2026 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

Cycle News has published two reviews of the Aprilia Tuareg 660 ADV motorcycle since it debuted in 2021 as a 2022 model. Our first was a one-day review at its world launch in Sardinia, followed by a long-term review closer to home. (You can read the 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 review in Sardinia HERE and the 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 review in Arizona HERE.) We were impressed with the Italian interpretation of an all-around ADV motorcycle and noted that on-road performance was particularly strong. In fact, Cycle News co-owner Jesse Ziegler said it was one of the best-handling on-road adventure motorcycles he had ever ridden, and he’s ridden just about all of them. On the world stage, the Tuareg proved to be a worthy bike off-road as well, scoring wins in the 2023 and 2024 Africa Eco Races, with Italian rider Jacopo Cerutti on a bike modified by the GCorse team.

Photography by Ryan Nitzen

Aprilia worked closely with Cerutti and the GCorse team to develop a production version of the bike that delivered those victories. The result is the Tuareg 660 Rally, and we spent some time with it to see how it performs on dirt and the street.

The Package | 2026 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

The Tuareg 660 Rally shares its foundation with the standard Tuareg, featuring Aprilia’s 659cc parallel-twin engine, the same DOHC, 270-degree-crank powerplant in the RS 660 and Tuono 660 streetbikes. For adventure duty, though, Aprilia retuned it with lower-lift camshafts, a narrower cam-lobe crossover, a longer-duct intake mounted above the tank, and revised exhaust and ignition mapping—all aimed at low-end torque rather than top-end rush. The result is 80 horsepower at 9250 rpm and 70 Nm (51.6 lb-ft) at 6500 rpm, with Aprilia claiming that 75 percent of that torque is available by 3000 rpm. A shorter first gear and a two-tooth-smaller front sprocket further sharpen off-idle response.

The chassis is built around a one-piece, welded-steel frame. Aprilia opted against a more traditional bolt-on, replaceable subframe to prioritize rigidity and strength for carrying heavy loads. It can haul over 460 pounds of cargo. The engine serves as a stressed member with six mounting points, double that of the RS/Tuono, and sits roughly nine degrees further back in the frame for sharper, tighter-terrain handling. A 4.75-gallon fuel tank is positioned low and vertically within the frame spars—what looks like a big tank from the saddle is mostly the airbox—with the fuel pickup at the lowest point, under the seat.

Suspension duties are handled by fully adjustable Kayaba components, with 9.45 inches of travel front and rear. It features a 43mm fork and a linkage-mounted shock mounted to an aluminum swingarm. Electronics run through Aprilia’s APRC suite. Traction control, cruise control, engine-brake control and switchable engine maps are all grouped into four ride modes (Urban, Explore, Off-Road, Individual) that dial in how aggressively the systems intervene. Both ABS and traction control can be shut off. Claimed wet weight is 450 pounds, verified by our scales.

Rally Updates from the Standard Tuareg | 2026 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

In 2025, the standard Tuareg received a few updates, which all have carried over to the 2026 model (the 2025 and ’26 are identical motorcycles), including restyled bodywork, a new engine map, larger 52mm throttle bodies (up from 48mm), a new flywheel, reshaped intake ducts and a few other modifications. The engine modifications were made largely to meet the latest Euro 5+ emissions regulations. Those same modifications carried over to the new Rally model, along with a long list of items aimed at improving off-road performance:

• Taller handlebars with less sweep back.
• Aluminum reinforced handguards.
• 20mm taller seat with a more tapered shape.
• Stiffer linear-rate fork and shock springs with updated valving.
• Larger and thicker aluminum skid plate.
• More durable chain guide.
• SC Project aftermarket exhaust.
• Narrower and lighter wheels that use tubes rather than a tubeless setup.
• High front fender.
• Steel braided brake lines.
• Rally kickstand.

The Tuareg Rally weighs 439 pounds with a full tank of fuel, about 11 pounds less than the standard Tuareg. The weight difference is due mostly to the SC Project exhaust and lighter wheels. The standard Tuareg is already the lightest bike in the class, so the Rally model is a featherweight.

The Adventure Begins | 2026 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

We reported in our prior Cycle News reviews that the Tuareg performs impressively on the road and in the dirt. The motor is well suited for dirt use, and the engine map options let you fine-tune power delivery to your preference. As with many other models in this class, the quickshifter is a paid upgrade. We’d like to see it as standard, but the extra money is worth it for the fun factor. The clutch performance is solid, and we had no issues. Aside from power delivery, the biggest change from the standard bike is what’s beneath you.

The standard Tuareg suspension feels a little harsher than a Yamaha Tenere 700 or KTM 890 Adventure R in small off-road chop, but it feels stable on the road. Unfortunately, we did not get the opportunity to ride the Rally back-to-back with the standard Tuareg, but the Rally’s linear-rate springs and different valving feel good overall on both small chop and larger bumps. The Rally has the same 9.45 inches of suspension travel as the standard bike but rides much higher in the stroke. Unlike the standard Tuareg and most ADV bikes, the Tuareg Rally can take big hits with control and does a good job resisting bottoming. Surprisingly, it still feels decent on the road, but if you ride a lot more pavement than dirt, you will probably be happier with the standard Tuareg. We couldn’t tell the difference between the narrower rims, but this is a common modification for riders who like to ride more aggressive off-road terrain.

Tire choice is where we’d make a change. The stock Pirelli Scorpion Rally STR tires are street-biased, so they don’t provide the best off-road experience. There are many off-road-focused ADV tires that will do a better job of bringing out the best in this bike in the dirt.

The most noticeable differences between the standard and Rally Tuareg models are the different handlebars, the seat and the taller ride height. Most of our test riders have off-road/motocross backgrounds, so the handlebars feel very comfortable to us. We also like the seat and did not have any issues with the roughly two-inch-taller seat height, which results from the nearly one-inch-taller seat and less sag in the suspension.

We have no complaints about the standard Tuareg’s brakes, but the braided steel lines on the Rally model improve on that solid baseline. They provide great control and modulation in the dirt and perform equally well on pavement. The ABS options are good and, unlike many bikes, aren’t too intrusive, so you can comfortably leave the front ABS on while riding off-road.

The TFT dash and electronics package are intuitive and offer endless tuning options. Kudos to Aprilia for including cruise control, a great feature for long road sessions. Speaking of the road, we found the bike comfortable for on-road sessions, even with the more off-road-inspired handlebar bend.

Conclusion | 2026 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally

We were already big fans of the Aprilia Tuareg, giving it high marks for on-road performance. However, we felt the suspension settings were not as good as those on some of the alternative bikes in this class for off-road riding. The latest Tuareg Rally addresses our complaints and puts it on the same playing field as the KTM 890 Adventure R. The Tuareg Rally’s class-leading lightweight and narrow feel between the rider’s legs also add to off-road confidence. With an MSRP of $13,999, it offers a lot of performance for the price.CN

2026 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally Specifications

Click here to read the 2026 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Rally Review in the Cycle News Digital Edition Magazine.