Back in 2019, when Aprilia first showcased the RS660 and the Tuono 660, the Italian bikemaker also dropped a hint at the possible revival of the Tuareg moniker. But it was more of an Easter egg rather than a revelation. Last year though, spy shots that surfaced online confirmed that Aprilia is indeed developing an ADV-tourer based on the 660 twins and now, it has officially revealed the Tuareg 660 on its social media handles!
For the uninitiated, Aprilia has made adventure motorcycles under the Tuareg brand name for years and the revival of the Tuareg moniker couldn’t have happened at a better time. Adventure tourers are gaining huge popularity and the 660 triplets from Aprilia will mean a ruthless onslaught from the Italian brand.
Looks
The overall silhouette reveals that it is purpose-built and looks ready to endure some serious beating. It looks like a large enduro motorcycle and also seen is wire-spoke rims at both ends, a high rise handlebar, a short windshield and an extremely high upswept exhaust. Unlike the Kawasaki Versys 650 which is a soft-roader, the Tuareg falls more in line with the likes of the Yamaha Tenere 700. It even gets a retro-inspired colour scheme and rally-inspired flat seats.
Off-road credentials
As expected, Aprilia has managed to keep the weight on the lower side as the Tuareg 660 has a dry weight of just 187kg and comes with an 18-litre fuel tank. The Tuareg 660 is high on its off-road credentials and it looks like it would eat trails for breakfast! It rides on cross-spoke wheels- 21-inch at the front and 18-inch at the rear shod with dual-purpose tyres. Aprilia has also revealed that it gets 240mm of suspension travel at both ends and that commands some serious respect!
Specs and features
Aprilia being Aprilia, we didn’t expect them to just borrow the 660cc engine from the RS 660 and swap it in the Tuareg without fiddling around with it. The 660cc, parallel-twin engine in the Tuareg 660 puts down 80bhp and 70Nm and is fitted as a stressed member to the bike’s tubular trellis frame.
Comparatively, the same powertrain in the RS 660 puts down 100 hp of max power at 10,500 rpm and 67 Nm of max torque at 8,500 rpm. As expected, Aprilia has tuned the engine to suit the characteristics of the Tuareg. More torque low down rather than more power higher up is the way to go.
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As for electronic aids, Aprilia has fitted the Tuareg 660 with switchable ABS, four riding modes, the entire suite of APRC as well as a TFT screen that is likely to get Bluetooth connectivity.