i absolutely love mine ! coming from a single jug KTM. i so appreciate the second cylinder with- out the huge weight of the competition. there is a Real reason us 40 year old men are gushing over this unicorn ...BECAUSE IT'S THAT GOOD !
Great review! I have to say the red is amazing, and that skid plate just makes it. I’m all set to buy one for my next bike. Thanks for the in-depth review!
Great review! Thanks for your in-depth to the point commentary on this New Top mid size ADV Contender. I test road one in Sweden last year and was blown away at how much fun the Tuareg 660 is to ride. It feels much more agile, lighter, flickable than other Midsize bikes I've ridden. Plenty of Power and the sound! Nice. Great work mate😁
It’s mine. I almost went with a Yamaha T7, and glad I didn’t. Read this recent comparison by ADV pulse, a very comprehensive review for both the T7 and Tuareg. www.advpulse.com/adv-news/aprilia_tuareg_660_vs_yamaha_tenere_700_comparison/?fbclid=IwAR3wqlywA-6cc6YnjfPZsthcuWQfZKnSW0WwxDgW0jwZ-gtZxBmnZz_iODM
Man, I keep thinking another video will settle it for me... but with each video I hear how amazing it performs AND some story about the issues that the owner had to deal with warranty for. Every. Time. It seems like an absolute blast to ride, but I'm having a hard time justifying the clear pattern of warranty issues within just the first 1 or 2 years of ownership. Will that be the experience every year...?
This is the first review of one of these I have seen from another Colorado rider. Thanks for sharing your perspective. It was super helpful. I checked one out at with the low seat at Imperial as well and was impressed by what you get for the price, but still had some questions/concerns about reliability and parts availability. I am still waiting to see what the new Suzuki V-Strom 800 DE is like but I like the Aprilia Tuareg and updated base KTM 890 Adventure quite a bit. It feels like choosing between them is going to be a tough decision. The new 890 is the only one I can comfortably get feet down on the stock seat though, so that may end up being the way I go. Thanks again for the video. You shared a bunch of helpful details and your upgrades look great. 👍🏾
@@lazy-pilot No worries at all. I have been there and I get it. I recently got a Harley Sportster S for cruising and occasional track days. I plan to sell my Versys X-300 to get a Husqvarna Norden 901 within the next 12 months for my off road and adventure riding hopefully. I still like the Tuareg quite a bit though. Thanks for the reply. Take care.
@urbanadventurer5 I'm just reading along here looking at the Teurag. I have a 901 with over 5k miles and it's a great bike! I really love it, does all the things it needs to do. Looking at the Teurag for my Son in Law, better to have different bikes (so I can try it out also) 😂
Thank you! I think as far as reliability, they’re going to be very similar bikes. The KTM 890R and Tuareg are going to feel quite a bit more nimble because their fuel is kept lower and the Tuareg is actually lighter in weight. The real magic of the Tuareg is how much power they squeezed out of a compact engine. It allows for better ground clearance while not being overly tall or top heavy. That said I’m a bit nostalgic about the Triumph brand so I would also like to have a 900 rally because who wants just one adventure bike?!
I was surprised to hear you had TKC 80’s on the bike, I thought they were all equipped with the Pirelli Scorpion’s that I have on mine. I really want to swap out the back tire on mine. Great on black top but tends to go sideways on loose stuff. I’d like to hear your thoughts on the Motoz back tire.
Hi Kevin, I talk about my experience with tires towards the end of the Part 2 video. Overall very happy with the Motoz Tractionator GPS on the rear but I will continue to run the TKC80 on the front, and I never ran a single mile with the factory Scorpions, 1600mi Review PART2 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Mods & Accessories ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YlpW_y4Y7rg.html
Ya know, I should probably address that in a future video. My gas mileage while living and mostly riding above 6,000 feet MSL was outstanding. Since moving to Arizona and dropping 5,000 feet in elevation, so has my mileage. Now I plan for 46mpg. About a full 10mpg drop from Colorado to Arizona. Bummer.
The underside gets a bit muddy along with everything else but just some medium pressure water at a car wash does the trick. I usually try to run it through a car wash half-way through a multi day ride especially to get the lower forks, drive chain and radiator clean. I’ll shed 10-20lbs of mud sometimes. Then I’ll blast the chain with penetrating chain lube to force the water out.
Hi! Thanks for the video really usefull and what a beauty this machine is! I’ve just bought one 1 week ago! It is incredible! Please, Could you share with me the shop/web where did you buy all the components?
Hey there, it’s the Tourtech locking mount for the Garmin Zumo XT GPS. I also have a flexible sun visor for it that I found on Etsy.com. It’s from a guy that 3D prints them in the U.K. and it’s specific to combination of the Tourtech mount and Garmin Zumo XT. Cheers!
Do you know what the preload (how many milimeters for static sag/rider sag) is supposed to be in the rear? It is not annotated in the owner's manual or service manual
I’m sorry I do not, but I did measure sag when I adjusted my suspension. It’s an old and not uncommon method but I use a level floor and plumb-Bob (you’d find at a hardware store). I use the turn signals (front and rear) as my measurement points to determine the difference of height from the floor. I mark the string on the plumb-Bob to track measurements. Sorry for the late reply, it’s been a long moving process from Colorado to Arizona this summer.
RU-vid amateur, just trying to be helpful. I'll try for landscape orientation for future videos. Most of my videos are commentary, but I understand the annoyance if you're watching on your big ass TV.
Yes you can, and I have done just that. It allows more air to pass and makes the radiator more efficient. Instead of cutting out the entire polygon shape in each louvre I cut a round hole,about 1.75 inches, inside two louvres on each side panel.
Is the heat a big problem for the 660? I just got a cat delete pipe for my 901 but haven't put it on yet. The heat is noticeable on the left side of the Norden.
Thick Aluminum. See link for more info. GP Mucci Thor Skid Plate ‘22 Aprilia Tuareg 660, review and install experience. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3U5cv3qMNw4.html
Just started watching, looking forward to it. Some constructive feedback right away, please please face the phone horizontally not vertically for the next video. Ruins the viewing experience on anything other than a cell phone.
Nice detail. Although much of part 1 is actually discussing the accessories which you discussed in part 2. Consider rotating your phone to landscape to make better use of the screen. Sharp build. I agree they hit the mail on the head with this bike! Nearing 1000 miles on mine. Hoping the mpg gets the same magic bump you described. I’m usually in the low 40’s.
Great review Ran! This is part of my top 2 choices for my next bike along with the Suzuki Vstrom 800DE. I'm also impressed about your feedback regarding the stock suspension. I'm have pretty much the same height and weight as you and it was a concern at first, but it looks like I can check this box.
Thanks! The bike can definitely handle it. If you want to go up a couple spring rates in the back, changing out the spring is really quite inexpensive and something you can do yourself. See my video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-dmEdPu8IsZI.html
Hey great video, I ride a Triumph Street triple 675 for my street bike but looking at getting a Tuareg next season. Do you have any information on you're bike bags/gear? I really like those Tusk bags and that fuel bottle design.
Thanks! And I sure do, an entire video on all my accessories including my luggage. 1600mi Review PART2 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Mods & Accessories ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YlpW_y4Y7rg.html
Could you do a video on the arrow exhaust? I watched your dyno video but was hard to hear what the exhaust sounds like, I can't find a video with arrow full header and Sonora muffler. Thanks
Hi Nathan, if you look at my channel there should be a riding video and if you fast forward you can hear the exhaust well when music isn’t playing over my intercom. If you subscribe I should have some more riding videos up soon too. Also here’s another RU-vid video link to a Tuareg with the full Arrow exhaust on a dyno. This is Gabro Racing performing the tune that is now available via the UP-Map tuner. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_y3RILc0mpI.html
Hi. Excellent. I’m intrigued what you have under the panniers, what rack? Can you please do a video, cos the panniers look nice and flush so it’s not the usual wide rack. Thanks
I’m using a rack less pannier luggage system, so no hard racks. I only have have a tail rack, Easy Rack from Hepco&Becker, that helps me attach the rackless luggage. This is the Tusk Highland X2 luggage with the medium 33L dry bag and optional bottle holders (which are attached to the back of the panniers). When not in use for moto-camping I can easily remove the entire luggage system, leaving the bike better suited for my more typical off-road day rides. I’ll have a PART2 video out soon discussing my accessories for the bike including the luggage. Subscribe and you should see it in a few day when I get it uploaded.
Here’s that part 2 video where I discuss the luggage. 1600mi Review PART2 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Mods & Accessories ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YlpW_y4Y7rg.html
If you review my Part 2 video, where I discuss accessories including luggage, pay special attention at the end of the video where you can see there’s a strap that weaves across the top of the panniers that does an excellent job of supporting the the weight of the panniers and eliminating flapping entirely even over light jumps. The saddle support structure under the dry bag and panniers also provides a lot of support/rigidity. In fact it does such an excellent job that it barely touches the muffler heat shield on the right side. I hope that answers your question. 1600mi Review PART2 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Mods & Accessories ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YlpW_y4Y7rg.html
Thanks. My soft luggage swings into the wheel area. I was thinking a light weight frame or rack was mandatory on the left side . Luggage may need to ride higher on bike without luggage brace. Mosko Moto soft luggage with luggage brace looks like it rides lower on the bike. Thanks for your terrific review details!!!
Also please see these guards made specifically for the Tuareg to support soft bags. www.guareschimoto.it/en/prodotto/portaborse-in-alluminio-gcorse-tuareg-660/?fbclid=IwAR3jqAo0tZZYfuZDfgcArJZEg2Bs_JR7Ggf0P3qAL06k7F0Cco_1ZPSVIHw
Hi Brian, I’ve branched out my parts and accessories search outside US vendors because I have found great success in ordering parts internationally. What will blow your mind is that on average, the parts from international sellers takes half the time to ship to my residence in Colorado than the domestic sellers. And the freight is usually only 20 euros (21 USD) more expensive; so it’s an even trade-off and the customer service has been fantastic. As far as vendors in the USA, my favorites for the Tuareg are AF1racing (in Austin TX) and MotoMachines.com based in Virginia.
It’s a GP Mucci Thor skid plate, handmade in Italy. Shipped internationally. It comes color matched from Gian Paulo’s shop in Florence. Here’s my video on that skid plate. GP Mucci Thor Skid Plate ‘22 Aprilia Tuareg 660, review and install experience. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3U5cv3qMNw4.html and please see this video for a review on all other accessories and mods to my Tuareg: 1600mi Review PART2 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Mods & Accessories ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YlpW_y4Y7rg.html
Very nice overview. Purchase my 660 3 weeks ago and absolutely love it. No aftermarket parts added yet, looking forward to your video on your add on parts, etc. Safe riding !
Hi Jeff, please see link for that video: 1600mi Review PART2 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Mods & Accessories ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-YlpW_y4Y7rg.html
Hi, try these links if you’re in the USA and maybe these will help. Otherwise, where are you located? www.motomachines.com/shop-by-bike/aprilia/tuareg-660-2022 www.af1racing.com/tuareg-660-all-variants sw-motech.us/bike/APRILIA/Tuareg660/2022/products/
Man, I am torn between this and the V-Strom 800DE... I'm in Colorado Springs also! Good to hear you find it peppy with plenty of lowdown torque even at our altitude! Thanks for the great review It is helpful although I'm still pretty torn...!
Well, I was in COS. Just made the move to Phoenix for work. So the riding season is still going strong here. I hear the 800DE is a good contender, but the Tuareg just beats the pants off the competition in its segment of weight/displacement. I’ve loved many Suzukis though, it would just need major suspension upgrades to make it on par with the Tuareg.
I think I said in Part 2 I’ll talk about accessories “in some detail.” Which you’ll see, if you go to Part 2. A big ownership consideration (especially at the time I made that video) was availability of accessories for the motorcycle, because it took a fair amount of time and effort to find compatible parts. That’s a big part of these videos, I’m trying to help pass on that information and save other owners the same effort. I’m not a professional reviewer and never plan to be one.
@@fcalin21 Well a KTM 690 Enduro R is probably your best bet. 90 lbs lighter than the Tuareg. You can put a more comfortable seat and a windscreen on it. If you have a lot of room in your budget, install a rally kit or find one that’s already been upgraded. That said, you can make a DR650 a comfortable and worthy adventure bike with some basic engine, suspension and seat upgrades. My brother has ‘19 DR650 that has been significantly upgraded and he has less than $9.5k in it. It’s supposedly a fun bike to work on if you have any wrenching experience, there’s a whole cult culture surrounding that bike.
@@lazy-pilot I was well aware of the KTM 690 Enduro R but it is not as reliable as the DR650 nor as cheap. I am sory to say but my dream motorcycle does not exist . Thank you for the effort you put in replying at my post.
