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Aprilia RS 660 with 48 hp in the test (Baujahr 2021)

Beautiful sports machine from Italy - is 48 hp enough?

10.09.2021

Photos: motorradtest.de

The Aprilia RS 660 belongs to an almost extinct species: SuperSport with 600 cc. There are hardly any competitors, for this reason alone it is worth taking a look at the beauty from Italy. We tested the RS 660 in the A2 variant with 48 hp. Will this performance be enough?

This is how she stands

Italian motorcycles are generally considered beautiful. Of course, this is a matter of taste, but with the RS 660 we can not help but agree. We had the black version for the test, but we find the yellow version even fancier (picture below). It is interesting that the sister model Aprilia Tuono 660 (-> test) does not look so much different, although it is a naked bike.

Anyway, the Tuno 660: The differences to the RS 660 have to be looked for with a magnifying glass. Apart from the fairing and the handlebars, both machines are very similar. Only in terms of equipment does the RS perform better: The well-functioning Quickshifter (with Blipper) is just as much a part of it as a 6-axis IMU with inclination sensors. If you were to add these two features to the Tuono, the RS would clearly be the better because cheaper deal.

In any case, the RS is not only beautiful, but also very compact. The wheelbase of only 1.37 m already speaks volumes, as does the weight of only 183 kg. The seat height of 820 mm is typical for a sports machine, you sit nicely integrated in the machine and are only moderately pulled over the tank forward to the stub handlebar. Since the footpeoxes on the RS have not moved too far back, you sit sporty, but not as aggressive as, for example, on an RSV4.

What it should be able to do

As I said, technically the RS already comes with the full hut as standard: Ride by Wire, driving modes, wheelie control, lean-angle-dependent ABS and traction control, cruise control, engine brake and Quickshifter - all on board. The TFT color display is easy to read, but would have liked to have been a little bigger. Especially the rev counter is only moderately readable, with a sports bike this is not appropriate in our opinion.

The complete equipment also continues with the chassis. The Kayaba suspension elements are adjustable, there is a very nicely drawn aluminum two-arm swingarm and aprilia can not be lumped on the tires either: Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2 are pre-assembled. Also striking is the short exhaust stub, which really makes a splash.

LED light incl. LED daytime running lights and LED turn signals are also included in series production. The brakes come from Brembo. The 4-piston fixed caliper at the front decelerates exemplarily, only at the rear we had to determine very long ABS control times, which we found a bit strange.

Photo: Aprilia (Work)

This is how she drives herself

So the equipment is complete and the machine is beautiful to look at just from the front - what else can go wrong? Well, we first have to drive to see if the RS 660 delivers what the data sheet and optics promise. Since we drove the A2 engine with 48 hp, we can only provide limited information on the subject of performance. We have noticed a good acceleration below, but from 6,000 umin the A2 variant runs out of air. The speed range of the 48 hp version is therefore quite narrow (2,500 to 6,000 umin). Of course, this should be quite different with the open version with 100 hp, because it only reaches the maximum line at 10,500 rpm.

But everything else is also great in the A2 version: Beautiful, dull V2 sound, good braking performance and above all a great chassis characterize the RS 660. It drives finer than the Tuono, but this can also be subjectively due to the seating position. You are more likely to be in the machine and have better contact with the road.

Conclusion - what sticks

The Aprilia RS 660 delivers what it promises: it is a racy super sports car and drives itself that way. What A2 license holders probably don't want to hear now: 100 hp fit this type of machine much better than 48 hp. Especially in the upper speed ranges, too little happens with the A2 machine - but only those who have already driven 100 hp or more will notice this. In this respect, the A2 bikers will probably miss little, because they just don't know it any other way.

The RS660 is a lot of fun on country roads and every owner will be able to enjoy the really super-complete equipment. The test machine was kindly provided to us by ZTS (Zweiradtechnik Schielmann in Bokel). There she stands as a demonstrator and is looking forward to test drives!

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