Lots of people ask us about the bike and what we have done to modify her, so we thought we would put finger to keyboard! This will probably be boring for non-bikers!

We have chosen a 1996 Yamaha Super Tenere XTZ 750 for many reasons. The year 1996 was the last year Yamaha made the Super Tenere, so its the youngest one available. The Super tenere is an enduro bike, so she can go on any road surface with few restrictions. She won the Paris-Dakar Race 6 years in a row. Yamaha parts are available in all countries. She has a big 30 litre fuel tank. She is big and strong enough to carry 2 people and a years worth of luggage. To date she has proven to be super reliable. Her value is A$5,000 so not a lot of money is tied up and our risk of loss is mimimalised if she gets stolen or damaged. The cost for Carnet de Passage is cheap.

Modifications include: Rear Ohlins Shock absorber, Scottoiler- automatic chain oiler, Autocom communication system, custom made seat (gel inserts) with Australian sheep skin cover, 3 X GIVI plastic luggage- 45litre each, GIVI Passenger backrest Wrist rest on the throttle, Aluminium tube for tools in front of bashplate to keep weight low and forward, strong custommade frame for the GIVI boxes and to reinforce subframe, large plate on end of sidestange for soft ground, foam airfilters that are easy to clean, clear paper fuelfilter, larger GIVI windscreen, Enginebar protectors, Bagster tank cover and tankbag, bicycle speedo as extra trip meter, extra rubber tube liners inside tyres, bark busters handguards, 12v outlet, ball compass and clock on dash. We put the parts and service manual on CD and carry that with us, a lot lighter than the real thing!

The best tyre combination for the dirt is Michelin Desert for the rear and Continental TKC80 for the front (15,000-18,000km). The best allround tyre is the Perelli Scorpion MT90 or Metzeler Tourance for long wear (at least 20,000km.)

We have now bought our fifth Super Tenere and still think they are the best travel bike for us and cant believe the value for money!