Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1327402
P86 QUICKSPIN I 2021 APRILIA RS 660 You'll want to make sure you change gears on the sweet action quickshifter before you crash into the harsh rev limiter at 11,500 rpm, but by then you've run past where all the ac- celeration is. Keep the RS surfing between 8-10,000 rpm, and you're met with constant drive and torque to pull you from one corner to the next. It truly is an addictive little engine. Aprilia has given you a bit of a blank canvas with the RS 660. It's a compact ride, and those taller than six feet will want to extend the seat unit back when they convert it into a track/race bike with aftermarket bodywork. Even though the handlebars are mounted atop the triple clamp, there's plenty of space to fit proper clip-ons because the RSV4- esque side air intakes are not actually intakes at all, just extra bodywork. The intake is at the front of the nosecone, so fitting track-specific handlebars will not be an issue so long as you change the top triple clamp. And you'll want to get a good set of rearset footpegs to get your legs a bit higher and further back, tilting you forward to help load the front more under braking. These are stan- dard race-bike mods and will turn the RS 660 from a sporty commuter into a proper race weapon. However, you won't have to make anywhere near the changes required by the two Japanese rivals in the Twins Cup to make a competitive track bike. The MotoAmerica Twins Cup is changing, and once this thing starts romping away with race wins this year, it may turn into an Aprilia Cup in much the same way Kawasaki has done with the Junior Cup and their Ninja 400. Hopefully, the success of the RS 660, both on track and in the showroom, will see a re- vamped push from the major manufacturers in the Supertwin class, because the real-world performance of the Aprilia is absolutely unde- niable and is exactly what the sportbike world needs right now. Until then, get ready to see the Aprilia RS 660 smoke all before it. CN SPECIFICATIONS 2021 APRILIA RS 660 ($11,299) ENGINE 4-stroke, Aprilia parallel twin, forward facing COOLING SYSTEM Liquid-cooled with water-oil radiator and heat exchanger DISPLACEMENT 659cc VALVETRAIN DOHC, 8 valves BORE X STROKE 81 x 63.9mm FUEL INJECTION EFI, full ride-by-wire 48mm throttle bodies COMPRESSION RATIO 13.5:1 POWER (CLAIMED) 100 hp at 10,500 rpm TORQUE (CLAIMED) 49.4 lb-ft at 8500 rpm EXHAUST 2-into-1 TRANSMISSION 6-speed w/Aprilia Quick Shift CLUTCH Multi-plate wet clutch w/ mechanical slip system ELECTRONICS 6-axis inertial platform, APRC package containing ATC (Aprilia Traction Control), AWC (Aprilia Wheelie Control), AEB (Aprilia Engine Brake), AEM (Aprilia Engine maps) and ACC, (Aprilia Cruise Control); five Riding modes (Road and Track, three fixed and two customizable) CHASSIS Aluminum dual-beam chassis with removable seat support subframe FRONT SUSPENSION Kayaba 41mm fork, aluminum radial caliper mounting bracket, fully adjustable REAR SUSPENSION Aluminum asymmetric swingarm, fully adjustable FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 4.72 in. REAR-WHEEL TRAVEL 5.12 in. FRONT BRAKE Brembo radial calipers 4-piston; cornering ABS REAR BRAKE 220mm disc, 2 piston Brembo caliper; cornering ABS FRONT TIRE 120/70 ZR17 in. REAR TIRE 180/55 ZR17 in. RAKE 24.1° WHEELBASE 53.9 in. SEAT HEIGHT 32.3 in. FUEL CAPACITY 3.96 gal. WEIGHT (WET, CLAIMED) 403 lbs.