News in on Yamaha’s 2015 models. Of interest is the latest XTZ660 Tenere, except that it looks like just another paint job with little actual difference to the original model I ran a few years ago.

That’s no bad thing, even if it could lose some weight. But as that won’t happen, the next best thing would be to make an ‘XTra Tenere™’ with the engine from the MT-07, as was speculated about here.

With its great success, the 2015 MT-07 has been blinged up with some red detailing into something called the MT-07 Moto Cage (right) for younger viewers. It’s possible that the valve guides may require some attention if all that smoke is anything to go by. My old XS650 used to get like that.

Super Tenere-riding Nick Sanders (left) has been promoted to Yamaha’s ‘Destination Adventure Ambassador’, so a box of Ferrero Rocher to him. What it actually means he’ll be hosting Yamaha-branded Destination Adventure tours, as many adventure-moto-celebs get to do.

The adventurised World Crosser version of the S10 that he rides sports all the usual AM-paraphanelia and must be getting close to a real-world 300-kg when fuelled up. Must say though, I was dead impressed with the engine after a quick spin own a Super Ten a few months ago. Not enough to buy one of course – the S10 is said not to have been a great sales success – but it gave me an idea of which more in the New Year.

Other bikes that caught my eye, now that I’m looking back at where I came from, include the sexy  XJR1300 (right), and an Racer version (left) which reminds of the old  XS1100 Special. Always had a soft spot for the beefy FJs. More here.

We’re all told that the popularity of biking is in retreat in rich countries, and in a couple of decades will expire altogether along with my generation. But Yamaha are still coming up with some fruity machines that appear to demonstrate the good old-fashioned fun of biking, as well as capitalising on the new custom scene with their ‘Yard Built’ range. Factory-built, the twin-shock, naked XJR13 looks fine out of the showroom. A 180-kilo Extra Tenere? One day soon, we hope.