Riding the Hard DéfiTour on a Ténéré 700: mission impossible?
29 May 2026
This year was the 10th edition of the Hard DéfiTour. An anniversary edition inevitably means new challenges.
Usually, the Hard DéfiTour takes place over 2 days, and at the end of those two days, only 20% of participants manage to become finishers.
But this year, it wasn’t 2 but 3 days of riding, for a total of nearly 1,200 km. Fortunately, the second day was expected to be more flowing to offset the difficulty of the 3 days.
And a little surprise was waiting for us at the start of that second day: a taped special stage that, after around a hundred riders had gone through, was starting to get very slippery.
What’s the goal of the Hard DéfiTour?
The goal of the Hard DéfiTour is to be a finisher. It’s not a race, but a challenging ride on an enduro-style route to be completed on a trail or maxi-trail bike.
The hardest part is still stringing the obstacles together, which wears riders down as the kilometers add up.
For the lowest numbers, the start is at 7:00 AM. The evening time limit is then set based on the start time—6:00 PM for the first riders. This time limit is at a certain mileage, close to the end of the route. So you need to keep a steady pace to make it through and also validate the last CPs to be officially classed as a finisher.
Taking part in the Hard DéfiTour on a Ténéré 700
For this edition, there were around fifty Yamaha Ténéré 700 on the start line. On our side, we also took part on a Ténéré 700.
The number one enemy in this kind of challenge is potential mechanical issues, especially punctures, which can cost a huge amount of time.
We chose to start with reinforced Haan Wheels rims, an Enduro Medium tire up front with a Michelin M16 mousse tube.
At the rear, we fitted a Michelin Baja tire with an M02 mousse tube.
Many riders also went for a mousse setup, but some ran into problems with split mousse halfway through. ⚠️ So be careful when choosing your mousse.
On our side, we recommend Michelin mousse tubes, because they’re what we use in rally-raid with our riders, and they also offer the best durability.
Next, we definitely recommend carrying a few small tools so you’re ready to do quick repairs out on the trail.
✅ Mission accomplished for our team: Hugo managed to become a finisher of this Hard DéfiTour!
No breakage, no injuries on the Ténéré 700 despite the 1,200 km and the difficulty of the route.
Challenge completed with flying colors!
