RS 660
Before you buy
- Learner legal
- LAMS version only Only the LAMS version. A full-power version was sold too, and it can look the same.
- Watch for
-
- Full-power bike could be misrepresented as the LAMS version
- Running cost
- $13k–$17k used est. Sep 2026
Overview
Aprilia's return to the middleweight class: a 659cc parallel twin (essentially the front two cylinders of the V4 RSV4, sharing bore/stroke and a lot of engineering DNA) in a road-focused faired sportsbike with a full electronics suite — riding modes, cornering ABS and traction control, a quickshifter — well above what Japanese rivals in this class offer at the price. Aprilia is a genuinely new brand for this dataset: don't reach for Japanese-market service intervals, Japanese reliability framing, or Japanese-typical dealer/parts turnaround when assessing this bike. Sold in Australia in a standard trim and, from 2025, a higher-spec "Factory" trim (different suspension and wheels, same engine and power figures) — both are covered by this one entry since the buying decision on capacity, LAMS status and the drivetrain is identical; the Factory's extra hardware is a trim choice, not modelled as a separate variant.
Engines & variants
659cc parallel twin (full power)
Pros
- Genuine sportsbike electronics package — cornering ABS, multi-mode traction control, quickshifter — well ahead of Japanese rivals at this price point new
- 659cc twin shares development with the RSV4's V4, and has real midrange punch for a twin
- Distinctive styling and exhaust note against a class dominated by Japanese four-cylinder and twin-cylinder rivals
Cons
- Aprilia's Australian dealer network is thinner than Honda/Yamaha/Kawasaki's, and regional parts lead times are a real ownership factor, not a stereotype — confirm with a dealer before buying regionally
- Too new in the Australian used market for an established fault pattern
- Full-power model's insurance and running costs are a step up from the class-typical Japanese twin
Known problems
659cc parallel twin (RS 660 LAMS) LAMS approved
Same 659cc engine as the full-power bike, restricted by the ECU to 35kW — the European A2 licence figure, not a LAMS one. LAMS itself has no kW cap; on a 183kg RS 660 the 150kW/tonne formula would actually permit roughly 41kW. The bike is built to the A2 standard and clears LAMS as a side effect of that, not because 35kW is what LAMS requires.
Compliance-plate model code:
KV or XHB00 or XHL00
- NSW's original approval is filed under code KV, description "RS 660 LAMS & Tuono 660 LAMS", 2020-on, 659cc — one code covering both models' LAMS versions.
- From 2025 NSW also lists codes XHB00 ("RS 660 Factory LAMS") and XHL00 ("RS 660 LAMS") under the family code XH, 659cc — the newer Factory-trim and standard-trim LAMS approvals, alongside the original KV entry rather than replacing it.
- Victoria lists it as "RS 660 35kW KV variant", 659cc.
Pros
- Full sportsbike electronics package even in restricted LAMS form — not a decontented learner bike
- Genuinely more midrange character than a typical LAMS parallel twin, inherited from the V4-derived engine architecture
- Same chassis and brakes as the full-power bike, so nothing needs relearning if the rider later moves to the unrestricted version
Cons
- 35kW restriction is an ECU limit on the same engine, so an illegally derestricted example could exist in the used market — confirm compliance-plate status with an Aprilia dealer rather than trusting the seller's description
- Aprilia's thinner Australian dealer network applies equally to the LAMS bike
- Too new in the Australian used market for an established fault pattern
Known problems
unverified marks a figure we could not confirm against a manufacturer source. It is our best reading of what is published, not a checked fact — confirm it yourself before you spend money on the strength of it.
Also worth looking at
Closest in class and capacity to the Aprilia RS 660.