
For all their blustery big boy swagger, plus-sized adventure bikes can be a bit of a handful offroad. I should know. While the power and stateliness of the Harley-Davidson Pan America impressed me, the 559-lb sled also got away from me on a rock-strewn trail and landed me in the hospital with a concussion. Good times.
It’s been a minute since I ventured offroad, so when an invite to test the new 2024 Yamaha Ténéré 700 landed in my inbox, I agreed with a tenuous mix of enthusiasm and caution. A bit of background: While I’ve enjoyed piloting all manner of road and sport bikes everywhere from canyons to world class racetracks, my experience offroad is a bit more limited.