2021 Aprilia Tuono 660 First Ride Review

[Admin]

Aprilia’s new 2021 Tuono 660 is set to hit North American dealers sometime this spring. (Aprilia/)

When Aprilia introduced its RS 660 middleweight sportbike last year, it was met with near unanimous praise from the motorcycling press, including our own Bruno dePrato. Billed as an affordable, capable tool for intermediate riders, the user-friendly sport model was hailed primarily as a streetbike with trackday capabilities, a welcome tool for aspiring racers on the hunt for a more versatile machine. Naturally we wondered if Aprilia would also present us with a more relaxed, street-ready version of the RS’s aluminum-framed, 659cc parallel-twin package. The company had put plenty of R&D, design, and engineering work into the new 660 platform, clearly planning to expand its product portfolio with an extended family of bikes. In other words, we guessed the firm’s rowdy RSV4 and Tuono V4s would be joined by more approachable middleweights, which would, in theory, appeal to a rider demographic with a border range of both skills and finances. Sure enough, Aprilia didn’t make us wait long. The more streetable Tuono 660 was officially announced as a new 2021 model just a few months ago, and an invitation to sample the bantamweight in Malibu came soon thereafter.

More upright than its RS brother, the Tuono 660 targets a different slice of the 600cc market. (Aprilia/)

The plan, as the best plans are, was simple. The technical brief was an outdoor walkaround of the new bike followed up with several spec sheets and notes emailed to us. Our small group of moto press folk would then ride out from the remote base in the Malibu hills and strafe snaky canyon roads in the Santa Monica mountains for the day.

To hear Aprilia reps tell it, the Tuono 660 looks to fill the slot between laser-focused 600cc supersports and more sedate middleweight budget bikes. Its agile and powerful yet approachable foundation adds higher-end componentry to give it versatility the others don’t have. In Aprilia’s middleweight world, the RS would take up the sporting end of the spectrum while the Tuono would be tasked as a daily rider.

We noticed the Tuono’s resemblance to the RS right away, its crisp styling highlighted by a distinct triple beam LED headlight on the front face, though the stubbier windscreen occupies much less real estate and the fork is black. The Tuono shares much of its spec sheet with the RS 660, including the DOHC parallel-twin engine with 270-degree firing order bolted to a dual beam aluminum chassis, but there are subtle differences. The Tuono has two frame anchor points to the engine (the RS 660 uses three) for easier and more predictable behavior on the road, according to Aprilia, and the handlebar is a one-piece unit that’s taller and more swept back. The footpegs are positioned differently and wear rubber inserts. Dedicated yokes change the fork offset ever so slightly to tweak handling and stability. Also missing on the Tuono, though available as options, are the standard quickshifter and six-axis inertial measurement unit which come standard on the RS. Aprilia may call its newest 660 a naked bike, but the bodywork bolted to its front flanks begs to differ, though we will admit the double-walled side panels are trimmed down quite a bit compared to the RS.

Engine-wise you get the same 100 hp parallel-twin engine, with a 13.5:1 compression ratio. (Aprilia/)

However you want to spin it, the Tuono 660 was approachable the first time we swung a leg over the saddle, which sits 32.2 inches off the ground but feels much lower thanks to a narrow nose and sculpted shape. I stand 5-foot-6 with a 31-inch inseam, and with the suspension compressed beneath my 160 pounds, I could easily flat-foot boots on the pavement. The seat is nicely padded, and it’s an easy reach to the flat bar, with boots falling easily onto footpegs positioned under your hips where you want them. Toss in the fact that the Tuono claims a lightest-in-class wet weight of 403 pounds and you’ll understand why we had zero issues backing out of a bumpy downhill parking space.

Crisp styling on the Tuono includes less cluttered triple beam LED headlight, keeping the family resemblance with RS on point. (Aprilia/)

The day began with a short blast on the Pacific Coast Highway, where the liquid-cooled 659cc parallel-twin engine responded with ultrasmooth linear delivery from the bottom of its range to very close to its 11,500 rpm redline, flattening out near the top; we also sensed a slight flat spot in around 4,000–6000 rpm. The initial high-speed leg gave us a solid first impression of the bike’s neutral freeway manners, as throttle response was smooth and willing, fueling was drama-free, and the few vibes in the bars and footrests only became noticeable beyond 6,000 rpm, and then mostly in the lower gears. Unfortunately the mirrors also became a blur at those revs. More impressive was the Tuono’s torque character. The spec sheet claims a peak of 49 pound-feet at 8,500 rpm, but 80 percent of that punch comes at 4,000 rpm, allowing for a much more accessible powerband that’s tame down low, but wiling to get rowdy. Rev it out past that, and the engine gets even more responsive, pulling hard all the way to the 8,500rpm peak at which point it levels off.  Another bonus you don’t often see on a 600cc middleweight? That would be cruise control, an easily managed one-button setup on the left bar.

Neutral handling and a lightweight chassis makes for easy turn-in with minimal input. (Aprilia/)

Venturing onto the winding backroad portion of our route gave the Tuono’s lightweight chassis a chance to show its stuff. Tipping it into corners came easily with just a touch of steering input, no exaggerated body movement needed to stick the line. The bike was nudged through the hairiest turns without complaint or stubbornness, sticking every ess with directional changes requiring only small inputs, body movement or not. Steering is light but planted, and the sticky Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II rubber felt incredibly surefooted on the road. The light-effort clutch and slick shifting action made hitting the right gear a cinch (and with the equipped quickshifter, almost an afterthought), and with plenty of low-end torque available, we could quickly pull out of the lowest-speed situations.

Lower-spec suspension means you’ll only have adjustability on the right fork leg of the Tuono 660. (Aprilia/)

The Tuono’s suspension arrangement is virtually the same as on the RS, but the lower-spec 41mm inverted fork is adjustable for spring preload and rebound damping in the right fork leg only, and with 10mm (0.4 inch) less travel. The linkage-less single rear shock is also only adjustable for spring preload and rebound, but the settings suited me fine as they were with good damping control and overall stability over everything but the biggest depressions, which could upset the chassis if you hit them at speed. Heavier riders would want to add a few clicks of rebound for rougher roads, but as it came, the suspension felt extremely composed without being overly plush.

The Tuono 660′s brakes offer superb stopping power without any abruptness, plus they’re easily actuated. (Aprilia/)

With an engine this easy to ride, you’re invariably going to have to scrub speed off quickly at some point. We’re pleased to report the Brembo arrangement fitted to the Tuono is more than up to the task. Even in consecutive quick stops, there was no fade. Braking performance is consistent and without abruptness, and is only ever an easy two-finger pull away. The rear brake, on the other hand, had much less feel; it felt mushy and didn’t have nearly as much bite.

There’s still plenty of power on tap here, but even when you goose it exiting a turn, the Tuono never feels like it’s riding you. There’s a complete feeling of control with this engine-chassis combo. The silky six-speed tranny lets you access as much performance as you’re looking to twist out of the engine’s more than capable 659cc. That’s further enhanced by a full suite of electronic rider aids including five ride modes, three presets for the road and two custom options for the track. We barely scratched the surface of possibilities here, keeping it mostly in the Commute or Dynamic presets, with maximum traction control and ABS at level 2, but suffice it to say that you can also tailor traction control, wheelie control, engine-braking, and select engine mapping. Experienced riders looking to get their drift on may want less intervention, and they can easily tweak the parameters to match their riding style. It’s all accessible via a color TFT display, further underscoring the Tuono’s robust feature set, though that display can be a bit difficult to read at speed. As mentioned, there’s also a bidirectional quickshifter option ($200) as well as a six-axis inertial measurement unit allowing even more precise management of the control parameters; it also enables cornering ABS and the Bending Lights functionality (also a $200 option).

Trickle-down tech from Aprilia’s bigger models includes the premium TFT dash, which allows you to access a full suite of electronic rider aids. (Aprilia/)

After a full six-hour day we can confirm the Tuono’s upright riding position, relaxed feel, and nicely padded seat added up to a comfortable and extremely rider-friendly cockpit arrangement. The sound of that intake honk coupled with the 270-degree crank also meant that Tuono just sounds dead sexy, almost on par with its bigger V4 brothers, even at idle. And the stubby windscreen above the headlight even gave us some measure of protection from airflow, but let’s face it, you’re gonna feel the wind at speed on this setup. What’s more impressive is just how much versatility the Tuono, and by extension its 660cc platform, brings to the 600 class in terms of performance, engine character, and handling. Commuters can spend their days burbling around at sub-6,000 rpm and feel thoroughly inspired and yet totally comfortable, especially with cruise control as a standard feature. Meanwhile, track jockeys can rip into another level over six grand and feel some real juice. The Tuono 660′s $10,500 price tag might be off-putting to some. I thought it was a bit steep until I rode it. But the bike’s versatility and feature set could be just the right fit for certain riders caught in the space between full race mode and casual canyon enthusiast. In any case, it seems like Aprilia’s serious about being more than just a superbike manufacturer.

Nicely padded seat is all-day comfy with a narrow profile that allows even shorter riders to reach the ground. (Aprilia/)

The 2021 Tuono 660 will be available in dealers in April in three colorways. For pre-booking, check out storeusa.aprilia.com/us_EN/, which also includes a $250 accessory credit.

Well thought out and upright ergonomics mean the Tuono can accommodate a variety of body types. (Aprilia/)
The Tuono 660 will be available in Concept Black (left), Iridium Gray (right), or for a $200 premium, the juicier Acid Gold (middle). (Aprilia/)
The trippy Acid Gold colorway will cost you an extra $200 over the base model. (Aprilia/)
They call it a “naked,” but this bodywork suggests otherwise. Then again, it does push heat away from the rider as well as offering some aerodynamic benefits. (Aprilia/)

2021 Aprilia Tuono 660 Specifications

MSRP:	$10,499–$10,649 (Acid Gold)
Engine:	659cc DOHC liquid-cooled parallel twin; 4 valves/cyl.
Bore x Stroke:	81.0 x 63.9mm
Transmission/Final Drive:	6-speed/chain
Claimed Horsepower:	100 hp @ 10,500 rpm
Claimed Torque:	49.5 lb.-ft. @ 6,000 rpm
Fuel System:	2, 48mm throttle bodies, ride-by-wire
Clutch:	Wet, multiplate, with slipper system
Front Suspension:	41mm USD fork; spring preload and rebound damping adjustable; 4.7 in. travel
Rear Suspension:	Single shock; spring preload and rebound damping adjustable; 5.1 in. travel
Front Brake:	4-piston radial calipers, dual 320mm discs w/ ABS
Rear Brake:	2-piston calipers, 220m disc w/ ABS
Wheels, Front/Rear:	Aluminum alloy, 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 5.5 in.
Tires, Front/Rear:	Tubeless radials; 120/70-17, 180/55-17
Rake/Trail:	24.1°/4.1 in.
Wheelbase:	53.9 in.
Seat Height:	32.2 in.
Fuel Capacity:	3.9 gal.
Claimed Wet Weight:	403 lb.
Availability:	April 2021
Contact:	aprilia.com

View the full article

[Stu]

@Tiggie That shit coloured Aprilia is back!! 

[Tiggie]

bet they'll end up been loads of them on the road in that colour as dealers will do a 2 grand discount on it to get rid 

[MikeHorton]

The quality of the finish on the swing arm is questionable apparently seems overpriced 

 

[Stu]

10 hours ago, MikeHorton said:

The quality of the finish on the swing arm is questionable apparently seems overpriced 

 

 

I think the quality has gone downhill on a lot of bikes over the years!