TÉNÉRÉ 700 RALLY #3 FOR 2023 – AT ORANGE

The third of this year’s four Ténéré-specific rally rides was staged out of the NSW Central Tablelands township of Orange a couple of weeks back, and featured a high-profile guest appearance. And we don’t just mean TV personality, Grant Denyer, but also the recently released Ténéré 700 World Raid model. All of which made for a Yamaha marketing department dream – so, we let them pick up the story about that memorable lemon-free weekend at Orange!

Ténéré 700 owners enjoyed the third of four events for 2023, specifically tailored for them. This edition was centred around the mid-west NSW town of Orange, with 30 riders embarking on two loop rides that totalled 750km over the October 14-15 weekend. The trails were epic and ideally suited to the 689cc twins with conditions dry and dusty.

Special guest, TV personality and Yamaha owner, Grant Denyer, made the short trip from Bathurst to attend with his good mate and Aldi marketing guru, Adrian Christie. The pair are long-time Yamaha fans and ADV riders who crossed the Simpson Desert last year on a pair of WR250Rs.

This event was the first one in the series that featured the new Ténéré 700 World Raid, and the feedback on the new model was super positive. The revised suspension and weight balance from the new 23-litre tank came in for special praise as the World Raid negotiated the many gravel roads without breaking into a sweat.

Day one mixed up technical trails with wide-open sweeping farm roads, followed by a trip down the iconic Bridle Track from Hill End to Bathurst. “What a great day. We all had a ripping story or two to tell … but tomorrow will be even better,” advised RideADV organiser, Greg Yager.

Day two took the 700 twin owners into Molong before heading up through the Mount Canobolas pine forest to tackle some tricky 4WD tracks and enjoy spectacular views. Once again, riders experienced no major mechanical issues over the weekend.

This Orange event follows the first Rally of 2023, which took place in and around the SA Flinders Ranges, and the second event that covered the Darling Downs area of Queensland. The next Rally will be in the Victorian High Country on November 4-5.

There are still a few spots left for this fourth and final rally in Victoria, so if you have a Ténéré 700, you can sign up now here.