EICMA 2019: Aprilia RS660 supersport unveiled

Aditya Jadhav Updated: November 06, 2019, 01:08 PM IST

Aprilia RS660 is the newest entrant in the middle-weight segment that has been showcased at this year's EICMA. When the motorcycle was in its concept stage, Aprilia said the RS660 will make it to the Asian markets. If it is brought to India, the RS660 will be positioned alongside the Kawasaki ZX-6R, Honda CBR650R and the next generation Triumph Daytona 765 that could be brought to India by mid-2020.

The styling of the Aprilia RS660 has stayed true to the concept design. Aprilia gets a 'double-fairing' that channels the air around the motorcycle to aid aerodynamics. The exhaust is an underbelly unit exposing the swingarm of the motorcycle. The tail is set high and isn't aggressively upswept and gets an extended mount to hold the license plate and turn indicators.

The RS660 deploys a new twin-spar frame and uses the engine as a stressed member. Speaking of the engine, the 660cc, twin-cylinder, Euro 5 compliant engine has been derived from the front two-cylinder of the RSV4's 1100cc power plant. The 660cc engine has a 270-degree crankshaft design which could in return mean the RS660 could have a unique exhaust note. So far the company has released the power figure of 101PS. (Peak power and torque number at certain RPM is yet to be disclosed).

The elecronic suit on the RS660 includes traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, engine braking based on a six-axis IMU (Inertia Management Unit). The motorcycle gets a two-way quick-shifter as well. Surprisingly, the motorcycle also gets cruise control as standard.

The RS660 deploys Kayaba 41mm upside-down forks in the front. The rear mono-shock shares the same mounting points as the elder RSV4. The braking duties are taken care of by radially mounted Brembo's with twin 320mm disc in the front.

Another highlight is a new 5-inch TFT screen that syncs with the user/rider 's smartphone. The switched to toggle through the new multimedia platform have been set on the left switchgear. The motorcycle has broken cover sporting two paint schemes - Purple and red, that pays homage to the 1994 Reggiana Replica RS 250 and black.