KIWI RIDER 09 2019 VOL1 | Page 15

I TENERE 700 FEVER RISES t is perhaps the most highly anticipated new model from the Yamaha stable in a generation, and, despite still being a couple of months away, the new Tenere 700 has already made a big impression with Kiwi riders. As part of the Trans Tasman Tenere Tour, Yamaha Motor NZ secured three pre-production Tenere 700s to tour the country in order for riders to get up close and personal with the new middleweight adventure machine prior to its official arrival later this year. The tour – dubbed the Trans Tasman Tenere Tour – stopped off in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch after a tour of Australia and was an undoubted success for Yamaha with standing room only at all three events. Yamaha Motor Australia’s National Sales and Marketing Manager, Matthew Ferry who had accompanied the Teneres to New Zealand for the final leg of the tour had good things to say about the overall reaction towards the bike. “Yeah, look, really positive, I think there were a couple of different elements that you saw at this event. There are the diehards, who wanted to come and see this bike and have been eagerly waiting. They’ve seen it on the internet. They want to touch and see it, sit on it, see it in person and just get a real feel of what it’s all about”, he told Kiwi Rider at the Auckland event. “I think by taking the background to the people, rather than putting the bike in places and just saying come and see them. They’ve really said that Yamaha is going that extra mile in doing this tour. I think you know that the personal touch to these events where people can get up close and personal in a relaxed environment talk with people from Yamaha makes all the difference.” The Teneres at the tour represented each of the main colourways (blue/silver, black and white/red) and were each kitted out with different accessory parts from the official Yamaha parts catalogue to help riders get a feel for the potential the Tenere 700 offers. Ranging from a bike kitted out with the Rally seat option ($476.55) aggressive knobbly tyres and KIWI RIDER 15