The Italian Middleweight That Makes More Powerful Sport Bikes Seem Pointless
By the end of the 00s, the supersport class had indeed reached its zenith. Ever since then, it has been in gradual decline, with one 600cc bike after another either discontinued, or neutered by emissions restrictions. These small capacity inline-fours which ruled this class served as the canary in the coal mine in this respect, with their performance greatly affected by emissions devices.
Parallel Twins Help Offer Us A New Direction
While supersports of old are often revered by enthusiasts, the cold, hard truth about those bikes is that they were woefully impractical. Below a certain RPM they were gutless, and above a certain RPM you would be breaking at least one law. Under the right conditions, these bikes were, and still are, incredible to ride. But, those “right conditions” only really exist on a closed course, or your imagination.
There are still a few of these old-school supersports available, but a new crop of more practical middleweight sport bikes have started taking their place. Most of these new-era supersports feature more efficient parallel-twin engines (with a few unique exceptions) and more comfortable ergonomics. All these bikes are more practical to use in the real world, but only one can really take the fight to the original bikes out on track.
The Aprilia RS 660 Offers An Impressive Balance Between Performance And Pragmatism
MSRP: $11,849
Out of all the modern supersports on the market, it is the RS 660 that really stands out. It sits between its more affordable 600cc rivals and the more powerful bikes competing in the upper middleweight class. In many ways, the Aprilia is more comparable to those more powerful 800/900cc bikes because of the long list of premium components it has on offer. Yet, it still works as well as any of those 600 class bikes in the real world thanks to its slightly more relaxed ergos, and that efficient parallel-twin.
The RS 660 Has An Engine Built For The Real World
Power: 105 Horsepower
While the engineering might not be quite as straightforward, from the outside the 660 really does look like half a V4. Piaggio (Aprilia’s parent company) poured millions of dollars into the development of that incredible V4 engine, so it follows that the middleweight would be closely related to that lump. It makes more or less half the overall horsepower of the superbike engine, and has proven to be just as reliable and efficient as its closest parallel-twin-equipped rivals.
A 270 Degree Parallel Twin With Italian Charm
The 270 degree parallel-twin has become one of the most popular engine configurations currently in production, and it is pretty easy to see why. They offer all the advantages of a traditional V-twin without the drawbacks. You get solid midrange performance, which makes whatever bike comes equipped with one of these engines pretty fun to ride under real-world riding conditions. They are also pretty efficient, and cost-effective to build. The fact that the 660 is so closely related to the V4 just adds a dash of “Italian charm” to the mix.
The RS 660 Is A Feature-Laden Modern Supersport
Unlike several bikes on the market today, the RS 660 was designed from the ground up with all the technology it comes equipped with in mind. This makes a fairly big difference in the sense that everything works together while bikes that get tech added after the fact can feel a little disjointed.
In terms of electronic features, you get cornering ABS, lean-sensitive traction control, ride modes, cruise control, and a quickshifter all standard. Features like this were reserved for halo models in the past, but we are seeing more and more middleweights getting IMU-backed electronics these days. Although there will be those that long for the simplicity of an analog supersport, those bikes are pretty tricky to ride on the limit, whereas the RS 660 will save you from yourself when you run out of talent.
A Lightweight Twin-Spar Aluminum Chassis Makes All The Difference
At the end of the day, you will not be buying this bike for its potent parallel-twin engine, or its sophisticated electronics, you will be buying it for its chassis. Unlike most of its middleweight rivals, which need to make do with simple steel frames, Aprilia gave the middleweight a proper lightweight twin-spar aluminum chassis. Even with all the electronics, the RS 660 still only tips the scales at 403 pounds, which makes it the lightest bike in its class.
Along with the lightweight chassis, you also get fully adjustable KYB suspension at both the front and rear. Its chassis and suspension work together to deliver a truly dynamic ride. For track rats, the Factory model takes it up a notch with high-end components from that famous Swedish brand, but for the vast majority of us that will simply be using this as a fun street bike, the base model offers more than enough adjustability.
Many enthusiasts lament the demise of the 600cc screamers, but when bikes like this exist, anything more powerful just seems excessive. For the money, this is one of the best sport bikes currently on the market. It handles better than pretty much anything, and in the right hands will make some superbikes look rather silly on a decent canyon road. It also offers enough practicality to use more regularly than any of those bigger, more dedicated superbikes, or old supersports.
The RS 660 is the complete package, and just so happens to look better than most modern sport bikes with a design we suspect will be looked at with more fondness in the future. We are currently plagued with all sorts of wings that stick out everywhere on sport bikes. But, the 660’s wing has been well integrated with the overall design, and looks particularly striking in Blue Marlin (pictured above). Unfortunately, Aprilia has a relatively small dealer network, and if you don’t live near one it can become something of an inconvenience. But, that is pretty much the only negative we can think of.
Source: Aprilia
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