the new APRILIA TUAREG 660

[Crossrutted]

Would an AJP PR7 be the nearest modern equivalent?

I've had my PR7 two years now, liking it a lot. Very similar to the 640 in many ways.
The PR7 is slimmer between the knees but wider further back. I think the PR7 is easier to ride in tight & difficult going.
They are both big singles, so vibrate but I think the AJP vibes are higher frequency (?) and seem less obtrusive.
I wouldn't want to sit at 70mph for long on either bike, but if I had to, I'd choose the PR7.

[AlanHolt]

I need a bike that will go where an EXC can go, can carry a pillion and hard luggage, and is comfortable doing motorway speeds, and its the last part where the 790 failed to shine. And thats not an impossible bike to create, the 640 has proved that. The best option seems to be to invest €2300 in an Aurora rally kit to provide the necessary wind protection for the high speed stuff, which then makes a 2 year old 790 R worth around 12k, which is mad when you can get a new 890 for the same money, but that would also fail to provide long-distance high speed wind protection.

Are you saying the 640 is comfortable at M/way speeds and the 790 isn't. I'm no fan of riding on M/ways and mostly avoid them on bikes altogether but I was never comfortable in traffic on our 640 Adv as it was always hard work to keep a constant 70mph + and then there was a lack of acceleration beyond that which made overtaking anything around 70mph risky if they gained speed.

I like the fact that you really like your 640 but it was created in an era when Dakar bikes needed to carry a lot of fuel, the by-product of that is great weather protection on a dirt orientated bike. If you put 32l tanks on a modern rally rep bike you'd be laughed out of the showroom.

We've now sold the 640 ADV but I still have the BMW Dakar and am in the same place as you were I really don't think another bike has come along to replace it. The Husky 701LR might have done so but it needs pillion pegs and something more up front to hide behind.

My 640 is very comfortable at motorway speeds, cruising at 70-80 is effortless. I don't ride motorways out of choice, but sometimes large distances need to be covered quickly.

The large fuel tank means I can stop where I want, not where I have to each day. A full tank will last all day in the Pyrenees but is pointless on my commute to Leeds, although I can go to Scarborough and back, and 4 days commuting without having to turn the petcock to reserve.

But my main gripe with new midsize adventure bikes is that when riding above 50mph, the wind is hitting me from the mid-torso up, whereas on the 640, it is barely hitting the tops of my shoulders. It wouldn't be a problem if I'd always ridden bikes like that, but it's like going from a faired bike to a naked one. That wind buffeting is tiring after a while, especially after 2 or 3 days riding, and the wind noise on the bikes without adequate fairing is deafening, but again it's relative. A 20 minute test ride of the 790 had me say to my riding buddy that I couldn't ride it all day in the manner we ride, and then I climbed back onto the 640 after 4 hours riding and did another 4 hours without stopping.

[catcitrus]

I did 40k plus on my 640 but sold it in the end as I was using it mainly for touring as I'm getting old and was always short--and have smaller, lighter bikes for offroad. Mine did the Dracula Rally in Romania a couple of times--and on one return did Romania , across Hungary and into Austria in one day--about 600 miles. It also did the start of the last proper Dakar in Lisbon--riding down through France. It would sit all day at 70 and, as has been said, had great wind protection. I traded it in for a Tiger 1050 for a more road oriented bike--basically a mistake. The engine was nice but it was heavy and didn't handle despite Hyperpro mods. Eventually being written off by a cage driver(not my fault). I now have a 600 transalp as I wanted to downsize-- and its a much better bike than the Triumph--lighter, lower, much better handling, more comfortable, better range--although the motor doesn't have the punch its a peach--but 55 bhp is no bad bad thing these days--its fast enough and generates a more relaxed approach . It will also handle the odd open trail quite well--something that Triumph would never do.

[dave h]

Buffeting is the age old problem on bikes,

I guess we're all made different so one size fits all don't work,

This is how I get by,

Screen off a 1290 SA,

It bolts straight through the low screen on the 390,790,and my old Armstrong for longer journeys and 5 mins to remove,

IMG_20210808_101359.jpg (134.01 KiB) Viewed 1648 times

Dave.

[Crossrutted]

But my main gripe with new midsize adventure bikes is that when riding above 50mph, the wind is hitting me from the mid-torso up, whereas on the 640, it is barely hitting the tops of my shoulders. It wouldn't be a problem if I'd always ridden bikes like that, but it's like going from a faired bike to a naked one. That wind buffeting is tiring after a while, especially after 2 or 3 days riding, and the wind noise on the bikes without adequate fairing is deafening, but again it's relative. A 20 minute test ride of the 790 had me say to my riding buddy that I couldn't ride it all day in the manner we ride, and then I climbed back onto the 640 after 4 hours riding and did another 4 hours without stopping.

I'm 6'3" and found the 640 fairing very good, far better that the 950/990 fairing. The PR7 screen works well for me, wind pressure on chest absent up to 85/90 and only minor buffeting as speed rises.