Aprilia RS 660 Extrema 2024 Review

Phillip Island is a ballsy venue for the launch of a new motorcycle, so Aprilia must be very confident in its new RS 660 Extrema. The famous circuit is the world’s highest average speed Grand Prix track and its ultra-fast sweepers can magnify even minor deficiencies in a new motorcycle. Or the rider.

This was made clear as a fellow rider lost the front and slid across the track centimetres in front of my tapped-out Pirelli front tyre at turn 11. I spent an oddly-detached moment wondering whether Aprilia would be annoyed at me for crashing its brand new press bike. Would I have to sign forms? Was it going to hurt? Why am I doing this again? Probably better I didn’t crash.

But that last question was easy to answer. Ballsy as it might be, Phillip Island is the ultimate place to test the performance limits of a motorcycle.

So how does the new tweaked and lightened Aprilia RS 660 Extrema middleweight sportsbike cope with the legendary Island circuit? Well, there was only one way to find out…

The base RS 660 is already very good, specced up with tasty goodies including an up-and-down quickshifter, TFT screen, Brembo callipers, 41mm upside-down forks, and grippy Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV rubber.

We tested the RS 660 in 2021 and came away impressed with its competent chassis, extensive rider aids, exploitable parallel-twin torque and practical ride position. Only 660cc it may be, but this is still a grown-up sportsbike, with plenty of room for my 5.10ft, 83kg frame.

The Extrema spices things up with the addition of a new single seat tail unit, titanium SC Project-developed exhaust and carbon fibre bodywork, which combines to strip 3kg from the standard RS 660. Such a weight saving might not sound earth-shattering but it serves to enhance every aspect of the bike’s performance, be that power-to-weight ratio, braking performance or high-speed agility.

A fresh chequered flag livery also signals the Extrema’s hot-lapping intentions.

At $24,490 ride away, it’s now $1800 more expensive than the base RS 660, but weight savings ain’t cheap. Depending on your viewpoint, that’s not bad value for a bespoke new titanium exhaust and carbon fibre parts, but it does put the Extrema into quite a premium price bracket.

Positioning the Extrema in comparison to rival machines is tricky. It kicks significantly harder than other middleweight contenders like Yamaha’s YZF-R7HO ($15,649, 56kW), Kawasaki’s Ninja 650 ($12,998, 50kW) or Honda’s CBR650R ($13,983, 70kW), which puts it in a niche category for buyers who want the grunty character of a parallel-twin but performance closer to four-cylinder supersports motorcycles.

As with most modern sportsbikes, some of the best party tricks are hidden in the ECU and 6-axis IMU. Along with cruise control and Bluetooth smartphone connectivity, the Extrema comes equipped with Aprilia’s full acronym juggling APRC electronics package.

You get adjustable traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, engine braking, and engine mapping, along with 5 rider modes – 2 of which are individually adjustable for track use. Software tweaks also allow the quickshifter to function normally for riders who prefer to swap the shift linkage around to a race pattern setup.

With the ride mode set to Dynamic while I confirmed that the track was indeed miraculously dry despite days of biblical rain, it quickly became apparent the traction control setting was quite conservative, reining in the fun even at a moderate pace.

Winding the TC and wheelie control settings back to minimum in ‘Time Trial’ mode (which also gives you a sports display and lap timer) had the Extrema punching off corners with much more zest.

On certain sections of track, like Siberia, the exit drive is startlingly rapid, and required a recalibration of my line to avoid launching the bike over the outer ripple strip. The gutsy mid-range is also more than capable of hoisting up the front wheel in first and second gear if you’re so inclined…boom tish.

You do run out of steam at the top end somewhat, but the way the engine builds from a throaty growl to a rorty RSV4-like crescendo makes it fun to squeeze every last rev out of the digital tacho. Really though, Phillip Island is all about corner speed, and there’s enough mumbo on tap to build up serious momentum through its quick bends.

The corner names are enough to give GP riders night sweats – Hayshed, Doohan Corner, Stoner Curve – but the combination of a capable chassis with friendly power delivery makes the Extrema a very confidence-inspiring tool.

Even with the suspenders on their stock settings I found myself attacking the circuit in a way I hadn’t before. Ample damping support at the front end and good feel through the brake lever meant I could get the rear tyre skipping sideways while trail braking deeply into bends like MG and Miller, before slinging the bike on its side for the apex.

It feels like you can take huge liberties with the Extrema, even when it comes to dodging riders who make unplanned track excursions in your immediate vicinity. The chap I mentioned earlier who put his bike down in front of me was fine thankfully, but I was very relieved when the Extrema’s responsive chassis let me make an emergency mid-corner line adjustment to avoid becoming a participant in his sudden track surface inspection.

The Extrema soaked up all the corner speed I could throw at it with aplomb, and according to the onboard timer I lapped only a few seconds slower than what I’ve previously managed on a litre-class sportsbike.

But rather than just reacting to corners that seem to constantly arrive at warp speed, the extra time and processing space available in the old grey matter meant I could lead the dance more. I found my knee puck grinding on areas of the track where it doesn’t normally touch down, being able to devote more concentration towards my technique and body position. It’s addictive fun, and I felt like I got more out of the trackday from a riding perspective than I had for a long time.

In a world of 160kW-plus hypersports bikes, dubbing this svelte version of the RS 660 the ‘Extrema’ could be seen to be laying it on a bit thick. But it certainly is extremely fun to throw around a racetrack, which is really what it should be all about.

The Extrema would suit somebody who wants a practical commuter bike, but who still wants quality components and electronics, and some fun on a track.

At nearly $25k you’ll need reasonably deep pockets to find a spot for it in the garage, but in the long run that might be cheaper than lobbing a 1000cc-plus rocketship into the weeds before you’re ready for It - something that bloke at turn 11 might have been pondering when his bike finally finished sliding into the gravel trap.

ENGINE
Type: Liquid-cooled, four-stroke DOHC parallel-twin, 4 valves per cylinder
Capacity: 659cc
Bore x stroke: 81 x 63.93 mm
Compression ratio: 13.5:1
Engine management: Ride-by-wire engine management

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 73.5kW at 10500 rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 67.0Nm at 8500 rpm

ELECTRONICS
Six-axis inertial platform, APRC package containing ATC (traction control), AWC (wheelie control), AEB (engine braking), AEM (engine maps) and ACC (cruise control). 5 Riding modes (Road and Track, 3 fixed and 2 customisable). Reverse shifting software.

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six-speed
Final drive: Chain, with drive ratio: 17/43
Clutch: Multi-plate wet clutch with mechanical slip system

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Aluminium dual beam
Front suspension: Kayaba 41-mm stanchion fork, aluminium radial calliper mounting bracket, adjustable spring preload and rebound damping. 120 mm wheel travel
Rear suspension: Aluminium asymmetric swingarm, monoshock with adjustable spring reload, rebound damping
Front brakes: 320mm double discs, Brembo radial callipers with four 32mm opposing pistons, radial pump and metal braided brake hose, ABS
Rear brake: 220mm disc; Brembo calliper with two 34mm separate pistons, pump with integrated tank and metal braided hose, multimap cornering ABS
Tyres: Pirelli Diablo IV – front 120/70-17, rear 180/55-17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Rake: 24.1 degrees
Trail: 104.6mm
Claimed wet weight: 180kg
Wheelbase: 1370mm
Seat height: 820mm
Fuel capacity: 15L

OTHER STUFF
Price: $24,490 ride away
Availability: Now
Colours: White Chequered Flag