2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 | Second Ride
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- Опубликовано: 1 окт 2024
- We get a second go on the 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 to see if the production model is as good as we hoped.
Earlier this year I traveled to Noale, Italy, visiting Aprilia for an early ride of the upcoming 2022 Tuareg 660 adventure bike. While the bike was missing most of its electronic aids and there were still some changes to be made in the chassis, it was 95 percent there; I was impressed. I’ve been looking forward to a ride on the final production unit, and now the 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 is officially ready for public consumption. This time I traveled to the Italian island of Sardinia for a complete picture of this new ADV rig’s capabilities and performance.
The Tuareg is powered by the very same 659cc parallel twin that powers the RS 660 sportbike and Tuono 660 naked. There are some changes; for instance, the Tuareg gets different camshafts to decrease lift and duration to tailor the bike’s torque and power delivery for adventure riding. But the basic architecture is the same, and Aprilia claims 52 pound-feet of torque and 80 hp, both coming in at lower rpm ranges than the sporting street models. Aprilia also says 75 percent of that torque arrives below 3,000 rpm and 90 percent at 5,500 rpm.
Since my first ride in August, the Tuareg has seen a couple of notable changes. The most important is a 5 percent shorter first-gear ratio for a little more response during technical off-road situations. That same change would have been useful in second gear as well, as I was looking for more pop when I needed to get the front end light when riding off-road. Final gearing is also 10 percent shorter, with a 15-tooth front sprocket and 42-tooth rear versus the other models’ 17/43 gearing. Even so, I feel a larger rear sprocket might be in order if you aim to spend most of your time in the dirt. Gear changes were solid all day; our test units were equipped with the $249 add-on Aprilia Quick Shift.
Despite wanting more bottom-end-it’s never enough, until it’s too much-the connection between throttle and rear tire is linear and easy to control. Four ride modes are offered by the Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) system: Urban, Explore, Off-road, and Individual. Each gets all 80 ponies, but the response is varied. Urban is the most muted, followed by Explorer; Off-road has the most aggressive response. You can adjust the traction control quickly through four levels within each of those modes; engine-braking is also adjustable. ABS is activated for both wheels in Urban and Explore, while Off-road cut the rear ABS. You can also disable the ABS completely in Off-road and Individual modes. As there is no IMU on the Tuareg, TC and ABS are not lean sensitive.
Even so, with the linear power delivery and manageable power, lean sensitivity is not missed. I preferred the lowest level of TC on Urban and Explore modes, even riding with it off for portions of the ride, as wheelies must be done from time to time. Setting engine-braking at the highest level added a snatchy feel to the throttle when rolling on and off for corners, a quick change to the lowest amount made midcorner throttle adjustments smooth. That’s APRC’s strong suit: the ability to make changes easily and on the fly to get the response and smoothness to your liking.
In the dirt, the off-road setting worked well. With the TC set at the lowest level the rear end kicked out predictably even in some very muddy corners. Turning TC off allowed the back to come around more aggressively, but again, the smooth and predictable nature of the parallel twin made it easy to manage traction. The front ABS was well calibrated for Sardinia’s dirt roads, and even when pushed hard, the braking does an excellent job of managing the available traction. I turned ABS off, but found it easier to ride quickly with it on. Lever response and feel from the front brake is excellent in the dirt and merely great on the street. The rear brake is a little vague in the dirt, but has good feel on the street.
The definition of off-roading varies from continent to continent, and our time in the dirt on Sardinia was tame; we rode what were basically dirt roads in the mountains that had been recently soaked by thunderstorms. The 20-ish miles we rode did show off the basics, but I struggled to grasp the true performance of the Tuareg’s steel chassis and fully adjustable Kayaba suspension. It worked great for this moderate usage case, but what would happen in the big country of the US?
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whether you like it or not its a great time to be a motorcyclist, many great machines to choose from. Get out there!
Imagine just casually describing 80 horsepower on a dirtbike as some normal thing that isn't impressive. WOW. This is a small, nimble dirtbike, with 80 horsepower. Previously, bikes like this never existed in the USA, and you could only get a Honda XR600R or similar single cylinder junk with about 45 horsepower. But you do make a really important point. Having no bottom end torque makes riding in the dirt a lot less fun.
Woah that was one of the worst takes I've heard in a long time
Aprilia has a winner. What a great bike in the 'sweet spot' middleweight segment. If I didn't already have and love a KTM 790 Adventure R, the Tuareg would be top of my list. Too bad Aprilia doesn't have more dealer presence in the US as a lot of potential buyers factor dealer convenience into the equation.
You know I was a little concerned about that too but the community surrounding this bike on Facebook is really good. Af1 racing has a downloadable service manual that is constantly updated, you can check the OEM catalog and order any part number that you need, the service light does have to be reset at the dealer but the service light is only a reminder it doesn't actually do anything else. Also having cruise control from the factory was a huge selling point for me because when you're on the road for a long time trying to get to the trails or the campsite that cruise control is a lifesaver. I would say that this is probably a more comfortable version of what you have. I was one phone call away from snagging an 890 adventure. I originally called the dealership I got this bike from about a Yamaha T7 but he told me someone dropped a deposit on it and asked if I heard about the Tuareg. It was all downhill from there lol.
I have had a few KTMs in my past Super Enduro , 640 adv, 950 adv and the 990 adv…. I did not like what I seen with the new lineups of KTMs that they offered , 890 etc …. Plus many bikes from them are now made in Thailand , India and China and I deff looked away and toward Aprilia -- the Tuareg660 .. I was skeptical as hell at first but I kept confident as this Italian beauty kept presenting herself to me via RUclips videos … well , I have the acid yellow Tuareg …. All I had to do was replace the stock Regina O ring chain with a DID gold series X ring ,and I upgraded the slip on to a Leo Vince V1 carbon … along with a re map and that euro emission “ jolt “ was gone after the re map ..
af1 is awesome they also offer sound advice too ..
as far as dealership goes and support ? - Aprilia cuts themselves short by not having enough of them … near me I have a dealer but they are not exclusive and they are horrible at relating to anything Tuareg … lots of maintenance I just do on my own ….
But overall the bike is solid and it does very well off road also . It has a very forgiving power band that gives you control in areas where you have to go easy on the throttle to keep control . Aprilia has a winner here I just wish they would realize this and get more dealerships who are legit like af1
How can you keep saying about the engine -more than once-, “everything is exactly the same” followed by except a few things? Do words mean something? If yes, than everything is not exactly the same.
Btw I love your channel and your complete reviews! Love this bike also. Still won’t replace my Guzzi v85tt. Piaggio is doing great and those are good news for motorcycles lovers. Thank you
To be the best adventure bike we'd need to know about fuel range/consumption, mounting racks, engine guards, GPS connectivity, headlight performance at night, etc.
every ADV has to be modded in those Area's, can add a GPS to any bike....FFS!
Racks not needed, factory cases do fit in straight away. 658cc engine so the range is not bad 1L:21km *17Ltank=±350km range. Engine guards are a factory option. phone can connect to dash for turn by turn, GPS mount over the dash. Addition lights ar an factory option. Etc
Fair points however personally I like the no nonsense style and unless it’s good to ride the other stuff is what it is. You should check out the first report on this bike. I’m sure more details will emerge. I’d prefer to see a bike with better bodywork solutions to all that brittle looking plastic.
Awesome review. This bike really seems to do everything right and check all the boxes of a proper middle weight adv. Can’t wait for you guys and everyone else in the US to get them and start doing some serious testing and back to back comparisons with its competition.
Can't see why someone should carry on spending twice as much for a 573 pounds GS
What is one of the first additions to an adventure bike? A GPS, of course! There must be at least 100 reviews of the Tuareg 660 on You Tube by now, and not a single one of you reviewers has said a damned thing about USB ports to power accessories. Does the bike have a USB port? A 12-volt power port, perhaps? Or do I have to buy an aftermarket system to power my nav aids?
This bake has a USB port ready to use, also a direct connection to some more 12V devices. Just test rided this bike today - in my opinion the best ADV motorcycle in market today
I have seen probably almost all the Spanish and English reviews on RUclips about this bike that I have just tried a week ago. From 20 videos talking about the Tuareg maybe 3 or 4 have mentioned problems with the heat of its motor after 10 or 20 minutes riding. So uncomfortable for such a nice bike, it’s a pitty not so many reviews are rigorous and capable of honest not wannasell opinions.
By 2030 the only people who wont be on adventure bikes is me and my fellow 5'6" people. This one looks amazing though. Looks simple. I pick this over the KTMs. That is 8 years from now when they're selling for $4500 used
Nah, I think the adventure bike fad is at its peak at won't last that much longer. Sport touring bikes will have a renaissance. This time much lighter.
@@sv650nyc7 if people are buying advs for the hype then that's sad. Me I prefer a light weight street bike with decent ground clearance and 50/50 tires.
@@brianm5753 that’s a lot of Ktm customers lol it’s all show, I work at a Ktm/aprilia dealership and boy oh boy! Our customers are dumb but they have $$$ 🤦🏾♂️
Sport tourers died off for a while and now they are coming back lol, adv’s are cool if you need 1 bike to do everything at ease, but not my cup of tea, I rather have V-twin supermotos lol
@@NudaMan ouch lol
you forgot tax, title, plates, set-up and delivery fees, so 12500 out the door really isn't happening.
I wish I could rip mine around like that 🤣
i'd buy this over the other two for the simple fact that uncorking the exhaust looks like a possibility with a simple end can swap. Unlike the RS/Tuono which is not at all a simple process.
Removing the exhaust in the RS/Tuono is pretty simple
Looks like a nice every day bike. I wonder how reliability, service intervals and access to spare parts will be…., especially for traveling.
The only review out there that tackles off roading side of things how riders will actually want to ride. Cheers
Well done excellent review !
keep up the good work Now!!I’m looking forward to ride his bike 👍👍
I'm sure they nailed it, not sure aboot the face though.
You mentioned that you'd put a bigger rear sprocket on this bike...how big would you go?
D cups
Most of these bikes will never do more than gentle trails or a bit of gravel and as such too much time has been spent on marketing off-road capabilities rather than the practical reality of owning one. I’ve seen odd shots of hard luggage but nothing more. Why is the exhaust another massive dustbin bolted on? Aprilia have had so much time to get this right yet have failed like the rest (other than Ducati). I also want to know about fuel range which, for everyday use, is a key consideration. I have a GSA and looking to my next smaller and lighter bike yet want to retain some of the huge benefits of this style of bike not least range and luggage. In a world of anti-vehicle sentiment fuel economy has to be right up there yet doesn’t seem to be.
Fuel range? Are you a taxi driver???
@@vininio Yes. I want a hybrid motorcycle for my new (lethal) bike taxi service.
Milder cams. Is that really better for ADV bikes? Softer etc...
It's talking about camshaft advance not the material of the camshaft 😂😂
Needs crash protection asap
Super 🏆🎖️👍🇵🇰
That Drone shot is incredible
Trash control??
Nice bike.
Excellent review!
Part of every review should be you showing us laying the bike down flat and how hard it is to pick it up. This can be measured by putting a scale on the lift points and measuring how much force it takes to start to raise the bike off the ground
Even though a human lifting the bike is a subjective test and his impression would very greatly depending on his strength and size, it's still way better than nothing.
Consider that and almost 600 lb BMW 1250 GSA is easier to pick up than a 450lb Yamaha t700..... !!!!!!
Aprillia? This motorcycle brand still exist?
Lol have you been living under a rock?
I almost cried when this video started, because I thought it had an absolute POS single cylinder engine and 33 rear wheel horsepower like the KLR650. Kawasaki missed the mark big time by not offering a basic rudimentary 65 horsepower parallel twin in the new KLR. A parallel twin is a high performance engine, while a single cylinder engine looks, sounds, and feels, just terrible. Nothing sounds worse than a single cylinder 4 cycle engine.
"Parallel twin engine is a high performance engine" 😂. Where did you get that ? Almost any engine configuration can be made to give high performance , depends on the purpose they where built and the technology behind it. The Royal Enfield twin 650 is a high performance engine ? 😄 Let's take a few exemples of single engines : KTM 690 duke ( 73 hp @8000 rpm) or a KTM 500EXC ...( wich is a killer 😁) these are not high performance engine ?? 🤣🤣 Yes they have more vibration but still gives great performance ( proven by stats). Regardind the sound ( wich is subjective) , many people likes the sound of a single engine, others hate the Harley sound , some only accept the sound of a 4 cylinder@ 14k rpm . You have engines from any configuration that sounds very good or doesn't have any character wich depends also on the choices the manufacturer made ( emissions, performance , costs etc). For example : my single 650 GS with a GPR exhaust ( street legal ) sounds way better than most of the twin adventures with stock exhaust, but that is also subjective 😉.
I'm sure you are just trolling for responses, but I'll bite. My best ADV bike ever (I wish I never sold it) was a BMW F650GS Dakar. Yes, with a single cylinder.
It depends on what your doing, If your riding around the Utah area etc...a simple DR650 is gold.
@@MotoTherapy Sorry, but I live in 2022 :)
@@doublex632 how old are you? :):)