Yamaha Ténéré 700 insurance

Introduced in 2019, the Yamaha Ténéré 700 is the 689cc version of Ténéré adventure bike, named after the infamous Ténéré desert stage of the Dakar Rally and powered by the highly-regarded 8-valve liquid-cooled CP2 parallel-twin from the Yamaha MT-07.

The “Baby Ténéré” is a formidable middleweight ADV bike, and the incredible hijinks and hard enduro performances of Yamaha factory rider Pol Tarrés have only cemented the Ténéré 700’s off-road credentials. What’s more, the folks at Cycle World have been amazed at the adventure bike’s on-road performance:

“The motorcycle has uncanny road feel and traction with a flickability more befitting of a naked sportbike than an ADV.” –Cycle World

If that weren’t enough, the T7 came to market with a sub-$10,000 MSRP. Though that’s risen in recent years, many owners and reviewers have dubbed this bike a “unicorn” — a lightweight adventure bike that won’t break the bank.

Of course, price and financing aren’t the only factors in the cost of ownership equation. As with any motorcycle, insurance rates have to be taken into account. Fortunately, we can help you find the coverage you need at a rate you can afford.

Ténéré 700 Insurance Rates

It should come as no surprise that rates vary hugely based on location, coverage options, age, driving history, credit score, and other factors. However, we collected actual example rates from a variety of real T7 owners to give you an idea of what to expect.

• Male, Colorado, Full Coverage: $781 / year (Progressive)
• Male, Idaho, Full Coverage: $542 / year (Lowered to $342 by switching to Progressive.)
• Male, Utah, Full Coverage: $360 / year (State Farm)
• Male, Indiana, Full Coverage: $312 / year (State Farm)
• Male, Louisiana, Full Coverage: $312 / year (Geico)
• Male, Washington, Full Coverage: $312 / year (Dairyland)
• Male, California (San Diego), Full Coverage: $325 / year (Geico)
• Male, Colorado (Denver), Full Coverage: $302 / year
• Male, Nevada (Reno), Full Coverage: $300 / year (Progressive)
• Male, Washington, Full Coverage: $232 / year ($500 deductible)
• Male, Minnesota, Liability / Comprehensive: $56 / year (No Collision)

As you can see, the rates are widely variable depending on age, location, coverage options, and many other factors. What’s more, multiple riders reported huge savings by switching companies. Here’s an example:

“One insurance company quoted me $1900/yr. The insurance company I’m currently with for my car said because I haven’t had insurance on a bike for 3 consecutive years recently (its been 4 since I’ve had a bike) that my insurance would be $1790/yr…. I called my friend that works at said insurance company, even though she was on vacation, she logged into her computer and got me down to $380/yr for the exact same coverage. Insurance is such a racket.”

For this reason, we strongly encourage riders to shop around before buying a policy. Or, if you’d like to pay less than you’re currently paying, there’s a good chance switching insurers could leave significantly more money in your pocket at the end of the year.

Enter your zip code to start comparing rates and policies from T7 insurers in your area.

Yamaha Ténéré 700:  Model History

The Ténéré (literally “desert” in Tuareg) is a desert region in the southern Sahara, infamous for hitting Dakar Rally competitors with extreme winds and deep sands.

The single-cylinder Yamaha XT500 won the first two runnings of the Paris Dakar Rally (1979-80), but in 1981, the Yamaha riders found themselves falling behind the twin-cylinder BMW R80GS machines. The French Sonauto team asked Yamaha to develop an XT intended for rally competition.

“Inspired by the passion and determination from France, the development team at Yamaha headquarters set to work. The result of their efforts was the XT600 Ténéré.” –Yamaha Motor

Over the years, the Ténéré name would become synonymous with Yamaha’s dual-purpose / adventure bikes.

“In 1991, legendary off-road racer Stephane Peterhansel set foot aboard a Yamaha Tenere for the first time. He took home six Dakar Rally victories for Team Blue and established the ‘Tenere’ as a bonafide force in the off-road world.” –Top Speed

In 2010, the XTZ1200Z Super Ténéré appeared, and the Ténéré 700 was announced as the T7 concept at the 2016 EIMCA show — a successor to the XT660Z Ténéré, which was never sold in the US or Canadian market.

So the Ténéré 700 was a long-awaited, highly anticipated machine here in the States. Fortunately, it delivered on its potential, earning a reputation as the lightweight ADV “unicorn” American buyers had been wanting for years.

Special editions like the Ténéré 700 World Rally and Raid have only upped the ante, making the T7 one of the world’s most coveted and capable ADV bikes.

Coverage Recommendation: Yamaha T700

If you financed your Ténéré, then your lender will require that you carry full coverage on the bike. Typically, that means not just liability coverage, but collision and comprehensive as well.

If you bought your Ténéré used or outright, you might be tempted to opt for liability-only coverage, which can be significant cheaper. However, we would urge you to reconsider, as liability only covers damage and injury to third parties in an accident, not to your own machine. A simple drop in a parking lot, on a gravel road, or on a singletrack path could result in hundreds of dollars worth of damage just to the bodywork of your machine.

We’d recommend opting for a full coverage policy, and if you want to pay as little as possible, a higher deductible in the $1-2,000 range could bring your premiums down substantially. You may have to shell out a good amount out of pocket, but only to a point.

What’s more, if you shop around, you can often full coverage that won’t break the bank, and we can help. Enter your zip code to start comparing rates and policies in your area.