Italian attention-seeker
Exploring the ups and downs of Aprilia’s twin after 2000 road miles
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last 2000 miles, it’s that the Aprilia RS660 attracts attention like no other motorcycle I’ve ridden. Likely caused by its beautiful RSV4-aping looks and V-twin soundalike rumble at town speeds, it attracts curious glances, and I’ve been stopped in traffic by fellow bikers who want to find out more.
It’s a refreshing take on the sportsbike concept and perfectly timed – giving race rep fans something they can enjoy at road legal speeds and on the occasional trackday. Think of it as a modern successor to the Honda CBR600F Sport – rather than the RS250 replacement many hoped it would be – and you won’t be far wrong.
It has been fantastic as a roadgoing toy over the past four months and highlights why trad supersport 600s fell from favour.
I’m heading out more at the weekends and have snatched extra evening rides where possible, falling back in love with the epic roads surrounding my Lincolnshire home. It’s even comfy over distance, with the standard issue cruise control and thick padded seat allowing you to soak up full tank loads in
‘Riders stop me to ask what the Aprilia’s like’
the saddle without needing to stretch. I simply love it.
Squared rubber
That said, it hasn’t all been plain sailing and after 1900 miles I did notice the rear Pirelli Rosso Corsa 2 tyre beginning to square off. It still performs wonderfully and I’ve since enjoyed a trackday with it (more of that in the next update…) but I’d have expected it to maintain its shape for longer. I spotted this whilst making minor adjustments to the rear shock, which is too soft on standard settings for animated riding. The rear sits too low and occasionally causes the bars to slap under acceleration and can make changes of direction feel forced. No more than a half turn of preload appears to have done the trick for me, with any changes to the rebound requiring the removal of a small sidepanel via two bolts.
Recalls for some
An isolated cruise control issue aside, our RS has been good as gold, but other 660s have been recalled for work concerning ‘an engine shut-down while the vehicle is stationary.’ Bikes can be ridden without safety risk and any work carried out by a dealer is done for free. If you’ve been contacted, be sure to book it in.