Aprilia opens a new chapter in its storied history as it prepares to compete in the world’s top Rally Raids in 2024. This might sound strange for a brand that is mostly known today for their sport bikes but this is not Aprilia’s first rodeo racing off-road. In 1978, the Italian company won its first Cross World Championship and made its Paris-Dakar debut in 1989 with the Tuareg. Aprilia went on to win third place at Dakar in 2010 with their RXV 450 Rally machine that participated in three consecutive editions of the race, until 2012.

Now the Noale-based manufacturer wants to go back to its off-road racing roots with the Tuareg 660 at the center of the project they call “Back to Africa.” The racing version of the bike will be developed with the technical collaboration of GCorse’s Gianfranco and Vittoriano Guareschi, who previously prepped the new Tuareg for competition in the 2022 Italian Motorally Championship. 

“We are picking up the baton of a great success story,” says Aprilia Racing Technical Director, Romano Albesiano. “Aprilia is the last Italian brand to have won a stage in the Dakar and the last podium in the general classification dates back to 2010.” 

Marking the beginning stages of the racing project, 2023 will see two Tuareg 660’s at the Italian Motorally piloted by Dakar vet Jacopo Cerutti and pro enduro rider Francesco Montanari. Cerutti will also be in charge of development of the rally bike this year. “Now we are only taking the first steps of a totally new project and the 2023 season will serve precisely to start the path that will have to take us back to the great races in the desert,” added Albesiano.

In addition to competing in this year’s Italian Motorally, Aprilia Racing will also be present providing support to all those who will participate on the saddle of the Tuareg 660 in the newly created “entry level” GPX class.

With the Dakar Rally only accepting 450 enduro bikes, Aprilia’s only option is to compete in other Rally venues with the Tuareg 660 platform – at least for now. Nonetheless, their return to the world of off-road competition is a great thing and we are excited to see what they have in store to conquer the desert.

Photos by Guareschi Moto and Aprilia