APRILIA RS660
Light, trick and lots of fun
1
00hp from a usable, twin-cylinder motor that has character and punch on the road, inserted into an easy-going chassis, then covered in sexy bodywork and given a just-about-affordable price – what is not to like? I wish I had come up with this idea.
Despite its supersport styling, Aprilia’s RS660 wasn’t designed for the track; this is a comfortable and unintimating road bike with a typically Aprilia sporting edge. The RS660 is powered by a parallel twin with a 260-degree crank, which is essentially the front half of the RSV4. Although the RS660 is an ‘entry-level’ bike for Aprilia, and is designed for a young and relatively inexperienced audience, it’s neither bland nor dull – the opposite in fact – and even uses more rider aids than Aprilia’s flagship superbike RSV4.
Cornering ABS, multiple track and riding modes, traction and wheel control, an up-and-down quickshifter, even cruise control make for a world-class array of electronics on a 100hp, £10,300 bike.
It has a short wheelbase (its 1370mm is 69mm shorter than Aprilia’s own RSV4 Factory); at just 169kg dry or 183kg with fuel it is light; there’s adjustable suspension; plus a wide 180-section rear Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2 tyre.
It is far more relaxed than a wannabee track bike. The seat has some meaningful padding; the bars are relatively high and wide for road use; and the ergonomics are comfortable, with low pegs to keep the knees happy.
While the RS is a road bike first and foremost, it is also one that can be taken on the track.
The steering is light – a sensation exaggerated by those wide bars – and while there’s an easy, slightly toy-like feel to its handling, the RS is also stable. It is user-friendly and welcoming, you just jump on and ride, safe in the knowledge you have excellent rider aids to hand, like cornering ABS should you arrive into a corner too hot.
Like the suspension, the brakes may lack headline-grabbing spec, but standard radial Brembo stoppers, with braided lines and radial master cylinder, are more than up for the job, especially when you consider the bike’s lack of weight and comparatively low top speed.
The twin-cylinder DOHC engine produces a respectable 73.5kw/100hp @10,500rpm and 67Nm/49.42lb-ft @ 8500rpm, which is more torque than the Yamaha R6 and Honda CBR650R.
Aprilia has cleverly reduced vibration and allowed the engine to run smoother, with counterweights on the new 270-degree crankshaft. The engine is a structural part of the bike, too, with the swing-arm bolting directly to the rear of the engine. That 270-degree crank gives the RS660 a distinct exhaust tone, very much like
a slow-revving RSV4. The revs build effortlessly, quicker than I was expecting, and for a standard exhaust, the system adds a little soul to the RS660 experience.
There are five riding modes to choose from: three for the road – Commute, Dynamic and Individual, and two for the track – Challenge and Track Attack. Each mode changes the engine character, feeling and the multiple rider aids, including traction and wheelie control, cornering ABS and engine brake assist, while the-up-and-down quick-shifter which comes as standard is the same in all modes. It may sound a little complicated for a £10k ‘entry-level’ middleweight but, in reality, it isn’t.
You could argue that so many rider aids aren’t needed on a 100hp machine already equipped with an excellent chassis and tyres. But
Aprilia is trying to attract a young audience, for whom these things matter, while more experienced riders can simply deactivate what they don’t want, even on the move.
Like every other Aprilia I’ve ridden recently, the fuelling is perfect.
Within a few miles, the RS660 feels like a premium bike. It’s occasionally hard to find neutral, but that is my only gripe.
Power is relatively linear (90% of torque is in by 6250rpm), and you can short-shift on the fast quickshifter and still make progress, but thrill seekers will head above 7000rpm. There’s a little kick around 7500rpm, and the twin loves to rev to the limiter at 11,500rpm.
And, yes, the RS660 will wheelie in the first two gears with some encouragement from the clutch. It’s a brilliant engine to thrash, it sounds good, is responsive and blessed with excellent fuelling and synchronised quick-shifter.
The 15-litre fuel tank may not seem very large, but the RS is frugal on fuel. Aprilia quote 57.65mpg, but on a steady ride I managed 68mpg, which gives a possible tank range of over
200 miles – 224 to be precise.
Two hundred miles between fuel-ups or three to four hours in the saddle wouldn’t be agony either, because the seat is comfortable, the ergonomics are roomy for this type of bike, with pegs lower than the RSV4, and the bars are wide.
The bodywork is also impressive; the screen is almost a double bubble TT-style item, making it easy to get tucked in at speed, and at motorway cruising speeds does a half-decent job of wind protection.