Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid (2026) - Technical Review

They may still have been in dealers but officially the last version of the Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid on the market was the 2024-spec model – something that’s about to change as the redesigned 2026 version is heading to dealers in the near future complete with new styling and improved suspension, performance and technology.

It brings not only an updated look to come into line with the updated-for-2025 base model Ténéré 700, but tech including cornering ABS and traction control, slide control and even more off-road capable suspension than its predecessor.

Pros & Cons

2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Price & PCP Deals

Yamaha has yet to officially confirm the 2026 Ténéré 700 World Raid’s UK pricing but given that even the last of the 2024-spec versions that preceded it came in at £11,920 – around £1500 more than the base Ténéré 700 – it’s not a huge leap to guess that the substantially-improved 2026 version will pass the £12k mark by some margin. The official number, as well as details of when the bike will be in dealers in this country, will be revealed at the Motorcycle Live show at the NEC in late November.

What we do know is that there will be two colour variants on offer, a red-and-white version that taps into Yamaha’s traditional racing scheme plus a black-and-gold option, complete with gold wheel rims and bronze-coloured forks.

2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Engine & Performance

Yamaha’s 698cc ‘CP2’ parallel twin engine requires little introduction, having debuted a decade ago in the MT-07, but for the 2026 Ténéré 700 World Raid it’s tweaked to hit Euro5+ emissions rules.

Since the standard Ténéré 700 was updated to the same standards a year ago, it’s no surprise that most of the changes are carry-overs from that bike. The main difference is the adoption of ride-by-wire throttles that both improve its emissions performance and open the door to a host of modern rider-assist technologies.

While the base Ténéré used ride-by-wire to add riding modes and traction control to the mid, the 2026 Ténéré 700 World Raid ups the ante by adding an inertial measurement unit to the mix, enabling cornering traction control and even slide control, as well as lean-sensitive ABS.

The basics are familiar: a 270-degree firing interval for a V-twin-style power delivery, gaining the engine its ‘CP2’ (cross-plane twin) nomenclature, with an oversquare 80mm bore and 68.6mm stroke. Peak power, at 54kW (that’s 72.4hp or 73.4PS), is the same as the standard Ténéré, arriving at 9,000rpm, and accompanied by 68Nm (50.2lb-ft) of torque at 6,500rpm. the bare numbers are identical to the previous World Raid, but Yamaha says the redesigned air intake that comes with the electronic throttles boosts the low-rev torque, making it feel more responsive and helping the bike’s offroad performance.

Those electronic throttles mean the bike also gains riding modes, a ‘Sport’ setting that gives sharper power delivery and an ‘Explore’ mode with a gentler response, both accessed from a switch on the righthand bar.

The new, lean-sensitive traction control system, made possible by the six-axis inertial measurement unit that measures roll, pitch and yaw, has three settings – Street, Off Road and Off – as does the associated Slide Control System (SCS), also chosen from the same bar control.

Finally, the six-speed transmission is tweaked to improve the shift quality, with internal changes including revised dogs, while the clutch cover is reshaped to give more room for the rider’s right leg.

2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight)

Taller, longer-travel suspension has always been a key element that sets the World Raid apart from the base Ténéré 700, and the same applies in 2026 but with improved components throughout.

At the front, the bike’s KYB forks now measure 46mm in diameter, up from 43mm, for additional rigidity and strength, while still offering 230mm of travel, up from the 210mm of the stock Ténéré. Despite the additional size, the forks of the 2026 model are no heavier than the previous versions, and feature Kashima coating to reduce friction. They’re preload-adjustable via an adjuster on the top of each fork. A new steering damper, offering 16 steps of adjustment, is added for 2026.

At the back, the fully-adjustable piggyback monoshock is also from KYB, and again upgraded compared to the previous version. Its stroke is increased by 5mm to 106mm, and the shock linkage is redesigned, claiming more progressive response as a result. The overall rear wheel travel remains unchanged at 220mm, again 20mm more than the base Ténéré 700.

The frame itself has the same, slight changes that were applied to the standard Ténéré a year ago, helping reduce weight and improve rigidity, and the ground clearance is unaltered at 255mm, 15mm more than the Ténéré 700. Overall, the bike’s 220kg wet weight is the same as its predecessor.

Also unchanged are the wheels, with aluminium rims, measuring the same 21-inches at the front and 18-inches at the rear as both the previous World Raid and the normal Ténéré, wearing Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR rubber measuring 90/90 at the front and 150/70 at the back.

The brakes themselves, with Brembo calipers working on dual 282mm discs at the front and a single 245mm disc at the back, are the same as before, but the IMU means they’re now paired to a cornering ABS system that has three modes, swapped by a dedicated bar-mounted button. In the standard setting, both brakes use anti-lock, but you can also switch the ABS off at the rear or turn it off entirely for offroad use. New braided steel brake lines are an upgrade when it comes to feel.

2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Comfort & Economy

Long distances are at the very heart of the World Raid’s purpose, something that’s defined by its massive 23-litre fuel capacity – split between two aluminium tanks that help carry the weight of that fuel low to improve control. For 2026 those tanks keep the same capacity but they’re reshaped, lightened and lowered further to improve both the riding position and the controllability of the bike.

The capacity means there’s an extra 7 litres of petrol compared to the standard Ténéré 700’s single, 16-litre tank, pushing the range past 300 miles between fill-ups. At the 65.7mpg that Yamaha claims, the actual range is an astounding 332 miles.

If you’re going that far comfort is going to be pretty high on the priorities list and Yamaha has addressed that with the reshaped tanks and a new one-piece seat, intended to give more freedom to move around the bike and to make it easy to ride seated or standing.

The addition of those ride-by-wire throttles even gives a comfort improvement, allowing Yamaha to add cruise control as standard to take the strain off your right wrist over long, constant-speed journeys.

A new windscreen is paired to removable side deflectors, promising improved weather protection, and the pegs have removable rubber inserts to combine vibration insulation on the road with grip for muddy boots when you’re venturing away from the asphalt.

2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Equipment

In line with the updates made 12 months ago to the standard 2025 Ténéré 700, the 2026 World Raid gets a new headlight with four LED units as well as a new, 6.3-inch TFT colour dash, mounted in portrait orientation and offering three distinct themes.

The standard ‘Street’ theme is, as it sounds, aimed at day-to-day use and mirrors the previous Ténéré setup. The ‘Explorer’ theme is for offroad riding, while the ‘Raid’ theme is inspired by rallye-raid roadbooks and includes two large trip meters controlled by a bar mounted joystick.

As you’d expect, the whole lot has phone connectivity including bar controls for music, messages and calls, plus Google-based turn-by-turn navigation. The bar controls themselves are new, as is the USB-C port on the righthand side of the cockpit.

Optional extras available for the World Raid include a quickshifter, protective guards, auxiliary lights and a lowering kit to make the seat height a bit more accessible at the expense of some ground clearance.

2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Rivals

The popularity of adventure bikes over the last couple of decades means there’s a extraordinary array of options on the market, so finding one that suits your size, performance requirements and the depth of your pockets should be no problem. Here are three that will be the closest competitors to the Ténéré World Raid.

Aprilia Tuareg Rally 660 | Price: £12,400

Read more

Power/Torque

80bhp / 51.6lb-ft

Weight

199kg

BMW F 900 GS | Price: £11,995

Read more

Power/Torque

103bhp / 68.6lb-ft

Weight

226kg

Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro | Price: £14,695

Read more

Power/Torque

106.5bhp / 66.4lb-ft

Weight

219kg

2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Verdict

The Ténéré 700 is already one of the most convincing middleweight adventure bikes on the market and the World Raid is an even more tempting option to live out your Paris-Dakar fantasies – but price and real-world performance will be key to its success given the vast number of options on the market.

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2026 Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid - Technical Specification

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