An Aprilia trifecta has been rumored since the EICMA show in 2019. They unveiled their mid-size duo, the RS660 sportbike and the Tuono 660 (concept). In addition to the two 660’s in the spotlight, there was a third bike camouflaged by foliage in a glass box. This was the first “sighting” of an Aprilia Tuareg resurrection.
The Tuareg takes shape of the bikes used in the world-renowned Dakar Rally. The Dakar originally known as the “Paris-Dakar”, was the ultimate test of not just rider skill but motorcycle reliability as riders can cover upwards of 500 miles in one day.
In September 2020, the Tuareg test bike was spotted on a road test. This has been the first indication since 2019 that Aprilia will be launching a mid-size Adventurer to complete a mid-size trio for the Italian firm.
Thanks to photos from VisorDown.com, the bike looks ready to hit the dunes at any moment as it runs an adventure style fairing and windscreen. The bike also sports a single projector-style headlight, giving it a clean minimalistic look.
The Tuareg test bike also appeared ready for battle as it showed off it’s yellow crash cage and skidplate. An addition that is commonly found on beefy adventure bikes like the BMW R 1250 GS or the Honda Africa Twin. This protects the front of the bike in case of a laydown or brushes into some large boulders.
There are currently no releases on engine specifications or anything else you can’t get from photos. But you can bet Aprilia will be tuning the engine with epic adventures in mind. This usually involves low to mid-range engine performance enhancements.
There have been no announcements concerning a release date of the 660 Tuareg. But as you can see, Aprilia is working on it, which is great news for us!
We can’t really ask too much of Aprilia, considering they just released the 2021 Tuono, and it looks fantastic.
It would be great to have it come in at about 40 lbs less than the Yamaha T7. Can’t wait for the comparo. Too bad Aprilia dealers are somewhat sparse in the US since dealer locality has a bearing on many purchases.
Patriot, I’m with you on that one!
Who will be the manufacturer to break the 400lb barrier with a powerful and well-equipped mid-sized adventure bike?
Sadly I don’t think this is the one to do it. Looking at it makes me want to peg it at the 440lb mark, but I think that’ll make it competitive in the market with the KTM, Yamaha, and BMW. It’ll most likely be the prettiest of the bunch unless I’m wrong.
I’m fortunate to have an Aprilia dealership only 15 minutes away.