Ride the Aprilia Tuareg 660 and live the nomadic life from which the bike takes its name.

The Aprilia Tuareg 660 is an Adventure bike taking its name from a previously successful off-road machine from the 1980s. The Tuareg are a nomadic people, so the Italian brand has chosen the name to emphasise the adventurous spirit of the bike. 

Climbing on the Aprilia Tuareg 660, you immediately notice the height and realise this is a bike to tackle the trails. The seat height is 860 mm, so it sits tall with excellent ground clearance and long suspension travel. The 21-inch front wheel also means the riding position is high, allowing great vision, ideal in all situations. One thing I found was that when stopped, I was on tiptoes to stabilise the bike, so for safety, I lent the bike to the left and planted my left foot. 

The Aprilia Tuareg 660 has a maximum power output of 80 HP, and the power is delivered smoothly, not scarily fast, and you always feel in control. The bike is perfect for A2 Licence holders as they can have it restricted to 40 HP to learn on, and once they pass their full licence, the dealer can revert it to full power. 

Handling is superb, as the Aprilia Tuareg 660 is light and lean, making it agile and easy to flick around to change direction. You can get tight lean angles on the road and tear up the berms when venturing off-road. The dual-purpose tyres won't get you much grip if the ground gets muddy, but I found them acceptable on grass, dry compacted dirt, and gravel. 

Going back to sitting in the saddle and the riding position, the Tuareg 660 has good wide handlebars that allow good movement when riding at slow speed off-road when making tight manoeuvres. When cruising at higher speeds, your weight is distributed, so you don't get strain on your wrists, and the upright position keeps your back straight. I didn't find the small windshield much cop as the wind hit me at high speeds, and you can't adjust its height. I would quickly have to purchase an add-on extender. 

The Aprilia Tuareg 660 has an 18-litre fuel tank which is lovely and lean so your legs can grip it when cornering and comfortable on long rides. You get around 240 miles on a full tank, which is plenty to allow you to ride to an off-rod area, do some green laning and still ride home. 

On the Aprilia Tuareg 660, you get the APRC(Aprilia Performance Ride Control) electronic controls package. A collection of systems to aid your riding and safety. It features 

ATC: Aprilia Traction Control, traction control that can be adjusted to 4 levels or disabled, 

ACC: Aprilia Cruise Control is convenient when travelling to maintain the set speed without touching the throttle control.

AEB: Aprilia Engine Brake, a system to control engine braking when closing the throttle. Adjustable to 3 levels.

AEM: Aprilia Engine Map, three different mappings available to change the character of the engine and the way it delivers power. This does not change the maximum capacity offered.

You can also obtain the AQS: Aprilia Quick Shift, equipped with the downshift function to allow for clutchless downshifting ideal when off-roading.

The five-inch TFT screen on the Aprilia Tuareg 660 displays all the relevant information you need for your journey and is a portal to show you the various modes you can choose from. You can also connect your smartphone to the Aprilia system for navigation and much more. 

You can select four Riding Modes through the button on the right handlebar control area, and the function is highlighted with a unique colour display on the TFT. You engage the riding mode that best suits the riding you are about to take. Traction control, engine brake, ABS, and other managed parameters vary according to the riding mode.

The modes are 

Urban, which is self-explanatory, engage it for general town riding where you are not accelerating fast or hitting high speeds. 

Explore is the sporty mode for on-road fast riding with quicker acceleration.

Off-road disables the traction control to the rear brake and adjusts power output to allow greater control on the dirt.

Individual (customised by the rider). 

The range of Aprilia Tuareg 660 colours includes:

Acid Gold, which best highlights Tuareg's innovative design.

Martian Red, with overarching tones of black and red, is part of Aprilia's sporting heritage.

Indaco Tagelmust is the most iconic, inspired by the colour scheme of the 1988 Tuareg Wind 600.

Aprilia Tuareg 660 has a wide range of original accessories to improve performance, comfort, and functionality and an original line of quality apparel dedicated to touring and off-roading. 

Summing up.

I am impressed with the Aprilia Tuareg 660 as it is a competent machine. It looks great and performs well with enough power to cruise along fast roads and tackle the trails. The power delivery is smooth, so you won't get yourself in trouble which is reassuring. The riding position is excellent so that you can look forward to many long adventures in the saddle. You get a lot of bike for your money, and its handling gives you confidence on and off-road. 

Pricing starts from £10,600.

Thanks to Dearden Motorcycles.

https://deardenmotorcycles.co.uk