
APRILIA TUONO 660 (2021 - on) Review

Highlights
- Naked sibling of Aprilia RS660
- Natural rival to KTM 890 Duke
- Easy and engaging to ride
At a glance
Owners' reliability rating: | |
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Power: | 94 bhp |
Seat height: | Medium (32.3 in / 820 mm) |
Weight: | Medium (404 lbs / 183 kg) |
Prices
Overall rating
Next up: Ride & brakesThe Aprilia Tuono 660 may seem steep at just under £10k when compared to something like the Yamaha MT-07 (£6899), but its attitude and performance make it more of a real rival to KTM’s 890 Duke. And with the Austrian naked costing £9649, the Tuono 660 suddenly makes a little more sense.
- Related: 2021 Aprilia RS660 bike review
- Related: Best naked motorbikes
- Related: Aprilia Tuono 660 - the story
It’s not much cheaper than its sporty RS660 brother (just £449), but it does put the emphasis on acceleration and has a slightly comfier riding position. But most of all, it is easy to enjoy and more than capable in almost any scenario. Looks great, too!
The Tuono is instantly intuitive and easy and one of those bikes that you can enjoy from the moment the road opens up. It’s light, responsive and easy to have a lot of fun on. This is a motorcycle that is accessible to everyone: from younger riders, who will enjoy a very light, intuitive and extremely easy-to-ride bike, to the geek who will appreciate the extremely simple yet fine chassis set-up together with the well-calibrated suspension system.
Ride quality & brakes
Next up: EngineYou can really chuck it into corners - there's a natural balance and attitude. This ease of use boosts confidence and the Aprilia Tuono 660 can be ridden hard and fast through winding country roads. This precision and performance reminds me of its sporty sibling, the RS660, which is hardly surprising as the pair share the same chassis. Pick a line and dive at the apex, winding on the throttle as soon as you dare.
But if you do need to change tack quickly, the high and wide bars make steering input almost instant and drama-free. The riding position is a little more spacious and upright than on the RS660 and all day in the saddle causes very few aches and pains.
Although the Tuono uses the same Kayaba suspension as the RS660 (albeit with unique settings), it does have its own dedicated yokes, changing the fork offset to tweak the handling and stability.
Engine
Next up: ReliabilityThe handling may be nimble, but it’s the engine that's the real icing on the cake. The Aprilia Tuono 660 drives cleanly from low revs, although there is a slight dip between 5000 and 6000rpm. And while the Tuono uses the same engine as its sporty sibling, it has been tamed slightly; down to 94bhp instead of the RS' 99bhp.
This allows the Tuono to be restricted to 47bhp and meet A2 licence laws. But it’s barely noticeable and actually feels a little livelier thanks to lower final drive gearing, which puts the emphasis on response and acceleration rather than eking out the last few mph of top speed.
- Related: Exploring Aprilia's new 660 twin
- Related: How to pass your A2 motorcycle licence
There are five riding modes, too and the 'Dynamic' setting is just that. It gives instant throttle response and makes the engine more lively as the revs rise. On the other hand, the 'Commute' option keeps everything smooth and predictable, which is exactly what you want when picking a route through city streets or through rows of cars.
Reliability & build quality
Next up: ValueBeing a brand-new motorcycle, it's difficult to assess long-term reliability. That said, when we tested the Aprilia RS660 at its launch in late 2020, the pre-production models did have a few starting problems and engine warning lights flashing.
Aprilia assured us at the time that they were minor software glitches and, riding the production version on UK roads, there were no obvious problems. Some have criticised the finish in certain areas, though, which could potentially also translate to the Tuono.
Value vs rivals
Next up: EquipmentCosting £9700 at its 2021 launch, the Aprilia Tuono 660 is just £449 cheaper than it's fully-faired RS sibling. It also doesn't get a quickshifter or cornering ABS as standard.
This asking price also puts it in direct competition with KTM's parallel-twin 890 Duke, which is £51 cheaper at £9649 and produces a more impressive claimed 114bhp - some 20 more than the Tuono. At almost £10,000 it's also likely to be too expensive for many younger riders considering taking their A2 licence test.
Equipment
To help keep the Tuono in check, you also get traction control, wheelie control, cruise control and engine braking systems. The colour TFT instruments and LED headlights are also taken straight from the RS660. And, while our test bike was fitted with a quickshifter and cornering ABS, these do not come as standard on the middleweight Tuono.
Away from the electronic gizmos, the small windshield also works quite well and deflects windblast as high as the shoulders. That said, some may argue this is not really a naked at all...
Aprilia Tuono 660 accessories
Aprilia have always done things in style and the Tuono 660 is no different. It comes in three striking colour options: black/red, grey/red or 'acid gold' with black. All have red wheels and black fork legs.
There are also loads of bolt-on accessories available, including soft luggage and a carbon Akrapovič exhaust that unusually replaces the well-hidden, belly-mounted standard silencer with a much more prominent pipe in a conventional position on the right hand side.
Specs |
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Engine size | 659cc |
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Engine type | liquid cooled 4v parallel-twin |
Frame type | Aluminium twin spar |
Fuel capacity | 15 litres |
Seat height | 820mm |
Bike weight | 183kg |
Front suspension | 41mm USD Kayaba, adjustable for rebound and pre-load |
Rear suspension | Monoshock, adjustable for rebound and pre-load |
Front brake | 2 x 320mm discs, four-piston radial calipers |
Rear brake | Single 220mm disc, twin-piston calipers |
Front tyre size | 120/70 x 17 |
Rear tyre size | 180/55 x 17 |
Mpg, costs & insurance |
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Average fuel consumption | - |
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Annual road tax | £96 |
Annual service cost | - |
New price | £9,700 |
Used price | - |
Insurance group |
- How much to insure? |
Warranty term | Two years |
Top speed & performance |
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Max power | 94 bhp |
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Max torque | 49.5 ft-lb |
Top speed | - |
1/4 mile acceleration | - |
Tank range | - |
Model history & versions
Model history
- 2021: Aprilia Tuono 660 launched
Other versions
There is only one version of the Aprilia Tuono 660, howver a fully-faired RS660 model shares the same basic engine, frame and more. A third adventure Tuareg 660 has also been spied in testing and is expected to rival the Yamaha Ténéré 700.
- Related: Aprilia Tuareg 660 spied in testing
Owners' reviews for the APRILIA TUONO 660 (2021 - on)
1 owner has reviewed their APRILIA TUONO 660 (2021 - on) and rated it in a number of areas. Read what they have to say and what they like and dislike about the bike below.
Review your APRILIA TUONO 660 (2021 - on)
Summary of owners' reviews |
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Overall rating: | |
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Ride quality & brakes: | |
Engine: | |
Reliability & build quality: | |
Value vs rivals: | |
Equipment: |
Version: Iridium Grey
Year: 2021
Best: - Handling is so confidence inspiring - Beautifully balanced - Engine is punchy yet smooth, sounds great with lots of chracter - Styled beautifully - Ride modes and customisation - Full Brembo brakes are very sharp and strong Worst: - Flat spot between 5-6k revs - No oil level sight glass - No hazard lights - No quickshifter as standard - Right hand side of swing arm is prone to chafing on boots unless you buy the official cover or other protection. - Windblast on motorways is fairly noticeable - Looks a little budget in places in terms of fasteners etc.
The bike is at its best in pretty much any town/b-road scenario, acceleration is great, plenty of punch and handling is sublime carving down twisty b-roads it just instills so much confidence. Took a pillion yesterday and overall comfort was reported as being good, legs ached a little after though. Brakes are superb, so sharp and strong with plenty of feel.
Absolutely love the engine, there's more than enough power and torque for the road and you never want for a bigger bike. It sounds great, with echoes of its bigger V4 siblings yet still has its own unique twin cylinder cross plane tone. So much grunt but still has nice smooth refinement to it.
Solidly built but I think some fasteners will be prone to corrosion quite easily looking at the quality of them.Early days so far but no glitches as yet.
Not had a service yet, but seems reasonable on fuel so far, I've been enjoying the honeymoon phase and been getting 56mpg so far but I'm sure as run in concludes and do some longer runs that will get even better.
I like the switchable ride maps and ability to tailor one exactly how you want it in terms of throttle response, traction control, engine braking etc. Cruise control was a surprise and works really well. The led headlights work really well with the drls, haven't really seen how good they are at night yet but in a tunnel they worker great. I just wish it came with a quickshifter as standard as it would really compliment hammering up and down the gearbox in twisty spirited riding, but I'll be getting my dealer to fit it as soon as Aprilia release the kit.
Buying experience: I bought from Motorcycles Direct as they were doing an offer with £400 off so was £9300 plus road tax and reg fee, and also part exchanged my old bike. Andy there was great to deal with and made the whole lockdown purchase smooth and efficient.