Aprilia is going off-road racing in 2024
The success of the new Aprilia Tuareg 660 has persuaded the Italian brand to target top-level rally racingAprilia is developing a rally bike based on the award-winning Tuareg 660 adventure model, with plans to enter top-level rally raid competitions from 2024 onwards.
The new project, dubbed ‘Back to Africa’, will see Aprilia return to off-road racing in an official capacity for the first time since 2012, when Francisco Lopez won the opening stage at the Dakar Rally aboard the Aprilia RXV 450 Rally V-twin model.
The iconic Italian brand will oversee the project through its Aprilia Racing division, with technical support from race performance firm, GCorse. Italian enduro stars, Jacopo Cerutti and Francesco Montanari, have signed on as development riders.
Related Reading:
2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Review
Aprilia Tuareg 660 development process explained
Aprilia Tuareg 660: pricing and specs
Incoming Aprilia Tuareg 660 revealed
“We are picking up the baton from a history of great successes,” said Aprilia Racing Technical Director, Romano Albesiano. “These are just the first steps in a completely new project that will take us back to the great desert races.”
While details are still scarce, it is understood that the racing version of the Tuareg 660 will not drop in engine capacity. The Dakar Rally currently has a 450cc limit for competing motorcycles, but there are murmurs from Aprilia that the race’s promoter, Amaury Sports Organisation, is considering opening up places to larger capacities from 2024.
The capacity rule was introduced in 2009 as a safety measure, but the removal of that restriction would entice new manufacturers like Aprilia to enter the event.
Aprilia has not confirmed exactly what events it is targeting in 2024, but a return to the Dakar Rally will be high on its wish list. The Noale-based firm competed at Dakar in the early ’90s with the original Tuareg model, and again from 2010–2012 with the V-twin RXV 450 Rally.
The Tuareg rally project could also be a hint of more to come from Aprilia, with its rich off-road history placing it well for a tilt at other off-road segments.
Triumph is gearing up to release a full range of motocross and enduro models, joining established players like KTM and the big four Japanese brands. Rumours are circulating of more road-focused brands joining the dirt bike world, with Aprilia and Ducati as prime candidates.
The Aprilia Tuareg 660 has been well received thanks to its off-road performance and was the winner of the 2022 bikesales Bike of the Year award.
It is currently unclear if the racing version of the Tuareg 660 will result in a production model, but given the potential marketing opportunities that the Dakar Rally can provide, it is a strong possibility.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
