In a surprising announcement, Yamaha Motors Japan has stated that their do-all, beat-all, multi-purpose, world-conquering Super Tenéré will be available to US customers starting in the 2012 model year. After some serious praise from the European moto-press – and some mentions in US industry magazines – all American fans of the bike can say is, “it’s about time!”
The Super Tenéré has a DOHC 1200cc ultracompact parallel-twin powerplant with a 270-degree crank pushing through a six-speed gearbox into a shaft final drive. This is placed in an all-new steel frame which uses the engine as a stressed member and is designed to reduce rider fatigue on long-distance rides.
The electronics on-board include the new standard (for this category) of traction control, ABS, EFI, YCC-T fly-by-wire throttle, 
Yamaha’s D-Mode, and more to be announced later. If you know nothing more about this motorcycle, know that it is a direct competitor to the current multi-purpose sales leader - the BMW R1200GS.
The 2012 Super Tenéré will be made available in September 2010 through Yamaha’s Priority Delivery Program at dealers nationwide. To get your hands on one, you must put down a $500 deposit and wait for delivery starting in May of 2011. MSRP is expected to be $13,900, not including optional equipment. For more details, see http://www.yamaha-motor.com.
