It would appear that the hype train surrounding the Aprilia RS 660 is far from over. With the bike just now beginning to make its way to different parts of the globe, many riders are just now getting a taste of just how good the new hotshot sportbike from Aprilia really is. When Aprilia first unveiled the RS 660 late last year, the world stood in awe as this bike practically redefined the definition of a middleweight sportbike.
The Aprilia RS 660 is considered by many as the ultimate daily sportbike thanks to its slightly more comfortable ergonomics. While not as committed as true, blue supersports, the RS660 is also equipped with an engine that's way more tractable—not nearly as peaky as those found on 600-class supersport bikes. All that being said, Malaysia is next in line for this sharp sportbike. Expected to arrive in the market either in March or April of this year, the RS 660 is expected to be priced somewhere between RM60,000 to 70,000, or the equivalent of around $16,000 USD.
Initially scheduled for launch late last year, the unfortunate global situation, which continues to make its presence felt all across Asia, forced this launch date to be postponed to this year. Taking a closer look at this sportbike, we see a few features which have been designed to incorporate a dose of sporty riding into everyday life. For starters, the RS 660's 659cc parallel-twin engine churns out a healthy 100 horsepower at 10,500 rpm—a lot more tractable than that of, say, a Kawasaki ZX-6R's 126 horsepower at a sky-high 13,500 rpm. Additionally, the bike is equipped with clip-on handlebars which are not super low-slung.
The Aprilia RS 660 boasts an incredibly featherweight 169 kg dry, making it extremely agile and nimble both on the track and on city streets. Lastly, the bike comes equipped with Aprilia Performance Ride Control (APRC) which governs a suite of rider aids via a six-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU). This sophisticated electronics package is similar to that of the range-topping Aprilia RSV4.
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Sources: Bikes Republic, iMotorbike