It’s all about the “nonsense”, being that it’s loaded with gizmos and even has the exaggerative slogan “be a racer” on the front fender and programmed into the TFT display opening screen The Aprilia Ying to Yamaha Yang: The TuaregĮnter the Aprilia Tuareg with the opposing ideology of design. If you’re like me and enjoy them-there, highfalutin electronics, rider aids, and comfort features the T7 likely will leave you wanting more and isn’t the bike for you to buy. To me, the T7 is the modern, upgraded equivalent of Kawasaki’s KLR650. The tube tires, outdated LCD dash, and omission of fancy features (like cruise control, quick-shift, heated grips, adjustable traction control, adjustable engine braking, etc) all speak to the no-nonsense or no-frills approach Yamaha has gone for here. It’s also a bargain compared to anything else thanks to its bare-bones build that appears to place priority on reliability and simplicity. The Ténéré (aka T7) is a nimble, lightweight, off-road beast, that excels when ridden in low-speed, technical terrain. I haven’t personally ridden a Yamaha Ténéré 700 but I feel like I’ve interviewed enough owners about it to know what it would be like. Speaking of bikes named after famous desert regions, there’s little doubt in my mind Aprilia’s Tuareg is a blatant “hold my beer” challenge to Yamaha’s ultra-popular middleweight adventure bike. Near as I can tell the correct pronunciation is “ Twah-reg. This motorcycle is doomed to have its moniker mangled forever by us English-speaking North Americans despite the homage it is to the proud Berber or Hamitic-speaking Tuareg nomads of the Sahara.
A full suite of tech features is available with cruise control coming as standard.
While attending the 2022 GET ON! Adventure Fest rally in Mojave, California I was privileged to get a test ride of this exciting new mid-sized adventure bike from Aprilia. “Hi, I’m Jim Pruner from and I’m here to ride the uhh… Too-ahh-reg … Tou-regg? … Taaah-reg … Twaah-reg ? The new Aprilia!”