Spy shots reportedly show Aprilia’s upcoming 2021 Tuareg 660 adventure bike.
Aprilia has been without a serious contender in the adventure segment for some time, with the current Caponard 1200 falling firmly into the touring side of the market and the Pegaso a distant memory. That looks set to change next year with the coming release of a 660cc adventure machine utilising the heart of the soon to arrive RS660.
Details are yet to be released, but we can see from the spy shots the new bike leans heavily into the adventurous side of the adventure segment with a 21-inch spoked front wheel and either a 17 or 18-incher at the rear.
Ground clearance looks great, while the ergonomics look perfectly suited to transitioning from sitting to standing.
Originally hinted at during EICMA 2019, we know the bike utilises a trellis frame and alloy swingarm and will feature the new parallel-twin from the RS660.
Producing around 100hp in RS form, we expect Aprilia’s will retune the engine for more low end power for the adventure bike.
The new bike looks seriously lightweight, with a bare bones aesthetic hinting at a function over form design brief. Here’s hoping for a wet weight under that magic 200kg mark.
While the Tuareg 660 looks set to go head to head with Yamaha’s Tenere 700, we expect Aprilia will also include the same high-end tech from the RS660 in the adventure model, putting it in between the Yamaha and KTM’s larger capacity 790 Adventure in terms of fit out.
No word yet from Aprilia’s NZ distributor on when we are likely to see the Tuareg 660, but rumours suggest it will be some time next year.