Take a dream bike, and make a dream list of the things you’d add, take away, change, upgrade or adjust. Don’t worry about the cost, you’ve got Bezos kinds of cash to work with. Don’t skimp, splurge. But at the same time, keep performance, operability and ease of use front of mind. Find that sweet spot in the Venn diagram between performance, comfort and utility. Get the bike set up and head out for a long ride. A nice dream, yes?

If your dream bike is Yamaha’s famously capable middleweight Ténéré 700 twin, AKA the T7, stacked and racked with all the latest gear and goodies, then you’re tuned in to the experience I had in Colorado’s towering Rocky Mountains. Following a visit to the Overland Expo when it was in Loveland, an hour north of Denver, I spent several days riding the dialed-in, tricked-out Ultimate Motorcycle Build for 2022. It did not disappoint.

The Bike and The Build: 2022 Yamaha Ténéré 700

Loaded and ready for trouble, this may truly be the ultimate T7 build. Photo: Bill Roberson

Eva Rupert and yours truly with the Ultimate T7 build, which she coordinated. Photo: Overland Expo

After a Honda Africa Twin got the big makeover in 2021, “for our second Ultimate Build, we decided to go smaller and lighter,” Overland Expo Motorcycle Community Director Eva Rupert said in a description of the T7. “We built this incredible Yamaha to inspire overlanders to get geared up and out on their own moto-based adventures.” Rupert, a very experienced rider and bike builder, personally oversaw the assembly of the T7 build and walked me through the features and gear before I set off from the Expo.

Key bits: A suspension makeover by TracTive, including a new rear shock and revised fork internals giving the T7 a 25mm overall lift in suspension travel. Mosko Moto supplied a full spread of spacious soft bags, and Outback Motortek kitted out the Yamaha with stout crash bars and bag racks. AltRider contributed more protective bits along with bar risers, upgraded footpegs, a clutch arm extension, water pump guard, a better brake pedal, high front fender, and a radiator guard.

Taco Moto wrapped the T7 in a cool topo scheme, and a pair of Ruby LED aux flood lights capped the list of major additions. Wheels, engine, exhaust, seat and the front tower and cowl remained stock. A full list with links to all of the add-ons and farkles are at the end of this story. Here’s Eva giving a quick overview of the bike and the changes that were made:

Even though I attempted to pack as light as possible, I also brought a fair bit of my own kit, including a Rev’IT! riding ensemble, TCX Infinity 3 Mid WP boots, Bell MX-9 Adventure helmet with ProTint photochromic face shield, Cardo’s new PackTalk EDGE helmet comms unit, SeaToSummit Alto TR1 tent and air mattress, a lightweight sleeping bag, BioLite LED headlamp, Garmin InReach Explorer Plus satellite communicator, DJI Air 2S drone, Leatherman Free Wave Plus multitool, Insta360 RS camera, a Colorado riding map from Butler Maps, and an Apple iPhone 13 Pro loaded with GPS apps and a lot of music. Let’s ride!

I set out on the T7 from the Overland Expo show site in Loveland the afternoon the event ended. There was a lot of moto goodness at the show from Ducati, Triumph, Yamaha, Zero and others, and many of the customized overlanding RVs on display were crazy expensive but also crazy awesome.

Once underway, I had four days of riding and a long list of spots I wanted to hit, and the result was an amazing journey through some of the most beautiful and epic mountain riding in the United States—and on Earth. It was a mix of tight trails, dirt roads, wide-open interstate and circuitous byways through Colorado, and it was a ride I’ll never forget—and will return to in the future. Join me in Part II and III of this journey through Colorado’s amazing Rocky Mountains on a machine with robust capabilities and surprising flexibility.

TracTive suspension upgrades, Ruby LED’s, Taco Moto wrap and more punch up the T7. Photo: Bill Roberson

Overland Expo Yamaha Ténéré 700 Ultimate Bike Build Features:

TracTive X-TREME suspension +25mm F/R plus fork rebuild. A big difference maker.

Bridgestone Battlax Adventurecross AX41 tires: Tenacious in the dirt and surprisingly responsive on pavement.

Aclim8 Kombar Titanium Pro  This fine bit of kit was lost by a rider who had the T7 before my trip. Pity as it looked amazing.

Bark Buster handlebar guards  Worth every nickel in a crash.

Mosko Moto bags: Nomax tank bag,  Backcountry 25 Panniers, Backcountry 30 Duffel, all built to withstand the apocalypse. The tank bag also features a hydration cell.

AltRider: bar risers, footpegs, clutch arm extension, water pump guard, brake pedal, high front fender, radiator guard. Stock is good. These upgrades are much better.

Outback Motortek: Tail Tidy, Center Stand, Ultimate Adventure Combo (Crash bars, bash plate, Luggage system: rear rack, luggage bars). Because a simple crash should not ruin your ride.

RAM Mounts phone holder/Zoleo mount.  Flexible mounts – until you lock it down.

Taco Moto topo wrap. Make your bike look like how you want it to look.

Atlas Throttle Lock  Old skool cruise control, only better.

SBV Tool Kit  Cheap? No. Value when it’s saving your butt? Priceless.

RUBY Moto R4 Lights  Bright LED jewels for your bike.

Zoleo GPS tracker  For when you’ve fallen and can’t get back up.

Doubletake Mirrors  NOW you can see past your elbows.

Bill’s Riding Gear:

Rev’IT Apparel  Jacket and pants that look good and protect good, too.

TCX Infinity 3 Mid WP Boots  Waterproof, and you can walk in them for miles (trust me).

Adventure Spec Dirt gloves  Light, tough, breathable. And tough.

Bell MX-9 Adventure MIPS Helmet with ProTint Adventure Shield. Comfortable, affordable, effective. Spring for the ProTint shield, too.

Tifosi Sunglasses  Affordable, tough and made to order.

Garmin InReach Satellite Coms  I’m pretty sure texting via satellite is some sort of magic.

Butler Maps Colorado map  Maps specifically for motorcycle rides made by motorcycle riders.

Loop earplugs  They look different because they work better.

Leatherman Free P4 multitool. Because: Pliers and stuff in your pocket.

Insta360 RS 360-degree camera  Relive your ride – from any angle.

Cardo PackTalk Edge helmet comms. Tunes, talk and directions in your ears via JBL speakers.

Sea to Summit Alto TR1 tent. $12.80 an ounce and worth it.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro  Almost all of the photos for this story – including the night photos – were shot with it.

Canon Powershot Zoom camera. It’s like a little pocket telescope that takes photos, too.