Your Opinion on the Aprillia RS 660

[homeboi]

Hi,

I had my 2023 Ninja 650 stolen (3 months old) and I'm thinking about getting a 2023 Aprillia RS 660 once the insurance settles, but not sure if I should go this route and would like other thoughts.

I would like to have a bike for local rides and commuting - hitting those gaps are important . I don't plan to go on the track, but who knows... I have a R 1200 RT for longer trips.

I'm not much of a wrencher, and I've seen some comments/posts about Italian bikes needing constant maintenance and I've seen some issues with the early versions of this model. I've been to the SF Moto Guild and hired someone to supervise me on maintenance a while back, and I'd be willing to do that again.

Don't know if I want a beautiful Italian bike that's "high maintenance" with lots of umph, or go with a reliable, but boring Japanese bike, or take the insurance money, sell the BMW and get a new H2 SX. Having one bike rather than two can save me money on insurance.

I miss my Katana with 90 HP. The Ninja with 75ish HP was doable, but the RS 660 with 100 HP and a little over 400 lbs could be addicting without me getting into too much trouble.

Anyone with an older RS 660, or your thoughts with what I should also consider?

 

[Maddevill]

My friend bought one this year. So far its been reliable but he still has the factory warranty. He loves the thing. 100 up from a twin ain't bad. Yesterday I watched one race. Very fast and sounds amazing.

Mad

 

[cg_ops]

One of my close buddies has one - we met at the track and I've seen him go from middle of the road B-grouper to adept A-grouper. He's a damn good rider and makes good use of that bike. He absolutely loves it. If you're looking into one, he might be selling it soon (he's a new dad and isn't riding enough to be sure he wants to keep it)

 

[usedtobefast]

I don't think the 660 maintenance will be high ... normal oil & filter changes, normal brake wear (and fluid changes), normal air filter, radiator fluid changes ... valve checks at 12,400 miles (20k) ... tires, etc.

But the probability of a failure is going to be higher. And with most modern bikes, these failures are typically not fixable by even a good home mechanic. Like an electrical issue.

And then there is the "mind set" ... the first 660s had issues where Aprillia replaced the engines!! A knew a couple of guys with 660s and they were very comfortable with this ... yeah, taking the bike in for the recall. I'm like, what?! The recall is for an engine replacement!! They didn't seem bothered by that.

Also, an RS 660 for commuting seems a bit odd ... not sure your commute, but the RT seems like a much better bike for that. But "best commuter" usually means boring motorcycle, like a Honda NC750X, perfect commuter bike, but kind of dull to ride.

But if you are buying a new RS 660, and get as long of a warranty as you will own the bike, and you want more of a sport/track bike, and you don't mind if it spends some time at the dealership for repair/recall work, then it seems like an RS 660 could be a lot of fun.

 

[flying_hun]

I've not owned a 660, but I have had a modern Aprilia (1200 Caponord), and with the exception of a minor electronics niggle that didn't impact the functionality of the bike, it was dead reliable for the more than 30K miles that I owned it. In fact, I bought it from Rockridge Two Wheels in Oakland, and I have nothing but good things to say about dealing with them. It seems odd to me that someone who has multiple KTM's is questioning the reliability of Aprilias, but YMMV.

 

[OVerLoRDI]

Yeah, I'm actually selling mine because life, moving + baby.

It's a really excellent package. Bike has been bullet proof reliable for the 10k miles I put on it and mine wasn't subject to the recall. All the maintenance has been normal, nothing special. Oil, tires, chain, etc. It's a motorcycle that goes vroom. The Aprilia-ness is that parts can be a bit annoying to get but that's become way way better over the last few years and now that we're on the other side of the pandemic. Aprilia in 00s with the RSVRs was a nightmare. Aprilia today, its not a Yamaha, but they are common enough that the ownership experience is reasonable, especially in the Bay Area.

The almost 100hp it puts out makes it a little rocket ship and it has all the fun modern bells and whistles you could want and it looks really slick IMO.

Commuting with it isn't crazy unless you need to bring tons of stuff with you. I got great use out of it with a tail bag. If you commuted on your 250, then the Aprilia 660 will be fine.

 

[homeboi]

Also, an RS 660 for commuting seems a bit odd ... not sure your commute, but the RT seems like a much better bike for that. But "best commuter" usually means boring motorcycle, like a Honda NC750X, perfect commuter bike, but kind of dull to ride.

I was thinking about using the RT for everything, but it's so friggin heavy. I also thought about the Aprillia Tuono 660, but I currently want something more sporty looking. For commuting, I don't carry much other than the laptop, so a backpack is fine.

 

[homeboi]

Hi Everyone, thank you for your feedback. You helped me resolve my qualms, even with Rockridge Two Wheels, they are such a hole in the wall, but like food, those hole in the wall businesses are a gem.