My very first bike modification had to be the skid plate. The original skid plate is a joke for those of us who actually take this bike offroad. It doesn’t protect much, and since the potential damage is costly, I opted for a skid plate with great protection both underneath the engine as well as along the sides. This particular one protects the risky water pump area on the right side of the engine and the exposed suspension linkage. It simply gives a bit of extra comfort. I upgraded to the AXP Racing Adventure Skid Plate for Yamaha Tenere 700 Euro 5!
AXP Racing
AXP Racing is a French company born in 1999. They first started creating aluminum radiator guards with spacers which allowed to keep a good air cooling for all riding conditions. They are famous for their plastic skid plates made out of 8 mm thick HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) which is extremely durable. It is today one of their best sellers.
The AXP Racing Adventure Skid Plate for Yamaha Tenere 700 Eeuro 5 weighs only 2.9 kg. The Adventure skid plate has successfully passed track tests and will protect your machine in the very best way! It covers the frame, the cases, the water pump but also the linkage! The AXP skid plate is light weight and absorbs impacts and deformations ! You’ll discover how quiet the plastic is compared to alloy plates.
For professional mounting instructions you may also wanna take a look at this video from AXP Racing.
Get yours here: AXP Racing – Yamaha 700 Tenere EURO 5 Skid plate (axp-racing.com)
Removal of Original Skid Plate
Removing the original skid plate is an easy job. There is only a few screws to be removed, and they are easily accessible from the front, sides and underneath. I would recommend to put your bike on a paddock stand or otherwise have it stand straight up as it makes the job a bit easier.
Before we begin, here is a picture of my bike with the original Yamaha skid plate. What I do like with it is that it sits really tight to the bike, close to the engine. However, the issue I have with it is that it protects far too little if you occasionally tend to take your bike off road.
The extra little piece of protection over the exhaust should not be removed. It fits perfectly within the AXP skid plate and is there to protect the plastic from melting.
Unpacking
It is time to unbox the package sent to me by AGM! Alf Graarud Motor (AGM) is a major motorcycle and motocross dealer in Norway. They promise fast delivery, prices are great and what I really like about their website is the ability to choose your bike and get all parts for your particular bike listed. Try it out here: https://www.agm.no/
I am easily impressed by dealers who put an extra effort into their products and deliveries. Within the package from AGM I found this small chocolate treat. “A small gift from them”, a huge surprise for me!
AGM also provided a solid sticker with their logo on it. A cool little detail!
The AXP Racing product was really well packaged and supplemented with a few AXP stickers as well.
This skid plate feels very solid, although it is made out of plastic. You need to reconsider what “plastic” means. This 8 mm HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) means business and is sure to protect you from damage! If read some reviews from really hard core riders who have managed to damage their bike and broken off pieces of the plastic. I’m not that kind of rider, and I am absolutely confident this one will be fit for my needs and riding style.
For me, two major reasons for buying this skid plate from AXP Racing where 1) the water pump protection on the right side, and 2) the suspension linkage protection.
All the parts needed for assembly, instructions and stickers were found in a separate plastic bag.
Mounting accessories laid out on the table. Pay attention to the length of each individual bolt and where they are meant to go.
Fitting of the AXP Racing Skid Plate
I did the mistake of dismounting this exhaust cover. I later found this not to be necessary – in fact with this particular kind of skid plate made of plastic, I would highly recommend to keep it in place. There is plenty of room to leave it there.
Here are a few pictures to compare the size and area of protection from both of these skid plates.
Viewed from the front, the difference between the two really becomes obvious.
Exhaust, oil filter and engine exposed without any skid plate mounted.
The first piece of kit that goes on the bike is the rear mounting bracket. It connects via a long bolt going through the linkage area. Make sure you use the proper washers to make it fit neatly,
The easiest way to mount it is to start off with the two rear screws going into the rear mounting bracket. Loosely tighten the screws before moving forward with the next four screws.
I had a little bit of an issue mounting the front left screw as the angle did not match the thread of the frame mounting bracket. I resolved it by removing some of the plastic from the square plastic piece that goes on the inside of the skid plate.
This skid plate really makes the awesome Tenere look even better! I am super happy!
Here is a shot from the left side of the engine showing you how much protection the AXP Racing skid plate is actually providing.
Reason to buy: water pump protection! If you ask me, this is something to look for if you are considering an upgrade from the original Yamaha skid plate.
Summary
There are plenty of skid plates for the Yamaha Tenere 700 out there. I happened to choose the AXP Racing one based on reviews and recommendations from others, pricing and because it looks awesome!
I take my bike off road as much as I can, I love gravel and I do like to take really good care of my motorcycles. I am not an extreme off road rider by any means, hence, the most extreme skid plate (like the GPMucci Thor one) would probably a bit of an overkill for me.
So far I am really happy with the AXP Racing skid plate. Being made of plastic I notice less noise when riding on gravel and pebble surfaces compared with the original skid plate. The fact that it covers both the linkage area and sides of the engine gives me calm and comfort.
I would rate this as a highly recommended product!
Get yours from AGM in Norway: AXP Bunnplate Tenere 700 2021+ Euro 5 eksos