Okay, so I’ve been messing around with my Tenere 700, trying to shave off some weight. It’s a great bike, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a bit of a porker, especially when you’re trying to muscle it around off-road.
First thing I did was look at the obvious stuff. You know, the easy wins. I started by pulling off the passenger pegs. I rarely ride two-up, so those were just dead weight. That probably saved me a couple of pounds right there.
Exhaust Time!
Next up was the exhaust. The stock can on the T7 is HUGE and heavy. I did a lot of digging to find a replacement. Finally, I found a lighter one. I slapped that bad boy on, and wow, what a difference! Not only does it sound way better, but it also dropped a significant amount of weight. I’d say it easily cut 5-7 pounds, and that’s a big deal.
Then I went after the battery. I swapped out the lead-acid boat anchor for a lithium-ion battery. It’s tiny and super light, a solid few pounds off right that. It seems so far so good.
- Removed passenger pegs.
- Replaced the stock exhaust.
- Switched to a lithium-ion battery.
I also got rid of the stock toolkit and replaced it with a smaller, lighter one that I put together myself. I only carry the essentials, the stuff I’m actually likely to need on the trail. No point in lugging around extra tools that I’ll probably never use.
I’m still tinkering with it, looking for other places to cut weight. I’ve been thinking about swapping out some of the bodywork for lighter stuff, but that’s a bigger project for another day.
Honestly, even these relatively small changes have made a noticeable difference. The bike feels more nimble and easier to handle, especially when I’m wrestling it through rough terrain. It’s a work in progress, but I’m pretty happy with the results so far!
