Yamaha Tenere 700 coming to Malaysia in Q2 2022? – paultan.org

Many paultan.org readers have asked this question, “is Malaysia getting the Yamaha Tenere 700?” The answer to that is, right now, very possibly, yes, and perhaps by the second quarter of 2022.

Purely speculation at this point, of course, as the Malaysian motorcycle market, whilst still robust in the small displacement arena, is somewhat feeling the doldrums when it comes to selling large capacity motorcycles especially those not from luxury brands like Ducati and Harley-Davidson (both of whom, the author hears, have done very well indeed in terms of sales numbers in 2021, pandemic and lockdowns notwithstanding.)

Malaysian importer and distributor for Yamaha motorcycles, Hong Leong Yamaha Motor (HLYM), has been notably tight lipped about the appearance of the Tenere 700 in the local market. The best the author could elicit across two years of the question being asked was a, “that I don’t know but not likely, we still have the MT-07.”

However, the Tenere 700 has been launched in Malaysia’s ASEAN neighbours Thailand and the Philippines with pricing set at RM58,394 and RM51,912, respectively. What this means is when the Tenere 700 is launched in Malaysia by the second half of the year, possibly, the domestic price will be at or around the RM50,000 mark.

The increase in price over what is ostensibly a 689 cc, Crossplane 2 powered dual-purpose motorcycle is justified by the upgraded suspension and brakes, both essential components for a serious, offroad capable machine. This is complemented by the 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wheels, essential for performance on truly rough surfaces.

Does this mean an expansion of HLYM’s range of Yamaha middleweights in Malaysia? Might we even dare hope the Yamaha R7 sportsbike will eventually make an appearance locally? Meanwhile, the Yamaha MT-07 was priced at RM38,288 while the bigger Yamaha Tracer 900 GT was tagged at RM58,888 the same year.

It should be noted the 2022 Yamaha Tracer 9 and Tracer 9 GT are scheduled to get an official Malaysian launch, and price, this month. Competition for the Tenere 700 would come from the likes of the Suzuki V-Strom 650XT and Kawasaki Versys 650, both those are biased more to the adventure-touring side of things.

Right now, your guess is is nowhere as good as mine, I have a dirty badger on my side, but suffice it to say, the appearance of the Tenere 700 will be welcomed by a reasonably strong segment of Malaysian riders who want a proper dual-purpose motorcycle, not a mere adventure-tourer only suitable for trips to Lemang Tok Ki and runs to the border using the toll highway.

What do you think? Will you buy the Yamaha Tenere 700 when it arrives in Malaysia? Are you willing to put your money where your mouth is? Leave a comment with your thoughts and opinions, below.

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