Aprilia RS660 RS 660 Twin 2020-2023 Service Manual

Bennetts' own launch review captured the RS660's impact perfectly: "Aprilia's RS660 is so good you have to question why this hasn't been done before?" Unveiled at EICMA in 2019, the model's actual launch slipped by roughly six months due to COVID-19 supply chain delays, finally debuting on track at Laguna Seca in October 2020 with Pikes Peak champion Rennie Scaysbrook putting it through its paces. It arrived at a moment the industry had all but written off traditional supersport bikes, and Aprilia proved there was still real appetite for an accessible, genuinely fun middleweight built around rideability rather than raw track lap times.

Power comes from a 659cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin with a 270-degree crank — essentially the front half of Aprilia's RSV4 superbike engine, sharing bore size and cylinder head design — delivering a claimed 100 hp at 10,500 rpm and roughly 49 lb-ft of torque at 8,500 rpm through a 6-speed gearbox with bidirectional quickshifter. The die-cast aluminum twin-spar frame halves bolt together using the engine as a fully stressed member, with the swingarm pivoting directly in the engine cases, contributing to a genuinely light 373 lb dry weight (403 lb wet).

Suspension consists of a 41mm inverted Kayaba fork and a single rear shock, both adjustable for preload and rebound damping, backed by Aprilia's full Marelli APRC electronics suite: five power modes, eight-level traction control, wheelie control, cornering ABS, engine-braking control, and cruise control, all managed through a six-axis IMU — genuinely sophisticated electronics for a bike at this price point. The lineup grew across this span: a 2021 A2-license-compliant version, a 2022 Limited Edition, and the 2023 RS660 Extrema — a lighter, track-focused variant with a side-exit SC Project exhaust, carbon fiber front fender and bellypan, and a single-seat tail fairing, dropping weight to a claimed 366 lbs. Seat height sits at 32.3 inches, with a 15-litre fuel tank.