2021 Aprilia RS 660 Review

Italian sportsbikes are known for their eye-catching style and huge power figures in an age where 200hp straight from the showroom barely raises an eyebrow. Yet the all-new 2021 Aprilia RS 660 is a rather modest affair, powered by a mid-sized parallel twin-cylinder claiming 100hp.

Since learning of the new 2021 Aprilia RS 660 I've been intrigued to see how it performs, and where it sits amongst a saturated list of sportsbike offerings for today's potential buyer.

At the heart of the Aprilia RS 660 is a new power plant. I figured that Aprilia had taken its hugely successful RSV4's 1100cc four-cylinder donk and simply sliced off the rear two cylinders, but it's not that simple.

While it implements plenty of RSV4 DNA in its cylinder head/valve design, the RS 660 is its own entity. The design features an 81mm bore but longer 63.93mm stroke (up from 52.3mm in the RSV) and impressive 13.5:1 compression ratio. With DOHC and four valves per cylinder, this 270 degree firing parallel twin is built to an impressively high specification, claiming 100hp (73.5kW) at 10,500rpm and 67Nm of torque at 8,500rpm. A 6-speed gearbox and wet/slipper clutch control how the power is fed to the road.

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The compact and lightweight engine is a stressed member of the twin-spar aluminium chassis that joins at the headstock and houses the engine's air intake tract. The cast aluminium swing-arm also attaches directly to the engine, further saving weight. The exhaust system is neatly tucked inside the slimline bodywork with an outlet on each side of the underslung collector box that meets strict Euro 5 enviro requirements.

Suspension is a 41mm KYB inverted fork up front with preload and rebound adjustment, while the rear mono-shock offers the same level of adjustability. Brembo 4-piston radial mounted calipers stop a pair of 320mm front disks, with a twin-piston Brembo controlling the 220mm disk at the back.

Electronic features are a substantial focus for this model. The Marelli 11MP ECU with 6-axis IMU handles the smarts required for the APRC (Aprilia Performance Ride Control). It features ride-by-wire throttle, cornering ABS, traction control, engine braking, cruise control and wheelie control. It has five riding modes - Commute, Dynamic and Individual for the road, and Challenge and Time Attack for track use (with pit-lane limiter and a switching dash display from speedo to lap timer).

Having tested both the latest RSV4 and Tuono 1100 I know how impressive Aprilia sportbikes are to ride, so I have to say I was expecting this new model to be a well-sorted steed.

On-board the RS, the first thing to grab my attention was the seat height - at 820mm it's not low, although being slim assists in reaching the ground. Once the 660 fires up, its parallel twin-cylinder engine bops away happily, requiring some clutch and throttle input to join the busy city traffic I was heading straight into.

Negotiating my way through the sea of peak hour tin-tops, I was quick to learn that this bike is an extremely capable commuter. As much as the styling is pure sport, the riding position is comfortably upright and the bike's compact size made filtering my way home an easy task.

Compared to its V4 siblings, the twin is naturally a tad lacklustre in character, although the light clutch action, near-perfect throttle connection, and faultless bi-directional quick shifter kept me pleased as my stop-start journey progressed.

As I cleared the urban sprawl and headed for some open roads, I reflected on how practical this sport-styled bike is for the street. It's straight-up easy to ride, and everything works as it should without any unwanted surprises.

With some clear road ahead I swapped Commute mode for Dynamic, slid my bum back in the seat, lowered my chest to the fuel tank and twisted the grip to see how the 660 stretched its legs.

Building revs without complaint, the 660 was soon nudging its 10,500rpm limit and the sedate twin bop soon turned to a deeper growl, not unlike a slightly muted V4. As I continued to feed it more throttle and up-shifts, the RS repaid me with some respectable sportsbike speed. The bike remained stable, smooth and completely unintimidating, instilling me with confidence that I was always in control and within my limits.

When the road turns twisty the RS only needs minimal input to commit to a corner, as its steering is both sharp and precise.

Without excess power, correct gear selection and maintaining momentum is key to carrying speed off the turns. Riding higher-output sports bikes through the same corners allows you to be lazy and rely on the excess power to brake, turn, point and shoot. The middle of the corner quickly becomes a non-event – just a section of road to endure before bracing yourself for another rapid acceleration. Not so with the Aprilia RS 660.

The combination of the 660's mellow power and its agile chassis found me savouring the middle of each turn as my confidence grew and lean angles increased, all the while the Pirelli Rosso Corsa II tyres held fast.

After some time spent at spirited speeds I found the suspension turns from plush to soft. That was ok for road riding but if taking the RS to the track is on the cards, then some suspension mods may be on your to-do list.

For all the adjustable modes and electronic settings on offer I found myself leaving the bike in Dynamic mode in all conditions. The bike works so well in that mode it would be just as impressive without the huge range of adjustments.

In my time with the RS 660 I rode wet & dry roads while undertaking my 100km daily work commute, and to my favourite sports scratching roads, and each day it grew on me a little more.

It's easy to live with and that's not the case with many modern supersport machines. As much as owning a mega-horsepower race replica sounds fun, in reality, they aren't that easy to live with. The RS 660 ticks a lot of boxes – easy on fuel (approx 300km from a tank), easy on tyres, easier to keep your licence, easy on the body and easy on the eye.

In the RS 660, Aprilia has created a new niche – a practical middleweight supersport. Aprilia has steered away from the highly-strung 600cc inline four-cylinder race replicas of the past for a bike that offers less on paper but so much more on the road. For those looking for their first fully-faired sportsbike, or even more experienced riders wanting a change from the rest, it is a bike that's sure to please many.

I would never have imagined a 100hp sportsbike could leave me so satisfied, but sometimes less is more.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, eight-valve, four-stroke, DOHC parallel-twin
Capacity: 659cc
Bore x stroke: 81.0mm x 63.9mm
Compression ratio: 13.5:1
Engine management: Electronic fuel inection
Emissions: Euro 5

PERFORMANCE
Power: 100hp (74kW) at 10,500rpm
Torque: 67Nm at 8500rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multiplate

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Double aluminium beam
Front suspension: Inverted 41mm Kayaba telescopic fork, fully adjustable, 120mm travel
Rear suspension: Sachs monoshock, adjustable for preload and rebound, 130mm travel
Front brakes: Twin 320mm discs with Brembo four-piston radial-mount calipers, Cornering ABS
Rear brake: 220mm disc with Brembo twin-piston caliper, Cornering ABS
Tyres: Front 120/70ZR17, rear 180/55ZR17

ELECTRONICS
Ride-by-wire throttle, engine brake, traction control, wheelie control, cruise control, three ride modes, two track modes, Bluetooth connectivity

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 24.1 degrees
Trail: 104.6mm
Claimed dry weight: 169kg
Seat height: 820mm
Wheelbase: 1370mm
Fuel capacity: 15 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price (TBC): $A18,500 to $A19,000 plus ORC
Availability: March 2021
Colours: Acid Gold, Apex Black, Lava Red
More information: Aprilia