India-bound Aprilia Tuareg 660 adventure-tourer unveiled!

- Off-road focused Aprilia Tuareg 660 breaks cover

- Gets a 660cc, parallel-twin engine

- Could be launched in India in 2022

Aprilia has taken the wraps off the Tuareg 660- the newest and smallest adventure-touring motorcycle on its social media handles. And, it looks promising enough to take on the Yamaha Tenere 700, KTM 890 Adventure, and BMW F850GS in global markets.

The Tuareg 660 borrows its name from the original Tuareg that was sold in the late 80s. It also borrows its rally-raid-inspired styling with minimal bodywork, a large fuel tank, and flat seat from the original bike. It even gets a retro-inspired colour scheme. 

However, the Tuareg 660’s fascia has no resemblance to the original bike or any of the current models. Instead, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 gets a radically designed LED headlamp and a tall windscreen. Moreover, the Noale-based manufacturer has also retained the essence of the original Tuareg by keeping the weight low on the 660. The motorcycle has a dry weight of just 187kg and comes with an 18-litre fuel tank.  

And to complete its off-road character, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 rides on cross-spoke wheels- 21-inch at the front and 18-inch at the rear shod with dual-sport tyres. It also gets 240mm of suspension travel at both ends. While it comes powered by the 660cc, parallel-twin engine as the RS 660 and Tuono 660, the motor on the Tuareg is suited to adventure motorcycling. It churns out 80bhp and 70Nm and is fitted as a stressed member to the bike’s tubular trellis frame. As for electronic aids, Aprilia has fitted the Tuareg 660 with switchable ABS, four riding modes, the entire suite of APRC as well as a TFT screen that is likely to get Bluetooth connectivity. 

 Now, Aprilia is expected to reveal complete details of the motorcycle soon and introduce the motorcycle in international markets by end of this year. While we expect it to be launched in India, it is unlikely to happen before the launch of its other 660cc siblings- the RS660 and Tuono 660 in our country.