2021 Aprilia RS660 midweight in Malaysia, RM59,900

Making its debut in Malaysia is the 2021 Aprilia RS660, Aprilia’s offering in the sports middleweight market, with an introductory price of RM59,900. Pricing excludes road tax, insurance and registration, and there are two colour schemes available, Lava Red and Apex Black.

Powered by a Euro 5 compliant, liquid-cooled, two-cylinder, DOHC mill displacing 660 cc, and producing 100 hp at 10,000 rpm and 67 Nm of torque at 8,500 rpm. Deriving its engine design from the front two cylinders from the Aprilia 1,100 cc V-four, the RS660 gets power to the ground via a six-speed gearbox equipped with an Aprilia Quickshifter and chain final drive.

Designed to get the most out of the engine performance, the RS660 delivers 80% of engine torque at 4,000 rpm, with 90% torque on tap when engine speed reaches 6,250 rpm. For comparison, the Yamaha MT-07 (RM38,888 in Malaysia), the RS660’s closest equivalent in terms of displacement and engine configuration, produces 74.8 PS at 9,000 rpm and 68.0 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm from 689 cc.

As per the larger bikes in the Aprilia catalogue, the RSV4 and the Tuono V4, the RS660 comes equipped with a full suite of riding aids. These include traction control, wheelie control, engine braking control as well as engine mapping and cruise control. Managed by a six-axis inertial management unit, the RS660 also comes with multi map cornering ABS, three road riding modes plus two riding modes dedicated for track use.

All necessary information is displayed on a full-colour TFT-LCD screen, with Aprilia’s MIA multimedia module that allows connection of the rider’s smartphone to the bike being an optional. The MIA module allows for voice commands and management of calls and music on the rider’s phone, as well as turn-by-turn navigation, complemented by hand controls on the left handlebar pod.

Weighing 183 kg (169 kg dry), the RS660 uses a 41 mm diameter upside-down front fork and monoshock at the back, both fully-adjustable. Braking is done by Brembo with four-piston callipers on twin brake discs in front and two-piston calliper and single disc on the back wheel.

Seat height on the 2021 Aprilia RS660 is set at 820 mm while 15-litres of fuel is carried in the tank. The RS660 arrives in Aprilia Malaysia dealer showrooms from mid-2021, with bookings being taken now.