P82
QUICKSPIN I 2021 APRILIA RS 660
and the Brembo radial master-
cylinder are not as impressive on
track as it is on the street.
The lack of overall weight
compared to a bigger bike, and
the skinny feel of the chassis
gives loads of confidence to the
rider while cranked over. Its turn
speed is huge, partly due to the
5.5-inch rear wheel compared to
the 6-inch units more commonly
found on spor tbikes. You can
throw the RS around and it just
keeps coming back for more,
and when watching someone
like Rocco Landers pumping the
RS 660 around Buttonwillow,
you know the bike has potential
exceeding that of many a rider.
The wheelbase is rather com-
pact at 403 pounds wet (claimed)
and matched to a 24.1° rake,
enough to help you max out your
turn speed but keep a degree
of stability at your fingers. There
were slight changes between the
final production RS 660 chas-
sis and that which we saw debut
at EICMA in 2018 in prototype
form, with the main frame rails
narrowed and the engine mounts
moved closer to the steering
head, helping tilt the motor for-
ward and putting more weight on
the front for better braking and
cornering stability.
Part of what makes the RS
660 so good in the corners,
especially the tight switchbacks
of Buttonwillow, is the Engine
Brake Control (EBC), part of the
Aprilia Performance Ride Control
electronics suite and the six-axis
Inertial Measurement Unit.
(Above) The RS 660
is available in three
color options: Acid
gold, Apex black and
Lava red (pictured).
(Left) Aprilia's
claiming 100
horsepower from
the 659cc twin,
which translates to
about 85 rear wheel
horsepower—perfect
for Twins Cup racing.
Throw the RS 660 onto its side and the chassis talks right back at you.
This is an extremely neutral machine that just loves corners.
