Here’s the 2021 Aprilia Tuono 660

This morning, Aprilia finally took the wraps off the Tuono 660 naked bike, revealing a surprisingly sophisticated machine for the growing middleweight naked segment. Pricing starts at almost $13,000, but you’re getting a pretty advanced bike for the money.

We originally expected to see the Tuono 660 on the 2020 fall show circuit, but thanks to COVID-19, most bike releases went online this season, and that’s where Aprilia launched the new machine.

The Tuono 660 is a mash-up of Aprilia’s “super-naked” style and design with more budget-friendly engineering that typifies the 650-800 naked bike class.

The 95-horsepower parallel twin engine is the heart of the bike, same as the RS660 sport bike, which is obviously closely related. The engine is basically half of a Tuono 1100 V4, with 270-degree firing order and a ride-by-wire throttle that allows all sorts of electro-trickery. Aprilia built five riding modes into the bike, including three for road usage and two for track-only. 

Along with the ride-by-wire throttle, Aprilia also included multi-level traction control, wheelie control, cruise control, adjustable engine braking and a fine-tuned ABS system. Aprilia claims the electronics package is superior to some superbikes.

Kayaba suspension comes standard. The die-cast frame and swingarm are aluminum. Although it’s a naked bike, there’s a considerable amount of plastic bodywork, similar to the rest of the Tuono line. But, the bike is designed for a more upright riding position than the RS660 sport bike. According to the press release (below), “The high handlebar and the chassis architecture measurements differentiate Tuono 660 from the RS, benefiting total control, responsiveness and agile handling, thanks to a different offset of the fork plate.“

All in, the Tuono 660 weighs 183 kg at the curb. Pricing starts at $12,795 in Canada, with availability in Q1 of 2021. There’ll be a full line of Aprilia accessories available as well, meaning you can easily outfit this bike for touring or track duty, if you’ve got the cash.

Press release

APRILIA TUONO 660 FINALLY UNVEILED ON THE APRILIA.COM WEBSITE

THE 2021 TUONO 660 IS THE WORTHY CREATION OF THE LEGENDARY TUONO 1100 AND SIBLING TO THE ASTONISHING RS 660 WITH WHICH IT SHARES MOST OF ITS SOPHISTICATED TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCING A NAKED SPORTBIKE UNIQUE IN ITS SEGMENT: LIGHTWEIGHT AND POWERFUL, WITH A 95 HP TWIN-CYLINDER, HIGHLY ADVANCED ELECTRONICS AND A CHASSIS ARCHITECTURE WORTHY OF ITS NAME

The highly anticipated Tuono 660 – on display for its global premiere online at APRILIA.COM – takes the legendary Aprilia Tuono V4 into the medium engine capacity segment.

Worthy child of the unbeatable Tuono V4 1100, the new Tuono 660 combines manageable power and light weight, for great performance available to all, refined chassis architect and an electronic controls package derived directly from the Tuono V4.

Aprilia Tuono 660 embraces the concepts of sporty versatility, ease and fun that Aprilia is introducing for a new generation of riding enthusiasts.

Aprilia was the first to make a sport naked starting from a technical base created for the track, giving the various Tuono 1000cc V-twins and then the generation of unrivalled V4s incomparable riding and performance qualities.

And so, the new Aprilia RS 660 sport bike is also born out of the Tuono 660, a sport naked version characterized by ultra-high technical content, but with an even more extreme street and daily-use connotation thanks, first and foremost, to the higher riding position which makes for different ergonomics, as well as a natural and comfortable ride.

Aprilia Tuono 660 also shares the primary project objective with RS 660: creating a bike with an extraordinary weight/power ratio: 183 kg (403 lbs) curb weight for 95 HP of power. A category record, which represents the ideal formula for fun on the road, accessible to everyone. Tuono 660 is dedicated to new riders, but also for younger riders who are moving up from smaller engine capacities looking for a high-level sport naked that can provide fun on the road and is also ready to support the rider on the occasional track day.

Tuono 660 has that same aggressive and sporty style as the Tuono family, standing out for its reduced surface dimensions that enhance that dynamic and sport-derived character it has, even when its parked. Like the RS 660, the new Tuono also adopts the innovative concept of the double fairing with aerodynamic appendix function, born out of increasingly more in-depth research in the wind tunnel, as well as the triple LED headlight unit featuring DRL lights.

Tuono 660 boasts a magnificent structure committed to light weight made up of the frame and swingarm, both in die-cast aluminum. The adjustable Kayaba suspension system has a dedicated set-up.

The high handlebar and the chassis architecture measurements differentiate Tuono 660 from the RS, benefiting total control, responsiveness and agile handling, thanks to a different offset of the fork plate.

The engine is used as a bearing element and contributes to forming a compact, lightweight and stiff structure. The latest generation forward-facing twin cylinder, small and lightweight, is a child of the experience gained on the powerful Aprilia V4, from which its construction philosophy and basic technical concepts are drawn. The 270° combustion timing allows that character and grit that riders love so much to be achieved. The final drive is shorter than that of the RS 660, privileging responsiveness and quickness.

Its electronics are top of the class, more advanced than various superbike class bikes: the Ride-by-Wire electronic accelerator provides the best management of the APRC electronic controls suite that includes multi-level traction control, anti-wheelie control, cruise control, engine brake and selectable engine maps, also joined by the ABS system. To easily manage all the electronic controls through the color TFT instrumentation, Aprilia has fine-tuned five Riding Modes (three dedicated to road riding and two for the track): the rider just needs to choose the option that best interprets his or her riding style, always leaving the possibility of customizing them.

Tuono 660 will be available in three color variants: Concept Black, Iridium Grey and the brand new and attractive Acid Gold, already popular on the RS 660, a color never before seen in the motorcycling world which sets new style standards to interpret sportiness in an original and innovative way and to never go unnoticed.

Availability: End of Q1 2021, US and Canada

Price: US $10,499 / $10,699 (Acid Gold)

Canada $12,795 / $13,095 (Acid Gold)