The 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.
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.
You 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.
The 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.
