Shown alongside Aprilia’s hotly-anticipated RS 660, which we’re expecting to head to international markets later this year – the Tuono 660 is essentially the naked version of the compact supersport machine. And the designs filed with the patent office show a bike that’s virtually identical to the prototype. That’s good news. The only differences we can see are provisions for a pillion. At this stage, we’ve not got any official, up to date information on the Tuono 660 – but if we assess what we already know about the RS 660 while considering the details released by the Italian factory when it first showed the bike at EICMA – we can make a couple of solid guesses about what we’ve got to look forward to.
So, the Tuono 660 is essentially a more road focused version of the recently released RS660. The chassis is pretty much the same, aside from the fact it offers a raised riding position as the result of a set of wide handlebars.
It’s more than likely to be powered by Aprilia’s new parallel twincylinder 660cc in-line engine which has been derived from the front bank of the 1100cc V4 that equips the Tuono V4 and RSV4 1100 Factory. Expect it to kick out around 95bhp. We should also expect adjustable suspension, Brembo brakes with 320mm diameter discs – in addition to Aprilia’s seriously sophisticated APRC electronics system. Not bad at all.
With its excellent power to weight ratio, top quality technical features, exceptional electronics and 95bhp twin cylinder motor – we’re really excited about the prospect of this new baby-Tuono going into production. Next year can’t come soon enough.