a compact bike for an adventure offroad tourer . Narrower in the shoulders than most , and it ’ s instantly appealing as it ’ s clear they ’ ve kept it as light and lean as possible . The new 660 mill configured from the Tuono 660 seems to be hidden . It has a longer stroke , but the sump has shrunk giving great ground clearance and lower engine placement . Clever . 18 litres of fuel and 450km of range at just a snitch over 200kg fully wet . 80 horses and every one of them useable . It ticks the boxes and redefines the box too . Hell of a nice package . Ride is superb and designed with standing on the pegs without interference . First impressions ? Yet another highly desirable Aprilia delivery . This will sell very well indeed . PETER ELLIOTT

RIDING OPINION # 5 I love the bike ’ s mid-range punch . On road or

gravel , that ‘ instant ’ kick is perfect for overtakes or pivoting a gravel turn a little harder ; often without the need to select a lower gear . The parallel twin delivers V-Twin type midrange with that 270 ° crank and this unit has a decent amount of power up top too . I ’ m not a speed freak on the road . Most of my riding is solo , though I ’ d happily do trips two-up on the Tuareg . The low seat height is comforting for my shorter than average legs and the upright riding position suits me . The rider aids are fantastic . I like that you can change modes ( like rear ABS off and front still on ) on the fly . With time , I ’ d enjoy programming in ’ my requirements ’ and making the bike my own . These ‘ middleweights ’ seem far more practical to me than the colossal ‘ open ’ bikes available . TODD SUTHERLAND

CONTACT : SHOP : ( 07 ) 850-6020 MB : ( 021 ) 209-7292

431c Te Rapa Rd , Te Rapa Hamilton , New Zealand EM : shop @ ntbracing . co . nz

OPENING HOURS MON - FRI : 9am - 5.30pm SAT : By appointment

46 KIWI RIDER