Fast Bikes April 2022 issue preview

HOW TO RIDE FASTER

PLUS – HOW TO MAKE ONE PERFECT!

IF YOU WANT TO WIN YOU’D BETTER GET YOUR HEAD AROUND DATA AND NUMBERS

AP R ISS IL 20 UE 22 390

AND SAFER ON THE ROADS

YAMAHA FZ1 RACING BY NUMBERS BUYER’S GUIDE

APRILIA RS660 £10,300

E H T H WORT

DUCATI V4 SP £32,446

?

E G WEDYOU LIKE YOURS?

O D W O H

O RE IMES M RE? T E E R G TH EASU PENDIN TIMES THE PL FIND OUT! S S E O D THREE WAY TO DELIVER AS ONLY ONE W THERE S ICONIC SUZUKI’ A TAKES ON S HAYABU LLY FAST A U Q E S BLE IT MFORTA AND CO G… IN GT SIBL

PLUS JACK NIXON: WE CATCH UP WITH THE STOCK STAR ON A MOVE YOUR TRACK QUESTIONS ANSWERED TRACK SPEC: MILWAUKEE R1

ISSUE 390 APRIL 2022

THE KNOWLEDGE Used Bike Guide..............................62 Yamaha’s FZ1 was the brand’s first proper naked R1… and it so nearly hit the mark.

Here’s all you need to know about it.

Track Craft ......................................84 When it comes to riding on track, there are plenty of questions to answer. Luckily for us, Dean Ellison is on hand.

YOUR LIFE ON BIKES

You and Yours .................................88 All of your adventures.

Chatter ............................................90 A page dedicated to the best readers in the world…

TESTS

Worth the wedge? .......................... 18 Ducati’s V4SP costs three times as much as Aprilia’s RS660. Is it worth it?

How do you like yours? ..................38 Suzuki’s Hayabusa needs no introduction, but how does it rate against the same brand’s super fast, super comfy GSXS1000 GT? There was only one way to find out.

COLUMNISTS

Christian Iddon ...............................94 The deal is finally done for BSB star Iddon.

Dom Herbertson .............................96 More words and wisdom from road racer Dom.

Tim Neave .......................................97

34 FEATURES

Stock Star: Jack Nixon ....................34 We chat to the champion superstock rider ahead of the BSB season.

Ride faster, ride safer .....................54

Track man Tim goes for a lesson like no other to conquer the roads.

Racing by numbers .........................68

With the new season banging on the door, Tim’s gearing up for the fight.

If you want to win, you need more than just a great rider. We learn about the tech that keeps teams on top.

Steve’s shenanigans never get old… or less frequent.

We check out a very saucy Milwaukee Yamaha R1.

Steve Parrish...................................98

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Track Spec....................................... 78

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WELCOME

Value for money

H

ave you ever been in a really fancy restaurant, spent an absolute fortune, and come out hungry, frustrated and tempted to steal the cutlery just to even the score? Just me then! I’m all for paying a premium if the product or service you’re buying is worth the expense. In reality, any kind of purchase is a bit of a gamble, especially when it comes to buying a motorcycle. Be it new, used, or something that’s been sold to you in pieces… you’ll only truly know if it was a good purchase months, if not years, down the line. That said, a bike’s spec should give you a pretty good idea of what you’re letting yourself in for. A sportsbike with 200bhp to its name is likely to feel a world apart to a model with half that output. But is that to say the bike with less performance and trinkets is any less pleasurable?

Particularly if that machine can be

signed, sealed and delivered to your door for a third of the price of the more potent and prestigious offering on the cards? To be more specific, could a ten grand Aprilia RS660 prove better value for money – and even more fun – than a £30k Ducati V4 SP? On face value, you’d maybe think not, but for the sake of science and saving a fortune, we weren’t about to leave that stone unturned… and what a cracking test it turned out to be. Skim forward a few pages and you’ll get a gist of how it turned out. You’ll also find a load more cracking reads in this issue too, including our head-to-head between Suzuki’s iconic Hayabusa and the same brand’s upstart GSXS1000GT. The principles between both bikes are pretty similar, but the riding

experiences couldn’t get much different.

In other news, Tim, our tamed racer, has been getting his head around proper road craft without as much as a sniff of hi-vis.

He’s taken in the kind of skills that will make you faster and safer on the roads, so be sure to give that a gander. On a closing note, thanks as always for your continued support and don’t hold back from getting in touch and letting us know what kind of tests and features you’d like to see – 2022’s still a blank canvas and, probably like you, we want to fill it in the best way we can.

All the best.

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NE W S & RE VIE W S PL ANET FAST BIKES – NE W ME TA L,

TRIUMPH TE-1 UNVEILED PROTOTYPE

If you speak to anyone in the bike trade about electric motorcycles, the answer is always the same – we need one of the big firms to launch one that’s properly engineered. The current (yes!) offerings from firms like Zero, Energica, and Harley-Davidson LiveWire are very good for what they are but remain a bit of a niche prospect for much of the market. And while the bottom of said market is rammed with budget Chinesemade mopeds and scooters, there’s still no such thing as a genuinely mainstream electric bike, in the way you have now in the car sector.

That’s got to change soon – and this is perhaps one of the earliest signs: a real-world, running prototype of Triumph’s TE-1 electric bike. The Hinckley firm released drawings of the planned machine last year, but this is the first time we’ve seen it as a full-engineered test mule. And it looks pretty impressive.

It’s clearly a Triumph, with classic looks borrowed from the Speed Triple: aluminium frame, single-sided swingarm, dual headlamps.

10 APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

But under the bodywork lies, of course, a very different powerplant. There’s no three-cylinder fuel-injected 12v DOHC petrol-powered internal combustion engine here. Rather, you’ve got a combined motor and inverter unit from Integral Powertrain LTD, a battery pack from Williams Advanced Engineering, and a load of control electronics produced by Triumph with help from the University of Warwick.

Stuff we haven’t seen before includes the final drive, which uses a carbon fibre toothed belt rather than a chain – and a large radiator. That might seem superfluous when there’s no super-hot engine but small, high-output electric powertrains often need liquid cooling for the motor. And super-compact battery packages also need advanced heat management systems to keep the lithium cells in good condition, and prevent overheating during charging and discharge.

The rest of the chassis wouldn’t look out of place on many other premium Triumphs: Öhlins USD forks and rear monoshock, Brembo M50 brake calipers, and minimalist black bodywork.

The TE-1 project has just completed what the firm calls ‘phase three’ of its development, which is all about bench testing and integrating all the components together. The next phase (four, unsurprisingly) will see the beginning of ‘real-world’ testing, including rolling road runs for throttle calibration, range, and battery consumption, rider power mode mapping, thermal optimisation and power/torque output.

Triumph’s also poised to get the new TE-1 onto the test track in this phase to examine the

handling, acceleration, braking and regeneration strategies – and how far you can wheelie the thing before it blows a fuse. Nice.

Phase four is set to be completed by summer 2022 – a pretty impressive rate of progress. That also means we should see a running bike, with full specs, by the end of the year – though it remains to be seen how close to ‘productionready’ it will be. Strangely, this latest press release doesn’t mention the specs that the firm released last March when it first showed it off.

Back then, it was claimed that the TE-1 would make 177bhp and weigh 220kg, with a 120 mile range. Whether those numbers have turned out to be wrong, or if the firm is simply being a bit more guarded, remains to be seen.

Now, we’re as cautious as the next rider about how electric bikes are going to turn out, and it looks like the technology still has a way to go to match the present state-of-the-art petrol machinery. But the TE-1 looks like a solid start and we’re pretty keen to see how it goes, and where this project is heading…

Keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter, and the Fast Bikes website (www. fastbikesmag.com) – for live updates on news as it happens

Meet Royal Enfield’s new factory stunt rider – Lee Bowers!

Here’s another one to add to the everexpanding list of ‘things we never expected to see’: Royal Enfield has signed up a factory stunt rider. Lee Bowers is a bit of a legend in the stunt world. There’s not much he can’t do on a bike, either on Hollywood film sets or at high-end stunt shows. But we normally see him on a high-performance Japanese sportsbike (he was formerly sponsored by Kawasaki), not a 47bhp air-cooled retro twin…

The Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650 twins are great for what they are, thanks mostly to the chassis set-up, developed in the UK by Harris Performance engineers and ex-BSB test riders. But they needed a bit of a fettle to make them into proper stunt tools for Lee. He’s got two of the 650 twins – one is set up for wheelies and stoppies, and the other is a drift bike with a long swingarm.

The freestyle/wheelie bike has had a massive list of upgrades, from bespoke strengthened Öhlins USD forks and Brembo Stylema brake calipers to the Dymag-forged race wheels and Öhlins TTX rear shock. The frame itself is a gorgeous, handmade Harris Performance design in T45 tube with monoshock linkage and an underbraced swingarm. Of course, like every proper stunt bike, it also has a flash rear brake set-up: dual Brembo Stylema calipers on the rear disc with thumb and foot brake. A Harris exhaust, modified seat unit with footrest, strengthened fuel tank and extensive crash cage rounds off the full factory stunt bike upgrades.

The drift bike is less fancy, with a 200mm longer swingarm, Harris rear brake set-up, Nitron twin shocks, S&S race pipe and 180-section Maxxis rear tyre. Both bikes stick with the standard 650 twin motor – 47bhp, with the right gearing, is plenty for stunt show use.

Finally, Bower also has a little 411cc single-cylinder Himalayan stunt tool, festooned with a flamethrower, smoke machine, and industrial pyrotechnic installation. It’s called the Himalayan Fire Bike – and adds even more spectacle to his stunt show.

Lee’s really enthusiastic about the new project: “I know it’s possible to stunt ride any high performance bike with some dedication and practice; however, to break new ground with such an iconic brand as Royal Enfield, traditionally associated with smaller capacity retro classics and singles, is incredibly exciting.

“I feel honoured to get the opportunity to work closely alongside Harris Performance and Royal Enfield. It’s a great journey we’re starting together and I know we can build something incredibly special!”

Watch out for the Bowers/Royal Enfield stunt show at bike events this season.

NO LIMITS TRACKDAYS No going back!

From March 1, 2022, back protectors will become essential for those wishing to ride on trackdays. In the same way that front brake lever guards were introduced last year, many motorcycle trackday companies – including the UK’s biggest provider, No Limits Trackdays – believe you should equip yourself with the best available protection to reduce the risks of serious injury if an accident occurs. The back protector must be full length to cover from the base of your spine up to the top of your leathers; while some leathers come with built in back protection, No Limits recommends a separate back protector that is suited to your size and these can be found at shop.nolimitstrackdays.com

2022 KTM Duke 890 R

Sweet new colours for the 2022 KTM Duke 890 R – or THE SCALPEL, as the firm insists on calling it. The trademark orange frame stays of course, but now you can have your slick parallel twin middleweight in the same tasty matt Atlantic Blue colour as the 2022 Super Duke 1290 R supernaked. The rest of the spec is pretty much as you were: 121bhp, full-on IMU-assisted electronics, Brembo Stylema brakes, and WP APEX suspension. Not that there’s anything wrong with that – the 890 is an awesome piece of kit.

GasGas MC450 F Troy Lee Designs Factory Replica Yes, yes, we know, it’s a dirt bike, but JUST LOOK AT IT! The new GASGAS MC450F Troy Lee Designs Factory replica is very much something we need in our lives. Dry weight is just 100kg and it makes an angry 62bhp. Comes with saucy Akrapovic slip-on pipe, firmer WP XACT suspension settings, factory start device, handlebar-mount map selector switch, factory wheels, adjustable yokes, race seat cover, and composite skid plate. Not cheap at about £9500, but we love it.

BMW and Ducati both hit record bike sales in 2021

2021 was a bit of an up-and-down year for a lot of businesses – but the bike trade actually did really well despite Covid-19 and, amazingly enough, both BMW and Ducati reported their best-ever sales figures, globally and in the UK. BMW shipped out a massive 194,261 bikes worldwide, up 14.8% on 2020, and that includes a 26.6% increase in the UK and Ireland, where it sold 9263 bikes.

Ducati sold 59,447 motorcycles worldwide, up 24% over 2020, and 12% more than 2019.

The best seller for the Bologna firm was the V4 Multistrada, with 9957 bikes delivered.

BMW’s top seller was, of course, the ubiquitous R1250 GS/Adventure. Well done, all!

APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11

, NEWS & REVIEW S PLANE T FAST BIKES – NEW METAL

DUCATI UNICA

Bologna launches factory custombuild programme

No, the printers haven’t been on the sauce – that really is a blue Panigale V4 Superleggera – and it came straight from Ducati like that. The Bologna firm has set up a new high-end factory customisation scheme called Ducati Unica, allowing a limited number of customers to specify some rather slick OE options on a new Ducati or Scrambler model. Obviously you’ll be able to spec up a heap of sweet Ducati Performance bolt-ons but the Unica programme goes much further than that, with the firm offering “precious materials,

BeMoto Lotto

It’s not often that an insurance firm gives out something for nothing, but that’s exactly what Peterboroughbased broker BeMoto is doing. The firm is offering a 2021 Ducati Panigale V4S, plus £10,000 of biking kit, as the top prize in a massive free-to-enter draw. The Panigale, supplied by Seastar Superbikes, is the 2021 version of the superlative superbike, with the aerodynamic 12 APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

dedicated finishes, special colours…”

It’s run by the firm’s Centro Stile design department, and you actually get a dedicated designer and technician who will work with you on the project. The end results will be properly unique – or unica – pieces of exotic moto-art.

It all starts with your Ducati dealer. They’ve all been primed on how the scheme will work and can get your Unica project started.

Couple of words of warning – the firm says it will only accept requests that are ‘considered to be

wings, Öhlins semi-active suspension, Brembo Stylema brake calipers, and 215bhp 1103cc V4 motor – and is worth £25k. The £10k prize pot includes £1200 worth of R&G kit for the Panigale, a Shoei X-Spirit III helmet, a pair of Knox Handroid gloves, Innov bike dashcam and much more. BeMoto will even insure the bike for you (up to £1000 policy cost).

in line with the values of the brand’ – perhaps ruling out your dreams of a Panigale V4 with fake-fur Urban Tiger Fireblade bodywork. Secondly, there’s no mention of pricing. We guess if you have to ask how much, you might not be in line with the values of the programme either.

But if you’ve finally found that wallet of 1500 Bitcoins from 2011, get down to the dealer now and sign yourself up for a lime-green camo Streetfighter with carbon wheels, a pink Öhlins-clad Scrambler or, yes, a blue Superleggera. It makes sense.

All current Bemoto policyholder names are given two entries for free, and if you have a multi-bike policy, you get two extra entries for each additional bike. Nice for them, then, but even non-Bemoto policyholders can enter the draw by filling in a simple form on the firm’s website.

Full details, terms and conditions, and the online entry form are all here: www.bemoto.uk/belotto

ES T PERF ORMA NC E PRODUC TS ALL THE LATEST, CO OL ES T & TRICK

BRAKETECH VENTILATED BRAKE PISTONS Some posh chassis kit is destined to be on show all the time – but only you will know that these sweet Braketech vented pistons from HPS are doing a proper job on your bike. They’re produced from super finish stainless steel and have a cunning design aimed to cut heat transfer into the brake fluid. The pad side has 12 ventilated holes for increased airflow behind the pad and a limited thermal path to the fluid. Meanwhile, the fluid side of the piston features a castellated design, which increases the fluid volume inside the caliper, again to limit peak temperatures. The special stainless steel also reduces heat conduction compared with the aluminium pistons commonly used on OE calipers. These pistons are new fitments for the Aprilia RS660, 2021-on BMW S1000RR/ M1000RR, and 2020-on Honda Fireblade.

RRP: £366 (for dual

four-piston calipers)

WWW.BIKEHPS.COM

DUCHINNI JAGO JACKET Buying kit to take the kids on the back of the bike is a bit of a bugger. They grow so fast that the kit doesn’t fit for long, yet you can’t really take them out without proper protection. Enter this clever Duchinni Jago jacket. It’s designed in kids’ sizes but has zipped sleeve extension panels and extra adjustment on the body, so it can expand as your child does, fitting for much longer.

The Jago is AA-rated for safety, and comes with CE Level 2 shoulder and elbow armour as standard. There’s a removable thermal lining and a breathable, waterproof and windproof drop-liner, plus vents at the front, rear and in the sleeves for summer use. Comes in five colours (black, black/red, black/ neon, black/camo and black/purple) for children’s sizes XS-XL. RRP: £99.99 WWW.THEKEYCOLLECTION.CO.UK

FORCEFIELD TECH 3 BASE LAYER SHIRT/PANTS Base layers might not be the sexiest of kit (literally and metaphorically) but it’s vital stuff when it comes to riding comfort. In cooler temperatures, a good base layer provides an extra barrier against the chill, and when the mercury rises it’ll wick away moisture, cooling you down and helping protect your riding kit from the sweat, grime, and stinky odours of a proper hard ride.

British firm Forcefield has revamped its excellent base layer options for 2022 with the new Forcefield Tech 3 range. It boasts a re-engineered formulation with Becool and Dryarn smart materials and the latest ‘seamless’ loom production methods. The result is even more comfort and performance from the increased breathability and wicking performance, as well as new compression-fit areas to reduce muscle fatigue.

RRP: £70 (shirt); £50 (pants) WWW. FORCEFIELDBODYARMOUR.COM

14 APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

PRODUCTS

ALPINESTARS MISSILE IGNITION V2 SUIT New year, new suit – and this Alpinestars racing design looks like a solid choice for the 2022 season. It’s a vented cowhide suit with a pre-curved race-crouch cut, together with extensive Matryx carbon/Kevlar stretch panels for extra flexibility and comfort. It’s designed to accommodate the firm’s Tech-Air airbag set-up, comes with replaceable elbow sliders for the heroic young team out there, and has a removable washable inner liner to beat da stink. It’s fully CE-approved to Category II as well, with internal race-spec GP-R soft armour and comes in three colourways: red/ white, black/red and grey/black/yellow.

RRP: £999 WWW.ALPINESTARS.COM

DUNLOP ROADSMART IV TYRES Dunlop’s Roadsmart fitment has been around for a few years now, doing the ‘sporty road tyre’ job pretty well for the firm. Now though, there’s a new fourth-generation design, with even better wet grip, longer life and more neutral handling through the tyre’s life. There are actually three variants – the standard Roadsmart IV, SP, and GT versions. The SP is optimised for lighter and sportier bikes, while the GT is aimed at heavier, more touring-biased uses. The SP and GT are available in the more common sizes: 120/70 17 front, 180/55 and 190/55 17 rear. There’s 21 sizes in total, covering everything from old 1990s sportsbikes right through to current adventure and super naked machinery. We’ve got a set in to try out and will report on how they go…

RRP: Around £300 a pair, depending on sizes WWW.DUNLOP.EU

RUROC ATLAS 4.0 HELMET

MWR ZX-10R RAM-AIR INTAKE AND FAIRING BRACKET As we all know, the Kawasaki ZX-10R is notoriously slow, struggling to pull the skin off a rice pudding and only able to win just six of the last seven WSBK championships.

Luckily, this saucy part is here to help: it’s an oversized Ram-Air intake tube, developed and used by Jonathan Rea’s KRT team. Made by Dutch air filter firm MWR for the 2021-on ZX-10R, it has double the volume of the original part and gives a welcome power boost at high speeds. It’ll only fit race fairings, sadly, but if you have a cheeky trackday Ninja, we reckon this is a must-have.

This one in the pics is a factory carbon-fibre unit, but the main production parts will be in fibreglass (though we imagine if you ask nicely, a carbon one could be an option…). Works with the MWR fairing and dash bracket (AT-465), also shown here.

If you were launching a new bike helmet brand, then late 2019 would, probably, be the absolute worst time to do so. But Gloucester-based firm Ruroc has managed to come out of the other side of the pandemic with this latest iteration of its Atlas full-face lid.

Ruroc has a background in ski helmet production since the mid-2000s but recently moved into bike lids and seems to be pretty serious about it. The Atlas 4.0 has a carbon fibre shell with a definite ‘Simpson Bandit’ streetfighter feel to the design. It comes in some pretty lairy colourways, including this DC-licensed Joker replica, as well as more subtle plain finishes. It’s got ECE22.06 and DOT approval, has extensive venting, and is claimed to be 57% quieter than before. It’s fairly light at 1500g and features a new Rheon shock-absorbing smart material, plus the usual QR Pinlock visor and washable interior. There’s an optional Bluetooth set-up available, too.

RRP: £37 5 (plain) £425 (colours) WWW.RUROC.COM

RRP: £299.99 (AT-460 Ram-Air tube)

£209.99 (AT-465 fairing bracket) WWW.SPEEDYCOM.CO.UK

APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 15

ED AND REV IEW ED THE VERY BES T KIT – US ED, ABUS

YAMAHA XL TROLLY BAG (KITBAG) TESTED BY: Bruce MILES: All over the world TIME: Three years PRICE: £ 162.00 WEB: www.yamaha-motor.eu

Not everyone needs a decent kitbag in their life, but if you do, you’ll want to know about this one. I picked mine up three years ago, handily arriving at a time when my previous item was on its last legs, complete with sticking wheels, knackered zips and more scratches than a child who’s just run through a thorn bush. It served its time well, but the prospect of Yamaha’s ginormous and shiny proposition gave me huge relief. Even the design of the kitbag got my heart racing because its layout was both spacious and logical.

The main compartment measures in at 85cm long, 45cm wide and 45cm tall.

It’s huge (150 litres), completely unadulterated by any dividing segments, and that means you can comfortably throw all your riding kit in it (leathers, helmet, boots, gloves) with enough room left over for a second pair of leathers and six bottles of duty-free (yes, I’ve tried it). Admittedly, that would send you way over the baggage allowance of most airlines, but that’s not the kitbag’s fault.

Despite its size, it weighs in at under 4kg, making it the lightest bag I’ve ever owned. And that’s not because it’s missing any particular bells and whistles. Yes, it’s got a collapsible handle (two positions). Yes, it’s got integrated, zippered stowage pockets in the roof of the bag (so you can separate dirty and clean clothing). And yes, it comes kitted with bulletproof coaster wheels that can stomach the odd trip

16 APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

down a staircase (don’t ask). The underside also boasts two protective rails that ensure the precious cargo inside is partially shielded from the abuse of airport baggage handling, and I’ve also been impressed by the supple yet strong ballistic nylon outer material that’s finished in a fancy Yamaha blue PVC coating.

Despite tens of trips overseas and hundreds of UK trackday visits, my bag still looks as good as the day I got it, with the only issue being a mildly mullered corner on a zip. The zips themselves are in cracking order and I’ve come to love the tactile, generously-sized loops that come kitted as standard. The three grab handles on the bag is another big bonus, meaning it’s easy to manhandle when needs must, and I should probably give kudos to the one and only external zipped pocket on the outside of the bag roof, which has proven a good nesting place for essentials that require quick and easy access.

I really can’t rate this kitbag enough.

That said, I should point out it is due to be superseded very shortly by a new version, which I can only hope lives up to the brilliance of this one.

APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 17

MAC J OHNNY WORDS> O P HAP PICS> C

APRILIA RS660 VS. D UCATI PANIGALE V4SP

18 APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

Y

ou could be forgiven for thinking we’ve completely lost our minds for making a comparison between an Aprilia RS660 and a Ducati Panigale V4SP – and on the surface you might be right, maybe we have lost the plot.

The Ducati blew all of its rivals away on the road, drag strip, dyno, and racetrack on its way to winning our Ultimate Sportsbike of the Year test last year, so what the hell are we doing wheeling in a bike with half its power to take it on?

As was correctly pointed out by some readers, the test doesn’t factor in each bike’s price, and that is deliberate.

The test is called ‘Ultimate Sportsbike’, not ‘Best Value Sportsbike’. To identify which is the best in terms of pure performance and capability, you have to set price aside.

However, that isn’t to say the price

question isn’t valid, because it is. So, we recalled the Ducati Panigale V4SP to Fast Bikes to face one more challenge and take on a bike that costs one third of what it does to try and answer this question – is it worth the extra money?

It really shouldn’t need mentioning, but it goes without saying that the Ducati has the Aprilia whipped in every single measurable parameter of performance, so it’s not a direct comparison test.

It’s more about how each bike satisfies the fundamental reasons why we choose to ride a sportsbike, how long they can maintain our interest, and whether there ever could be a feeling of smugness to be had from saving £20,000 by buying an Aprilia RS660... or equally, if that massive saving is enough to keep the green-eyed monster at bay.

APRIL 2022 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 19

APRILIA RS660 VS. D UCATI PANIGALE V4SP

APRILIA RS660 L

aunched only last year, the all-new RS660 from Aprilia was hailed as an antidote to the out-of-control, weaponsgrade litre bike sector, which until the 660’s arrival had been pretty much the only type of sportsbike you could buy.

Yamaha has followed Aprilia’s lead this year with its R7 to get in on the action and changing market appetite for a more affordable, simpler, and less extreme sportsbike. To be fair to Yamaha, it was a no-brainer to come up with the R7 – it had the MT-07 to begin with, so it had a very good starting point, unlike Aprilia.

The gestation period for the RS660 seemed to take forever, from when rumours of its existence emerged to its showroom arrival.

It’s not really a big surprise when you consider that the RS is new from the ground up. Every single component, every single design element... every single thing about the bike is brand new. Aprilia tried to say that the RS660’s engine is just an RSV4’s engine with two cylinders missing, and I suppose while descriptively that’s true, technically of course it hasn’t just blanked off a couple of cylinders on an RSV4 engine.

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I don’t know why it would claim that, other than to make some sort of tenuous link between it and the RSV4 for the marketeers and their army of influencers to make use of – which brings me neatly to the first and most important point. The RS660 is nothing like an RSV4 for lots of reasons, many of which are obvious and not what I’m referring to on this point. I’m talking about the fundamental design concept of each bike; one is a premium product with no corners cut, and the other has been built to a price.

There is a place in the world for both types: we need them, but do not be misled, or mistake the RS as being a mini RSV4 because it isn’t. Think of it as a posh Yamaha R7... which is a good thing.

On the subject of marketeers, and I promise I’ll leave them alone after this, it could be said that the spec on the RS is way over the top for something with 100bhp, but Aprilia went ahead anyway – presumably to create a high-tech image for the bike by adding a load of electronic rider aids that it absolutely does not need.

What it does not need is adjustable traction control, adjustable wheelie control, adjustable engine braking, cruise control and selectable power maps. However, what it