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Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré, the myth that dominated the Paris-Dakar during the 90s
Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré, the myth that dominated the Paris-Dakar during the 90s

Video: Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré, the myth that dominated the Paris-Dakar during the 90s

Video: Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré, the myth that dominated the Paris-Dakar during the 90s
Video: The history of the Yamaha Tenere. The Bike that started the adventure segment. 2024, March
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The history of the Paris-Dakar Rally is exciting, it goes a long way. Although in its early years the toughest test in the world was closely linked to the birth and success of Bavarian motorcycles and their boxer engine, as we have already told you, the protagonism of the following decade of the famous rally would travel to Japan and France at the hands of Yamaha.

The 90s would be tied to the myth that the Japanese brand created with the Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré series and its racing variants, and its most charismatic pilot: a young Stephane peterhansel before becoming ‘Monsieur Dakar’. A feat achieved in large part thanks to the support of Yamaha Motor France and its racing department fully committed to the toughest test in the world.

The beginning, the end of the 80s

squad-yamaha-france
squad-yamaha-france

It was 1987 when, taking advantage of the withdrawal of BMW a year earlier, the Japanese brand began to chew on the successive victories they would achieve over the next decade. In Japan, the Yamaha development department went to work that same year to light a racing machine that would change the landscape inside and outside of competition, but especially for compete and win in 1988.

Before being crowned champion for the first time in 1991, the Super Ténéré obtained three consecutive second places: in 1988, 1989 and 1990. The latter with the Spanish Carlos Mas

That machine was the Yamaha YZE750 Ténéré, the mythical today 0W93. The story was underway with eight 0W93 machines ready to start that same year divided between the French Sonauto squad, the Italian Belgarda and the Spanish Yamaha Camper team with Carlos Mas. It was powered by an engine single cylinder of 753 cc and five valves with liquid cooling, 158 kg of weight and 53 liters of fuel.

Image
Image

Although the newborn could not win the title the first time, she was already pointing out ways. One of the Italians, Franco Picco he would finish second that same year. The next, in 1989, Picco would return to perform a great performance finishing in second place, this time with the evolution of the 0W94, an improved model, in part, with the development of the production model that Yamaha released that same year, the Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré.

Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré, the series model

The serial model was presented in the fall of 1988 at Paris Motorcycle Show, was in production for only five years: from 1989 to 1994. Unlike the Dakar model, the engine in charge of moving it would be a twin cylinder in line with 5 valves per cylinder and 749 cc with 69 hp of power and liquid cooling.

With these entrails, the Yamaha XTZ 750 Super Ténéré could reach a maximum speed of about 190 km / h, it had CDI ignition and a five-speed gearbox. In the suspension section, it mounted a fork with 235 mm of travel and a rear monoshock with 215 mm of travel. The brake section was entrusted to a 245 mm front double disc and a 236 mm rear, mounted on 21 and 17-inch wheels respectively.

With sovereigns 203 kilograms of weight dry and a capacity to load 26 liters of fuel, it is not surprising that the Super Ténéré emerged as the leader of the trail sector, with the permission of the Honda XRV 750 Africa Twin. Its figures later helped to strengthen the trail era with smaller displacements, but that's another story.

The wonderful 90s for Yahama

Peterhansel 1991
Peterhansel 1991

Returning to the race to success in the Paris-Dakar of the Super Ténéré, the 90s would re-inaugurate on the second step of the podium once again. This time the runner-up motorcycle would be ridden by the Spanish Carlos Mas, it was another evolved version that cubed 802 cc.

Stephane Peterhansel and the Super Ténéré would share the victory of the Paris-Dakar in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1998, accumulating six titles and adding 33 stage victories in that period

Next year, 1991, would be the turning point for the make, model and young French national enduro champion Stephane peterhansel. From then on, Peterhansel would establish the principle of a hegemony that extends many years later even to four wheels and that finally earned him his nickname.

Peterhansel 1991
Peterhansel 1991

With another version somewhat more advanced than the one piloted by Mas, Yamaha took control of the full podium in 1991 and Peterhansel added the victory for the fretboard brand. A victory that he would repeat in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997 and 1998, thus accumulating six titles and adding a total of 33 stage victories. A beast from the desert.

The victories of '92 and '93 were over a renewed Yamaha YZE850T, the same motorcycle as the previous one but with a retouched engine, with the displacement raised to 857 cc for extra power and torque delivery.

Orioli 1994
Orioli 1994

In 1994 the organization of the event changed the rules limiting participation to the production models. With this circumstance, the title of that year would change hands to fall into those of the Italian pilot Edi Orioli aboard his Cagiva Elefant 900.

That year Yamaha's parent company in Iwata discontinued its factory stake. It was then that France came into play when the French subsidiary picked up the baton, Yamaha Motor France, which presented 15 units of the Yamaha XTZ850R Super Ténéré two-cylinder production engines, designed and retouched especially for the rally.

In 1995 Peterhansel took the Dakar for the fourth time, a victory that he alternated in 1996 with Edi Orioli, this time for Yamaha on a standard XTZ 750. The last two years that ended consecrating Monsier Dakar were 1997 and 1998, where Peterhansel was done again in a row with the victory over the Yamaha XTZ850 TRX.

Thus, for almost a decade, the Yamaha Super Ténéré demonstrated hegemonic power in the most extreme test in the world, displaying skills that did not go unnoticed by motorcycle fans, who responded with great acceptance at the end of the century. XX. In return, the Super Ténéré gifted their owners with a Paris-Dakar reliability.

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