2023 Yamaha Tenere 700 vs 2023 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Compression Review

Todays article is about the comparison review of 2023 Yamaha Tenere 700 vs 2023 Aprilia Tuareg 660. Late afternoon light stretched our shadows as we drove through Utah, casting golden tones against the high canyon walls that accentuated the contrast between the rusted ancient seabeds and the buried sage and lush green juniper. As we headed west on Hwy 12, the purple sky over Bryce began to fade.

As I led my team into the dark, dense forest, I picked up the black smoke shield instead of bringing a second visor for my Shui Hornet X2, trying to keep my gaze just above the Tannery’s windscreen so that it would be visible. My eyes can be protected from its attack. The kamikaze bug persisted and wouldn’t let go until the only light left was a thick band of red on the horizon, punctured by spires like treetops below. It was in addition to the Ténéré’s very substantial quad spotlight.

2023 Yamaha Tenere 700 vs 2023 Aprilia Tuareg 660 – Features Comparison

Parallel Twins

But first, let’s take a brief look at our competitors. We consider the new Aprilia Tuareg 660 and the well-placed Yamaha Ténéré 700 to be two of the most competitive middleweight adventure bikes on the market.

Yes, the Aprilia in our test costs $2,300 more than the $10,299 Ténéré, but it also includes several electronic enhancements that make the extra money more affordable. We’ll talk more about that in a moment. Let’s examine the components that form the basis of the motor for these bikes.

A parallel twin engine with 270-degree cranks, DOHC, and four valves per cylinder power both motorcycles. Compared to the 689cc Yamaha, the 659cc Aprilia motor has a slightly higher compression ratio (13.5:1) than the 689cc Yamaha. The Ténéré makes the most of its displacement in the stroke despite the uniform bores. Both bikes reached maximum performance levels on the Rottweiler Performance Dynojet at the same rpm.

While the Yamaha Ténéré has a slight torque edge from low rpm while the Aprilia manages to squeeze out six more horses at 9,200 rpm, both motorcycles reach their maximum torque levels in the mid-range.

Both motorcycles feature linkage-style KYB shocks and fully adjustable 43mm KYB forks, further highlighting their similarities in the suspension department. However, the Yamaha has 8.3 inches and 7.9 inches of front and rear leg travel, respectively, compared to 9.4 inches for the Aprilia.

The Tuareg has larger brake discs on all three wheels, but both bikes use Brembo parts. Both machines can disengage the ABS, although the Ténéré will always return to road settings when the bike is turned off via the kill switch or key.

The Yamaha Tuareg has three ABS settings: 1, 2, and off. When the kill switch is depressed, the Aprilia Tuareg 660 will retain any ABS setting (including off). If the Tuareg’s ABS is fully disengaged, turning the ignition key off will force the ABS to default to the off-road setting (setting 1), which reduces front-wheel interference and turns off the rear-wheel function. Disables.

Yamaha doesn’t offer many rider aids, but many are fine because switchable ABS is just one. The Aprilia, on the other hand, gets the APRC capability we’ve seen on other 660 models so far, allowing engine mapping, engine braking, traction control, and ABS to be customized in all four of its modes ( ABS can only be deactivated in off-road mode).

2,000 miles and six days

These days, I’m such a complainer about humidity. I mean, after living with him for 19 years in the Midwest, he was instrumental in my decision to relocate. So, it was only natural that I noticed when I first rode the Aprilia and saw a giant bubble of stasis keeping the air warm and comfortable from my feet to my knees on a 95° night in Sturgis with 10,000% humidity. Evans seems to have less feeling in his lower back these days:

I could feel a bubble of heat around my lower legs from the engine, but it never affected me as much as it seemed to bother Ryan. Perhaps this is a byproduct of my years working on cruise ships in my early career. Hot is not so hot. — Mr. Brasfield

I have to admit that my first ride was while wearing Red Wing boots and Levi’s, which allowed the heat to penetrate a little easier. It wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable after wearing my riding pants, knee guards, and moto boots. Honestly, after that initial ride, I didn’t think about it again for the next 2000 miles. But I must admit, I never experienced any heat-related issues with the Ténéré.

After removing our Tuaregs from the enthusiastic demo riders, we could mount the Wolfman gear onto the Evans and Mary bikes. With three Wolfman bags and a base, my pack weighed about 37 pounds. Evans’ setup on the Ténéré was about 50 lbs heavier than usual, but it was complete for all but two people. To accommodate the extra weight of my gear and all of Evans’ shoes, both bikes have easily accessible knobs that can be used to adjust the preload on the shock.

We entered some winding roads south of the Buffalo Chip through the Black Hills National Forest. According to the traffic, as we approached, it was a good idea that we had carved the old dead people on the mountain.

We ignored the speed limit on some of the more narrow, winding roads, and yes, we were fast. We were reminded of our 21-inch front wheels, but more so how well the Pirelli STRs perform on concrete—moving both machines through corners while they were loaded with goods. To help the Ténéré run more consistently, I dialed in a bit more preload.

A few other viewpoints that would shape the rest of the journey also arose from our promising start to the trip. Some were shaped by extra time and miles, while others remained fixed in our thinking.

EB concluded that:

I went into this showdown believing I would beat Ténéré due to his extensive skill set. It has many attractive features for the rider which translates into adventure riding. Yamaha’s CP2 engine has repeatedly won a following, and the Ténéré is no exception. The T7 can roll almost any obstacle without stalling because of its low available power; however, exceptionally skilled riders, like myself, can still do it again with practice.

The parallel-twin, with its smooth-shifting transmission, thrashes around corners when driven. The Ténéré feels less polished when riding back-to-back with the Tuareg. A sudden throttle on/off transition at low rpm is an example of this.

The Aprilia Tuareg’s technology package with the improved engine allows the bike to adapt to a wide range of riders. As our test rider with a heavy emphasis on off-road riding, I can appreciate the simplicity of the Yamaha and the flexibility of the Aprilia‘s settings. The Aprilia can be turned off with the key or kill switch and returned to its original settings, except for ABS, which we described earlier.

However, there are some Aprilia rider aids that help people learn to ride a bike more quickly and easily.

The Tuareg has significantly better ABS control. My natural tendency as a rider focusing primarily on the road is to use too much front braking. I must translate through a filter of filth before using my street talent, just like when learning another language. When I roughly translate it, the front ABS (with disabled back) or the off-road ABS mode on the Aprilia helps me. – EB

It’s not so bad.

We decided that the final segment, which would take us through Death Valley and the Mojave Preserve, was best done after braving early morning temperatures that reached triple digits during our ride. We arrived at our hotel in Cedar City after midnight, after our long dance down the black mountain road that had brought us there.

It was a Friday, and you could tell by the cheerfulness of Culver’s young workers that they were nearing the end of their shifts and ready to GTFO. After some butter burgers, we headed across the street to the hotel to check-in.

We checked in quickly, unloaded the bikes, said we’d see each other later, and then headed to our rooms to prepare for our 4:00 am departure. Before the sun came up, it was 95 degrees outside as we drove through the Virgin River Gorge. Looking back, most of that morning was spent in a blur until the sun lit up the desert sky, making for a pretty fantastic morning.

2023 Yamaha Tenere 700 vs 2023 Aprilia Tuareg 660 – Specification Comparison

Engine and transmission

Chassis, suspension, brakes, and wheels

Physical measures and capacities