Sorry to hear that. Im at 26000km with heavy offroad and have 0 problems

Huge bummer. I’ll be curious if you find out why bump starting stopped working.

You and ADV Matt both have Tuareg's dead in California while on a trip. A DR650 is a great bike and easily made better, I have a DR650 parked next to my T700 and Gen1 KLR. some of the most reliable bikes ever produced with proven engines and dealer/ parts/aftermarket networks everywhere. I admit the Tuareg is a cool machine but typical Euro troubles. DR650 all the way. Check your BMW Euro bike ego at the door and go a DR650 ride have some fun.

Hi PNW Voyager, I’m sorry to hear this, as others have already said, there is a good chance that the starter nut came loose and there is some oxidation either on the cable or on the starter motor connection itself. Also, you can check if the the ground cable (connected on the left hand side in the engine casing itself next to the gear shaft) came loose. I wouldn’t sell the bike, especially if it’s just the stupid bolt that came loose, the bike is just too good. Just my 2 cents. Keep us posted and ride safe 🤙🏼

Man oh man, sorry to hear about that. I would definitely stick with the Japanese type brand of bikes. They are so much more reliable than anything else on the planet.

It’s the nut that holds the power cable onto the starter motor. I had the same issue. New nut cured it. Sounds unlikely I know.

Can’t blame you - need to have confidence that your bike is going to get you through the journey.

Any update on issue?

I'm going to say something controversial, but the KTM 890 and Tuareg are, to my thinking, NOT adventure bikes. I don't care what their specs are, or how great a paid reviewer who rides a factory loaner for a day says they are. They are not reliable, and when they have problems, they are not fix-able in the forest. They may be somewhat lighter or easier to handle in technical situations than the other mid-size ADVs, but are still way worse than most thumper dual-sports, all of which are "fixable", either in the forest or by any small-town mechanic, using parts that are easily sourced. To qualify as an ADV bike, it should be something you'd be willing to ride thru Africa or Asia, unsupported, like Itchy Boots.

Did you check the battery charge? I know this sounds simple, but when I get a "click" and no start its usually a low voltage battery. Sounds like all the other electronics where intact (fuses, connectors, etc). You also said you had installed the kickstand cut off bypass module, did you try taking that off and and reconnecting the original wiring? Was wondering if that little bypass module failed due to water or something. Another idea...I had a kill switch get clogged up with dirt one time from dropping the bike in muddy water. Bike wouldn't start on the trail and I tore the entire bike apart troubleshooting it in a similar way to what you describe (including the long tow out). Back home I tore the whole thing down in the shop replacing battery, wiring connectors, checking ground wire connections, etc only to find the kill switch issue by accident weeks later after having given up on it. Cleaned the kill switch contacts in less than 5 minutes (mud and dirt) and it fired right up (insert palm to forehead emoji here LOL) . Please update us on what you find out. I've got about 5000 miles of BDR style riding on my Tuareg with zero problems so very curious what this turns out to be.

Tuareg owner from London UK here🇬🇧 I've been waiting for almost 7 weeks for the part ( quickshifter) to arrive from Italy to the Uk... dealer said that is still in transit .. not sure who to blame for it Aprilia dealer or Brexit 🤤

Current Tuareg owner here. My 5 month old Tuareg had the same issue: It wouldn't start. Bump starting wasn't possible either. Had to tow it to the dealer. He replaced the starter and said that was only the 2nd time he experience this in his 20 year career.

Thanks for sharing the update. A total bummer, bump starting a fuel injected bike sounds like a pain since you need to build up some speed. I have a DR650, great bike. A great aftermarket and support for the bike too. Good luck on your next bike

donny downer! will look back to see what you find the issue was if or if not the starter... maybe low amp / volt on battery?

Dude, that sucks. I live in NM and had to leave my Tuareg in CA after the counter shaft seal gave up. I had to fly home and will have to fly back once the bike is fixed. I feel your pain. Good thing you have back up bikes.

Check the clutch switch. It may need to be cleaned, or held in closer to the handlebar for starting.

My Tuareg only has 6500 miles without any problems or leaks etc, but about 1500 of those miles were off-road. Many others have had similar experiences without problems. Usually when there is a clicking sound it's a dead battery or solenoid. I assume you ruled out the battery?

Hey Jacob, my buddies and I will be riding the first 2 or 3 sections of the WABDR (from Bridge of the Gods until about Ellensburg) this summer. Any advice? We’ll be on two T7s and one Ibex 800.

I live in Redding. If there's something I can do to help, let me know.

Bummer! I test rode a Tuareg in Bellevue and loved it! Consider a 701 for your South America trip.

Some T660 owners have no issues, but there are many who have several issues. It’s really too bad. Until they improve their reliability, I’ll be sticking with my T7. I fully acknowledge the T660 is a better bike in nearly every way, except reliability, and for me reliability is more important on a bike I take to remote locations. Others disagree and that’s okay; to each their own; ride what makes you happy. PS: I think the DR650 is a great choice. I’ve strongly considered it as well. Keep us posted.

Why not a tenere 700?

Sorry to hear you’ve had issues with the T660! That being said, it sounds like you’ve had an amazing time doing “bucket list” rides in the north west, I’m envious. I say keep the Aprilia and get it fixed. I love my T660 and would never go back to my Suzuki DL650 even though it’s indestructible, and I don’t think you’re going to be happy with a DR 650 now. Good luck!

What do you think you will buy to replace the tuareg? Transalp?

If it did not bump start you need to check the bsttery and the electrics going to the battery. The starter will not stop a vehicle from bump stating but a low battery will. Voltage below a given amount will not allow the fuel pump and often the ECU to function.

Consider the 500/501 with a cush hub or the 690/701 as well.

Wtf that Aprilia is cursed...I see people riding 30k miles problem free and you have problem after problem

Sorry that you’re having the issues with the Aprilla. I actually have had a DR 650 for the last couple of years as my first Dual Sport bike and I was considering getting the touareg as something more exciting and a bit more creature comforts. Hearing about your issues and the issues of others that have had their bikes stuck in the shop for months has changed my opinion. The DR 650 may be relatively boring, but you do a lot of fun things when you know that you won’t be stranded.

I know one guy with a Toureg and it's been broken a couple times and he doesn't have many miles on it

How many miles do you have at this point on the bike? So sorry for these problems. You've put the bike through it's paces haven't you.

Unlikely it's the starter since it won't bump start. Check everything in the starter circuit. It shouldn't be too hard to trace with a wiring diagram and a multimeter.

Sorry to hear about your bike. I’m new to adventure riding and I’m in the process of buying a new bike. I’m going with the 24 bmw f900gs. Yeah it’s heavy but I’m don’t want a light bike since I plan on doing some cross country riding and don’t want to get blown around on the freeway, and plus I want cruise control.

I liked a lot of what I saw with the Tuareg 660, but this was the second 660 problem video I saw today. The other had a leaking crankshaft seal that was greatly complicated by two absolutely horrible dealer experiences. I do my own maintenance and minor repairs so I wasn't put off by the minimal Aprilia dealer network in the US, but these two stories (a couple of months to get a starter?) have really put me off. I honestly believe a cheap Chinese bike has much better parts availability and customer support.

Hi Pnw voyager : Most of the modern bikes have variable timing valves, and you not supposed to try push start them, since this may affect the timing mechanism, but let's hope this is not the case. Best regards.

Hi Jacob. Just came back from “Americade” last weekend and tested 15 bikes in 2 days….my first choice was the Tuareg, second F900gs and 3rd Moto Guzzi Stelvio. Now more and more i read, heard, listen, i will be not buying some motorcycle from Piaggio group…..Last year, had T7 for the season, this year oposite in weight, Ktm 390 adventure…..and like you, problem start with KTM. I will demo the Suzuki v-stom 800DE this week for the 3rd times, and think that was my next bike, because dealer is about 45 minutes drive, just in case…or 2024 Africa twin ( but MUST test it before any comment). I think YES, you must sell the Tuareg, Man, i love this bike so much, but don’t want to wait, for parts, dealer, etc….keep going, the curse will end soon…👍

with starter issues, try to bypass as much of the bikes electrics as possible by running some decent guage wire straight to the starter terminals isolating it from the loom using a known good battery this will prove the stater/solenoid good or bad.

That sucks! I have almost 1,000 miles on mine so far and no problems at all! (LOL, this is a joke.) I look forward to hearing what it ended up being. Crazy no starters available in the United States. I’m guessing it’s some sort of electronic gremlin but who knows. Starters are pretty low tech. Good luck.

I think it is a simple electrical connection which is affecting voltage to the ECM. Due to what we are demanding as consumers the only way for manufacturers to achieve these things is with electronics. Unfortunately electronics can be compromised with moisture, poor connections and jarring which in these types of motorcycles are what they are being used for. Another thing is emission requirements in a lot of cases can only be achieved by the use of electronics / technology. I hear what others are saying about purchasing something simple that can be ‘McGyvered’ on the trail is ideal, but there are a bunch of trade offs. I’m not an Aprillia owner but have 5 KTM and 1 Husqvarna and knock on wood have not had any reliability issues with any of them.

Current Tuareg owner here. The Tuareg is an amazing bike but lacks dealer support. My bike was at the dealer for a month waiting on a fuel sensor ( still rideable). I just recently crashed on the bike while doing the PA Wilds BDR. The front washed at 45 mph on gravel road. The bike ran like nothing happened to it for about 300 miles. I say sell your Tuareg and buy another one. Start buying parts fot it. I also have a 2022.

I want to change my F750Gs because it's too heavy for me. Up to now the tuareg has been my main choice. You have had a lot of issues however others are having a good run. I'm hoping overall they are better then worse.

Wow that sucks. Keep us posted on what the issue was. You should take the desert x out for a test ride. You will be surprised how light it feels.

Seems you have a anomaly, a lemon.. my Tuareg has been bullet proof for 11k miles which include gnarly Florida single track, highway droning through Oklahoma and a very challenging Expert route BDR near Durango Colorado , and those mountain boys sure know how to ride…chain/sprockets, tires and a few oil/filter changes…that’s it.. and as an A Class racer in FTR (Florida TrailRiders) aboard a 2023 KTM 300XC, I abused my Tuareg quite regularly and trust me I expected the Aprilia to dead on the side of the trail many a time…my only issue is the heat from the catalytic converter area…and no , header wrap does not offer any significant heat reduction… As a side note, take a look at the T7… it’s bones are very good, throw some $$$$ in significant suspension mods and I think you’ll be quite happy.. especially if is the 2024 model..plus it’s a Yamaha and sure it doesn’t have the soul/character of the Ape, but head in over to the T7 forums and marvel at what those mad scientist have done..

What a bummer. I would sell it too

The Toureg laid an egg!

Sensors are really reliable these days, but putting them inside the case keeps the niggle in the back of my mind.

Wow pretty big shopping list!! Two friends who ride Aprilia, both bikes are super fun until they are not!! Front brake parts and the bike was off the road for over 2 months, close to 3. Even with exploded parts diagram, easy to see the numbers and click and paste part numbers, wrong part on original delivery from Italy and the numbers on the invoice and order forms were not even close!! It's part of the adventure of riding an exotic!! Ducati is heavy and expensive, Ducati decided to add a sales tease and offer a 2 year warranty. It would not have helped you maybe you are out close or passed 2 year window! In Baja you see lots of bucket list warriors, they do Alaska to Cabo and many keep going for Patagonia. Japanese is a sort of standard, DRZ 400 is okay but the highway element is an issue the Honda and Suzuki big twin have some road manners but still get close to buzzing out your soul and dental work on multi hour highway miles. In my area freeway is @82-85 mph. and often higher in the fast lane. The Suzuki has big aftermarket with the years in the market, easy to get stuff you need for world travel, robust racks and crash bars, easy to mount cheesey wind protection,heated grips. And springs are easy so you can get fork springs and rear shock spring for @$200+ bucks. Rubber will keep seals clean and the forks are maintenance free if you don't puncture or tear the boots, tires, brakes, airbox and spark plug easy to get to, half dozen plus oil filters will work and crush washer is also easy, so you can do oil, filters, brake pads and spark plugs easy anywhere and in central or South America you can get that level of service w lots of local purchases and tires are pretty easy, but if you add $35-40 you can get FedEx, Amazon has these boxes all over Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica and some places south. It's a metal mailbox kiosk, they email you and 5-6 digit code and it opens the box, if you are staying somewhere, you can send clothes or parts directly and it's some lead time..125 is a thing so Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha ( not so much Kawasaki) have decent dealerships from US to tip of South America and you can send parts on a sort of will-call arrangement. Bigger diameter dual sport or off road tires are not readily available!! So if you want 21,19 w a 50/50 tread you can get it but it's a little work. Lots of people say the Swiss Army knife thing about the KLR but as much as I know the reliability, support is so so. If you are really planning for long travel.. Honda and Suzuki get you enough payload and capabilities on and off-road.. and the stater can drive an aftermarket headlight with massive lumen improvement..

New to the channel, but why arent you interested in a T7? Its clearly the right choice for the riding you described here.

As a Tuareg owner in the US, I think its principal disadvantage is poor parts availability and sparse dealership network. As such, it is a risky choice for long distance remote touring. I don’t get the impression it has lower reliability than other bikes. However it suffers from a high risk of delay in getting parts. I am still waiting for a fuel sensor ordered 10 months ago. Fortunately I can still ride the bike.

Was really thinking about buying one of these bikes, but too many horror stores. I think I'll stick with a Suzuki 800 D. E

I love the performance of my Tuareg but reliability pretty bad. 4,500 miles and I've had a bad rear brake master cylinder and a failed fuel tank sensor.

Check out TFL bike.Long haul Paul has a T7 with like 200,000 miles and has had O issues.Not even a fork seal.I was getting a new bike for travel also and I ride alone most of the time.Yamaha cycles are built like tanks.They just don't ever have problems.I beat the crap out of a wr250r for 20,0000 miles and also had O issues.

Don't forget the AJP PR7. It looks good 👍

Hard to ride to the hinterland when you don't trust the bike and dealer support is lacking. Exactly why I sold my V85TT. Best wishes moving forward!

sounds like sensor issue not starter.

Why not get a T7 and pay someone to go over the suspension who knows what they're doing? That's the only real advantage the Aprilia has over it unless you care about the electronics/CC etc, which if you're considering a DR you probably don't. Also I do get people saying It's tall and top heavy, but I'm 6'3 and don't find it to be any issue.

I have been hearing it and learning since the 80's! and I will pass it to the newer generation, "Only buy Japanese" have fun with the DR 650. Cheers

Aprilia electrical problems, guaranteed since 2500BC.

Yea man, take DR650 do NSU bolts tightening mode, and countershaft seal mode, and you are good to go 3 times around the world. Valve check and adjustment is a 30 min job, literally. Just have a spare crank case plug, the original one is easy to be stripped. Some emulators in the front forks are must and heavier rear spring. And the seat needs to be upgraded. OEM seat is shocking, after 15 minutes of riding but starts to hurt. About BMW I had a brand new 2014 f800gs. Newer again any BMW.

I say this with no joy but you can’t trust European bikes. Even the new CF Moto ibex 450 (which I hope turns out to be reliable) is to closely related to the KTM family of bikes. There’s lots of cool stuff you can do to a DR650 and that’s never a bad choice. I’m planning a RTW myself and considering the transalp or T7.

I guess buy a Japanese bike

The dr650 IS COOL. No ?

ups, time to get a Tenere 700😎

Yamaha Ténéré 700 will get you down to Ushuaia, around the world and back home. And Yamaha stocks parts. :)

DR650! Or get a Trail 125. ;)

Aprilia here for a good time not a long time

Yamaha tenere

You need a Tenere 700

Plot twist, needs a battery

Technology gremlins. Junk it and get a DR650 the Goat!

Garbage Aprilia. Standard.

Only Honda..close to 100k and no issues

Buy a T7 and forget about any problems.

Dr650s are cool. Just sayin...

Imagine if his bike were a Chinese ...just imagine but no no no is an Italian, Europe.

Battery.

Rectifier...just guessing

Stay away from foreign bikes

The fact remains beautiful and sexy as they are, European bikes are simply nowhere near as reliable as their Japanese counterparts. My 2007 Aprilia Caponord engine totally failed at less than 13k miles, it was my first, and last European bike for me.

you want to sell the Turaeg, fair enough. But it aint "unreliable" just cos you've got a random electrical fault....or a loose connnection....or a dead battery...or whatever.... My Tuareg runs awesome and I thrash the crap out of it across all terrain. And I don't know about the idea of selling a bike just cos of a mechanical/electrical problem.....Over the 30+ bikes I've owned over the last 40 years, I just fix it....but hey, you do you... but if you gonna travel far tho, you MUST learn to fix stuff bro....good luck with it all.

Do yourself a big favour and buy a new DR 650 and allow about $2000 for mods. Leave the carburetor and exhaust alone.