Adventure riders seeking to kit their machine for the sole purpose of riding off into the unknown are met with a tall order when sorting through the industry’s seemingly countless choices. So many options range from the age-old soft vs. hard vs. hybrid debate to rackless vs. rack-mounted, tank bag or bar bag or none at all — this list can go on for an age..

While scouring the market for an appropriate tail rack for my Aprilia Tuareg 660, I searched wide and far for one that fulfilled several criteria. Firstly, I wanted the rack to sit flush or nearly flush with the back of the Tuareg’s saddle. I ride a stock-height seat, so one wouldn’t expect this to be that much of an ask, yet after months and months of waiting for the industry to catch up, one after another hit the market with some quirky design that failed to meet my first need. 

Additionally, I wanted it to sit as close to the saddle as possible, have multiple anchor points, and offer a solid enough platform to support a bag with a week’s worth of supplies across it for those unplanned forays into the unknown. My hunt for the perfect tail rack became so desperate that I eventually decided to try building one myself rather than continue to wait for the industry. Color me surprised when none other than Black Dog Cycle Works decided to make what I had been after all along.

Black Dog Cycle Works’ Multi-Function Rear Rack for the Tuareg 660 checks nearly every box on my list. They began with a modular top plate that presumably could be adapted to multiple other bikes, cut from ¼” aluminum and hard anodized for a beautiful finish and long-lasting durability. They then tied it into the Aprilia’s frame using pre-bent arms that bolt right into its welded subframe utilizing a combination of M8 and M6 mounting points. The folded-down sides and countersunk hardware eliminate the possibility of chafing and abrasion damage from the edges of the rack or fasteners rubbing against your high-dollar bags. They even thought of pre-drilling the top plate for RotoPax mounts, allowing the rider to stack 1-gallon containers for water or fuel — brilliant!

I’ve now had the privilege of testing it through the Spring on several trips, both loaded with gear and as an anchor point for my Enduristan Blizzard Saddlebags. Though I was once convinced that the market would never deliver a tail rack that met my wishlist, it appears BDCW may have managed to do just that. Let’s take a closer look.

Getting It Installed

The Black Dog tail rack is among the most straightforward aftermarket products one can install. The top plate comes pre-attached to the frame tie-in brackets, which, using a few spacers, fit neatly over the bungs on the subframe. Black Dog includes a bit of Loctite, which should be used on all the fasteners before tightening them to spec. If you have pannier racks, you may have to use spacers of different sizes to ensure proper fitment of the Black Dog tail rack. Since the arms are cut from flat stock and bent to suit the bike’s tail, this tail rack should quickly adapt to most pannier racks.

That’s it. The installation takes about 15 minutes and immediately transforms both the look and functionality of the Tuareg’s rear end. The adequate strap cutouts allow for all manner of tie-down configurations so that most any back, pack, or rackless system can easily fasten onto the rack.

How It Performed

After a long Winter season, I could finally use the BDCW tail rack for more than just a place to attach my rackless saddlebags, and I quickly learned that this thing is tough. One of the failure points we often see on tail racks are the welds. Since this system lacks welds of any sort, there’s little in the way of human error to cause unexpected failure of any of the rack’s components. 

I recently embarked on a 650-mile trip, of which about 200 were off pavement, frequently in very remote parts of Northern California, and though the tracks were significantly Winter weather-worn in places, the constant jarring and vibration transmitted through the frame into the rack did little to unsettle any of the fasteners or alter the rack’s shape.

Another feature of a tail rack rarely mentioned is its use as an additional leverage point. Bikes go down, and when they do, having as many places to get a solid grip on it as possible will make heaving your machine back upright that much easier. While there are no specific handholds on this rack, the large cutouts can safely be used to maneuver the rear of the bike upright and, in more extreme scenarios, pull the Tuareg side to side or out of a tricky situation. A recent foray into deep snow brought this feature to life rather vividly.

One thing I would have liked to see from a design perspective is an extra support going down vertically through the top of the plate. The tail rack currently relies on four side-mounted fasteners to attach it to the bike. With this design, a heavy load puts significant leverage pressure on the two back M6 bolts. An existing M8 screw hole on the tail section of the Tuareg 660 (used as a mount for the factory top rack) could be utilized to add additional strength and carrying capacity. While my abuse has yet to reveal this as a true weakness, and perhaps five mounting points is overkill, I think it would be an easy way to make this rack even more robust in a future iteration.

My favorite feature comes down to the rack’s design. I tend to ride aggressively, even when loaded, and nothing puts you in check quite as much as hopping onto a loaded bike you normally hooligan around on, only to find that it now responds much more like a boat anchor than a sporty, large enduro bike. These scenarios are where luggage attachment and how you place your gear on the bike become massively important, which may be why rackless systems have become so popular. 

Black Dog’s Multi-Function Rack sits practically flush with the rear of the saddle, easily allowing for bags or whatever other gear might be attached to the back of your Aprilia, to sit close to or at least partly on the saddle for a more forward weight distribution and better steering response. Nothing spells disaster more than a crash in the middle of nowhere that could have been avoided with a few slight changes in how your gear was loaded on the bike. Above all else, this feature makes Black Dog’s Tail Rack among the few rack systems I’d ever consider for my bike.

Who Is It For?

For those wanting a flush-mount tail rack with multiple anchor points for fitting a variety of different luggage systems of varying capacities or those simply looking to attach a tool pack, first aid kit or Rotopax, Black Dog’s Multi-Function rack is worth a look. This is especially true for those with larger packs who would like to see the weight of the gear sit more in front of the rear tire rather than hanging out behind it, potentially upsetting the bike’s handling.

Our Verdict

A proper tail rack that can support a wide variety of cargo is a must for the Aprilia Tuareg 660 if you intend to take it on multi-day trips. The ability to spread your gear out from the pillion seat onto the tail rack and use all manner of straps, hooks, and tie-downs makes the Black Dog Multi Function tail rack that much more of a Swiss army knife and arguably one of the most sensible mods you could make to the Tuareg 660. While we would have liked to see Black Dog use the top M8 mount for additional load support, durability hasn’t suffered over the long term. At $224 it’s priced at the higher end of the market, but the sturdy construction, versatility and sleek design make it money well spent.

What We Liked

• Sturdy, Weld-Free construction to keep things simple and lightweight.
• The sleek, low-profile design matches Tuareg’s styling well.
• Allows gear to be mounted partly over the saddle for better weight distribution.
• Multiple anchor points.
• Rotopax-ready.

What Could Be Improved

• Utilizing the top M8 fastener could add even more load support.

Black Dog Tuareg 660 Tail Rack Specs

• Construction: 1/4-inch aluminum plate with stainless steel brackets
• Finish: Hard Anodized Type 3 black.
• Dimensions: 14-inches wide x 10.5-inches long
• Manufacturing Location: Made In The USA.
• Price: $224

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Photos by Rob Dabney

Author: Ken Morse

While Ken’s two-wheeled exploits began only a few years ago, he’s no stranger to adventure. Since 2006, he’s been wandering all over the U.S. in various four-wheel drive toys, exploring as much hidden terrain in the backcountry as possible. Having straddled his first motorcycle in 2019, he quickly became obsessed and made the switch to two wheels. Now he spends most of his free time riding, wrenching and traveling on adventure motorcycles from his base in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.