E
ver since Aprilia displayed its RS 660 con-
cept bike at the November 2018 EICMA
Milan Show, the longed-for production version
of this sexy-looking SuperTwin has been top of
their what-if wish list for thousands of potential
customers all over the world.
Last year's Milan Show saw the production
version of this delightful dream bike duly un-
veiled, scarcely any different than that tantalizing
first taste of affordable performance combined
with designer looks, whose specification and
appearance—coupled with its compact build—
heralds this as the modern day successor to the
legendary RS 250 ring-ding two-stroke racer-
with-lights, which was so sadly legislated out of
existence back in 2004.
The RS 660 retails for $11,299 MSRP and
is available in a choice of three distinct color
schemes which Aprilia has christened Apex
Black (derived from Marco Melandri's 2002
RSV 250 World Champion machine, one of the
54 World titles won by Aprilia as recorded on
the decal behind the ignition lock), Lava Red
(inspired by the RSW-2 500 GP racer Loris
Reggiani raced on in 1994), and Acid Gold–an
ultra-distinctive yellow tint which makes any bike
wearing it unlikely to be confused with anything
else on the road—the RS660 costs less than half
the price of the RSV4 1100 it's derived from.
But in real world terms, the RS 660 is infi-
nitely more accessible than the old RS 250, and
arguably just as thrilling to ride, even (or maybe
especially) for more experienced riders, for whom
the thrill of maxing out turn speed and optimizing
such a bike's handling capabilities, is much more
of a buzz in real world terms than simply opening
the throttle wide open and holding on tight.
VOLUME 57 ISSUE 44 NOVEMBER 3, 2020 P75
All three in all their glory. The
RS 660 is signaling a new way for
street-focused sportbikes.
