Finally got to ride my #Yamaha Tenere 700 on gravel roads on Friday! Took it on the Mountain Loop Highway to reprise a photo from when I first started doing raw photo editing. While it's not perfect, I've come so far since then! :) #photography #photog #photo #motorcycle

(By the way, there was wildfire smoke in the area at the time, so any photos will be a little off in the colors.)

Some thoughts on the Tenere 700:

• It feels like a sail in the wind, but it's not quite as tippy as a dual-sport. It's not as "flickable" as a dual-sport at any speed, but it does feel more stable at low speeds if I "point" my legs down.
• The motor feels a little "sleepy" to me. It has decent torque down low, but I can feel it petering out over, say, 8000 RPM. For context, my CBR650R pulls harder the higher in the revs I go, which has become my preference.
• The gearing is super low, such that first on it is like second on a "normal" street bike. It makes sense when you consider what the bike is for.
• Aside from the wind, it's definitely more stable at speed than any of my street bikes thanks to the big wheels, which is perfect for touring and uneven surfaces.
• Since I'm tall, the wind buffeting at speed is pretty bad. I'm used to some, but when the whistling starts becoming prominant, it's not my favorite. I do have a bolt-on visor extension for the windshield on the way.

The bike is pretty good at what it does, but I'd definitely choose one of my other bikes for street riding.