Aprilia Tuareg 660: My first 1000kms, my HONEST experience 

1) LOTS of feedback on the expensive first service. I will cover this more in-depth later, when I can get some solid info. When I asked how much my first service would cost, I did phone some other Aprilia dealers close to me (in Germany), and they all said the same thing. I've also seen other Tuareg and Tuono 660 owners paying for this expensive first service in other countries too. People calling me an idiot should consider that I did show them the manual I'd downloaded (in English) and I was shown a piece of paper (admittedly in German, not my first language) explaining to inspect valves at 1000km (600 miles sic). Now, I suspect, in hindsight, that it might be a massive misunderstanding, or I was shown a service bullet-in that dealers around the world are using to screw some money out of customer. If the factory is worried about tight exhaust valves wrecking engines before the 20,000km service, then that's on them, not us the purchasers of said machine. None of this makes sense. I will dig into this and update you all. 2) The salt was an honest oversight. It was dry and sunny in the UK, when I got the bike out of the van, and rode it for less than 50kms in a semi-urban setting. I just forgot about the legendary potent, powdery, almost invisible, UK salt. (I've not lived there for nearly 20 years). But still, that exhaust weld rusting looks like a weld that didn't see enough argon, and the rust coming out of the silencer is a bad sign too. Salt didn't get fly down the exhaust while I was riding! 3) Sump guard/heat shield damage. It's clearly not a guard in any function, so I will look to the aftermarket. I still can't figure out where or how I broke it, or how it's supposed to fasten on. All in all, I love the Tuareg and will be using it as my tour-guide bike the whole season, or at least, I plan to!

Just subscribed, loving your riding style and shows you have some great skills...which helps give credibility to your assessments...looking forward to more.

Great work ! The Tuareg does bring joy and excitement to your riding pleasure.

Curtis at On The Back Wheel in Australia totally put the Tuareg through its paces last year. It's a very capable bike. Small niggles with a bike don't worry me. My Pan America, that was a different story, constantly leaving me stranded. The dealership couldn't fix it and they bought it back from me. I'm on a 22' KTM 890 Adventure S for an ADV bike these days and I keep my fingers crossed, it's been good except for some TFT niggles but they seem sorted now. You should be fine with the Tuareg 660.

Great Video as always 👏

Good review. Own one too and it is an amazing bike!

Thanks, for moving me ever closer to picking the Tuareg as my next bike.... :D

Great work and another fantastic video. I asked last time if you could show a couple of wheelies and you didn't dissapoint, even hoisting a geoscopic wheelie at one point I think! 🤣 It's good to see the other channels catching on and covering the Aprilia. Up until now, loads of the group tests have omitted this great bike. Mine had the rust runs from the exhaust but it just stopped. It now has 6000 miles and other than a fuel sender (easy warrenty repair and didn't stop me riding) it's been a brilliantly versatile and enjoyable bike. I'd recommend the Aprilia Quickshifter and AXP skid plate as decent upgrades. The shifter is one of the best I've used and the service from Xavier at AXP has been exceptional.

Brake magazine, put out a great video on the Tuareg 2 days ago, well worth a watch, after yours obviously 😅, the corrosion is basically your own fault for leaving it in the back of your van with salt on it.... don't know if you're aware, when you use acf50, your supposed to wipe it on and 10 minutes later wipe off the excess.... although if you want a tip from a motorcycle detailer, I use xcp pro (clear coat) on all my customers bikes and they always look good, some use their bikes all the year round here in Scotland... it's a great product and isn't gloppy or oily....top product 👍👍

Yes, love my Tuareg, '23 model. No real problems in almost 5000 miles, but I also don't run it fast and hard (though people that have say so and w/ very few complaints). I did notice the bolts on the transmission side needed tightening as I saw a top side bleed, just a mist, so I tightened them of course. Hey - what's this w/ a valve check at 600 miles (1K)? If you were told that then I think they lied. The first valve check is recommended at 10K km (6K mi). And yes, it seems like some in the YT community coming on lately w/ some more bold positive statements about how nice this bike is, and I'm glad for it. Reliability? Yeah, look at the other bikes, everyone's got niggles or worse (KTM, Norden, etc.) Tuareg won the Africa Eco Race, 13 stages, beat the 2nd place T7, w/ no breakdowns, T7 had 2. Anyway I ain't no racer or hot shot and love my Tuareg to distraction. Thanks, later, enjoyable video.

Great vid fella. +1 sub 👍

I would absolutely love to see Ariemen on the channel being taken round the ring on a bike!! Good for views too :)

The gyroscopic effect of the spinning front wheel is known as angular momentum. Very good review.

Great 👍 review, that’s a shame about the rust and corrosion. In Australia we don’t worry much about a “ shiny new bike MOSTLY “ , it’s all about riding over here not how pretty it is or bling “ , BUT does seem not the best in metal quality. I currently have a 2021 Moto Guzzi V85tt obviously owned also by Peiggo Group , and still love after 16,000kms of on and light off road ADV riding . Have the Honda 300 Rally for the hard stuff 😂😂😂👍

Can you already feel the reduction in depreciation, after Llel's glowing review? 😂

Really enjoyed the images, I’m waiting for the snow and ice around here to melt to get my Tuareg on the road. There seems to be lots of old preconceptions about Italian build quality posted in the comments. I would rate the finish, engineering, and suspension on my T660 to be far superior to my Japanese VStrom 650. On the T660 owners FB page there are some posts about seepage around the water pump (input?), and I’ll keep an eye out for that. Thanks

I feel you regarding the corrosion. I took my BMW S1000RR all over Europe and Scotland in some nasty weather, at one point I was directly behind a road gritter on the motorway and after 6000 miles the bike was spotless. In comparison I’ve covered 1000 miles on my Husqvarna and you’ve never seen rust like it, the metal is embarrassingly cheap!

No valve check on first service. My first service was smth like 150eur if i remember correctly. Valve check on 20 thousand km.

The day I collected my new bike, it was raining... I rode it home, washed it, dried it, and waited for the dry days.... I was, lucky. no damage. But for some reason it is very hard to get acf 50 here in the netherlands. So I have just been using silicon spray for now... the plastics look much better for it though.

When I look at the new BMW GS, there are problems with short circuits and even engine replacement in the first series. A slightly leaking seal is a minor minor issue 😅

Interesting moving to this from a GS. Will check your previous posts Do you plan less travel

Try the comfort seat of Aprilia ! It’s very very good . I recommend to you

I have 13.000km on my Tuareg and couldn't be happier. My 1st service definetely was without valve clearance. Just oil change and checkup on all other liquids, chain tension etc. Still payed 440 CHF (~Euros) but well.... that's just Swiss prices. Wouldn't be different with any other bike.

👍👍👍👍

Dale, if you are not to busy riding all over europe, could you please ride and compare the Vstrom 800 DE vs your Tuareg. I'm in between those bikes. Appreciated 😃

I don't really understand the complaints about the "bike not liking the salt".... any vehicle will not like salt, nothing, in fact, likes road salt. Always get it off everything asap.

Interesting - I used to work for Piaggio and warranty for corrosion issues were notably high in the UK - that salt is a killer!

I ride primarily in SW US and Baja peninsula..1000k is 3-4 days of riding. I see very very few exotics, a rare Guzzi, Aprilia,MV, some Ducati, and fewer still Chinese.. Mexico makes some bikes, majority 125,250 and few 300cc usually singles and all are from Chinese and Korean knock offs, and now Italika and Bahja( Indian) brand are showing some sales.. but for S.Cal,AZ, Texas,ect and Mexico you need reliable and easy access..BMW and KTM are a little harder but can't imagine having an issue on adventure and trying to locate a dealer for Italian stuff.. I would buy an Italian bike way before Chinese from what I have seen, and lots of my arguments go out the window, w Ducati Desert X having a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty, so that puts lots of worry away

Seems like a genuine italian bike: kind of bad build quality and lower reliability, but also very fun to ride. They've always been like this. edit: also looks good. That's pretty much what italian automotive industry is all around, cars and motorcycles alike: good looking, characterful and fun machines, but not robust or too reliable.

Hi I bought mirrors very similar mirrors from aliexpress for tuareg 660 and they vibrate terribly even at low speeds. Someone can suggest what I am doing wrong when installing them or is it just the way they are?

all I want to know is will it throttle my frien's Honda NT750 DCT? Thanks mate

I own one too, and I find the Tuareg 660 jerky when driving constant speeds or decelerating, are you observing the same thing?

Nice Video. But you said that aprilia was expensive first service. Due to valve check? I can not find any Info on that. Or any bulletin regarding needing a valve check at 1000km. Have done 6000km in 5month on my Tuareg . Also sprayed my bike with acf 50 before I parked it. Can't wait to ride again.

Reliability is definitely an issue. Mine has 6000kms and i’ve had 3 oil leaks issues so far. 2 at the oil sump and 1 at the water pump. They replaced the oil sump gasket with the “new” version, but it’s leaking again after 1000kms. Honestly, in my opinion, its not something you can trust for longer trips

Just took a peak at the Tuareg 660 service intervals and I see nothing about a valve check at 1000km? First adjustment is listed at 20k, no "inspections only" listed per what I looked at. This dealer just being extra careful? Edit: reading other comments I see this has been beat to death. Carry on! thanks for the content.

There's no valve check on the first service bud. You got had on that one. I have the service manual and owners manual schedule. Valves aren't touched until 20,000 km. First service is basically an oil change, chain adjustment, service light reset, ECU updates if there is any and an inspection of the bike overall. Read the maintenance schedule for yourself and you'll see. I read your comment you said to someone else about seeing it in the manual for the 2023 BUT i made sure to download the later version straight from AF1 Racing and they list it for 2022-2024 and theres no "A" or "I" in the section under 1000km next to Valve Clearance. If they told you that it needed it they lied to you. I had a dealer tried telling me that same thing. I told them it's not in the manual. They tried to assure me that it needed the valve check. I said show me in the manual. He couldn't show me in the manual. I said what about the Tuono or the RS660? Still couldn't show me. I said to him that's because that's not for the 660 engine. Maybe for the V4 engines. But not the 660.

I się nice little bags on the rear rack. Would you mind sharing a name or link?

Holy chicken, I ride all Year round, got Honda cbf600 from 2008 with 90.000 on the clock and less rust :-)

First service only 300 Euros with a valve check! I asked 3 dealers for a quote on 12,000 mile service, they all said £900.. so you were ripped off at a bargain price 🤣 I absolutely loved test riding one last summer, Goldilocks bike for me - but parts supply seems patchy and reliability issues as you mentioned. Other manufacturers are no different, how long have Yamaha riders been complaining about the exhaust hanger bracket bending then breaking, no change on the 2024 models 🤨

"Long Term"

Valve clearance on first inspection?!?!? First time I hear such nonsense, change your dealer...

You got scammed by your dealer. First valve check is at 20k. I have the 24 Tuareg manual in my hands. Glad you coated everything after those salty rides.

The dealership screwed you. This isn't a bike problem it's a human problem

So weird to me that people think 80hp isn't enough and that something like a 1200 GS is needed for any application. How captured by the marketing and magazine pundentry do you have be?

So, it's a road bike then?

Wonderful Aprilia build quality as usual. Why does anyone buy them?

You run it in salt water and then toss it into a van for days? What did you expect?

Honest experience? My friend, I had to stop watching after 5 minutes... Is it that difficult to provide correct info? 1) The first service is expensive because valve inspection? Are you kidding or what? 😂 There is no valve inspection at the first service, neither at the 10000km service... The first inspection is foreseen at the 20k service... Read the manual, maybe the dealer just played you? 2) There is no missing bolt for the engine protection, you have a bolt on the front and a sort of slide at the back, and that one is broken, non missing, you can clearly see that the engine guard is deformed, you smashed it in something... 3) Ride in salty water and then leave the bike in the van for few days? And then you get corrosion? What a surprise... 😂

Breaking news.... Man rides bike on salted roads then leaves it in a van for a couple of days and wonders why there's corrosion.

Thats poor quality for a bike just over 600 miles. Bet it wasnt cheap either. Aprillia would be getting that back if it was mine.

That is the problem with Chinese bikes. The general quality of the metals used.

There´s NO valve inspection that goes for the 1st service. You´ve been ripped off. Only general inspection, oil change and filter. That´s it. I live in Norway (which has the most expensive prices in all of Europe except for maybe Switzerland) and I was set back bout £250 give or take.

How is 1000 kms a "long term"? 😂 Mate, even the cheapest Chinese bikes will go 1000 kms with no issues. Come back at 10k or 20k :)

Find me one bike who likes salt ?

Made in China?

You just don’t know what you are talking about 👎 Running thru salt..? What are you expecting..Einstein.?

um... I'm not sure of any universe where 1000kms is considered Long-Term? Like come on🫤