Scott Verrall’s TDM 850-powered Sonauta Super Ténéré…
Introduced in 1989, the Yamaha XTZ750 Super Ténéré sported a new DOHC 5-valve parallel-twin with a 360-degree crankshaft and output of 69 bhp. The styling came from Yamaha’s Paris-Dakar prototypes, and the Super Ténéré wore them honestly — after all, Yamaha’s rally-raid bikes won the world’s most grueling rally six times in the 1990s with riders such as Stéphane Peterhansel and Edi Orioli.
The Yamaha TDM 850 — a bike that helped invent the sport touring category — was later produced in parallel with the Super Ténéré 750, featuring an 850cc / 77-bhp version of the Super Ténéré’s five-valve twin. In fact, the TDM 850 engine would serve as the basis for the five-valve motor in the Yamaha XTR850R rally bike, which won the Paris-Dakar Rally from 1995-1998.
That record makes the TDM 850 engine something of a legend, and a few enterprising XTZ owners have realized this more powerful 850 lump will fit nicely into the Super Ténéré frame.
Enter our buddy Scott Verrall (@moto.vez), the UK-based mechanic whose 1970 Triumph Trophy 250 desert sled we recently featured. Scott, who’d fallen in love with the old Ténérés, found a 1990 Super Ténéré 850 TDM conversion for sale close to home. They say love is blind, which led to Scott buying the bike pretty much sight unseen…
“The chap assured me it was 100% so stupidly I took his word for it….fast forward to the next day and I found myself broke down in the middle of nowhere! As always with cheaper old bikes, never take someone’s word for it being all good like I did, as it’s never the case 🫣🤣”
Scott says the bike sat for the next three months in his bar “looking sorry for itself.” He rebuilt the carbs three times trying to get the bike to run right. Though he checked the compression, timing, and valve clearances, he kept coming back around to those carbs being the likely issue…
“Again I just left it in the bar and a set of 850 TDM carbs came up on eBay and bang she went straight away. Now it ran right I went to town on a mechanical overhaul.”
With the bike finally running like a top, Scott could settle in for the fun bit: making it look cool. He found a set of Sonauto fairings, which took a good bit of work to get fit properly, but Scott got there in the end. The headache was well worth it, as the bodywork really lends this Super Ténéré that killer XTZ850R Dakar look. Then came the paint.
“Next up I got some new fuel taps and took the beaten up old tank back to bare metal and painted it myself, as I was determined to ‘have a go’ at making the bike as cheap as possible! The blue in my eyes was always the best colour for this model Ténéré, so I knew how I wanted it to look once I got stuck into it!”
Scott recently lowered the bike about 25mm, which allows him to flat foot easily. He says it improved the handling, too.
“It rides incredible with plenty of grunt from that 850 TDM lump in it! It’s really opened up a new world of riding now having an adventure bike.”
Scott blames his buddy Matt (@unparalleledtwin) for his new ADV obsession, as Matt gave him a go on his Norden 901 Expedition Special at last year’s Malle Mile. Now they have a whole group of friends with adventure bikes.
“It has inherited a nickname of ‘the Buffalo’ by the lads on our whatapp group as it’s such a monster of a bike 😂”
Scott says he’s buzzing at how it’s turned it, and he has a massive year of riding ahead on it. We absolutely love this Sonauto Super Ténéré 850 Special, and we wish Scott a great 2026 on this beastly Buffalo!
Sonauto Super Ténéré: Video
Super Ténéré 850 TDM: Build Sheet
- Full Arrow exhaust
- TDM 850 conversion
- 850 carbs
- Powder-coated wheels
- Full Sonauto fairings and tank paint
- Sonauto decal kit
- Yellow headlights/custom cover
- Yellow dust covers and yellow disc guards
- Custom high front fender
- Mitas Enduro Trail XT+ tyres
- Crash bars
- Renthal bars
Says Scott: “The rest of the work carried out was just getting the bike mechanically sound so wheel bearings/fuel pump/carbs/brake overhaul and then pretty much everything powder coated to last!”
Sonauto Super Ténéré 850: Full Gallery
Follow the Builder
Instagram: @moto.vez
Photography: Scott Verrall (owner)
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