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Up-Close with the Aprilia Tuono 660

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It is easy to peg the Aprilia Tuono 660 as simply the “naked version” of the fully faired Aprilia RS 660 sport bike, but the more and more I think about this Italian middleweight-twin, I feel that distinction is a misleading way to regarding the smaller Tuono.

The better way to think about the Aprilia Tuono 660 is to regard it as Aprilia’s road-focused 660 offering, whereas the RS 660 is geared more towards track enthusiasts.

As one can see, the Aprilia Tuono 660 doesn’t really have a lack of fairing, just more of a bikini approach, in contrast to the RS 660’s one-piece design.

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Reviews

What It’s Like Riding the 2021 Aprilia RSV4, A Review

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What do you say about the Aprilia RSV4? The past 13 years have seen a number of changes come to the RSV4 (and seen a number of letters come and go, as well), as Aprilia has been consistent in its effort to keep the RSV4 at the pointy end of the liter-bike spectrum.

The 65° V4 engine has grown from 999cc from its debut in 2009, now to 1,099cc in 2021. Similarly, the electronics package has gotten smarter and faster. And of course, the design has (debatably) improved with the latest trend of aerodynamic aids.

This constant unyielding iteration is unseen elsewhere in the motorcycle industry, which instead prefers to succumb to the ebbs and flows of more clearly defined model generations.

This unique approach has allowed Aprilia to constantly keep the RSV4 at the pointy end of the liter-bike segment, but has it paid off for the 2021 model year RSV4 and RSV4 Factory machines, though? That is the topic of today’s story.

To find the answer to whether the Aprilia RSV4 has gotten better with age, and remains at the top of the superbike pile, we took this motorcycle to one of the most iconic tracks in the United States: Laguna Seca. 

We were not disappointed in the result. Let me explain.

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Bikes

Aprilia RS 660 Trofeo Now Available with a Race-Ready 105hp

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Something we have been hinting about the Aprilia RS 660 just came true today, as the middleweight-twin sport bike is now officially ready for racing duty, and being offered through Noale’s Aprilia Factory Works program.

What does that mean? A factory equipped ready-to-race bike that has been honed by the same hands that touch Aprilia’s MotoGP and WorldSBK projects.

The result is a 105hp machine that tips the scales at 337 lbs (153 kg) dry, which by our math should be good for 370 lbs when fully fueled and lubricated.

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Bikes

Up-Close with the 2021 Aprilia RSV4 Factory

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For the 2021 model year, the venerable Aprilia RSV4 gets another update to its 13-year-old platform.

The RSV4 has evolved considerably in that timeframe, and over that period, this production motorcycle lays claim to being the first with an IMU, the first with ride-by-wire, and the first with winglets.

While the differences between the model years of the RSV4 can be subtle at times, the 2021 model sees a revamp of the superbike’s aesthetic, especially in terms of how it handles aerodynamics.

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Podcast

Brap Talk Podcast #61 – Two Gun Gonzales

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Episode 61 of the Brap Talk motorcycle podcast is out with another “weekly” episode, for your two-wheeled listening pleasure. Apologies for the delay on this one – I am pretty sure it was edited with a mild concussion, which will be explained in Episode 62.

The show is worth the wait though, as we talk about riding the new Aprilia RSV4 superbike at Laguna Seca. Spoiler alert: it’s awesome.

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MotoGP

Andrea Dovizioso Talks About Testing the Aprilia RS-GP at Jerez

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Four months after getting off the Ducati, with no contracts signed for 2021, Andrea Dovizioso is riding again.

The Italian has spent the past three days testing the Aprilia RS-GP at a private test at Jerez, sharing the track with Yamaha, KTM, and Honda, in between the sessions for the MotoE class.

On Wednesday afternoon, the final day of Dovizioso’s test with Aprilia, the Italian spoke to the media about the test, his motivation for testing the RS-GP, his plans for the immediate future, and what he thought of the test so far.

He was very cagey in his responses, not wanting to give away too much, but reading between the lines he still had plenty to say.

He did not want to enter into detail about how the bike felt, insisting that the first thing he had to do was to find the right riding position before he could be comfortable trying to push the bike to its limit.

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Bikes

Aprilia Tuono V4 Gets a Facelift and More for 2021

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When we saw updates come to the Aprilia RSV4 superbike for the 2021 model year, we knew that a similar treatment was coming to the Tuono V4 line as well.

Now today, we get confirmation of that news, as the venerable streetfighter from Noale debuts with a facelift, some updates, and perhaps most importantly, a pretty clear distinction between the Tuono V4 and Tuono V4 Factory models.

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Reviews

Gone Riding: Aprilia Tuono 660

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The other side of the same coin? The Aprilia Tuono 660 is the “more naked” sibling (it’s a little unfair to call it a naked bike) to the Aprilia RS 660 sport bike.

With a more upright sitting position, cheaper price tag, and a lack of an IMU, the Aprilia Tuono 660 hopes to be a bit more approachable for street riders who aren’t looking for the race-ready design that comes with the RS 660.

Is there enough meat on the bones to hoon around on the track with this 660cc Tuono though? That’s what we aim to find out.

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MotoGP

Andrea Dovizioso Will Test for Aprilia – Why Did He Say Yes Now?

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It might be an exaggeration to call today’s news that Andrea Dovizioso is to test the Aprilia RS-GP MotoGP bike at Jerez from April 12th to 14th a bombshell, but it certainly raised a few eyebrows.

The Italian had previously turned down the offer of a full-time ride with the Noale factory for 2021, despite Aprilia extensively courting his services. So for Aprilia to offer a test ride is no surprise. For Dovizioso to accept is certainly interesting.

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