This is a 1989 Yamaha XT600Z Tenere that was used as a scout bike for the 2023 Sand Raiders rally, an event that recreates the early 1980s-era Paris Dakar Rally races in North Africa.
Before the event, this bike was sourced from Greece and given a full servicing, many parts were replaced during this process to ensure it would be reliable for the rally. It was then turned into a convincing replica of a 1986 Chesterfield Belgarda team bike.
Fast Facts – The Yamaha XT600Z Tenere
- This 1989 Yamaha XT600Z Tenere, originally from Greece, was refurbished and used as a scout bike for the 2023 Sand Raiders rally, a tribute to early Paris-Dakar races. The bike has been transformed into a replica of the 1986 Chesterfield Belgarda team model with numerous upgrades.
- The Yamaha XT600 Tenere, a successor to the iconic XT500, is revered for its simplicity and durability, making it ideal for desert rallies and long-distance adventure riding. Introduced in 1984, it features a 595cc single-cylinder engine capable of 46 bhp and a top speed of 96 mph.
- Key features of the XT600Z Tenere include a long-range 30-liter fuel tank, 41mm telescopic forks, Monocross rear suspension, front and rear disc brakes, and a 5-speed transmission. Its rugged design and reliable performance made it a favorite in both off-road and adventure riding circles.
- This Tenere has undergone extensive servicing, including a new clutch, chain, sprockets, back wheel, and calipers, totaling £2,000. It’s now for sale in the UK, road-registered, with a valid MOT until August 2025, ready for a new adventure.
The Yamaha XT600
The Yamaha XT600 Tenere was the successor to the XT550, which itself was the successor to the XT500 – to the uninitiated these may all just sound like random model numbers but in the history of desert rally, and adventure motorcycles in general, they are all deeply revered legends.
Yamaha XT600 Tenere was one of the most respected desert rally motorcycles of its time, and it remains a highly collectible model today. Image courtesy of Yamaha.
The story really begins with the Yamaha XT500, an almost absurdly simple motorcycle with a single cylinder, a single overhead cam, a single inlet valve, a single exhaust valve, a single carburetor, and a single exhaust. The theory being that if it only has one of everything and you build that one part right, it’ll keep running forever. And they weren’t wrong.
The simplicity and reliability of the Yamaha XT500 would see it win both the first and second runnings of the Paris Dakar Rally in 1979 and 1980, both times with French rider Cyril Neveu in the saddle.
The Yamaha XT550 would debut in 1982 but it had a short reign, being replaced by the larger-displacement Yamaha XT600 in 1984. By contrast, the 600cc version would remain in production for almost 20 years until 2003.
By the time they developed the XT600 Tenere, Yamaha engineers had a firm grip on what buyers wanted. It might have only been the very early days of the adventure motorcycle, but the requirements haven’t changed a lot in the years since.
What most riders want is a reliable motorcycle, capable of long highway journeys as well as light to moderate off-road riding, and it should have the best range possible while (preferably) not weighing too much. Although many manufacturers seem to have now forgotten that last preference.
The Yamaha XT600 Tenere certainly kept things simple, with a single cylinder engine that seemed like it could run for all eternity through anything you threw at it. The displacement was 595cc and it was good for up to 46 bhp and a top speed of up to 155 km/h (96 mph) depending on the specific model.
Simple, reliable engines, advanced suspension, and huge fuel tanks offering extended range were all vital features – and they remain so today for modern rally raid bikes. Image courtesy of Yamaha.
The early versions came with a cavernous 30 liter long-range fuel tank, ideal for remote trips where there can be hundreds of miles between gas stations. The bike was fitted with 41mm telescopic forks up front with a Monocross monoshock on the rear end. Disc brakes were fitted front and back, and it came with a 5-speed transmission and a chain final drive.
The long production run of the Yamaha XT600 Tenere and the many variants produced have led to it becoming a popular vintage motorcycle, with clubs established for owners around the world. In 2019 the Yamaha Tenere 700 was unveiled, an entirely modern adventure bike that was developed as a present-day version of its famous older sibling.
The Yamaha XT600Z Tenere Shown Here
The bike you see here is a 1989 Yamaha XT600Z Tenere that was originally owned in Greece, the benefit of this being that it’s an extremely dry climate ideal for avoiding rust. It was imported into the UK more recently and given a refurbishment ready for a new life in the desert.
Above Video: This is the first episode in a series covering the 2023 Sand Raiders Rally, and the bike you see in this article features as one of the scout bikes.
The work included a servicing, a new clutch, chain, and sprockets, a new back wheel, new calipers, a new front disc, and a new battery – at a total cost of £2,000. The bike was then given a series of cosmetic upgrades to make it look like the 1986 Chesterfield Belgarda team bike.
It’s now being offered for sale on Car & Classic out of Cumbria in the United Kingdom. It’s road registered and it has a long MOT until August of 2025. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Car & Classic
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
