Aprilia declares war on Tenere 700 with Tuareg 660 adventure bike

New 660 adventuer bike launched

Aprilia officially enters the middleweight adventure bike segment with the new Tuareg 660 adventure bike. Hinted at some months ago, Aprilia has finally taken off the covers and given consumers a first look through a video published over the weekend.

The Tuareg 660 is the third model to use the 660 platform, which spawned the fully faired RS 660 and semi-faired Tuono 660 street bikes. The Tuareg name was resurrected from a model that was last offered between 1985 and 1994. It’s named after a nomadic tribe found in the Sahara desert stretching from far southwestern Libya to southern Algeria, Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

While the bike in the video is only a computer graphic, it comes with certain details and specs that we can finally appreciate.

Like its stablemates, the Tuareg is powered by a 660cc parallel-twin engine, derived from the front bank of the RSV's 1100 cc V4 engine. Despite being only half of a V4, it produces 80 HP of power and 70 Nm of torque.

It’s built on a tubular steel frame supports the 660cc engine as a stressed member. It rides on a 43mm USD front fork with progressive linkage rear suspension (both adjustable) that offer 240 mm of travel. It rides on 21-inch wheels in front and 18-inch wheels in the rear.

Naturally, it’s wrapped in body work with red, white and blue livery in the style of the old Tuareg. Lighting has been modernized, thanks to a triple LED headlight, and LED tailight, clear rally-style windscreen and big front air scoops. It boasts of a massive 18-liter fuel tank to offer truly long adventures with each top up. All this tips the scales at 187 kg.

Of course, it has all the standard off-road accoutrements like a flat single-piece seat, wrap-around skid plate, upswept exhaust, oversized handlebars, serrated platform-style footpegs, hand guards, and tall stance. Experts estimate the seat height at 860 mm.

Complementing this rugged style is a hefty suite of technology. Aprilia has fitted it with switchable ABS, traction control, engine mapping, engine brake control, and four ride modes. These can all be gleamed on the fie-inch color TFT display.

Those in the market for a new adventure bike will likely draw comparisons to its closest competitor, the Yamaha Tenere. In terms of tech, the Aprilia seems to have the upper hand. Of course, it will have to contend with other middleweight adventure bikes already in the market, like the KTM 890 Adventure and BMW F750 GS.

Unfortunately, Aprilia has yet to reveal a price. It did say that it is set to go on sale later this year so the wait shouldn’t be too long.

This is not yet the end of the 660 platform. Aprilia says there could be a fourth model made from the same platform. Seeing as how Aprilia has been reviving old models, it just might be a Pegaso dual-sport.