Showdown: 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 vs Yamaha Ténéré 700

On paper, the Ténéré and Tuareg look to be toe-to-toe competitors. What we found over 2,000 miles of pavement and dirt was that while they are indeed close, they serve up the experience in entirely different ways.

We also want to thank our sponsors, Cardo and EarPeace, for helping to make this video happen.

00:00 - Intro
2:48 - Day 1 - Buffalo Chip Sturgis, SD to Elk Mountain, WY
7:14 - Day 2 - Elk Mountain, WY to Centennial, WY
12:45 - Day 3 - Centennial, WY to Evanston, WY
16:25 - Day 4 - Evanston, WY to Kamas, UT
21:38 - Mid-trip discussion
27:24 - Day 5 - Kamas, UT to Cedar City, UT
30:28 - Day 6 - Cedar City, UT to Los Angeles, CA
30:58 - Picking the winner

If you liked any of the gear we used on this ride, you can follow the links below to learn more about it. If you decide to purchase any of it, we get a small commission – at no cost to you.

Ryan’s Gear
Armor: Alpinestars Bionic Pro (discontinued)

Evans’ Gear

Luggage:

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[turbolag]

Oh and for the people out there that own the Aprilia go to the dealership and get your ECU updated it should be the update 106. It makes the bike feel much more responsive down low and gets rid of any weird engine stutter at around 4, 000 RPM

[ZH.]

Last week I bought a Tenere 700. I'm coming from road bikes (Tracer 900GT, naked bikes etc) and the Tenere is unbelievably good at everything. Slow speed, offroad, onroad. It's so damn easy to ride, really incredible motorcycle engineering. The lack of tech is a huge plus for reliability. And the sound of that CP2 is🔥🔥

[osimnod]

Excellent ride review. Kudos to the cameraman for riding along getting great shots and drone video!

[bonkurwengler]

Both bikes are exactly what I was looking for in downsizing from a 600+ lb Triumph Tiger. The electronics package was the decider for me. Reliability was not an issue to me as my last Aprilia was stellar after 20K+ miles (though it did have a Rotax engine..) . What will be a decider for many riders is the dealer network. I', m lucky enough to have 4-5 dealers within 100 miles. Most folks, not so much.... I've had my Tuareg for 3 months now and I absolutely LOVE it!

[durtkillon]

Thanks for putting this together, gents! Either of these bikes would put a smile on my face. It’s the sweet spot for me in ADV.

[kaykay]

Great, great video! I've been watching you guys for a long time, and this one was awesome! Well done! I especially loved the input from a non-expert rider in the dirt. Getting info. from a pro is not always beneficial for the "average" rider who will never reach the level of a pro. Thanks!

[brucerossonthetube]

Have really missed your videos as of late! I hope there are more to come.

[VARider]

Glad I bought the Tuareg over the Tenere. Rode the WYBDR on the 660 and it did everything it needed too; even Section 4 solo!

[gordonshaw]

Great video, bought the aprila 2 weeks ago and loving it, it’s a slight engine stumble but I am told the ecu update corrects this. Looking forward to touring some more Javanese mountains

[Krutchin]

What a tour! Just beautiful, the bikes too... I've tested the Tuareg, so I can say it's an amazing bike. Durability - I hope it is, because it doesn't excuse the price otherwise.

[FRvS]

really well done video..good shots, good conversation, and good bikes!

[raould]

Spectacular! Enjoyed it. Thank you for this. It's nice to see a grounded, real-world take on adventure riding and not the superhuman style go-anywhere one. Always enjoy your reviews. Entertaining and informative.

[brayvdb]

Really hope Honda brings something worthy of this to the table when they reveal the Transalp

[QueEstaPasando_YT]

Made me want to try the Tuareg now..Nice video guys!

[davidpearce]

You guys always do a great real world yet in-depth review so thanks again.
I know that the Norden 901 exists in the next category up but I would love to see a similar real world comparo between it and the “winner” of this comparo as these two bikes are on top of my short list. Cheers from down under! Dave

[lazy-pilot]

Spoiler Alert… Not surprised you both chose the Tuareg. I’ve also ridden both and I made the same decision and now own a Tuareg. I’ve been stacking up off-road miles with most of my on-road miles on mountain pass twisties and I am completely satisfied with the performance of the Tuareg. I can confirm that elimination of the catalytic converter with the full aftermarket exhaust completely resolves the “heat bubble” issue being discussed. Replacing the header alone would have resolved the issue but I went with a full Arrow exhaust with the Sonora model muffler and it’s just a beautiful sounding machine. I’ve pushed it hard off-road on day trips, and I’ve put both tires into the air regularly; when you start to push the suspensions really hard is where the Tuareg really pulls away from the Tenere. I bottomed out Tenere numerous times and I can’t seem to find the bottom on the Tuareg, it’s so forgiving and smooth and there’s way more adjustability to fine tune it to the rider. The slipper clutch really makes the Tuareg friendly in slow technical and much easier to manage if you have to get rolling again after an unplanned pause down technical terrain. Very happy with my Aprilia. I’ll be doing the expert sections of the WYBDR myself in about 30 days.

[robertrscott]

Great video guys! I went with the Tuareg and have no regrets at all, great bike!

[phillipbatho]

Maybe this video will steer some people toward the Aprilia, that way the ones who want a Ténéré won't have to wait so long to get one!

[keyboarddancers]

This is the comparison review we've all needed.

[VogtJurgen]

Great production, well done and thanks