Aprilia RS 660 (2026 –) review

Middleweight sports bikes may be making a comeback with the likes of the Honda CBR600RR, Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR and a new wave of small-capacity screamers from Chinese brands like QJMotor but none get much more alluring than Aprilia’s RS660 – and now it’s even better than ever. First launched 2021, the pocket rocket twin is in essence ‘half’ an Aprilia 1100 RSV4 with its lookalike twin-spar aluminium frame, decent cycle parts and swish Italian styling. And now it’s been updated with MotoGP inspired styling and aero, a new TFT dash, extra power, uprated electronics and new colour schemes marking Aprilia’s 10 years in MotoGP. There’s also now a new Factory version with fully adjustable Öhlins suspension. Yes, bigger sports bikes can be faster and flashier, but we can’t think of a sub-700cc example that has as much to tempt you.

The RS may look a full-on middleweight sportster with all the implications for an extreme, cramped riding position that brings but, presumably with novices in mind, it’s not that bad. Being a twin it’s relatively narrow, light and compact, of course, all of which makes it unintimidating and manageable. The seat is also surprisingly broad and the cant forward to the raised, ‘clip-on’ bars fairly gentle. Sure, if you’re larger and/or taller you may find it a little on the dinky side while the sports screen is so low you almost have to lay flat on the tank to get out of the windblast, but it’s not bad for a sporty bike of this type.

As the sports sibling in Aprilia’s now three-strong 660 family alongside the Tuono 660 naked and Tuareg 660 adventure bike the RS is inevitably the least practical in terms of comfort and all-round versatility. That said, the RS is in no way extreme. As a sporting toy it’s great fun, it’s relatively easy around town, even with a low screen it’s got something to hide behind on motorway blasts and it can even take a pillion, albeit a committed one. What’s more, as our test bike proved, if you buy it in 95 horsepower trim it can be restricted to run in 47 horsepower A2 form until such time as you can get your full licence.

Aprilia’s 659cc twin is very much a chip off the 1100cc RSV4 block and even has the same bore dimensions, albeit with a slightly longer stroke. The result is equally impressive. The RS has virtually the same capacity as Yamaha’s similar 689cc parallel-twin in the MT-07 but, thanks to internal revisions for 2026, almost 30 more horsepower. Even in the restricted A2 trim of our test bike it still impresses, with fruity drive from the off and more than enough to entertain, even accepting the fun drops off at higher revs. This is also all aided by three road and two track optimised riding modes, all easily navigated via the uprated TFT dash and an optioal quickshifter. Braking is equally impressive with twin 320mm discs and Brembos up front worthy of a litre-class sports bike.

The RS660 is a sports bike, albeit a middle capacity one, so you’d expect it to be firm, precise and nimble – and it is. Attack a series of B-road bends and the steering is almost telepathic, instantly making you think you could have done it so much quicker. That’s no bad thing, and the RS is a great introduction to sporty bikes. Decent tyres and great brakes are willing collaborators in this and the KYB suspension on this ‘base’ version (comprising 41mm inverted forks and a proper rising-rate monoshock rear is still fully adjustable and gives a classy, cultured feel few bikes in this category can match. If you want even fancier you can dig a little deeper in your pocket for the Öhlins-equipped Factory.

For an Italian sports bike with plenty of exotic touches the RS660 should be fairly cheap to run – if not as cheap as lesser powered rivals like the Yamaha R7. Its power output and sporty handling means it’ll have a greater hunger for consumables like chains, tyres, brake pads and so on than most – but far less so than bigger, more powerful machines. Its initial purchase price is also temptingly affordable for something that looks so exotic. This and its overall popularity means its residual values are better than many as well.

The days of fickle, fragile, temperamental Italian sports bikes are long gone. What’s more, despite the RS’s impressive performance figures the 659cc twin is, for the most, part under-stressed. As a result, there have been no major reliability issues since its 2021 launch and these latest updates are unlikely to affect that.

As mentioned in our review of the latest Tuareg 660, Aprilia’s current warranty offering is fairly typical in its two-year, unlimited mileage cover, extendable to up to four years if you stick with main dealer servicing. Intervals are fairly standard, too. After the initial 600-mile ‘break-in’ once-over, routine services are due every 6,200miles or annually, with the more expensive valve-check services every 12,400miles.

For a supposedly ‘entry-level’ first proper sports bike the RS660’s equipment levels are a key attraction, and further improved with this latest version. The Kayaba multi-adjustable suspension, Brembo brakes and aluminium twin spar frame are all a step up from class rivals, the latest RS also getting an improved colour TFT dash, the five rider modes mentioned previously, a full suite of electronic rider aids and the head-turning garnish of MotoGP inspired aero. With its race team inspired livery and designer-label suspension the Factory costs more but seriously dials up the posing power, too.

Some bikes stand head and shoulders above the others in their respective categories, and so it is with the Aprilia RS660 and the affordable mid-capacity sports class it operates in. This improved one raises the bar even further, given it looks the best, has great equipment as standard, possibly the sharpest handling and a price that, while steeper than the likes of the equivalent Triumph Daytona 660, Yamaha R7 or Suzuki GSX-8R, still looks pretty reasonable for what you’re getting.