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Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2022

Thursday, 08 December 2022

Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2022: Aprilia Tuareg 660

It was a hard choice between winner and runner-up in the Adventure category which means we’re the real winners. There are so many great options not only in the middleweight category, but also the genre as a whole. The Ducati and Aprilia are two of the latest entrants into the segment and the Tuareg managed to eke out the win for precisely the reason we’ve seen it twice now in our MOBO selection – its exceptional value proposition.

2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 Review – First Ride

The 660cc Parallel Twin-powered Tuareg proved its versatility during our long ride off-road and on from Sturgis to Los Angeles during our August Showdown. It was Evans’ and my preferred steed for the long stints on the street and gave up little if anything when the trail got bumpy. Further showing its versatility was the fact that Evans and I had the same observations despite our different levels of off-road proficiency. Being able to adjust the electronics to suit the ride really helps the tailor the Tuareg for a large swath of riders. The fact that it’s smaller in stature and displacement also helps those new to riding or the ADV scene to feel less intimidated while allowing them to enjoy their first foray into the unknown.

For Aprilia to knock it out of the park with the first really well-rounded adventure machine certainly deserves praise, and like we mentioned before, the Italian marque has managed to do so while providing a great value relative to any motorcycle segment – not just for an ADV bike. And it’s for those reasons that we’re giving the Aprilia Tuareg our Best Adventure Motorcycle of the Year award.

Best Adventure Motorcycle of 2022 Runner-Up: Ducati DesertX

Well, this is awkward. I feel bad giving the Ducati DesertX our runner-up award for Best ADV after it so competently helped me through hundreds of miles of sand, gravel and boulder-strewn washes at the 39th annual running of the LA-Barstow-to-Vegas dual-sport ride. The DesertX is absolutely the full package and its 937cc Testastretta 11° Desmo engine is a blast off-road. Whether you’re riding its low-end wave of torque or lettin’ ‘er sing that tune that’s more reminiscent of a trophy truck as you blast through the open desert, the motor is a peach in an adventure chassis. You also get a host of well sorted electronics that can be customized to suit rider preference.

2023 Ducati DesertX Review – First Ride

And let’s not forget of course, this is Ducati’s first modern adventure machine that was purpose-built from the ground up to compete in the middleweight adventure class. The Multistrada is an amazing motorcycle, but it’s a tall sport touring bike (and our runner-up sport touring winner in Pikes Peak form) that, in some trims, has been massaged to perform better in off-road settings than it would otherwise. The DesertX was built as a dedicated adventure bike, and despite its size and weight pushing over 500 pounds, it manages to keep its composure better than most in any off-road setting – it also doesn’t shy away when you find a serpentine stretch of asphalt to connect the trails. It’s an excellent machine and well-deserving of being acknowledged as such.