Aprilia RS 660 2019 — Specifications

When Noale decides to tackle the sporty middleweight segment, the brand doesn’t do things halfway. The Aprilia RS 660 was built around a simple but remarkably effective idea: to take half of the RSV4 V4, condense it into a compact twin-cylinder engine, and deliver 95 horsepower in a 160-kilo dry chassis. On paper, this resembles a recipe for pure riding, the kind sought when you want to feel every turn without fighting against mechanics that overwhelm you.

This commitment to lightness and maneuverability is precisely what distinguishes the Aprilia RS 660 from the 200-horsepower hypersport bikes that populate dealership floors. A Kawasaki ZX-6R or a Honda CBR600RR push hard, but they demand a physical and mental form that many riders cannot maintain on the open road. Here, the 95 horsepower of the Aprilia RS 660 proves generous enough to provide frank sensations, while remaining exploitable by a much wider range of riders. A2 restriction is even possible, which opens the machine to recent license holders without betraying the machine's sporty DNA. This is the Aprilia RS 660 A2 in all its commercial and technical coherence.

The technical specifications of the Aprilia RS 660 are worth stopping to consider. The perimeter aluminum frame borrows the codes of the larger RSV4 sibling; it uses the engine as a structural element, a solution that reduces onboard weight and stiffens the entire assembly homogeneously. The inverted fork and single shock absorber ensure a healthy base, and the two front discs with four-piston calipers guarantee sufficient bite to play with trajectories without anxiety when braking. Onboard electronics complete the picture with traction control, quickshifter, and riding modes, equipment now found on much more expensive machines. In terms of personalization, the Aprilia RS 660 Akrapovic is one of the first reflexes of those seeking to gain a few extra decibels, as are the Aprilia RS 660 decorative kits that allow you to customize the livery.

At 12,000 euros for a new Aprilia RS 660 price, the machine positions itself coherently against the Yamaha R7 or the Honda CBR650R. It does not seek to crush the competition with brute power, but to convince through the overall balance and Italian manufacturing quality. On the market for used Aprilia RS 660, prices are maintained correctly, a sign that demand remains strong and that Aprilia RS 660 reliability does not cause a massive exodus of owners. Aprilia RS 660 problems reported by users mainly concern the first series, with a few minor electronic issues corrected on subsequent model years, from the Aprilia RS 660 2022 to the Aprilia RS 660 2024.

What this machine defends is a riding philosophy that large-displacement bikes have gradually erased: to trust the rider rather than the horsepower. You enter a turn with the certainty that the mechanics follow, that the chassis responds, that the 160 kilos pivot naturally. The Aprilia RS 660 is aimed at the rider who wants to progress, who seeks to build their technique without drowning in overwhelming power. It suits both the regular on mountain roads and the occasional track user looking to refine their trajectories. It is not the fastest machine in a straight line, and it has never claimed to be.