APRILIA TUONO 660
You know that expression about bringing a gun to a knife fight? Well, it seems like with Aprilia’s new Tuono 660 in this group test, I bowled up with a bazooka while the other lads where faffing about with blunt spoons. Oops.
You see, the capacity of Aprilia’s (fairly) naked Tuono is just about the one redeeming factor that brings it close to the MT-07, Trident or Z650. Aside from that, it’s got more gadgets, more goodies, and more go than all of those combined – but it also comes in at the most dosh as well, sitting pretty at a hefty £9700. If you’re reading this wondering why on earth you’d part ways with a fair few extra notes than the other three, then strap yourself in because Aprilia has been busy creating an absolute monster. Looking at the spec sheet alone, in all honesty, I reckon the 660 deserves to be in the fight against higher capacity upper-class nakeds like the MT-09 and the 890 Duke.
I mean, for starters, just feast your eyes over that engine. Borrowed from the faired RS 660, the motor has been developed from the front bank of the 1100cc V4, which has shared its tech with the 660’s cylinder head, combustion chambers, ducts, cylinders and pistons. They’ve put a lot of thought into making the parallel twin feel, well, as little like a parallel twin as possible... everything from the firing order to the way the crank has been crafted to create a more exciting soundtrack and riding experience.
In order to make the ride a little more exciting for the Tuono though, Aprilia has actually gifted it with lower gearing to make it peakier and more responsive – although annoyingly, the power output has been dropped by five horses (to 94bhp) compared the RS to half the power and sell it as an A2 option. Boo.
Saying that, the Tuono 660 is by no means an under-performer. It comes equipped with some fairly hefty Brembo stoppers alongside adjustable Kayaba pogos both front and rear, all nicked from the RS 660 – although they’ve been given a revised set-up for the naked, which comes equipped with higher, flatter bars and its own yokes, with a slightly altered fork offset. But that’s not all, oh no. Aprilia has been kind to a bike in this category in terms of electronic wizardry. It has the RS 660’s new Magnetti Marelli ECU that powers a full raft of traction control, wheelie control, cruise control and ABS... that’s all fed through a six-axis IMU, complete with changeable rider modes, engine map and engine brake strategies... that’s all fed through a chunky, funky TFT dash. Although, disappointingly, Aprilia decided not to bother taking over the shifter and blipper from the RS, which seems like an absolute crime to me. I mean, you’ve given it everything else, why leave the most helpful bit of tech in existence? Saying that, it’s still £449 cheaper than its faired sibling and Aprilia reckons it offers just as much in terms of fun and excitement.
I was on the launch of the RS 660 at the back end of last year and it was an absolutely awesome bit of kit. If that’s anything to go
by, then this road test is sewn up before we’ve even turned a wheel.
Gazing upon the Tuono 660 for the first time, I really was taken aback. I think the Tuono V4 is a thing of beauty, yet the 660 actually looks more striking in my humble judgement. I know it’s split opinion to people worrying that it has too much fairing cover for a naked but my god, it really is sharp, edgy and drop-dead gorgeous in the flesh/ metal. Everything – from the swingarm to the exhaust cover, and the high bars to the headlights – just looked utterly marvellous, and upon closer inspection, the finish was just as impressive.
And it just kept on getting better. Where the other three had their smaller, more budget conscious cockpits, the Tuono 660’s felt seriously top spec; from that gorgeous, easy-to-use dash and interface to the adjustable brake lever, everything felt above and beyond what a middleweight naked should be... though I must admit it bugs me when the clutch lever isn’t adjustable. I mean, come on – you’ve done one on the other side! That said, the riding position felt big, roomy and inviting, just like with its bigger V4 sibling. Somehow, everything about the riding position felt absolutely spot-on for me, and it even sits fairly nice and tall for a 660. It felt like the real deal before we’d even spun a wheel.
As the Tuono comes equipped with a wide range of maps and settings, I did the honourable thing and stuck it straight in the most responsive – dynamic – and fired it up for the very first stint. On its own, the 660 really does sound absolutely incredible, with a rumble that is genuinely reminiscent to a much beefier V4. Compared to the other three, it is better by leaps and bounds – the Tuono has a lion’s roar, whereas the others seem to have a bit of a wimpy growl.
As we set off, the Tuono’s fuelling and throttle connection instantly impressed me. I know it’s a smaller capacity machine housing double igures in terms of power but even so, they can actually turn out to be the snatchiest of them all, yet the Tuono really is an absolute beaut at low speeds, and with those high bars, navigating through towns, cities and traffic would be a real piece of piss.
But instantly, my very favourite thing about the Tuono is its very heart. The engine, although slightly down on power from its faired brother, actually feels no different whatsoever, and the fact it’s geared different for that little extra punch actually makes it feel insanely responsive, as the revs pick up way quicker than a naked twin really ought
I FOUND MYSELF ANCHORING UP SO HARD THAT THE REAR WHEEL COULD EASILY LIFT OFF THE FLOOR.
to. It guns its way north to the 11,500rpm redline with the glorious soundtrack that kept egging me on to add more fuel to the fire. I have to say though, on arrival to the redline, one of the biggest disappoints on this bike makes itself very well-known, and that’s the lack of a shifter, and then of course, a blipper. It seems insane that a bike of this kind, priced at a premium, doesn’t come equipped with, in my eyes, the most useful electronic gadget on road bikes today; especially as it has all of the other technical wizardry you’ll ever need, and more. It really took a shine off things for me, as chopping the throttle to blast through the gearbox is just not as fun as being able to feather a crisp, responsive gear change. Just why, Aprilia? Why?
A redeeming factor for tech has to be the cruise control – a really welcome addition. Sure, you might not want to be doing massive mileage, but if you do it has a fairly chunky tank and decent range, and even for little motorway blasts it’s a really nice addition, especially as that 660 will sit happily at motorway speeds (70mph, honestly, officer) without too much of a buzz or too high in the revs. Having a fairly prominent screen, you even get some wind protection too.
And just like having cruise control, there is a lot of premium on this bike, with one of the best components on the Tuono being its big old Brembos sitting both front and back. Not only does it come equipped with some chunky calipers, but the whopping 320mm discs offer up an absolutely incredible amount of stopping power; the 660 literally stops on a sixpence, and with the ABS on its least intrusive mode (which is what you want, as it doesn’t have cornering ABS for some insane reason), I found myself anchoring up so hard that the rear wheel could easily find its way off the floor – and the back would even allow for skids, if you’re that way inclined.
Thankfully, it wasn’t just the braking power that felt absolutely top-notch. As soon as we came across a serious set of corners, the Tuono felt instantly at home, scratching and being pushed hard. I’m not sure if it’s the slightly altered suspension settings or if it’s the magic of the new top yoke just for this bike, but I could not get my head around how the Tuono flicks into corners so easily, and having the extra leverage on those high ‘bars made it perfect for attacking tight and twisty second and third gear corners. Yet somehow, it still felt gutsy in terms of its cornering prowess and incredibly stable as well when it came to longer, faster cornering. Getting a bike to be both agile and stable is a tight line to cross, yet whatever magic Aprilia has worked on those pogos really has given the 660 the best of both worlds – a bit of a miracle considering how flighty and flimsy some of the other bikes in this group test are.
Saying that, after about 150 miles or so of riding, there were a few things that did my nut in a bit, the main thing being the location of the full beam switch. I don’t know if I mentioned it much earlier, but the Tuono doesn’t come equipped with a shifter/blipper, and it seemed like every single time I went for the clutch, I caught the little nib that sticks the full beam on, flashing whoever was in front of me. Aprilia also chose not to give it cornering ABS for some strange reason, even though it comes on the RS, but in all honesty, it didn’t bother me too much; as a unit, the electronics are incredibly efficient.
With the Tuono 660, it’s very hard to stick it squarely into a single category. On the one hand, looking at the capacity, it really is a middleweight naked, much like the Z650, MT-07 & the Trident. Yet if you look at the tech, and ultimateyly the price, it sits way ahead of those, closer to the likes of the 890 Duke and the MT-09. And for good reason too, as the middleweight Tuono really is an absolute corker of a machine, and att the heart of that is just how good the engine is.
Aprilia then worked some serious magic in creating a brilliant chassis and went the extra mile in gifting it some incredible brakes, a decent set of pogos and a big ole range of electronics.
The Tuono 660 really did feel like a special bike. It felt big and proper, and with every crack of the right wrist, there was a feeling I was straddled on something way more than just a middleweight naked.
Okay, it’s a lot of cash, so is it worth all that wonga? It’s a hard call to make, especially since I still haven’t got over the fact that Aprilia forgot to stick a quickshifter on the thing.
At the end of the day, it really does feel like a premium bit of kit, and is more than enough, for most of the time, on UK roads. But yeah, I do think it is worth the cash. The Tuono 660 is the real deal. If you’re looking for a premium Italian bit of kit that will leave you smiling with every ride, then this is the thing for you.
However, if you’re strapped for cash and want some confidence-inspiring laughs, there’s definitely some more cost effective offerings in this group test, let alone the market.
Overall, the Tuono won this hands down for me – it really is a mega machine. Kudos, Aprilia.