Yamaha unveils the Ténéré 700 World Raid Prototype

Adventure bikes can be absolutely massive, and as dirt bike guys, that doesn’t really stoke us out. Sure, massive engine means massive power, but all that expected fun goes out the window if that motor is attached to a bike as heavy and wide as a tank. But Yamaha might have overheard our complaints.

Last year, Yamaha showed off a concept adventure bike called the T7. It was actually really well received, even by the dirt-only crowd. Giving the people what they want, Yamaha has refined the T7 concept and now has a prototype Ténéré 700 World Raid bike. It is still not a production model, yet it is promising to see it moving forward and the fact that Yamaha wants us to see the work it's doing shows its commitment and gives this bike a pretty good chance of becoming reality.

Yamaha plans to ride and test this prototype machine around the globe all of 2018 with a team of test riders. What that actually means is up to interpretation. We are just excited to see new dirt-worthy machines being explored. As soon as we know more, you'll know more, but enjoy this gallery while you wait.