Aprilia has finally revealed its Tuareg 660 adventure bike. 660cc, 80bhp, 51.5 lb ft and 187kgs puts it directly head-to-head with Yamaha's Tenere 700 although the electronics are more sophisticated and extensive. No word on price or when it will be available in the showrooms, but the Italian/Japanese battle has been joined.

Aprilia Tuareg 660 Revealed in all its Glory

Aprilia has officially launched its contender for middleweight adventure bike supremacy: the Tuareg 660. This is the third motorcycle to be built on the 660 platform, after the 660 RS (faired) and 660 Tuono (naked).

It is clear that, with the Tuareg 660, Aprilia is gunning directly for the Yamaha Ténéré T7, given that it has almost identical specifications.

The Tuareg uses a de-tuned but higher torque version of the parallel twin engine found in the RS/Tuono. With 80bhp on tap, it produces 8bhp more than the T7 and the 51.5 lb ft torque figure is almost exactly the same as its Japanese rival.

The weight of the Tuareg is only 7kg more than the T7's 180kg dry weight. 240mm of suspension travel is available and the wheelbase is 1500mm.

On the electronics side, Aprilia has equipped the Tuareg with APRC - Aprilia Performance Ride Control - which will pay dividends on the road and it has four riding modes - two customisable, ABS that can be turned off completely on both wheels, traction control and cruise control, all accessible via a 5-inch TFT screen.

There is no word yet as to when it will be available, but you can expect it to be in showrooms in the next couple of months.

For more information and a rather nifty video, click on this link.