BHPian praful recently shared this with other enthusiasts:Second Service UpdateFebruary – From December to March, it’s typically quite cold here (below 5C) with plenty of wet weather, which makes riding more of a pain than a joy. In early February, I took the bike in for its second service. Even though I hadn’t reached the required mileage, a year had passed since the last service, so it was due. The bike had no issues, so it was just a routine oil and filter change, plus a general check-up. After the service, I couldn’t resist taking the bike out for a ride. Within the first few kilometers, I realized it was a bad idea. Even with heated grips, winter gloves, and wind-breakers, I lost sensation in my fingers after just 30 km. I parked the bike in the garage for the next few weeks.Off-road OutingEarly April – The non-stop rain that started in February finally let up by mid-March. Trails began drying out, and a local Facebook group of off-road enthusiasts planned a group ride for early April. As the weather improved, I prepped the Tuareg for spring riding and off-roading. I swapped out the Barkbuster winter muffs for regular plastic covers, and replaced the stock mirrors with quick-folding ones-much better for off-road. Instead of pricey DoubleTakes, I went with inexpensive replicas from Amazon. I also adjusted the levers for a more off-road-friendly position. Riding with a group on trails was a refreshing change from my usual solo rides. Despite the dry spell, we hit plenty of slushy patches that quickly exposed my lack of skill and the limitations of 70/30 tyres, which lost grip as soon as things got wet. Still, I enjoyed the ride. We covered nearly 120 km of trails, a solid feat since most of us were amateurs. We even tackled parts of TransEuroTrail section 1, which loops around the Paris region. End April – I wanted to get back out there, but couldn’t find any volunteers. Eventually, another local FB group member agreed to join. To my surprise, he showed up on a Goldwing . He’d planned to bring his Kove 450, but it wouldn’t start after his rally in Morocco. So, we turned the day into a road ride instead. Early May – Another wet spell hit, and I wasn’t keen on slush riding. After a couple of dry days, we regrouped for a weekend ride. The night before, a thunderstorm rolled in. I hesitated but decided to go for it. Some group members were even more inexperienced than I was. Within 10 km, there were 6 or 7 falls. Riding right behind them started to get in my head. The trails were much slushier this time. Progress was slow-by lunchtime, we’d managed only 30 km. I had my worst fall yet: both tyres lost traction on an uphill left-hander, and down I went. Fortunately, I wasn’t hurt, and the bike just got a few scratches on the crash guard. My riding gear is still more suited for touring, including my 9-year-old Rynox Advento pants. They’re in great shape, but I learned a lesson: the knee protection moves around for comfort and doesn’t cover the sides. I ended up with bruises around both knees. That day’s fall led to an impulse buy-entry-level Leatt Knee Braces. This ride was tough. Slush packed between the tyre lugs, turning them into racing slicks. At lower speeds, the slush stuck even longer. Counterintuitive as it sounds, you need to go faster to keep moving. I was already cautious, but seeing others fall and then having my own spill made me even warier. We hit a patch where everyone was slipping and falling, and I went down a second time. It was a low-speed tip-over into soft mud, but I couldn’t lift the bike alone and needed help. Right then, I realized I was out of my depth. The fun had turned into a slog-I was pushing past my skill level and my gear and tyres weren’t up to the task. I called it a day, left the group, and decided to save myself and the bike for a bigger ride I had planned at the end of the month. Mud! Mud! Mud! Everywhere! By the end, the bike was so caked in slush I had to wash it before heading back on the highway. Even after washing, chunks of mud kept falling off for days. Washing the bike in my gear wasn’t fun, but at least I wasn’t flinging mud at everyone behind me during the 40 km ride home.The Big Road TripEnd May/Early June – I had a couple of vacation days left before the financial year closed and, with my MIL visiting, I finally had more than a couple of days to plan a ride. I’d been looking forward to this trip, but a sudden health issue put everything on hold. At the last minute, my doctor gave me the all-clear. Many high alpine passes were still closed early in the season, so I opted for the lower ones. I decided on a French Alpine discovery ride rather than slogging down highways to Italy, Switzerland, or Austria. Too much highway riding just isn’t worth it. I’m saving most of the photos for a dedicated TLog once I get through nearly 500 GB of video! In the meantime, I’ve posted updates on my Insta profile here (@Mods: feel free to remove the link if this is against TBhp rules). The plan was simple: head as far south as possible on highways, then use smaller roads to turn east and climb north along the Alps. I’d planned some off-road segments, but rain and thunderstorms forced me to reconsider-especially since I was solo, running 70/30 tyres, and carrying a fair amount of luggage for 10-12 days of camping. Here’s a link to the full route (@mods: again, feel free to remove if needed). Here are a few daily highlights. I’ll share more in that dedicated TLog. Day 1 – The Start Day 2 – Fulfilling a dream that started more than two decades ago Day 3 – Canyon riding through the beautiful Gorges du Tarn Day 4 – More canyons, riding through the Gorges du Daluis Day 5 – At Col de la Bonette, the highest pass in France and third highest in Europe. The road to the highest part is still snowed out, as you can see in the picture Day 6 – At Col du Galibier, second highest pass and again closed, so I had to take the tunnel, which is about 200 meters lower Day 7 – At the scenic Mont Cenis between France & Italy Day 8 – Chasing thunderstorms, or being chased by them Day 10 – Canyon riding on balcony roads at the Gorges du Nan. Skipped a few days as I hit the image limit for a post. I’ll stop with the image flood and get back to the Tuareg’s ownership experience.How Did The Tuareg 660 Perform?The Tuareg once again proved itself as a true all-rounder. Even in its A2-restricted, 47 hp state, I never felt underpowered. My only complaint is the tyres-they’re hopeless in wet and muddy conditions, and while they’re designed for off-road, they don’t inspire confidence on twisty mountain roads either. That said, some of it is down to my own skills. On wet mountain roads, I rode very cautiously, which slowed my progress. On Day 7, the engine warning light came on and stayed lit, even after restarting. This worried me, but the bike looked, sounded, and felt normal, so I kept riding-just more cautiously. I posted in the Aprilia Owners group, and the consensus was it was probably a minor sensor issue, triggered by all the rain and muck. The nearest Aprilia service centre was at least 100 km away, so I pressed on. Despite stopping several times for fuel, food, and photos, the warning light didn’t go away. Then, on top of Mont-Cenis, I tried a rolling start for the first time on the Tuareg. Against my better judgment, I gave it a shot-and, amazingly, the warning light disappeared and never came back. This made me a bit nervous, as it could indicate a mechanical problem rather than just a sensor glitch. But since the issue didn’t return, I stopped holding back and enjoyed the rest of the ride. After 3,200 km, the bike performed flawlessly in all conditions. I can’t wait to de-restrict it at the end of summer and unleash all 80 horses. I still need to take the bike to Aprilia service to get a proper diagnostic and see what triggered the warning light. For now, though, the Tuareg is going into hibernation for a few weeks-it’s a busy time at work until summer break, and then I’ll be in India. Hopefully, I’ll squeeze in a few more rides before winter hibernation starts in November. The bike now has 9,500 km on the odometer. The third service is due at 12,500 km or next February, whichever comes first. That will be a bigger service, not just an oil change. The 20,000 km service is the costly one, with valve checks-definitely beyond my DIY skills. I’ll aim for another update before winter hibernation.Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.
