As a general rule, Aprilia's sportbike line falls in the superbike displacement range, but the factory ventures into new territory with its Concept RS 660 supersport. That's right; Piaggio's racebike subsidiary has designed an all-new ride around an equally-new, mid-size, twin-cylinder engine. The new engine borrows from the 1,100 cc V4 that powers the Tuono V4 and RSV4 1100 Factory for both its design and its electronics to make this a very well-rounded road machine. Add some comfort-related features and you've got yourself a fun-bike with some real potential. Details are still a bit sparse, but here's what we know as of now.

2019 First Look: Aprilia Concept RS 660

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2019 First Look: Aprilia Concept RS 660
  • Engine/Motor: Parallel-Twin
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Aprilia Concept RS 660 Design

The Concept RS 660 is the very epitome of a supersport with a narrow build and aggressive rider's triangle for a look that's entirely in keeping with its agile nature. Dual headlights ride in squinty recesses in the fairing with integrated turn signals to keep all the forward lighting tidy and aerodynamic.

Below the lights are spoiler-like vents providing downward pressure at speed to help keep the front wheel planted. An angular cowl scoop opens up below the foils with a series of vents to reintegrate the cooling air with the slipstream. A smoked bubble screen punches a hole in the wind for your torso and head, but you'll have to tuck all the way in to find it. Clip-on bars help out by leaving room for an aggressive riding posture without forcing you into one, and that delivers a bit of comfort that road warriors and commuters will appreciate. Oh, and in a bid to minimize heft, the factory opted to use carbon fiber as the material of choice for most of the above.

The angular fuel tank drops rather abruptly to the narrow waist and pulls you down into the machine. By “you” I mean you alone. The RS terminates with a tail fairing over what would be the pillion seat, and is decidedly not built to share the fun with a friend. Since the subframe rises up so sharply, the void between it and the rear wheel lends the RS an all-up-front look.

Aprilia Concept RS 660 Chassis

There really isn't much of a frame hiding under the skin of the Concept RS 660, not in the traditional sense of the word anyway. The frame's front-end is, essentially, just a yoke that attaches to the engine to locate the steering head with the engine as the main structural member between the steering bearings and the swingarm pivot. Details are sparse, but it looks like you'll be able to count on Brembo brake calipers with dual front discs and ABS protection as part of the stock equipment package. I expect cast-aluminum to be the material of choice for the six-spoke wheels.

Aprilia Concept RS 660 Drivetrain

Information on the engine in the Concept RS 660 is still hard to come by. We know it's a 660 cc parallel-twin that draws from the 1100 cc V4 in the Tuono, and that it is to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 horsepower. If I were to take a S.W.A.G. at it, I'd say we can expect around 75 pound-feet of torque as well. The factory chose this engine configuration in order to keep the machine nice and narrow for optimal penetration.

Aprilia Concept RS 660 Pricing

The Concept RS 660 is still exactly that, a concept – a prototype – so the sale price is still TBA. Considering the market it'll enter and the competition already there, I expect it to come in under $14k and closer to $12k to be a contender.

Aprilia Concept RS 660 Competitors

With so little information to go on, it's a tall order to do a nuts-and-bolts comparison with Aprilia's newest concept bike, the RS 660, but I can tell you what the market around it will look like. We'll see names like Honda and Yamaha with their CBR600RR and YZF-R6, respectively, for the track-day performance, handling, and electronics they bring to the masses. Both are affordable at an average of $12,000, right around where I expect the Aprilia to fall on the price spectrum, and I bet when we get the full set of figures on the RS 660 we're going to find comparable numbers to the above, as well. Time will tell, but the Aprilia Concept RS 660 is stepping into a crowded market with no shortage of big-name competition.

He Said

“The RS 660 looks like it's going to meet expectations, at least so far as we can tell at this point. There's a lot riding on its success as it's the only supersport on the menu and it looks to grab a slice of the market that its Shiver and Dorsoduro didn't quite reach. It is, by no means, a good machine for an entry-level rider, but as a first- or even second-upgrade, the RS 660 might be just the thing, especially for would-be elbow draggers. Don't be fooled into a false sense of complacency either; just because the horsepower tops out around 100 ponies doesn't mean it isn't worthy of respect.”

She Said

My wife and fellow motorcycle writer, Allyn Hinton, says, “I might disagree with my husband on this one. I'm not ready to cross the Concept RS 660 off the list of possibles for new riders just yet. The bike was on display at 2018 EICMA and it does seem to lend itself to a more manageable demeanor. It's a mid-displacement ride slated for less than 100 horsepower. I am eager to see what Aprilia does with it.”

Aprilia Concept RS 660 Specifications

TBA

Further Reading

Honda CBR600RR

See our review of the Honda CBR600RR.

Yamaha YZF-R6

See our review of the Yamaha YZF-R6.

Aprilia Shiver 900

See our review of the Aprilia Shiver 900.

Aprilia Dorsoduro 900

See our review of the Aprilia Dorsodoro 900.

Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR & Factory

See our review of the Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 RR & Factory.

Aprilia RSV4 1100 Factory

Review Pending

My Top Concept Bike Picks From 2018 EICMA

See our pick of the EICMA concept bikes from last year.

Aprilia

Read more Aprilia news.