THE RIGHT CHOICE

We have just released an OS-Base for the Aprilia Tuareg 660, and have been thinking a lot about the Italian twin recently. BRAKE magazine’s editor, Llewellyn Selwyn-Pavey is not only a respected journalist, Dakar Rally finisher and Kriega ambassador, he is a massive fan of the current Tuareg. We wanted to find out why.

KRIEGA: You took the Tuareg 660 on your regular test route and sounded like you loved it. For people who haven’t seen the film yet what are three things that made you enjoy it so much?

Llewellyn: At the core is the entire suspension and chassis package. Aprillia have been doing this well for decades on street bikes and they've nailed it here too. It's no compromise, there are no corners cut. The suspension is high quality, sprung correctly and does what an off-road-capable bike should. It feels so safe to ride and ride quickly and that's not common on adventure bikes. It also handles superbly on the road and that's part of the whole package. The suspension just works. The riding position is very comfortable and still effective.

Secondly is the spec and value proposition. At the price it is in Europe, it's unquestionably the best-value, twin-cylinder adventure bike. The electronics are as good as ANY bike on the market. Both the quality and the experience of using them are top notch. It's just a seamless experience. The suspension is high quality, the brakes are good, the quickshifter is stunning, and it has external spoked tubeless wheels, all for [a list price of] just £10,600. It's streets ahead of the competition.

Lastly, is how playful it is. Compared to the competition it's a tiny bit smaller. The engine is still ballistically fast, but the bike as whole feels more manageable and that makes it more playful and enjoyable off-road. The centre of gravity is low and the seat height is reasonable, making it well balanced and, as a whole, I was more confident on it. That ranges from the basics like awkward U-turns to riding technical off-road sections.

Did BRAKE end up buying one?
I didn't end up buying one, but I am looking at getting one for a project over the summer. I'd love to live with it for six months and see how it changes over time. I think the goal of that would also be to investigate what some simple tweaks we could do. The one detractor of the 660 engine is the flat bottom end, but I think there is a fair amount of power left on the table. The sports bike version [of this engine] is nearly 20hp more, so there is room to play. 

What kind of rider/riding is it going to suit the best?
I think it'll suit anyone who wants a highly capable but manageable adventure bike. That's its forte. High-performance ceiling, but also really rideable so you don't have to be an expert to get on with it. I had a few friends of different abilities try it and everyone enjoyed the experience. 

Have you had any experience, or feedback, on longer-term reliability or parts back up? They’re the kind of things that can put buyers off Aprilias.
Not really, no. As an off-road focused rider Aprillia aren't often on my radar. The anecdotal evidence seems to be that historically the experience was bad, but the reliability of their modern bikes appears to have really picked up. There have been a couple of niggles that were fixed under warranty. All brands have those niggles in a new model and, on the whole, I'd say that the niggles were really small things.

The comments on our video were very insightful for this. A lot of really positive owners’ reports, a few reports of owners struggling with parts depending on the dealer and location in the world, and that would be frustrating. 

What are the Tuareg’s negatives?
The main negative is the size of the engine and the wind protection. The engine is really fast at the mid-range and top-end, much quicker than a T7, for example. The bottom end is a bit flat. Your gear choice matters. For example, if you're in a gear too high and try to roll on past a car, it's not happening. It's similar to the Transalp in that regard, it needs to be revved a little bit to get it moving. The wind protection is also not going to be on a par with more substantial bikes like an Africa Twin or a GS. That's the trade-off, really. Lastly, I'd say the dealer network will bother some people and that's going to come down to you as a person. 

The ‘safe’ options are obvious: the more expensive KTM 890 Adventure, and the ubiquitous Ténéré 700. Would you really choose the Tuareg with your own money?
Yes, I would. Even if I had the money to stretch to an 890 ADV R, I would take the Tuareg. It's not just good, I found it really fun to ride. As long as it can cope with the motorway okay, I'll take its benefits any day. I found myself riding the boring roads home each night with a smile on my face, and that's worth every penny. 

They are turning up on the used market for £8000 (in the UK) with very low miles, is that a better idea?
Going secondhand is a great option, especially at low miles. I'd check that the warranty stuff has been done, but otherwise you're not really losing out. Someone else has taken the depreciation and that leaves more cash for your adventures. The only caveat is that new prices seem to also be discounted heavily, too. I've seen new ones for sub £10,000.

If you had to sum it up, where does the Aprilia sit in the ever more crowded 2024 ADV bike market?
If you buy a Ténéré 700, spend £3000-£4000 on suspension, and exhaust and fuelling, you'll get a bike about the same ability as a Tuareg and it'll still be taller and more top heavy.

Check out the Aprilia Tuareg 600 OS-Base

See more Llewellyn at www.brake-magazine.com