According to a freshly filed patent, Yamaha is one step closer to launching a production version of the higher-spec Tenere 700 “Raid” prototype we watched flying across Moroccan dunes at the hands of T7 ambassadors Alessandro Botturi and Pol Tarrés last November. A month later, the world saw the Raid up close at the EICMA show in Milan.

It was on fire, featuring vintage Paris-Dakar styling, a raft of enhancements to the bodywork, and performance upgrades for the engine, brakes and suspension. But as any trend watcher knows, much of what’s on the runway never makes it to the street, and such is the case of the Tenere 700 Raid. 

What does seem to have made the cut based on the patent photos are the prototype’s dual fuel cells, which appear sizable and are situated low and forward of a traditional center-mounted tank, each with its own filler cap. The images don’t show the rear-mounted auxiliary tanks we saw on the prototype in Milan.  

And while there’s no way to tell how much additional range the oversized tanks will provide, it’s safe to assume volume will be on par with other longer-range middleweight ADV bikes, such as BMW’s F850GS Adventure, which holds 6.1 gallons. Today’s standard T7 tank carries only 4.2 gallons, so the additional range will definitely be appreciated. 

But what else will you get if you splurge on a T7 Raid? Like a pro rally raid bike, the bodywork is more extensive than the standard version, and a new rally-style seat stretches far up the tanks, providing an enlarged platform to accommodate shifts in body weight. Footpegs are wider than stock, with serrated edges and no rubber inserts are visible. 

The fairing on the prototype extends downward around the dual tanks to frame the standard T7 radiator, visually melding with a substantial skid plate that protects the engine and exhaust. In lieu of traditional caging, Yamaha has created frame-mounted bumper-style crash guards that integrate into the bike’s large side panels for a clean look. 

Up front, an upright, rally-style windscreen and wing-like side panels wrap around the stock headlamp to create a wider snout for the Raid edition. Behind the screen there is a depiction of a larger, vertically-positioned data screen, likely a color TFT to replace the current base model’s small monochrome LCD screen.

Unfortunately, many desirable upgrades on the prototype are missing in the patent renderings. We don’t see a change in the exhaust (the prototype sported a full titanium Akrapovič race exhaust), the high motocross-style fender, or the oversized radiator that supported the show-circuit Raid’s increase in power. 

Also missing are the juicy 48mm forks with 10.6 inches of suspension travel, the CNC Machined aluminum triple clamps for extra rigidity, and the rear shock with revised linkage that promised 10.2 inches of travel. The more powerful, higher spec brakes on the prototype, which addressed one of the T7’s most common criticisms, are also absent in the patent depictions.

At the end of the day, most of the performance features on the prototype Raid may likely become available through Yamaha’s GYTR (Genuine Yamaha Technology Racing) parts program and could be added piecemeal to the T7 we see here, much as Pol Tarres did when he upgraded the standard T7 for The Seeker and The Seeker 2 short films. 

Still, it would have been awesome to see that kick-ass build debuted in Milan — a machine to give KTM’s 890 Adventure R Rally a run for its money —  sold off showroom floors as a standard package. 

No word yet on how long we’ll have to wait for the T7 Raid, what pricing will look like, or even whether it will have cruise control (such a hot button for ADV riders!), but we’ll keep you informed as soon as news arrives. 

Author: Jamie Elvidge

Jamie has been a motorcycle journalist for more than 30 years, testing the entire range of bikes for the major print magazines and specializing in adventure-travel related stories. To date she’s written and supplied photography for articles describing what it’s like to ride in all 50 states and 43 foreign countries, receiving two Lowell Thomas Society of American Travel Writer’s Awards along the way. Her most-challenging adventure yet has been riding in the 2018 GS Trophy in Mongolia as Team AusAmerica’s embedded journalist.