Modern adventure bikes like the Yamaha Ténéré 700 seldom get customized. It’s partly because they’re purpose-built machines, designed to go anywhere—and any modifications outside of the usual dual sport remit can undermine that usability. But it’s also because a Ténéré 700 is a more complicated machine than, say, a vintage Yamaha XT500.
So why exactly did Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles decide to customize this particular Yamaha Ténéré 700? The answer is simple: it was wrecked, and it had already served its purpose. So why not?
The 2020-model T7 belonged to a friend, who had bought it to travel from the Czech Republic, where Gas & Oil is based, to New Zealand. “Unfortunately his route ended prematurely in Iraq, when he had a frontal impact with a car, that was overtaking another car, that was overtaking a truck,” explains the workshop’s founder, Matej.
Matej’s friend managed to get himself and the bike back to Czechia, but his insurance wasn’t playing ball. “He decided to sell what was left of the motorcycle, fly over to New Zealand, buy another Ténére there, and at least travel across the island. We were left with a smashed machine without a front wheel or forks, a smashed water cooler and a few broken electrical components, but with a good frame and the engine still running.”
“Our intention was obviously to create a classic bike with the pleasant perks of modern components, which turned out pretty damn well. We chose a more difficult path, because using old components on a new motorcycle isn’t that hard—but it’s not that functional. We wanted to have good suspension, good lightning and good riding, but with late-70s looks.”
Providing extra inspiration was the 1979-model Yamaha XT500 that was parked in the Gas & Oil workshop. Coincidentally, the older XT and newer T7 had almost the exact same mileage on the clock, showing around 36,000 km [22,369 miles].
“I guess everyone that’s into motorcycling has their favorite era,” says Matej. “Since this wasn’t a customer project, but a personal thing, we chose the French 1970s, when some event called the Paris-Dakar Rally was trying to find its place in the world.”
“For the first year of this legendary event, the French Yamaha dealer Sonauto prepared a few XT500s. The modifications were far from today’s professional attitude, and consisted of a bigger tank, and different suspension, exhaust and seat. And one of those machines, ridden by Cyril Neveu, actually made it first to the finish line. So our main motivation was to build a modern tribute to these grandfathers of today’s enduro motorcycles.”
Gas & Oil’s first mission was to get the Yamaha Ténére 700 back on its feet, so to speak. Through some deft fabrication work, they managed to hook up a set of lengthened WP Suspension forks from a KTM, with a set of KTM 690 Duke yokes. The front hub was re-laced to a 21” D.I.D. rim, with a custom-made axle to attach it to the upgraded forks.
Next, the crew laced up an 18” Excel rim out back, then wrapped both ends in aggressive dual-sport rubber. A TFX shock props up the rear.
Not much has changed on the T7’s frame, but its bodywork is all new. A handmade aluminum fuel tank takes center stage, styled after the long range reservoir on the Dakar-spec XT500. A retro-style bench seat sits behind it, covered in a waterproof synthetic material.
The side covers are bespoke aluminum parts, the plastic fenders are from Acerbis, and the fork guards are from UFO. The luggage rack is an actual vintage part, adapted to fit the T7.
Most of the fettling that was done to the frame was focused on the back half of the bike. Gas & Oil modified the subframe to mount the seat and rear fender, and added a cover to hide away the bike’s electronics. They also fabricated a mount for the license plate and rear turn signals.
A laser-cut radiator cover plays host to the front turn signals, while a generous sump guard protects the bike’s tender bits. Gas & Oil also installed an upgraded Muller Motosport air box, a Shido Lithium-ion battery, and a Magura hydraulic clutch.
The guys could have bought an off-the-shelf headlight nacelle, but they wanted a very specific look. So they 3D-printed their own unit, equipping it with a pair of lights from LSK. Then they built a structure out of laser-cut plates to hold it, the lights, and some key electrical bits.
A set of Renthal handlebars sits further back, with a 3D-printed mount that holds the original dashboard. Other upgrades include a Kedo chain guard, heavy duty foot pegs and tiny Motogadget LED turn signals. A Sharon exhaust muffler provides the soundtrack, fitted to the stock headers by way of a stainless steel connector pipe.
Matej and co. opted for a period correct livery to drive the point home, wrapping the bike in white and black with a handful of tasteful graphics. “Since we were the ones paying for all this fun we were forced to stay in budget,” he adds, “but we had help from Yamaha Czech Republic, who got as excited as us for this project.”
Kudos to Gas & Oil for turning a busted up adventure bike into a true neo-retro rally bike. If there’s a better use for a crashed Ténére, we don’t know what it is.
Gas & Oil Bespoke Motorcycles | Facebook | Instagram | Images by Jakub Frey
