Aprilia has confirmed that its new Tuareg 660 middleweight adventure bike will arrive in local showrooms in the second quarter of next year.
The new Aprilia Tuareg 660 is an off-road focussed model that is specified to compete with the likes of the Yamaha Tenere 700 ($17,799) and KTM 890 Adventure R ($24,470).
Although pricing has yet to be confirmed, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 will come highly specified as standard, and will sit at the premium end of the category as per the Italian bikemaker’s positioning.
“Aprilia is a premium performance brand, and our customers expect accordingly,” Aprilia Australia told INFO MOTO.
While it is motivated by the same 659cc parallel-twin motor that powers its platform-sharing RS 660 and Tuono 660 stablemates, the new Tuareg 660 gets its own tune to produce 59kW and 70Nm.
That translates to an 11kW drop in peak power, and a 3Nm boost to peak torque compared to the RS 660 sportsbike, as it is specifically tuned to suit its off-road chassis.
For comparison, the Yamaha Tenere 700 makes 53kW and 68Nm from its 689cc parallel-twin engine, and both rivalling adventure bikes tip the scales at 204 kilograms (wet).
Both bikes also feature 21- and 18-inch spoked wheels front-to-back. Notably, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 uses an 18-litre fuel tank, up 2L compared to the Yamaha Tenere 700.
Giving the Aprilia a particular edge is its strong electronics package that includes advanced traction control, engine braking and fuel mappings that can be toggled via four rider modes: Urban, Explore, Off-Road and Individual.
The bike also gets a large TFT display and cruise control as standard, while an up/down quickshifter can be fitted as an option.
Off-road performance should be bolstered by its fully adjustable 43mm Kayaba fork and rear monoshock, offering 240mm of travel at both ends.
A premium braking package sees dual 300mm discs at the front, and a single 260mm disc at the rear with Brembo callipers all round.
At launch, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 will be available in three colours, Indaco Tagelmust, Martian Red and Acid Gold.
Spencer has a keen eye for hard news, and does some of his best living on deadline day. He loves more than anything to travel on his motorcycle, and is adamant that Melbourne Bitter is a world-class lager. He also knows how to operate the big computery thing in the office. By night, Spencer plays guitar with Melbourne punk outfit LOUTS.
