It was at the EICMA Motor Show back in 2019 when the Aprilia stand had a certain glass box filled with bushes and plants at the official unveiling of the Tuono 660. However, hidden cleverly behind the bushes was a glimpse of what would be the revival of a classic Aprilia nameplate — the Tuareg. Now, two years later we finally have a first look at the Aprilia Tuareg 660 that was neatly tucked behind the bushes.
The original Tuareg, which was on sale internationally from 1985 till 1994, was available with the choice of both two-stroke and four-stroke powertrains ranging from 50cc to 600cc. The all-new Aprilia Tuareg 660, however, gets the same liquid-cooled 660cc engine as seen on the RS 660, but the engine has been tuned to produce more torque at lower RPMs, with power figures standing at 78.9bhp and 70Nm of torque. The 660cc engine is bolted onto the tubular steel frame connected at six different points with aluminium brackets.
The Aprilia Tuareg 660 gets 43mm USD telescopic forks at the front and a monoshock at the rear, both of which are adjustable and get 240mm of travel also enabling a healthy 240mm ground clearance. While Aprilia claims a dry weight of just 187kgs, we would hold on to our horses longer to see how heavy it is in the real world. The Tuareg also benefits from a larger fuel tank with a capacity of 18 litres compared to its closest rival, the Yamaha Tenere 700 which gets a 15.8-litre fuel tank.
The Aprilia Tuareg 660 is every bit a modern adventure bike, and is packed with decent levels of equipment. You get the Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) suite equipped with traction control, engine maps, engine brake control, and cruise control, along with four different riding modes, two of which can be customized while one is dedicated purely for off-roading. The APRC system can be accessed from the 5-inch TFT screen. The Aprilia Tuareg 660 also gets switchable dual-channel ABS.
There’s not much information available on the Aprilia Tuareg 660 for now, but we expect that to change soon, with a full specification and price reveal expected internationally later this year. The Aprilia Tuareg will lock horns against the Yamaha Tenere 700, KTM Adventure 890, Triumph Tiger 900, and the BMW F850GS internationally. But whether or not it will make its way to Indian shores remains to be seen. However, if it does come to India, be prepared to shell out the big-bucks!