KTM’s 790 Adventure R, the reigning ­champion of the middleweight class. Named Cycle World’s Best Adventure Bike in 2019, this sharply styled parallel twin comes chock-a-block with all of KTM’s tech, like lean-sensitive traction control and ABS, off-road ABS, ride modes, a full-color TFT dash, and Bluetooth connectivity—all features you’d see in larger, big-bore ADVs. Yet thanks to a compact engine and frame, the 790 Adventure R weighs in at 468 pounds on the CW scales. Hefty, but still 157 pounds less than the BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, the sales-floor king. A WP Suspen­sion Xplor 43mm fork and linkageless PDS shock provide 9.5 inches of travel at both ends, with preload, compression, and rebound adjustability. Fuel capacity of the low-slung, rally-style fuel tank is 5.3 gallons. All of this comes with a price tag of $13,699.

Yamaha’s Ténéré 700 rings in at $9,999, and for that you get a more stripped-down, or perhaps more distilled, adventure motorcycle, depending on how you interpret a lack of electronics. Traction control for the revered CP2 parallel twin is found at the connection between your wrist and the throttle; how well that works is up to your internal CPU. Ride modes are also absent, and ABS is either on or off. A 43mm Kayaba fork strokes through 8.3 inches, and has rebound and compression damping, while the rear Kayaba is adjust­able for preload, compression, and rebound, and provides 7.9 inches of travel through a linkage design. A no-nonsense LCD gauge does not connect to anything beside the motorcycle itself. On the CW scales, the Ténéré comes in at 466 pounds, 2 pounds less than the KTM. Just 37 $100 bills in your back pocket will cut that weight differential in half.

Price is an important factor in deciding what motorcycle is right for you, and it’s a call we can’t make for you. So we will not factor it for a winner. We seek the best performer, not the most expensive or lowest priced. Best is best, regardless of cost.

Power from both the Ténéré 700 and 790 ­Adventure R powerplants is well-suited for more aggressive adven­ture riding, with plenty of power to cover highway stretches, and enough punch for really aggressive off-road duty. The Ténéré's 689cc DOHC CP2 engine has lively delivery down low, giving it a dirt-bike-like character right off the bottom. A quick tug on the clutch lever lofts the front end over obstacles with ease. Once you hit the upper half of its 10,500-rpm tach, the crossplane twin begins to run out of steam. On the CW dyno, peak horsepower is 63.8 at 8,900 rpm. However, the flat torque curve jumps above 40 pound-feet at 2,200 rpm for that fun and playful character, hitting a 44.1-pound-feet peak at 6,600 rpm.

[motopossum]

It's great that at least one company will sell us a wonderfully simplified adventure bike. No ride modes and a single switch to turn off ABS ? Nice!!

[ricardoezequielneira]

T7 all the way ! Nothing beats reliability, simplicity that gives peace of mind ! Besides that the T7 is just beautyful!

[NudaMan]

Countershaft sprocket leaks on the KTM 790’s.... But it’ll be cover under warranty and there is also a rear brake line recall because of the shortness in the cable line, just my 2 cents since I work at a Ktm dealer, I’d go more towards the T7 because of the minimal electronic bs and Yamaha reliability

[andriesvanrensburg]

Nice Review! I like the performance from KTM. But the T7 simplicity is what attracts me. No Tech = No problems!

[queenslander]

Going by reputation of reliability & the fact that Adventure bikes can have you in the middle of nowhere, I think most blokes would go with the T-700, knowing that yes the Kato will have better suspension & power .. but reliability is a huge thing, & Yamaha has it.

[nathanwoodworth]

T7. Adventure motorcycles need to be able to do crush miles on the road as good as they do they trail, the Yam does that. + reliability, cost, wind protection, etc.

[guedes]

I was the owner of a 1290 Super Adv. In Brazil, it gave me electronic bugs that kept me awake, KTM here in my country is not able to remain carefree or trust the dealerships. I sold it for fear of exploding in my hand, unfortunately.

[patw]

Can't wait to pick up a T7 this spring

[Checkyoursix]

I riding buddy got his T7 upgraded with rally raid 230mm suspension and it’s amazing! It’s totally transformed the bikes handling off road.

[guvencdiner]

No electronics no problem 👌
Reliability, pure adventure sense and simple.I bought T7rallye.

[TMAdventuresT]

KTM AR had let me down so many times with faulty rear brake sensors, fuel tank level indicator problems and rear shock adjustment problems. Now riding the basic but awesomely built YamTen7. Nothing against KTM but this was a rush build that needed the 890 AR to put it into retirement ✌🏾

[bindirider]

Both great bikes. I've had the 790r for a bit over a year now and have had no problems other than the rear brake recall. no big deal. It's my first proper adventure bike and I love it. It doesn't look pretty but I don't see it while riding and it makes me smile. On this bike I go and keep up with my mates on 500 exc's and can head home on the black top no problems.
790 for me.

[Pond_life]

T7 will outlast the ktm so long your Grandkids will be able ride it... T7 for the win.

[aleksrodins]

T7 with 3 grand to spent on extras, and still to be left with some change to buy new gear... No fancy shmancy electronic, which not will be used anyways...! Great way to learn even more, as no TC steppin in... Tenere T7 all the way for me!

[damytzeus]

in these ktm vs t7 articles, notice that most of the comments are typically posted by t7 owners justifying the t7 and why they didn't or wouldn't buy the ktm -like the guy who buys a toyota 4runner proclaiming how it's good enough compared to the range rover. also, notice how many of the t7 supporters comment about money, unnecessary performance, reliability, good enough, etc. lotsa practical stuff.
notice that its the t7 riders competing with the 790/890/690 -like short men trying to compete with taller men, and the taller men aren't even aware that they're supposed to be competing.

watch a ktm 790 video and notice the emotional response of rider. "woohoo!", "amazing", "what a blast!", "so much fun!", "omg!". ktm riders value the emotional experience and performance over the many seemingly practical sensibilities of the t7 or a klr. many ktm owners want "ready to race". a yamaha mt10/fz10 is great bike seemingly more cost sensible choice and i'd rather ride a ktm super duke, ducati streetfighter v4 or even a bmw s1000r. i value the emotional experience before all the practical stuff. i ride motorcycles for the emotional experience. it would interesting to compare the lifestyles of ktm 790 owners vs t7/klr owners. the differences seem apparent, when i look at my buds who ride one versus the other.

i wonder, if money wasn't an issue how many people would still choose a t7? if you respond with, "money is an issue" or something like "$3700 is major deciding factor in my life", what does that say about your life?

carry on with justifying the sensibilities of the t7, everything's that wrong with the 790 and how glad you feel for choosing a t7.

[marcoluoma]

You guys do such a great job of reporting on performance from new bikes. I wish there was also a reliable source of info about what the bikes are like to live with for 5-10 years. Can’t ask for everything...

[cavscout]

I keep daily riding my 2021 T7 and my Friend with the KTM keeps taking days off while it’s in the shop. I really feel bad for him because he spent so much and there’s no denying he got so much more power BUT he didn’t get what he paid for in reliability.

[jackloganbill]

I started riding dirt bikes when I was 10 years old, we had a cabin in Big Bear (CA) and riding is how I spent my weekends and summer. Always 2 strokes, the bikes weighed almost nothing...I gotta tip my hat to anyone who can ride a 400 - 500 pound bike off road, really....I just can't imagine the endurance and strength required to do it!!!! With that said, would love to ride a T7 for a day....

[TheHkluivert]

Why not compare the T7 to the regular, non-R, KTM 790? Makes more sense pricewise, doesn’t it?

[Korfass]

One correction...the WP of KTM 790 adventure R are 48mm and not 43mm.