The adventure bike segment seems to be going backwards with lighter and smaller bikes. You name it, from BMW and KTM to Benelli; all of them are putting their focus into smaller and mid-sized adventure bikes because of the growing demand. For example; we thought KTM’s adventure lineup couldn’t get any small than the KTM 390 Adventure, but the latest reports of the KTM 250 Adventure proved us otherwise.
Another manufacturer that’s on the verge of joining the list is Yamaha. Thanks to the folks at Motociclismo we managed to get some insights on this matter. Motociclismo had the opportunity to interview Fabrizio Corsi (: Product Communication Manager Yamaha Italy) and ask him a few questions.
One of the questions from Motociclismo revolved around the possibilities of a smaller 300cc Yamaha Tenere 300. Fabrizio Corsi’s answer was pretty straight forward. He first pointed out the movement of manufacturers like KTM and BMW into this segment and he told if there is a demand for a smaller adventure bike, then Yamaha would ready to satisfy the market.
Looking at the current trend the possibility of a smaller Tenere is actually possible. Well, it’s easier said than done, but if they were to come up with a smaller Tenere 300, all they have to do is to just grab the engine from the MT-03 and shove it in an adventure frame just like the MT-07 and Tenere 700.
However, based on Fabrizio Corsi’s answer there has to be a demand from the market, to begin with, so given manufacturers like BMW and KTM are already in; Yamaha just has to see the figures to get in the game. So, for now, let’s give it some time for this segment to boil up.
Source: Motociclismo