Aprilia RS660 is desirable :) (first ride review)

Dankotaru

2019
CBR650R ABS
Jul 5, 2019
7000' ASL, USA
The RS660 has been on my radar ever since it's preview last year. It seems perfect for what I want in a sport bike right now: power similar to the 650R but with a little more torque, better suspension and brakes, and lighter. But Aprilia reliability makes me nervous. My local dealer has told me some stories about Aprilia warranty issues are how his Ducati customers claim their bikes are reliable, lol. Even still, I plan to check this out once my dealer gets it in stock.
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
I've been eyeing this bike ever since its announcement last year. Two things worry me though: Aprilia reliability and passenger room.

The reliability doesn't worry me too much, actually. By being patient and waiting a year or so, I can keep an eye out for reports on reliability issues. Also, warranty laws are quite clear here so issues that crop up in the first year of ownership will have to be dealt with by the dealer.

Passenger room is a bit of a thing, though. I have rarely ridden with a passenger, but I was "grooming" my girlfriend for 2up riding a bit. We bought her the stuff she needs to ride with me and I was planning on doing some rides. COVID threw a bit of a spanner in the works there, but it's something I'm looking forward to. Looks like the RS660 won't have room for a passenger. Or am I wrong? Might be worth it waiting for the Tuono 660 instead?
 

Dankotaru

2019
CBR650R ABS
Jul 5, 2019
7000' ASL, USA
I've been eyeing this bike ever since its announcement last year. Two things worry me though: Aprilia reliability and passenger room.

The reliability doesn't worry me too much, actually. By being patient and waiting a year or so, I can keep an eye out for reports on reliability issues. Also, warranty laws are quite clear here so issues that crop up in the first year of ownership will have to be dealt with by the dealer.

Passenger room is a bit of a thing, though. I have rarely ridden with a passenger, but I was "grooming" my girlfriend for 2up riding a bit. We bought her the stuff she needs to ride with me and I was planning on doing some rides. COVID threw a bit of a spanner in the works there, but it's something I'm looking forward to. Looks like the RS660 won't have room for a passenger. Or am I wrong? Might be worth it waiting for the Tuono 660 instead?
Same concerns about reliability. My 'local' dealer is still over an hour from my house, and I just as soon never have to go there unless I'm in the neighborhood and feel like checking out the new inventory.

The pillion seat and pegs look fine to me, though. Maybe a little narrower seat, but slightly longer passenger peg mounts for a bit more leg room than the 650R:
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JasCBR650R

2020
CBR650R
Jun 12, 2020
Riding Since
2020
Looks like a fantastic bike - a lot of settings to make use of, if you do that sort of thing. I was envious when I first saw it then looked at my Honda CBR650R and soon forgot about it! 😆
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
Looks like a fantastic bike - a lot of settings to make use of, if you do that sort of thing.
This is a bit of a weird one. The RS660 has Aprilia's most advanced electronics ever, but it's a street oriented middle weight bike with 100 claimed horsepower.

Why not ditch the fancy 6 axis EMU for a simpler setup and knock a bit off the price?
 

miweber929

2014
CBR650F
650 Alumnus
Staff
Feb 13, 2015
Woodbury, MN
Riding Since
1975
This is a bit of a weird one. The RS660 has Aprilia's most advanced electronics ever, but it's a street oriented middle weight bike with 100 claimed horsepower.

Why not ditch the fancy 6 axis EMU for a simpler setup and knock a bit off the price?
Because that’s not what people want.

Look, I agree with you: zero reason a middleweight needs traction control, rider modes, hell even a slipper clutch to me is wasted on a road focused bike. But that’s what buyers want because reviewers, convince them that is what they “need”. Such a waste.
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
I got to ride an RS660 for about 30 minutes today. Here's my takeaway from that short ride:

First off, ergonomics. When I first stepped on the bike and rode the first five minutes, I felt like I was in a way more aggressive position than on my CBR650F. But once I got used to it a little, I guess it's not too different at all. The positioning feels like you're sitting a sight bit more forward on the bike and your hands are a little closer to your knees. Your arms are angled a tiny bit more downward so all in all, your profile is probably a bit smaller than on the CBR. The knee angle is much like on the CBR. So yeah, the RS660 feels more sporty, but it's not uncomfortable. I really have to ride it longer to judge how it feels on longer rides.

The second thing you'll notice when you get on this bike is how it sounds. And let me tell you, it sounds absolutely great. People keep complaining about Euro5 regulations and what it does to bikes, but man, the stock Euro5 exhaust on this just sounds great. It sounds more mechanical and clunky than the CBR, but it has this beefyness to it which I'm confident to say matches a V2 sound, despite it being a parallel twin (with offset firing times though).

Then as you twist the throttle you feel the bike surge forward. When looking at the specsheet, you'll find the RS660 comes in with peak torque around 66Nm. The CBR peaks at 64Nm. But you don't need a dyno chart to notice that the torque delivery of the Aprilia is way more consistent than on the CBR. That's in large part the effect of having a twin versus an inline 4, but I suspect Aprilia were also able to expertly tune this twin cylinder block to almost instantly deliver that torque. When you do take a peek at the torque chart, you'll find the RS660 delivers almost all of its torque from 2500rpm and from that point onward, it's just an almost horizontal line. The CBR has a torque dip around 6000 rpm only to pick it back up to peak at around 9000. In practice, this means the RS660 is much livelier and each touch of the throttle will bring instant acceleration. As great as this is when you really want to pin it, I have to admit that it also meant the bike felt a little restless when actually trying to ride a bit more relaxed. Perhaps the "commute" riding mode alleviates this a bit, but I wasn't able to try because, as silly as it sounds, I had no idea how to change rider modes (it was in "Dynamic" mode). I pressed and nudged and pulled all the buttons I saw but nothing seemed to open a menu or change the riding mode.

Having the quick shifter on there is great too. You can just tap through the gears instantly. But this also requires some level of care. It's all too easy to just tap from first to second to third and find you're doing 150kmh+ (93mph) on an 80kmh (50mph) road. On the CBR, having to pull the clutch lever, let go of the throttle and shift gives a slight break in acceleration and somehow that gives your mind a tiny moment of down time where it can catch up with the realization of how fast you're going and hold back.

The bike is a delight to corner. It's so effortless. And I realize that's a bit of a buzzword among motorcycle journalists, but it truly is effortless. You just point it and it goes without hesitation. I felt very confident going through corners at speeds higher than I'd usually take them, despite this bike being completely new to me.

So I had a blast riding this bike, as short as it was. But the most eye-opening moment was when I stepped back on my own bike to ride home. Suddenly it felt a bit unresponsive. A bit tame. Docile. And the first corner I took had me adjusting my line because I went way too wide. A result of the feeling of the RS660's nimbleness still in my hands.
I'm not gonna lie, the RS660 is a superior bike in pretty much every way. One thing that did stand out to me, in favor of the CBR650F, is how damn good the CBR's gearbox is. It just feels very solid. Yes, there's a mechanical feel to it but compared to the RS660, but it feels sturdy, direct and rugged. Especially when kicking the RS660 into first gear it feels a little mushy.

Do I feel the CBR650F is a poor choice when comparing these two? Not necessarily. I think relaxed touring rides are better suited for the CBR650F than the RS660. The CBR is just a tad less sporty and more laid back and relaxed. It's also potentially more comfortable on long trips, but I can't make any hard judgments about that yet. Another thing is that the CBR650F is a bike I'd wholeheartedly recommend to any new rider (new in European terms: with a proper license under your belt). The RS660 might be just a tad too much for your first bike. Not impossible, but even I felt a bit overwhelmed from time to time. On the RS660, those speedlimits are reached that much faster.

Will I buy the RS660? Well, not yet. It's on my mind but I still have some other real-life obligations to fulfill before I can put some money aside for a new bike. Other than that, I also want to try the Tuono 660 to see how it differs in terms of ergonomics. But I think, maybe next year, it's well possible I'm going to put down the money for a brand new RS660. That still leaves more than enough time to decide on whether I should go with black or the purple/red one :)
 
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JH09

2019
CB650R ABS
Jul 29, 2020
Riding Since
2010
not going with the lime green and red wheels? 🤔 saw this review a couple weeks ago on the tuono vs RS. would be a hard decision for sure.
aprilia are doing track demo days here in the states, alas i could not get my stuff together to do the one "near" me.
 

Jerry

2016
CBR650F ABS
May 18, 2017
The Netherlands
I like the green on the Tuono 660 but I don't like that they've paired it with the orange wheels. I think I'd like it better if the wheels were either the same green or perhaps just black.
 

Goblin

2019
CB650R ABS
Sep 2, 2019
I really like the bike, the ride is super smooth, quick shifter great, fit and finish is amazing, tft dash really good, it’s just a really good street bike . O yeah Jerry the pillion seat is for me a no go 😁
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