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2023 Aprilia RS 660 in Racing Black.
2023 Aprilia RS 660 in Racing Black. (Aprilia/)

Ups

Friendlier ergos than race-replica sportbikesClass-leading electronic rider aidsTwin-cylinder performance tuned for the street and ready for the track

Downs

Does anyone else miss V-configured engines?Still priced similar to 600cc inline-four sportbikes

Verdict

Aprilia’s RS 660 is a heavy hitter in the middleweight supersport category, delivering serious performance and lauded versatility. It’s more practical than howling inline-four 600s in terms of overall flexibility and comfort but still plenty of fun around a racetrack or on a spirited street ride.

2023 Aprilia RS 660.
2023 Aprilia RS 660. (Aprilia/)

Overview

The Aprilia RS 660 is a direct response to the market’s shift away from the 600cc middleweight sportbikes that consumers have lately deemed too expensive, too uncomfortable, and too specialized. Aprilia’s response was to build an affordable, more flexible sportbike.

The RS 660 is a lightweight, compact, and easy-to-ride sportbike powered by a liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine of 81.0 x 63.9mm bore and stroke that produces a very broad, flat torque curve. The engine is carried in a bolted-together cast aluminum chassis in a MotoGP-style fairing. To defray development costs, the parallel-twin engine powers multiple models (the Tuono 660 and the Tuareg 660, both of which have proven real hits).

Top-shelf electronics underline the RS 660′s provenance, and despite an affordable price tag and comparatively neutral riding position—attributes sportbike purists tend to associate with watered-down performance and compromise—the riding experience is anything but middle of the road. In essence, the RS 660 represents a new way forward for middleweight sportbikes.

2023 Aprilia RS 660.
2023 Aprilia RS 660. (Aprilia/)

Updates for 2023

The Aprilia RS 660 is virtually unchanged for 2023, aside from new liveries. The up-spec Extrema is new for 2023.

Pricing and Variants

The RS 660 is available in three colorways for 2023: Racing Black, Tribute, and Acid Gold. The Racing Black and Tribute models retail for $11,499 while Acid Gold retails for $200 more.

The Extrema model is designed to be as light as possible. It is equipped with an SC-Projects exhaust, plus carbon fiber bellypan and front mudguard. It has a single-seat tail unit and is prewired to run standard or GP shift. MSRP is $13,499.

Competition

In terms of intent, the RS 660′s closest competitor is the Yamaha YZF-R7 ($9,199). The RS 660 is significantly more expensive, but includes a full suite of electronic rider aids and higher-spec components. Honda’s CBR650R ($9,899) is another full-fairing sportbike that walks the line between comfort and performance, but was designed with little intention of hitting the track.

2023 Aprilia RS 660 in Aprilia’s Tribute colorway.
2023 Aprilia RS 660 in Aprilia’s Tribute colorway. (Aprilia/)

Powertrain: Engine, Transmission, and Performance

On the CW dyno, the RS 660′s 659cc parallel twin produced 89.16 hp at 10,520 rpm and 44.85 lb.-ft. of torque at 9,540 rpm. Despite the overall flexibility in power delivery, thanks to a relatively flat torque curve with nearly 80 percent of torque available at 4,000 rpm, the RS 660 is happy at high revs. A slight bump in horsepower is seen at 7,000 rpm, which allows the RS to rip toward redline. This is where the fun is had.

Kevin Cameron notes: “Aprilia has something of great value in the refined combustion chambers and ports of its RSV4 superbike, so it made sense to share them with RS 660, giving it good horsepower at a moderate 10,500 rpm. This is strong performance from a 40.2ci parallel twin, especially with a high and very wide 21st century torque curve that gives outstanding drivability (the rev limiter steps in at 11,500). This is torque so flat that it’s hard to find a peak, for the quoted maximum of 49.4 lb.-ft. varies only a percent or so

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By: Cycle World Staff
Title: 2023 Aprilia RS 660
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/aprilia/rs-660/
Published Date: Fri, 03 Mar 2023 17:52:54 +0000

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2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP First Look Preview

Published

9 hours ago

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September 22, 2023

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Honda is leaving well enough alone with regard to its top-tier superbike this year, keeping its CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the new motorcycle lineup unchanged in 2024. The track weapon is now available starting at $28,900 in a Pearl White color scheme.

Editor’s note: We test rode this vehicle during the 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP First Ride Review and 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP MC Commute Review articles and videos.

The 2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP starts at $28,900.
The 2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP starts at $28,900. (Honda/)

The SP is designed for on-track performance, first coming to the States in its current trim as a 2021 model. That major update resulted in a sportbike with a compact 999cc inline-four with numerous elements derived from MotoGP machines. The frame was revised to accommodate the new engine size and improve handling characteristics. Those changes coupled with improved tech and Öhlins semi-active electronic suspension resulted in a much-improved motorcycle during our first outing on track back in late 2020.

Other highlights of note include a much better-performing ride-by-wire system and quickshifter, taller rev range, and an improved braking package. The update brought the bike much more in line with literbike offerings from other manufacturers and left our testers feeling that this was a “superbike like we’ve never seen from Big Red.”

Related: The Best Superbikes of 2023

No major changes this year, but rumor has it big things may be on the way in 2024.
No major changes this year, but rumor has it big things may be on the way in 2024. (Honda/)

As a homologation platform, though, the bike also needs to perform in competition and in the years since its release the results haven’t been great in World Superbike. We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for the 2024 edition, which if the rumors that have been circling prove to be true, will mark another notable update to the platform. Possibly with a better aerodynamics package to help the platform reach the top step. Only time will tell.

2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP Technical Specifications and Price

Price:$28,900Engine:999cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled inline-four; 4 valves/cyl.Bore x Stroke:81.0 x 48.5mmCompression Ratio:13.4:1Fuel Delivery:EFI w/ 52mm throttle bodies; ride-by-wireClutch:Wet, multiplate w/ quickshifterTransmission/Final Drive:6-speed/chainFrame:Twin-spar aluminumFront Suspension:43mm Öhlins NPX electronically controlled fork, fully adjustable; 4.9 in. travelRear Suspension:Pro-Link single Öhlins electronically controlled shock, fully adjustable; 5.6 in. travelFront Brake:Brembo Stylema 4-piston calipers, 330mm discsRear Brake:1-piston caliper, 220mm discWheels, Front/Rear:Aluminum; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 6.0 in.Tires, Front/Rear:120/70-17 / 200/55-17Rake/Trail:24.0°/4.0 in.Wheelbase:57.4 in.Seat Height:32.7 in.Fuel Capacity:4.3 gal.Claimed Curb Weight:445 lb.Warranty:12-month unlimited-mileage, limited, transferableAvailable:September 2023Contact:powersports.honda.com

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By: Byron Wilson
Title: 2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP First Look Preview
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/news/honda-cbr1000rr-r-fireblade-sp-first-look-preview/
Published Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

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Family Wagon: A four-up Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig from Madrid

Published

11 hours ago

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September 22, 2023

By

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Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig by UFO Garage
The Moto Guzzi V7 platform is well-known to us here at Bike EXIF. Since its re-release in 2008, the practical modern classic has graced the garages of multiple Bike EXIF writers, including our founder, Chris Hunter. But despite its popularity, we don’t see that many truly wild Moto Guzzi V7 customs.

That’s because the Moto Guzzi V7 looks good enough when it leaves the Mandello del Lario factory that most owners only make minor adjustments over time. But when Efraon Triana at UFO Garage in Madrid, Spain, was tasked with building a family-friendly Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig, he knew that he and his team would have to go all out.

Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig by UFO Garage

The customer, Mike, already owned one UFO Garage bike and wanted another to enjoy the Swiss countryside with. But there was a catch—Mike has two daughters and a wife who all want to be part of the fun. So not only did UFO Garage have to add a sidecar to the Guzzi, but they had to build it with two seats.

Efraon and his crew started by building the sidecar’s tubular steel frame by hand, adding an 18” wheel to match the V7. The wheel uses an aluminum rim on a CNC-machined hub—and if you peek through the spokes, you’ll spot the sidecar’s suspension system.

Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig by UFO GarageRead More

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By: Ben Pilatti
Title: Family Wagon: A four-up Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig from Madrid
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/moto-guzzi-v7-sidecar
Published Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:59:29 +0000

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2023 KTM 890 Adventure and Adventure R

Published

18 hours ago

on

September 22, 2023

By

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2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R (KTM/)

Ups

Low-slung fuel tank gives a low center of gravity that makes it easier for riders of every skill level to find their limit off-roadTop-end rider aids are simple to use and incredibly effectiveCompact LC8c engine is tractable, laugh-out-loud fun, and refined enough for touring comfort

Downs

At start-up the engine sounds like a toolbox falling down a flight of stairsAvailable in any color you want as long as it’s orangeBrakes aren’t as high-spec as what can be found on some of the competition

Verdict

The benchmarks of the middleweight adventure category, the 890 Adventure and Adventure R shatter preconceptions of adventure-touring performance. Anything but top-heavy or cumbersome, these middleweights impress with killer rider aids, a responsive chassis, and a rowdy engine.

2023 KTM 890 Adventure
2023 KTM 890 Adventure (KTM/)

Overview

Adventure bikes, by nature, are the most compromised motorcycles on the market. They’re the proverbial jacks of all trades, but masters of none. There’s no perfect intersection of touring comfort, sport-riding exhilaration, around-town usability, and off-road capability that satisfies riders who want their machine to excel in every area. However, if those required traits were displayed on a Venn diagram, KTM’s 890 Adventure and Adventure R would increase the overlap between each circle.

When KTM unveiled the LC8c-powered 790 Adventure and Adventure R in 2019, we said: “It set a new standard in the adventure segment for dirt-worthiness,” and that “it nearly makes open-class machines irrelevant.” In other words, it was a game-changer.

Since that time, the middleweight class has become arguably the hottest segment in motorcycling as OEMs have attempted to wrest the middleweight crown from the rally-worn hands of the madmen from Mattighofen. Never one to rest on its laurels, KTM upped the ante in 2021, introducing the 890 Adventure and Adventure R, with a revised, larger-displacement 889cc engine with a higher compression ratio, larger intake and exhaust valves, an updated camshaft, and lighter pistons. In 2023, KTM revised the platform yet again.

One of the qualities that sets the 890 Adventure R apart is its low center of gravity. With most of its fuel sitting in front of the rider’s shins rather than on top of the machine, the 890 feels like a smaller, more nimble machine than its competition, inspiring riders to reevaluate what they thought they were capable of tackling on an ADV bike—both on and off-road. Coupled with a supereffective parallel-twin engine, impressive rider aids, great ergos, and unbelievable suspension—particularly on the R model—the 890 puts all other ADV bikes on their heels in the dirt. Even the base-model 890 Adventure, which uses less expensive, less off-road-biased suspension, is still an effective tool off-road while being more manageable for shorter riders and more aerodynamically efficient on the street.

It’s not like the 790/890 Adventure lineup were the first middleweight adventure bikes in the world, but they certainly opened a lot of people’s eyes and made good on the promise that yes, adventure motorcycles can go off-road, and yes, you should definitely get them as dirty as possible. The 890 Adventure series is what happens when you give a dirt bike manufacturer the keys to daddy’s adventure-tourer.

The 2023 KTM 890 Adventure R in the hands of someone with more skill than most of us. The aspirational R model has 10.4 inches of ground clearance, so you know it’s serious.
The 2023 KTM 890 Adventure R in the hands of someone with more skill than most of us. The aspirational R model has 10.4 inches of ground clearance, so you know it’s serious. (KTM/)

Updates for 2023

For 2023, the 890 Adventure series was further refined with a host of changes. Redesigned rally-inspired bodywork is intended to improve aerodynamics and ergonomics, as well as to provide more support for large navigation units. Both the base model and R receive their own windshields and both have aluminum covers that extend past the skid plate to add greater protection to the engine and tank.

Both the base model and R receive a 9.3 MP ABS unit

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By: Cycle World Staff
Title: 2023 KTM 890 Adventure and Adventure R
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/ktm/890-adventure-r/
Published Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:30:00 +0000

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