2021 APRILIA RS 660
R I D E R E V I E W
P78
Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II tire
mounted on it, which contributes
to the sense of agility endemic in
the RS 660.
This is a very cleverly con-
cocted motorcycle that'll
make riders of a wide range
of statures, both male and
female, feel completely at
home. It's also a truly versatile
model which can most assur-
edly be used to commute to
work during the week, before a
weekend track day or Sunday
morning blast along racer road.
Though its overall design is
less extreme than the RSV4
it's partly derived from, the
RS 660's aesthetics share an
undisputed family resemblance
with Aprilia's world champion
Superbike, which is not surpris-
ing, since both were the work
of design teams headed by
legendary progettista Miguel
Galluzzi, who attributes the
overall credit for the RS660's
gorgeous looks to Aprilia's
Noale-based long-time senior
designer, Pietro Arru.
Aprilia's trademark triple LED
headlights are sharply posi-
tioned, and the daytime run-
ning lights wrapped around the
two main headlights provide a
distinctive facial signature to the
bike. Direction indicators are
integrated into the DRL profiles,
making the front end even more
compact, though for someone
of my 5'9" stature there was
space for me to tuck behind
the domed screen that proved
surprisingly effective in protect-
ing me from windblast. Pity the
high-beam flasher switch on
the left bar was so easy to keep
brushing on inadvertently!
The lighting system is also
equipped with several features
to make riding safer, so thanks
to a twilight sensor the dipped
beams are switched on automat-
ically as it gets dark, while the
self-cancelling turn indicators
flash in the event of what Aprilia
call "emergency braking"–or
presumably if you get your imita-
tion of Aleix Espargaro just right!
Finally, the cornering lights
function sees two supplementa-
ry lights illuminate the inside of
any curve. On the flanks of the
bodywork, the double fairing
also stands out (literally) acting
as an aerodynamic appendage
to improve stability, and divert
hot airflow from the rider's legs.
(Above) Notice where Alan's
right boot is? Your foot rubs
against the swingarm when
your feet are tucked in. Rearset
manufacturers will therefore be
building aftermarket units with
large heel guards. (Left) There's a
lot going on with the new dash but
Aprilia has made it mostly easy to
understand what's going on.
