Aprilia Tuareg 660 (quick) review, it is good!

Last Updated on: February 27, 2024

Aprilia Tuareg  has received good reviews in the worldwide adventure motorcycle community. May 16th it was my turn to get acquainted with it.

When Yamaha Tenerè 700 launched I got to test ride it pretty early. Truth be told it’s a great motorcycle. However, It lacked, and still in the later incarnation lacks, things I’ve come to appreciate. Like riding modes, cruise control, and more controllable suspension.

But not everyone thinks like me. In fact, a lot of people like the Tenerè for exactly the opposite reason. Everything it does not have. That is all well and good. But by choosing this minimalist route, not offering options, many have either chosen something else, or been on the fence. Until now?

Aprilia Tuareg 2022

Aprilia Tuareg 2022, in its right element. Or, where it (also) belongs

Aprilia Tuareg, at a farm

Interestingly, the local Aprilia dealer is situated on a farm.  So one has to ride gravel to get there. Something I do with pleasure. Nice place, nice folks! A short chat and I got the keys handed over. Their demo bike was a lemon, but not in a bad way. Just very yellow! Not my favorite color scheme, but, it’s definitely traffic visible.

The Aprilia Tuareg 2022 comes in three different colors, yellow, red and tricolor with blue as the main component. The tricolor version is more expensive than the other two. The bike I tried had Pirelli Rally Scorpion STR tires. A nice, and in my opinion, proper fit for this motorcycle.

First impression

Looking at and touching the seat I prepared myself for a slab of concrete.  It is very narrow, and felt a bit on the hard side. But quickly turned out to be quite comfy. Sitting position is great , the handlebars pretty high whilst compared to the seat. Plus not too far away.  Which gives a very relaxed riding feeling. whether sitting or standing.

Being 6″3 or 193 centimeters I found the handlebar position almost perfect. If any risers those would be short ones.

Aprilia Tuareg 2022

The Tuareg where it belongs, on gravel.

The Tuareg is a very slim motorcycle. This means that despite its height, shorter people should not have much of an issue. Shorter people have reviewed it, and concluded height is not an issue. Weight is 187 kilos/412lbs dry. For me, coming from a larger adventure motorcycle, I instantly felt it was a lot lighter than mine. Fuel capacity of 18 liters and supposedly good mileage should take you quite far.

It took only a few seconds to like the engine. it pulls like a train, from ca 3000 RPM and up. It’s nimble. flickable and stable. A combination not easy to obtain. The Tuareg is the sort of motorcycle where, as soon as it’s possible, you like to open the throttle. And when you do, the sound from the air intake complements the exhaust note.

2022 Tuareg walkaround.

Aprilia Tuareg – an allround motorcycle

I rode about in a region littered with small roads, and a variety of surfaces. From the smooth to the rugged, bumpy  cracked up pavement. And backroads with different types of gravel and dirt surfaces. The Tuareg handled it all exceptionally well. I instantly liked the suspension but found it set up a bit hard. Should be easy to dial this in for ones own needs.

Aprilia Tuareg side view

For being a modest 660cc it’s not a small bike

The electronics package works well. I spent most of the riding in explorer mode, which did the trick for me. The display is easy to read, although some say they think the fonts are a bit small. Navigation between menus is easy. I found the cruise control a bit fiddly. That comes down to how you activate it.

In my personal opinion the cruise control and the overall electronic package is what truly makes this motorcycle an allrounder.  Whether for long hauls, or shorter expeditions. A warning  plus flickering red light shows up if you ride it too hard with offroad tires. The windscreen has no adjustment possibilities. It’s a fixed, but pretty decent screen.

Windscreens are replaceable. I am confident many manufacturers will offer options. But if you need anything, try with a spoiler first. For me, being a 6″3 guy, it worked very well. No, surprisingly well. Not sure I’d need a spoiler.

Final thoughts

Learning to know a motorcycle takes time. Learning or be willing to adapt to it, even more time. I know this for a fact. In 2020 I bought a KTM 1290 Super Adventure S without testing it. How things went you can read about here. With regards to the Aprilia Tuareg you don’t need much time to realize that it’s a well made motorcycle. And you probably won’t need much time to start thinking like I did.

Could this be something for me?

I’ll leave it at that, for now. Try one, doubt you will be disappointed! For technical specifications, check out this page.

Edit: March 2024

Since I wrote the above I’ve ridden the Tuareg a number of times. My view is unchanged. The Aprilia Tuareg is, also while considering its pricepoint, an almost exemplary proposition in the adventure market. You will need to spend some money on improved protection. But that one needs to do regardless of choice. Stock seldom does the job.

I seriously considered the Tuareg. However, I ended up with a 2023 KTM 890 Adventure. There were many reasons for that, of which some were just practical. That story begins here.

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