The Aprilia RS 660 is now officially available in Europe, after much teasing, hype, and waiting.
And because of that long wait, and bevy of information reveals, there isn’t too much that we don’t already know about this midsized twin-cylinder sport bike. But, we have long been waiting to hear what the machine would cost.
Today, that answer is finally here, and in Europe the 2021 Aprilia RS 660 will cost €11,050, while in the United Kingdom, pricing in pounds of sterling will be set at £10,149.
The first time we saw the Aprilia Tuareg 660, it was in a glass box at EICMA, surrounded and covered by plants that obscured our view.
But, with the dirt-focused adventure bike getting closer to reality, we were bound to get a better glimpse before its debut. That brings us to today.
Caught for the first time on the open road, this photo posted to the Aprilia RS660 Facebook group (and then removed) shows the mid-sized adventure bike in its pre-production form.
The Aprilia Tuono V4 X is a limited edition, track only, version of the Noale’s hyper-naked bike…and of course it comes with MotoGP-inspired wings. It makes 218hp at the crank, weighs 366 lbs bone dry, costs €34,900, and only 10 bikes were going to be made.
Now, Aprilia tells us that production for the Aprilia Tuono V4 X is going to increase three-fold. That means 30 bikes will be produced, which would seem like good news if you were not one of the lucky 10 who first got a chance to own this unique motorcycle.
We still have some bad news, however. All 20 of those additional units are already spoken for.
By the end of this year, Aprilia will finally bring its new two-cylinder platform to reality, putting the Aprilia RS660 (pictured above) on dealership floors.
This full-faired sport bike will be joined in early 2021 by the Aprilia Tuono 660, and from there we can expect at least one more model from this parallel-twin platform.
But what about something on the smaller end of the scale? There is an obvious hole in Aprilia’s lineup when it comes to the 300cc/400cc segment. That might be set to change, however.
Two weeks ago, we caught glimpse of a track-prepped Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 with wings and camoflage, and wondered what was to come of the Italian streetfighter. Today, we get that answer.
Behold the Aprilia Tuono V4 X – a limited edition, track only, version of the Noale’s hyper-naked bike. Complete with MotoGP-inspired wings, this carbon fiber clad Tuono V4 posts some impressive figures: 218hp (crank), 366 lbs (dry), and €34,900 (+VAT).
Built by Aprilia Racing, the Tuono V4 X is similar to the RSV4 X that we saw last year – most notably that only 10 units will be made available to the public. This is a shame, because the Aprilia Tuono V4 X is dripping with awesome.
Desmo Dovi is no more. The eight-year partnership between Andrea Dovizioso and Ducati Corse will come to an end when the flag falls after the last race of the 2020 MotoGP season.
The news was made official by Dovizioso’s manager Simone Battistella, after a final meeting with Ducati management to try to agree terms. Battistella told broadcaster Sky Italia that they had been unable to find common ground to continue.
The Aprilia Tuono V4 1100 seems set to get wings for the next model year, as the eagle eyes at GPone have caught the Italian streetfighter testing with a MotoGP-inspired aerodynamics package.
Caught spinning laps in Imola with test rider Lorenzo Savadori at the control, what we see here is surely coming for the next model year, but the question is whether it will be a street bike or not.
The Piaggio Group has gained access to a €60 million credit line from the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, which will fund the motorcycle conglomerate’s research, development, and innovation pursuits.
Good news if you are a small-displacement racing fan, as the Aprilia RS250 SP will not just be a European affair, as we get word today that the 250cc track bike will be coming to the USA as well.
Interestingly enough, the Aprilia RS250 SP will not make its way across the pond via the Piaggio Group, but instead Rise Moto – the Ohvale distributer for the United States – will be importing the machine.
That shouldn’t be too much of a surprise for those who are in the loop on how the Aprilia RS250 SP came to be (and of course you are, as you religiously read Asphalt & Rubber every day).
It was a day of good news and bad news for Aprilia.
On the day that the Court of Arbitration of Sport announced that WADA had appealed against the penalty imposed on Andrea Iannone, demanding his suspension be extended to the full four years set out in the doping code, the Italian factory was also able to announce a two-year contract extension with Aleix Espargaro.
The Spaniard will remain with Aprilia for the 2021 and 2022 seasons in MotoGP.
The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated motorcycle racing in many different ways, some quite unexpected. To address some of those complications, the Grand Prix Commission, MotoGP’s rulemaking body, agreed a number of exceptions to the rules for the 2020 season, concerning wildcards, concerning concession points, and concerning engine development.
Engine development had already been frozen in response to the coronavirus crisis. In part as a cost-cutting measure, and in part because the European manufacturers had had their factories closed, all six MSMA members agreed to halt engine development and use the engines they were due to homologate for the 2020 season for the start of the 2021 season.