Aprilia Tuareg 660: The Bite-size Italian Africa Twin?
- Aug 3, 2021
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Following the unveiling of its faired counterpart, the RS 660, Aprilia forayed into the middle-weight motorcycle segment with its first entry-level naked, the Tuono 660. Naturally, it has a lot to prove considering the Tuono 1100's reputation as one of the best litre-class streetfighters money can buy. So does the entry-level Tuono live up to the expectations? Let us help you decide via this dedicated photo gallery:
First things first, we have the design. The Tuono 660 is basically an RS 660 sans the fairing. It's designed for street use with more accessible performance.
It gets full LED lighting with the standout bit being its sharp split LED headlight. The DRLs extend to its short, smoked visor, in line with Aprilia’s new design language.
The Tuono 660 comes in three colours: Acid Gold, Iridium Grey, and Concept Black, with neon orange/red alloys standard across all.
Along with the wheels, the grey and black options also bear a neon orange/red seat and Aprilia badging, while the Acid Gold misses out on these.
The Tuono’s double-fairings feature integrated aerodynamic scoops which channel the airflow around the rider, thus reducing lift and offering better downforce.
Speaking of performance, the Tuono 660 uses an RSV4 1100-derived 659cc, twin-cylinder motor that churns out 96PS and 67Nm. This is the same motor from the RS 660 but it has been detuned to make 6PS less. However, the 6-speed gearbox has been carried forward from the RS without any changes. Despite the detuned motor, Aprilia claims that the bike has the best power-to-weight ratio in its class, thanks to its 183kg kerb weight.
To put the power down efficiently, the Tuono 660 gets a highly sophisticated electronics package that includes multi-level traction control, anti-wheelie control, cruise and engine brake control. Along with this, it gets five riding modes -- three for the road and two for track and ABS, with varying intervention levels depending on the mode. All this can be accessed by a digital TFT display.
As for its underpinnings, the Tuono 660 uses a 41mm KYB USD fork and a monoshock, both fully adjustable, while its braking hardware includes twin 320mm discs up front and a single 220mm disc at the rear, with Brembo calipers.
The Tuono 660 has a seat height of 820mm, and a flat handlebar which should result in a comfortable slightly upright riding posture. Its 17-inch tyres come shod with Pirelli Rosso Corsa 2 rubber.
Like what you see? Officials have confirmed that the Aprilia 660 twins will make their way to India by July 2021. However, be ready to dig deep into your pockets as it's expected to be priced on the premium side of the segment, around Rs 13 lakh (ex-showroom). When it arrives, the Tuono 660 will be a more performance-packed competitor to the Triumph Trident 660 but will rival the BMW F 900 R, Triumph Street Triple R and the Kawasaki Z900 in terms of pricing.
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