Aprilia RS 660 Factory Review: Öhlins, the 2026 Engine Update and What It Would Cost in South Africa
When the Aprilia RS 660 arrived in 2021 it had the best electronics in the middleweight class, the best chassis and a 659cc twin cut from the RSV4 superbike, and two things held it back: ordinary KYB suspension and a flat spot in the midrange. The 2026 RS 660 Factory fixes both. It gets the updated engine with 77 kW and a filled-in midrange, a new dash and aerodynamics, and fully adjustable Öhlins suspension at both ends. Motorcycle News, which was lukewarm on the original, now says nothing in the class matches it.
It is also the most expensive sportsbike in its class by a distance, and in South Africa the picture is complicated: the official importer closed in 2023, a specialist dealer group has since taken the brand on, and nobody has published a rand price for the Factory. This review covers what the bike is, what the testers found, what it would cost to run here and what else that money buys.
This is a research based review. Scooter125 has not ridden the RS 660 Factory and the bike was not supplied by Aprilia or a dealer. Specifications come from Aprilia and from MotorcycleSpecs.co.za. Riding impressions come from Motorcycle News and Motorcycle.com, who tested the 2026 Factory, from TopSpeed and from ZA Bikers’ South African road test of the standard RS 660. South African pricing is our estimate and is labelled as such. The running cost sums are our own, at the October 2026 fuel price.
What you need to know first
The RS 660 Factory is the top version of Aprilia’s middleweight sportsbike. It uses the same 659cc parallel twin as the standard RS 660, updated for 2026 to 77 kW (105 hp) at 10,400 rpm and 70 Nm at 8,400 rpm, with a rev limit raised to 11,800 rpm. It weighs 183 kg with fuel, has an 820 mm seat, a 15 litre tank, and Aprilia claims a top speed of about 225 km/h.
What makes it a Factory is the suspension: a fully adjustable 43 mm Öhlins NIX 30 fork and an Öhlins STX 46 shock in place of the standard bike’s 41 mm KYB units, plus a lithium battery, a Factory livery and the Track package as standard, which adds a race display with lap timer, launch control, a pit-lane limiter and extra custom modes. Everything else, from the Brembo brakes to the six-axis electronics, is shared with the standard bike.
In the UK it costs £12,395, which is £1,850 more than the standard RS 660 at £10,540. In the United States it is $14,149 against $11,849. Motorcycle News gave it four stars and called it a definitive step up over the previous model. Motorcycle.com scored it 89 percent. The complaints are the price, a cockpit that is tight for tall riders, a quickshifter that is clunky at low revs, and the question of whether Öhlins is worth the premium on the road.
What the Factory adds
The RS 660 and the RS 660 Factory share a frame, swingarm, geometry, engine, brakes, wheels, tyres and electronics. The differences are short enough to list.
- A 43 mm Öhlins NIX 30 upside-down fork, adjustable for preload, compression and rebound, in place of the 41 mm KYB fork with preload and rebound only.
- An Öhlins STX 46 rear shock, fully adjustable, with a remote compression reservoir, in place of the KYB shock.
- A lithium battery, which saves weight that the Öhlins shock reservoir puts back; both bikes are 183 kg wet.
- The Track package as standard: race display with lap timer, launch control, pit-lane limiter and two extra custom riding modes. On the standard RS 660 this is an option.
- A Factory-only livery: Shakedown Yellow in the United States, with other liveries in Europe.
Motorcycle.com put the distinction neatly: the RS 660 is the all-rounder, while the Factory makes no compromises with its athletic intent. Whether that is worth the extra money is the question the whole review comes back to.
The 659cc twin and the 2026 update
The RS 660 engine is the front two cylinders of the RSV4 1100 superbike, with the V4’s valvetrain, cylinder head and combustion chambers, an 81 mm bore and a 270 degree crank. A straight lift of the V4’s firing order would have given a 360 degree crank that shook, so Aprilia changed it, and the result sounds like a V-twin.
For 2026 the throttle bodies grew 4 mm to 52 mm, the intake funnels were shortened and made different lengths, the valve ducts were reshaped and the intake cams given longer duration for more overlap. Peak power rose about 4 kW to 77 kW at 10,400 rpm, torque rose to 70 Nm at 8,400 rpm, and the rev limit went up 300 rpm to 11,800. A revised flywheel, three-hole piston oil jets and a redesigned water pump complete the changes, the last two aimed at heat.
The point of all that was the midrange. Motorcycle News said the previous model’s flat spot is completely filled by a thumping, driving, linear delivery and a sonorous top end, and called it gorgeous. Motorcycle.com’s dyno put the 2026 bike at 67 kW and 60 Nm at the rear wheel, with power ready from low revs and a strong middle; it also found a dip between about 4,600 and 6,400 rpm in second gear on North American bikes, which it put down to emissions tuning and said an ECU flash fixes. South African bikes come to Euro 5+ specification, which is the European tune.
ZA Bikers made the same argument about the original bike on local roads: a twin with this much low-down torque is more usable than a screaming 600cc four, cruising at about 5,500 rpm at 130 km/h with plenty in hand. At Highveld altitude a naturally aspirated engine loses roughly 15 percent of its power, so in Gauteng this is about a 65 kW bike at the crank. The midrange is what you will use, and it is now the engine’s strength rather than its weakness.
Wings, skins and heat
The RS 660 has always had a twin-skin fairing, an outer panel spaced from an inner one so that air drawn between them pulls engine heat away from the rider. For 2026 the spacing was changed to strengthen the effect, and Motorcycle News reported that heat was never a problem even on 38 degree days. Motorcycle.com found the engine runs hot in stop-start traffic and sheds it quickly once moving, which is the honest version for a Johannesburg commute in summer.
More visibly, the 2026 bike wears a flat, MotoGP-style tray wing under the headlight and small winglets above it on either side, with a matching pair on the tail. Aprilia says drag is down six percent and stability is improved; Motorcycle News said the bike is never unstable at any speed, and that the wings also balance a coffee between rides. Motorcycle.com’s view was that downforce expectations should stay realistic on a middleweight.
Öhlins, Brembo and the chassis
The frame is a twin-spar aluminium half frame with the engine as a stressed member, an aluminium swingarm, a 1,382 mm wheelbase, 24.3 degrees of rake and 104 mm of trail. None of that changed for 2026 and none of it needed to. The Factory’s Öhlins fork has 120 mm of travel and the shock 130 mm.
The shock is cantilever-mounted directly to the swingarm and sits effectively upside down. Motorcycle News noted that the preload collar and compression adjuster are easy to reach, while the rebound screw at the top needs a long screwdriver through the left side panel. Motorcycle.com said the opposite about reaching the rebound clicker, which suggests it depends on how you get at it; both agreed that the standard settings are an excellent compromise between road ride quality and track control.
How the Öhlins feels is the heart of the matter. Motorcycle.com called it firm but composed under braking, acceleration and cornering, with clear feedback from both ends, and warned that it transmits more harshness over bumps and expansion joints than the standard bike, which suits sporty riders but may bother commuters. Motorcycle News said the Öhlins units are an improvement, and then asked whether a shock and fork revalve on the standard bike would not do the same job for less.
Brakes are Brembo M4.32 four-piston radial calipers on 320 mm discs with a radial master cylinder and braided lines, and a 220 mm rear. Motorcycle.com found the lever feel good, ZA Bikers called the feel excellent on the original bike, and Motorcycle News listed the brakes among the things it could not fault. Cornering ABS has three levels down to a front-only track setting. The tyres are Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV, 120/70 and 180/55, on 3.5 and 5.5 inch cast wheels.
How it rides
Motorcycle News tested the Factory on the road and track in Europe and summed it up as a bike with no weak areas: strong engine, quality suspension, good brakes, switchable electronics and relatively comfortable. Its line was that the Factory treads the line between a precision track tool and a sporty road bike, with the positive qualities of both, and that among the new breed of twins nothing matches its combination of easy road riding and pin-sharp track action.
Motorcycle.com rode it on a winding mountain road and the freeway. It found the chassis tidy, stable and responsive, with echoes of the RSV4’s feel, and said the bike encourages you to carve corners harder. The engine never overwhelms with superbike force but never feels lacking either; its phrase was never too much, never too little, just right. At freeway speed it was comfortable, and at 183 kg it felt light.
The quickshifter drew the one consistent criticism. Motorcycle.com found it clean under load at higher revs but clumsy at low revs, needing more effort than expected around town. Motorcycle News said the 2026 recalibration made it smoother, so the two tests may describe different software. The gearbox itself is precise.
ZA Bikers’ South African test of the standard bike is the local context. On our bumpy roads the KYB suspension worked more than well enough, the bike was smooth and nimble in town, and after 200 km the tester had no aches. The Factory’s Öhlins will be firmer than that. If most of your riding is Gauteng tar with the occasional pass, the standard bike’s suspension was already judged good enough here; the Factory is for the rider who wants the adjustment and the track days.
Electronics and equipment
The RS 660 was the first twin in its class with a six-axis inertial platform, and the 2026 bike keeps that lead. The APRC suite gives adjustable traction control, wheelie control, engine-brake control, three engine maps, cruise control, launch control and an up-and-down quickshifter. Cornering ABS has three maps with rear-wheel lift mitigation. There are five riding modes: Road and Track presets plus custom modes, with the Factory’s Track package adding two more.
The dash is new for 2026: a 5 inch optically bonded TFT from the RSV4 and Tuono V4, with backlit switchgear and cruise control on arrow buttons instead of a separate switch. Motorcycle.com found it easy to read in direct sun but not intuitive to navigate; Motorcycle News said there are lots of functions to explore and the overall effect is of premium equipment. The race display adds a lap timer. Lighting is full LED.
What you do not get, at any price, is semi-active suspension or a radar. Nor do you need them. The electronics the RS 660 has are the ones that matter on a sportsbike, and they are adjustable enough that a newer rider can start with everything on and switch it off as skills grow, which is TopSpeed’s argument for the bike as a first serious sportsbike.
Seat height, ergonomics and comfort
The seat is 820 mm, which Motorcycle News called manageable because the wide seat tapers to a narrow waist, so feet reach the ground more easily than the number suggests. The clip-ons are wide and the pegs rear-set, in what MCN described as a relaxed-sports position between a track tool and a road bike. ZA Bikers called the seat shockingly comfortable and said the bike feels more like a sports-tourer than a supersport, with luggage available.
The catch is for tall riders. Motorcycle.com’s tester at 1.78 m fitted, but said taller riders may find the cockpit cramped and tucking behind the screen harder; Motorcycle News listed difficulty manoeuvring for taller riders among its reasons to avoid. The bike is compact. Sit on one before you order.
The 15 litre tank and about 4.5 litres per 100 km in ZA Bikers’ test gave 333 km of range, which is sports-tourer territory. Cruise control is standard, which no other sportsbike at this size offers.
Price and availability in South Africa
This is the part that needs care. Aprilia’s South African importer, Italian Motorcycle Importers, closed in 2023, and ZA Bikers reported in January 2024 that no obvious party had come forward to take the brand on. Since then Balance Auto Importers, an Italian-bike specialist with sales and service in Cape Town, Johannesburg through Fusion Motorcycles in Alberton, and KwaZulu-Natal, has been selling new and used Aprilia and Moto Guzzi and runs the Aprilia South Africa social pages. The old aprilia.co.za domain has lapsed.
No South African price for the 2026 RS 660 Factory has been published. The last official figure we have is the 2021 standard RS 660 at R234,660. In the UK the Factory is £12,395, about R270,000 at current exchange rates, and in the United States $14,149. Allowing for freight, duty and the smaller volumes a specialist importer moves, our estimate is R280,000 to R300,000 for a Factory, and roughly R40,000 less for a standard RS 660. Treat both as estimates and ask Balance Auto Importers for a current figure, delivery time and the warranty they offer, because warranty on a brand with a specialist importer is the question that matters most.
Colours: the Factory is Shakedown Yellow in the United States, with blue and black Factory liveries in Europe. The standard RS 660 is Blue Marlin or Venom Yellow.
What it costs to run
Petrol is at a record. The October 2026 adjustment took inland 95 unleaded to about R30 a litre. With 13.5:1 compression the RS 660 wants 95, and should get it.
ZA Bikers averaged 22.2 km per litre on the standard bike, which is 4.5 litres per 100 km. Motorcycle.com did not publish a figure. We have used 5.0 to allow for the way the Factory will be ridden.
- A full 15 litre tank costs about R450.
- Range is roughly 300 km, and ZA Bikers saw 333 km riding gently.
- Fuel costs about R1.50 a kilometre.
- A 40 km round-trip commute costs about R60 a day, or roughly R1,320 over 22 working days.
Services are every 10,000 km, with valve checks at 20,000, and the twin is simpler to work on than a four. Parts supply is the thing to ask about: a specialist importer carries less stock than a factory distributor, and a fairing panel or a sensor can mean a wait. Tyres are a 180 rear, which keeps them affordable. Insurance on a R300,000 sportsbike from a low-volume brand will need a quote before you commit.
Licence requirements in South Africa
South Africa has two motorcycle licence codes. Code A1 covers bikes up to 125cc from age 16. Code A covers everything else from age 18. The RS 660 Factory needs a full Code A, and a car licence does not cover it.
As a first serious sportsbike it has a better case than most 77 kW machines. The power is in the midrange rather than at a screaming peak, the electronics can be set to intervene early and dialled back as you learn, and cruise control and a comfortable seat make it easy to live with. TopSpeed’s argument is that it is the step between a small sportsbike and a superbike that does not demand superbike nerves. It is still not a first motorcycle. Our guide to what a motorbike licence costs in South Africa covers the fees and the tests.
RS 660 Factory versus the alternatives
South African prices are the importers’ list prices at the time of writing and change often. The Aprilia figures are our estimates.
Aprilia RS 660
The obvious alternative is the standard bike: same engine, brakes, electronics and chassis, on KYB suspension that ZA Bikers judged good enough for South African roads, for about R40,000 less on our estimate. Motorcycle News’ closing argument was that a revalve and an aftermarket shock on the standard bike would leave money for track days. If you are not going to adjust the suspension, buy this one.
Suzuki GSX-8R
R183,720 from Suzuki South Africa. A 776cc twin with about 61 kW, a quickshifter, a TFT and a comfortable riding position, and the only rival with a proper factory distributor and a one-make race series here. It is softer, heavier and simpler than the Aprilia, and it costs roughly R100,000 less. That is the number the RS 660 has to answer.
Yamaha YZF-R7
Yamaha South Africa lists it without a price; dealers have advertised it at about R189,950. The 689cc CP2 twin makes about 54 kW, the chassis is sharp and the 2026 bike gained six-axis electronics. It is the lighter, cheaper, less powerful choice and the bike TopSpeed recommends if the Aprilia is a stretch.
Triumph Daytona 660
A 660cc triple with about 70 kW and the best engine note in the class. Triumph South Africa lists the Trident 660 from R180,000 but had not listed the Daytona when we wrote this, so ask the dealer. Read our Trident 660 review for the engine.
Honda CBR650R and Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R
The inline fours. Neither appears on its importer’s South African price list at the moment, so both are dealer-order bikes. The Kawasaki is faster and cheaper than the Aprilia where it is sold, as Motorcycle News noted, but it is a 2000s supersport in a 2026 wrapper, with none of the Aprilia’s road manners.
Start with the sportsbikes for sale on Scooter125 to see what else R300,000 buys, because at that figure the used market includes some serious machinery.
Full specifications
Figures from Aprilia and MotorcycleSpecs.co.za for the 2026 RS 660 Factory. Dyno figures from Motorcycle.com are measured at the rear wheel.
| Engine | 659cc liquid-cooled DOHC 8-valve 270-degree parallel twin |
| Bore x stroke | 81 x 63.93 mm |
| Compression ratio | 13.5:1 |
| Power | 77 kW (105 hp) at 10,400 rpm; 67 kW measured at the rear wheel |
| Torque | 70 Nm at 8,400 rpm; 60 Nm measured at the rear wheel |
| Rev limit | 11,800 rpm |
| Fuel system | Ride-by-wire, 2 x 52 mm throttle bodies, Euro 5+ |
| Gearbox | 6-speed, wet slipper clutch, up and down quickshifter, chain 17/43 |
| Frame | Twin-spar aluminium half frame, engine as stressed member, aluminium swingarm |
| Front suspension | 43 mm Öhlins NIX 30 inverted fork, fully adjustable, 120 mm travel |
| Rear suspension | Öhlins STX 46 monoshock, fully adjustable, 130 mm travel |
| Front brakes | Twin 320 mm discs, Brembo M4.32 4-piston radial calipers, radial master cylinder, cornering ABS |
| Rear brake | 220 mm disc, 2-piston Brembo caliper, cornering ABS |
| Wheels and tyres | 3.5 x 17 and 5.5 x 17 cast aluminium; Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV 120/70 ZR17 and 180/55 ZR17 |
| Rake and trail | 24.3 degrees, 104 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,382 mm |
| Seat height | 820 mm |
| Wet weight | 183 kg |
| Fuel tank | 15 litres |
| Consumption | About 4.5 litres per 100 km (ZA Bikers, standard RS 660) |
| Electronics | 6-axis IMU, APRC: traction, wheelie, engine brake, engine map, cruise, launch control, quickshifter; 3-map cornering ABS; 5 riding modes plus Track package; 5 inch TFT |
| Top speed | About 225 km/h, Aprilia claim |
| UK price | £12,395 (standard RS 660 £10,540) |
| US price | $14,149 (standard RS 660 $11,849) |
| South African price | Not published; our estimate R280,000 to R300,000 |
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Aprilia RS 660 Factory in South Africa?
No price has been published. The Factory is £12,395 in the UK and $14,149 in the United States, and the last official South African price for the standard RS 660 was R234,660 in 2021. Our estimate is R280,000 to R300,000 for a Factory. Ask Balance Auto Importers for a current quote.
What is the difference between the RS 660 and the RS 660 Factory?
The Factory has fully adjustable Öhlins suspension in place of the standard KYB units, a lithium battery, a Factory livery and the Track package as standard. Engine, brakes, chassis and electronics are the same.
Who sells Aprilia in South Africa?
The former importer, Italian Motorcycle Importers, closed in 2023. Balance Auto Importers now sells and services new and used Aprilia through Cape Town, Johannesburg and KwaZulu-Natal branches.
How much power does the RS 660 Factory have?
77 kW, about 105 hp, at 10,400 rpm and 70 Nm at 8,400 rpm, with an 11,800 rpm rev limit. Motorcycle.com measured 67 kW and 60 Nm at the rear wheel.
Is the RS 660 Factory good for a beginner?
It is a Code A sportsbike with 77 kW, so not a first motorcycle. For a rider moving up from a small sportsbike it is one of the more forgiving choices, with midrange power and electronics that can be set to intervene early.
What is the seat height of the RS 660 Factory?
820 mm. The seat is narrow at the front, so most riders get a foot down more easily than the figure suggests. Tall riders may find the cockpit cramped.
Is the Öhlins suspension worth the extra money?
Both Motorcycle News and Motorcycle.com said it is better, firmer and more communicative, and both questioned whether a road rider needs it. If you do track days and adjust your suspension, yes. If not, the standard bike and a revalve make sense.
How far will the RS 660 go on a tank?
About 300 km from the 15 litre tank at 5 litres per 100 km. ZA Bikers saw 333 km from the standard bike.
The verdict
The RS 660 Factory is the complete middleweight sportsbike. The 2026 engine update removed the one dynamic flaw the original had, the electronics remain the best in the class, the Brembos are excellent, and the Öhlins turns a very good chassis into one that testers compared with the RSV4. It is comfortable enough to tour on, has cruise control, and still goes to a track day without changing anything. Motorcycle News said nothing among the new twins matches it, and the testing backs that up.
The reservations are about money and about South Africa. The Factory premium buys suspension most road riders will never adjust, and the standard RS 660 was already judged good enough for our roads by the one local test that exists. More seriously, Aprilia here is now a specialist-importer brand without a published price, and the warranty, parts supply and dealer coverage that come with that are things to establish before you pay a deposit, not after.
If you have the budget, want the best-handling twin on sale and will use the adjustment, the Factory is the one. If you want the same engine and electronics for a third less, the standard RS 660 or a Suzuki GSX-8R are the sensible calls. Either way, look at the sportsbikes for sale on Scooter125 first, because R300,000 is serious money in the used market.
Sources referenced
- Aprilia USA, RS 660 and RS 660 Factory model pages: specification, equipment, colours and prices
- MotorcycleSpecs.co.za, “Aprilia RS 660 / RS 660 Factory 2025”: specification table
- Motorcycle News, Simon Hargreaves, “2026-on Aprilia RS660 Factory review”, 2 September 2026
- Motorcycle.com, Nic de Sena, “2026 Aprilia RS 660 Factory Review”, December 2025, updated January 2026
- TopSpeed, Arun Prakash, “The Sport Bike That Makes The Perfect First Step Into Serious Performance”
- ZA Bikers, Bjorn Moreira, “Aprilia RS 660: An RS For The Road”, 8 July 2021, and “MV Agusta Has A New Home In South Africa”, 25 January 2024
- Balance Auto Importers website; Suzuki South Africa and Triumph South Africa price lists; Yamaha South Africa model listing
- Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, October 2026 fuel price adjustment
