It was May ’22 when I rode an Aprilia Tuareg 660, and I came away wanting one. It was lighter than the KTM 1090 I was riding then and about as far away from the sort of motorcycles I usually like as you can get. [You can read that article here]
I like the adventure style of bike, but a 19-inch front wheel is about as big as I want them, so it is no surprise that a Ducati Multistrada with a 17-inch front wheel found its way into my garage.
Yet the desire for an Aprilia Tuareg 660 continues to sneak up on me. It is an itch I can’t scratch, and I don’t know why. I don’t ride off-road. I prefer motorcycles with 100+ HP and excessive amounts of torque. Plus, it is a 660cc bike. How am I going to impress people when I rock up on that?
Thankfully, one of my colleagues – Carle – is a more reasoned human being, does ride off-road (a lot) and has a more logical view of power, torque, weight and suitability.
All of which is why we asked him to road test the 2023 Aprilia Tuareg 660. As some of the more distant sections of the Trans European Trail (TET) are on his to-do list for next year, the Tuareg 660 is a motorcycle he is seriously considering using.
Having tracked Carle down to a field in the middle of Derbyshire, I got his thoughts on the TET and the Tuareg 660.
To Ride The TET
The issue with riding the TET is that despite being 80,000 kilometres long and incorporating 37 European countries, it doesn’t start on my doorstep.
I could ride my Honda CRF300L to the sections of the TET I want to ride, but 200 miles to Harwich on a 300cc single, loaded with camping equipment, the necessities of life and me at 100 kgs in my riding gear, wouldn’t be the best way to start.
I want to enjoy the ride between the TET sections as much as I’ll enjoy the off-road riding.
Fuel capacity and overall weight are two major considerations that need to be balanced out. A 30-litre fuel tank is a wonderful idea, but that is 22 Kg of weight and typically mounted high on the motorcycle.
Good fuel economy means I don’t have to carry as much fuel, and therefore, the overall weight is reduced. I’m looking for an all-up weight of the motorcycle at around 200 Kg, which, when loaded with my gear, means I should be able to pick it up when I fall off. And falling off is going to happen. It is one of the realities of off-road riding.
Suspension is another consideration, especially in terms of travel. The intricacies of rebound and compression damping are also significant off-road. Skimp on the suspension, and it is going to end in tears at the first major obstacle.
And finally, on my list of requirements for a motorcycle to ride the TET is the price.
Buy cheap, and as the saying goes, you buy twice. Reliability and good build quality are important – I don’t want it breaking on me – but conversely, I’m going to fall off it, dent and scratch it.
If the motorcycle is my pride and joy – a real garage queen – I’m going to be miserable when the gravel starts flying.
Extras
Out of the showroom, a Tuareg 660 – and every other motorcycle in this category – will need a few extra items before riding off-road with any intensity begins.
Crash bars and the excellent bash plate from SW-Motech will be needed. I’d go to R&G Racing for the radiator guard and search around for Barkbuster handguards. Add a pair of Dunlop D908RR tyres and a frame to keep the soft luggage out of the wheels, and I’m good to go.
One major advantage the Tuareg 660 has coming out of the showroom is the tubeless, spoked rims, which are a big plus for off-road riding and would be an expensive upgrade for any bike without them.
Aprilia Tuareg 660
- 659cc Parallel Twin – 80 BHP – 70 Nm
- 204 Kg – 860mm Seat Height
- 300mm Twin Disks with 2-pot Brembo Calipers
- 260mm Disk with single piston Brembo Caliper
- Ø43mm upside-down Kayaba forks
- Fully adjustable Kayaba rear mono shock
- 240mm suspension travel
- Tubeless rims – 90/90R21 and 150/70R18 tyres
Riding the Tuareg 660
When the Editor – he of no off-road skills – rode the Tuareg, he commented on how natural standing up on the Tuareg felt, but it isn’t just about being able to stand.
The ergonomics of the Tuareg 660 are excellent when standing, pitching your body weight towards the 21-inch front wheel in the classic off-road stance. In doing this, Aprilia has also kept the Tuareg responsive to footpeg pressure, which is very useful when negotiating the more technical sections.
The Aprilia carries its weight well. My Honda CRF-300L is 60 Kg lighter, and my daily ride – KTM 1290 Adventure S – is 40 Kg heavier, but those are just the empirical facts. The excellent weight balance and distribution on the Tuareg make it feel another 20 Kg lighter than the scales suggest.
The ø43mm counter sprung upside-down Kayaba front forks and the Kayaba rear mono shock are both fully adjustable and provide 240mm of travel— enough for gravel roads and light off-road trails. The Honda CRF300L, a dedicated off-road motorcycle, has just 30 mm of additional travel.
Despite the Aprilia having fully adjustable suspension, I didn’t spend any time tweaking it for my weight and riding style. The out-of-the-crate settings delivered excellent damping and a well-balanced motorcycle with more than enough feedback to allow for some spirited riding on the wet and greasy backroads.
Given the weather conditions on the test day, launching into the fields and green lanes around Silverstone was not the right thing to do. It may be a press bike, but returning it covered in mud and walking away, isn’t how you make friends. Nonetheless, I did find a few paved but “unsuitable for motor vehicles” lanes to ride.
Not that the Tuareg noticed. The suspension is firm but plush enough to soak up bumps. The 21-inch front wheel is well connected, and the engine is smooth with ample torque exactly where you want it.
For me, the seat was too firm to be comfortable on the road sections between the trails, but with the suspension sag correctly set, this may well improve.
Decisions, Decisions
This all started with my desire to ride sections of the TET. The Honda CRF300L will do that, but it isn’t the bike to be on to get to the sections I would like to ride. The KTM 1290 S would get me there with ease, but it is a lump to drag on the trails and will take a lot more effort to ride.
The Aprilia Tuareg 660 sits beautifully between those two motorcycles. It has decent road manners and would make a great daily rider that I could get dirty on weekends. It is definitely a contender for my cold, hard cash. So, what is stopping me?
Yamaha’s Tenere 700 has less suspension travel, less power, less torque and less ground clearance despite having a 15mm higher seat (875mm compared to the Tuareg’s 860mm). It also carries its fuel weight higher than the Tuareg, so I don’t think that is a contender.
Suzuki’s DE800 makes a few more BHP and has extra torque, but that gets traded against the additional 30 kg of weight when fully fuelled. In the Suzuki’s defence, it does have a bigger tank.
What about the new Honda Transalp? It is more of a road-focused, adventure-styled motorcycle and changing the tyres won’t make it a bike for the trails.
What About The Price?
Using the manufacturers’ on-the-road prices, the Tuareg comes in at £9,950 in Martian Red or Acid Gold, with the Evocative (blue) £500 more.
In comparison, the Tenere is £10,110, Suzuki’s DE800 £10,665 and the Honda Transalp £9,499.
Yet, it is never that simple. The DE800, for example, has a quick shifter and a solid-looking bash plate. Honda’s price requires me to buy before the 30th of September 2023, suggesting the price will increase after that.
Plus, if I stood in an Aprilia dealership ready to buy and asked for a Tuareg 660 in blue for the price of one in acid gold, there is a dealer somewhere who would say yes.
Damn, this is tough, but when making my choice, I would be knuts not to have the Aprilia Tuareg 660 high on my list. It is a very serious contender for my cash.
One Response
I’m a bit late to the party but I’m guess you didn’t by the Taureg in the end? Or is it still on the to-do list? There’s some good deals on the 2023 models knocking about now!