The Parallel-Twin Adventure Bike That Can Do It All
For quite some time, manufacturers tried to convince us that we need a different bike for every occasion. But, over the course of the last few years, this idea, which appeals to our inner consumer more than anything else, has been rejected. It has since been superseded by the idea of owning a more versatile motorcycle that can do a little bit of everything. Middleweight adventure bikes in particular have answered this call for a more versatile motorcycle that really can work as a one-bike garage.
Today’s Motorcycle Landscape Is Quite Versatile
For the most part, adventure bikes are something of a contradiction. Any motorcycle that needs to go off-road is inherently compromised on the street, in part thanks to how little grip you get with knobby tires. Even though there are more versatile tires these days, in an effort to get them to work everywhere, they actually don’t work particularly well anywhere. This is only one of several examples of why these machines shouldn’t work, yet somehow, they do.
Most riders come into a motorcycle purchase fairly well-informed these days. You won’t find anyone blindly purchasing an ADV and expecting it to do single track over the weekend. There is an understanding that these versatile machines are limited in what they can achieve as tourers, commuters, and off-road bikes. The simple fact that they can do all these things is what makes them so appealing, but there is one bike that actually overdelivers in every respect.
The Aprilia Tuareg Rally 660 Is One Of The Most Versatile ADVs On The Market
MSRP: $13,999
When the original Tuareg 660 came out in 2022, it really took the fight to the established players within the industry. It was lighter, more powerful, and offered more features than any of its direct rivals. The Rally spec was added last year, and it is not your average cosmetic job most manufacturers offer after a bike has been in production for a couple of years. Aprilia gave it a host of additional off-road-focused features, which all contribute to making this one of the most capable middleweights money can buy.
Has A Sporty Italian Twin Derived From A Sports Bike
Power: 80 Horsepower
The first two bikes that came out using this powertrain were the Tuono 660 naked bike and the RS 660 sport bike. Both made 100 horsepower, but the engine was slightly reworked for the Tuareg ADV. While it doesn’t make more torque than those bikes, its tune has been optimized for torque delivery. All this means is that the torque comes in earlier and stronger, which is important for off-road use.
Designed To Explore
This dip in overall performance may seem a little disappointing to some, but that is to miss the point of the motorcycle. Just like any good ADV, this is a versatile machine. At the end of the day, 80 horsepower is more than enough power for a bike this light. With it in this state of tune, the bike requires less effort to get up to highway speed, and will stay there indefinitely. It is also economical enough to use as a commuter, but its key strength really is the ability to ride long distances off-road.
The Tuareg Rally 660 Looks Dakar-Ready
In terms of electronic features, you get ABS, traction control (both switchable), ride modes, cruise control, and a TFT dash. All of these features can also be found on the base model Tuareg. What you get with the Rally 660 version is effectively a rally raid package. It comes with a retuned suspension that is more effective off-road, a rally seat, a more robust skid plate, wider handlebars, lightweight Ergal rims, a titanium SC Project exhaust, and a high-mount mudguard. To say the least, these additions are worth far more than what Aprilia has added to the price of the base model.
While just about every new ADV on the market claims some form of connection to the Dakar Rally, Aprilia really has a rally raid racing team, and this is a legitimate race replica. As much as these bikes do not compete at the modern Dakar, they have won several rally raid events, including the prestigious Africa Eco Race which follows the old Paris-Dakar route.
A Lightweight ADV That Can Do It All
It is fair to say that even middleweight adventure bikes are getting heavier these days. Manufacturers feel pressured to keep up with the times and add more and more comfort features, which certainly appeal to more customers. The downside to all this is that as more features, particularly electronic features, are added, the more the weight goes up. We are quite happy that Aprilia decided against adding an IMU, at least for now, because that would have just rendered all the weight savings moot.
A combination of the lightweight rims and the titanium exhaust makes this one of the lightest ADVs in its class at 438 pounds (wet). Only the (truly) bonkers Kove 800X Rally, which has a dry weight of 364 pounds, is lighter, and you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to tell which is the superior product. Once off-road, these weight savings make a discernible difference.
A lighter bike is also easier to handle when navigating a city, but the one thing counting against the 660 Rally when it comes to commuting is the seat height. With the rally seat fitted, the seat height goes up to 36 inches, which is pretty tall for most riders, and will make it a little cumbersome for shorter folks. Although the suspension is tuned for off-road performance, it still has a high-quality chassis, which has more in common with high-end superbikes than other ADVs.
This steel trellis with aluminum side plates arrangement offers the same strength usually associated with a steel chassis, just without all the added weight. Not everyone wants an all-conquering off-road ADV like this, and its seat height will be a limiting factor for some riders. It is also still relatively expensive compared to some of the Japanese bikes, but once you look a little more carefully, the value for money you get with the 660 Rally is pretty hard to beat. All the bikes that offer the same level of specifications are more expensive, and all those bikes are also heavier.
Source: Aprilia
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments