Yamaha Adventure Ride 2025: Big Country on the East Coast

BRM attended Yamaha’s East Cape Adventure Ride in Feb this year, with 1,000+ km of unforgettable adventure excellence.
The Ténéré 700 World Raid proved its durability, comfort and control off-road.
Ben Townley’s 101 Adventures team ran a flawless three-day experience.

With the 2026 update of the Yamaha Ténéré World Raid announced recently, we thought we’d look back at the incredible 2025 Yamaha Adventure Ride that took place in February 2025, where BRM got to explore the remote East Cape of New Zealand’s North Island — an area that, despite often being overshadowed by the South Island’s reputation for epic adventure riding, proved that the North holds its own. Across three unforgettable days, riders discovered just how good Kiwi adventure riding can be: stunning coastal views, ever-changing terrain, friendly locals, and impressive land access that opened the gates to some truly special backcountry. It was the kind of ride that reminded everyone just how lucky we are to live — and ride — in a country built for adventure.

There’s something special about exploring New Zealand’s East Cape on a big-bore adventure bike. The combination of rugged coastline, rolling farmland, and endless gravel roads makes it feel like a different world — one built for riders who live for the long way around. For the 2025 Yamaha Adventure Ride, the East Cape delivered everything we love about adventure motorcycling: great people, stunning terrain, and plenty of dust.

The Invitation

An invite to join the annual Yamaha Adventure Ride aboard a Ténéré 700 World Raid was too good to turn down. We’d already sampled the previous-generation Ténéré on the Yamaha Rally NZ last year — a bike that proved itself as one of the most capable middleweight adventure machines on the market. So, this time around, the opportunity to tackle the East Cape was the perfect excuse to see how the World Raid handled real-world Kiwi adventure riding.

Run by former MX2 World Champion Ben Townley through his tour company 101 Adventures, the event promised three days of stunning riding, flawless organisation, and that unique mix of camaraderie and challenge that defines the adventure community. If you’ve followed Ben’s career, it’s no surprise that everything was run with the precision of a world-championship campaign. GPS routes, meals, support vehicles, land-access permissions — all sorted. All we had to do was ride.

Getting There

My test bike arrived straight from Yamaha with just eight kilometres on the dash — practically factory fresh. A quick shakedown on BRM’s local loop added another 150km before I loaded up and pointed the bike toward Hawke’s Bay.

The Briefing

Sign-on was at the Havelock North Club, where the quiet township was suddenly buzzing with Ténérés of every vintage and colour. Ben’s wife, Lucy, handled registration with her usual good humour, while the Yamaha team presented the 2025 Ténéré 700 — the next evolution of this already-beloved machine, which has since been released to an enthusiastic response from Ténéré fans.

The updates fix many of the small quirks of the previous model: a simplified switchgear layout, easier ABS deactivation, and refined ride ergonomics. Listening to the Yamaha Australia team run through the details, it was clear this wasn’t a radical redesign — more a smart, rider-driven refinement.

2025 Yamaha Rally, New Zealand, Adventure ride, Yamaha Tenere 700, World Raid, East Cape — *Evening sign-on and getting to know the group demonstrated the excellent organisation from the 101 Adventure team*

Day One – Big Country Begins

Under the familiar red Yamaha arch, I rolled out just after sunrise, joining the convoy as it wound its way through Hawke’s Bay’s backroads.

With Aki (Ian Atkins) leading our small media group, we got a head start to capture photos and video. The GPX navigation setup — running through GPX Viewer Pro — made the route-finding effortless. You simply follow the line, choosing whether to include the optional “break-out” routes marked for extra challenge.

The first day’s 408km route climbed high into the hills, breaking through morning cloud to reveal sweeping views of the Pacific. The Aussies in the group couldn’t resist stopping to get their drones airborne — and you couldn’t blame them. Every corner offered postcard views, and at times it was hard to keep your eyes on the track instead of the horizon.

Three privately owned farms opened their gates exclusively for the event — access that simply wouldn’t be possible without the long-standing relationships Yamaha and 101 Adventures have built. Ben reminded everyone that this sort of access is a privilege, not a right, and it was great to see every rider respecting the land and the locals.

By the time we reached Gisborne, bikes and riders were covered in a healthy layer of East Coast dust. The day wrapped with a cold beer and an evening briefing, the chatter loud with laughter and shared stories — a sure sign of a good ride.

Day Two – Gravel, Rivers, and Grit

If day one was an introduction, day two turned things up. Shorter at 318km, but packed with variety — seven private properties, twisting gravel roads, and plenty of water crossings.

Ben graded each optional section from 1 to 5 in difficulty, though he warned, “a two in the dry can turn into a five when it’s wet.” Thankfully, conditions were ideal. My only misstep came early, when a damp grass climb was a bit too slick for my 60/40 Dunlop Trail Max Raid tyres, with a quick, unplanned lay down for the bike and rider a reminder that adventure riding always keeps you humble.

Lunch was hosted by the local Motu School, where the kids and community put on a great spread. The highlight of the day came soon after — a wide river crossing followed by kilometre after kilometre of perfect gravel winding back toward Gisborne.

That evening, the talk turned to the bikes. The Ténéré’s CP2 engine once again proved its brilliance — smooth, torquey, and unfazed by whatever terrain we threw at it. With the World Raid I was riding having no traction control or power modes, you need to rely on the linear power delivery and throttle finesse to make the most of the traction available.

Day Three – Home Stretch to Whakatāne

The final day was far from a wind-down. The route traced north from Gisborne to Whakatāne — 276km of mixed terrain with three more private properties to traverse.

The morning kicked off with the Motu Road, a Kiwi adventure classic that demands respect. Tight, narrow, and occasionally shared with cyclists, 4x4s, and even campervans, it tested everyone’s concentration. One near-miss between an Aussie rider and a Nissan Patrol added a jolt of adrenaline to the morning.

From there, the terrain changed dramatically as we hit the Bay of Plenty, trading rocky hills for soft loam and forest tracks. Thanks to recent rain, the soil was tacky but forgiving — the kind of surface that rewards momentum and smooth inputs. Some sections were part of the old Tarawera 100 Enduro course, and while the Ténéré isn’t exactly a WR250, it handled the conditions with surprising agility.

The World Raid’s KYB suspension deserves serious credit. With 230mm of travel up front and 220mm at the rear, it swallowed ruts and roots without complaint. I didn’t bottom it once, even with 100kg of rider and luggage onboard. Combined with the low-slung 23-litre dual tanks, the bike stayed stable and balanced, even in the slow, technical sections.

Ben Townley & the Team

Watching Ben Townley operate is like seeing a masterclass in event organisation. With his wife Lucy running logistics and a crew of friends — including Miles Gregory and the Yamaha NZ staff — keeping everything moving, the operation ran faultlessly.

This was Ben’s sixth Yamaha Adventure Ride, and each year he manages to uncover new corners of the country to explore. His professional racing background shines through — not just in his effortless speed, but in the discipline, attention to detail, and safety focus that define every part of the event.

The ride caters to all levels, from newcomers to veterans. You can skip the hard sections or dive right in — either way, you’ll find yourself surrounded by riders who look out for one another. That’s the essence of the Yamaha Adventure Ride: skill, spirit, and shared experience.

Back to Base

Rolling into Whakatāne under the evening sun, the red Yamaha arch came into view one last time. Bikes were parked, helmets came off, and stories started flying. There were muddy boots, tired smiles, and that unmistakable mix of exhaustion and satisfaction that only comes after days of real riding.

It’s hard to overstate how well the Ténéré 700 World Raid fits the Kiwi landscape. From river crossings to gravel highways, it’s a bike that feels at home anywhere. After five days and a couple of thousand kilometres, mine was no longer the shiny demo I’d collected from Yamaha — but it looked all the better for it. Adventure bikes wear dirt like a badge of honour.

With a cold beer in hand and the sea breeze rolling in, it was easy to see why so many riders come back year after year. The camaraderie, the scenery, the sense of achievement — this is what adventure riding is all about.

A True Adventure Machine

After seeing what this year’s ride delivered, it’s clear that the Yamaha Ténéré 700 World Raid is more than just a capable adventure bike — it’s a passport to the kind of riding that makes New Zealand unique.

If you’re looking to push your limits, meet great people, and experience the best backcountry our country has to offer, keep an eye on Yamaha NZ’s socials for the next ride.