The Aprilia Tuareg is a dual-sport motorcycle made by the Italian maker Aprilia. The first Tuaregs were “desert” bikes built from the mid-1980s to 1994, with two-stroke engines of 50 and 125 cc and four-stroke engines of 350 and 600 cc; the name returned in 2021 with the Tuareg 660.
Aprilia Tuareg at a glance
| First Tuareg | presented in 1985, inspired by bikes of the Paris–Dakar rally; first called Tuareg ETX |
|---|---|
| Tuareg 350 Wind | presented at the end of 1986, with a low front mudguard and a very large tank |
| Tuareg 600 | 1988, alongside the updated 350 Wind |
| Original range | 2-stroke 50 and 125 cc; 4-stroke 350 and 600 cc; Rally version in 50, 125 and 250 cc |
| Replaced by | the Aprilia Pegaso in 1994 |
| Tuareg 660 | presented November 2021 at EICMA; 659 cc in-line twin, 80 hp at 9,250 rpm, 70 Nm at 6,500 rpm |
| Tuareg 660 weight | 187 kg dry, steel trellis frame, 43 mm Kayaba upside-down fork |
| Tuareg 660 electronics | APRC with Urban, Explore, Individual and Off-road modes, four-level traction control, ABS, three engine-braking levels, ride-by-wire |
English Wikipedia covers only the Tuareg 660 and the Italian page mostly the 1980s bikes, so each period rests on one source.
History of the Aprilia Tuareg
The first Tuaregs, 1985–1994
The Tuareg was a desert bike made by Aprilia in Noale in the mid-1980s. The smallest, the Tuareg 50, has a single-cylinder Minarelli engine, one of the most used moped engines on the Italian market, while the bigger models had Rotax engines. It was presented in 1985 and took the typical lines of bikes used in African competitions such as the Paris–Dakar. English Wikipedia’s page on Aprilia says the Tuareg of 1986 was a large-tanked bike for African rallies like the Dakar.
The first version, with slim lines and a high front mudguard, was called Tuareg ETX. In late 1986 the Tuareg 350 Wind was shown, with a low front mudguard and a very powerful, large tank. In 1988 the bigger 600 arrived and the 350 Wind was updated to match its family look, with fairings now covering almost all of the engine and a modern 40 mm upside-down fork made in Spain by Betor. A parallel model called Rally was also born, with a slimmer line optimised for cross and off-road use.
Many were sold in Italy and some other European countries until 1994, when the Tuareg was replaced in the catalogue by the Aprilia Pegaso. The Pegaso 125 was in fact derived from the Tuareg Wind, from which it inherited the frame and engine.
Tuareg 660, 2021
In 2021 the Noale company announced a new generation of the Tuareg based on the 660 cc twin platform used in the new RS and Tuono; the Tuareg 660 was officially presented in November 2021 at EICMA. Its engine is a 659 cc in-line twin with double overhead camshafts, 270-degree crankpins and a gear-driven counterbalancer, with 80 hp at 9,250 rpm and 70 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The frame is a tubular steel trellis for a dry weight of 187 kg. The electronics come from Marelli, who dedicated the APRC system to the bike, with four delivery settings (Urban, Explore, Individual and Off-road), four-level traction control, ABS, three levels of engine braking, anti-spin and a ride-by-wire throttle.
Design and features
- Tuareg 350 Wind: a low front mudguard and a large tank, in the style of rally bikes.
- Engines (1980s): Minarelli on the 50, Rotax on the larger models.
- Tuareg 660 engine: a 659 cc parallel twin with a gear-driven counterbalancer.
- Tuareg 660 chassis: a tubular steel trellis frame and adjustable shock absorbers.
Aprilia Tuareg versions
- Tuareg ETX (1985): the first version, slim with a high front mudguard.
- Tuareg 350 Wind and 125 Wind (1986): the large-tank versions.
- Tuareg 600 (1988): the biggest of the first range.
- Tuareg Rally (1988): the slimmer off-road bike, in 50, 125 and 250 cc.
- Tuareg 660 (2021): the new generation.
More Aprilia motorcycles are in our Aprilia collection, for example the Pegaso, which replaced the first Tuareg, the ETX and the RX.
Aprilia Tuareg questions and answers
When was the first Aprilia Tuareg presented?
In 1985, as the Tuareg ETX.
What replaced the first Tuareg?
The Aprilia Pegaso in 1994.
What is the Tuareg 660?
A new-generation dual-sport bike presented in November 2021, with a 659 cc twin of 80 hp.
What does the name refer to?
The Tuareg desert people; the bike took the lines of rally bikes used in Africa.
How heavy is the Tuareg 660?
187 kg dry.
Sources
- Aprilia Tuareg, English Wikipedia: Tuareg 660
- Aprilia Tuareg, Italian Wikipedia: the 1985–1994 Tuareg range
- Aprilia, English Wikipedia: company history, 1986
