The structure of this review is going to be a bit of a timelapse. As of the time of writing (8/22/23), I have a whopping 260 miles on this italian princess. I plan on updating this review every 1000 miles or so I put on the 660. Additionally, I feel it is necessary to evaluate this machine based off others i’ve ridden in a similar class. I’ve owned a ’22 Africa Twin (adventure sports ES), a V-Strom 650 (1st gen ABS), a ’22 KTM 500 EXC-F and a Tenere 700.



Initial thoughts @ 260 miles

Damn, I don’t know what the Italians have done, but this machine runs hot! The exhaust area in front of your right leg is going to get cooked on this thing. This area is the hottest, although the seat gets pretty warm too. It is significantly hotter than the Africa Twin, and both the Strom and T7 didn’t suffer from this (thankfully). I always wear my sedici adv pants, and this helps out with the heat quite a bit. The Africa Twin also gets pretty warm, but nothing like the 660. I would imagine in hot slow single track it would almost be unbearable.

Heat issues aside, the ergonomics on this machine are incredible! I don’t understand why so many manufacturers get this wrong. The peg:seat ratio and handle bars feel just right. I’m 72″ from dirt, mostly legs, and this machine is significantly more comfortable than the africa twin (a bike I hold in high regard in this area). The seat is more comfortable than the AT, even my wife riding 2 up feels the 660 is more comfortable than the AT. I will not suggest its as comfy as the coveted strom, but it isn’t as far off as one would think when comparing the two. The seat is low and flat, allowing you to shift your weight around while standing (which is a pleasure in its own right). The seat material is soft, yet firm enough to not be fatiguing on a ride. I have had about 3.5hrs in the saddle with no discomfort. The Africa Twin is significantly more comfortable than the T7 that i’ve ridden (no rally seat all stock). The clutch feel is good considering its not hydraulic. It is lighter than the T7 and probably similar in feel to the Africa Twin. The engagement point, running minimal slack, is right off the hand grip, which I am personally not a fan off. With a bit of a time I imagine it will wear so I can comfortably use one finger with out crushing said finger. Another note, down shifting felt horrid on this bike! Like something was broken. 5 miles vs 250 miles and it is so much better. Break in is making a big difference here. I think every heat cycle the shifting is getting better and better. Upshifts feel great! Overall drive train feel while accelerating and shifting is also smooth, one of the smoothest of any bike i’ve ridden.

Power/Engine Feel

I think Aprillia nailed this. The fueling is spot on! The T7 had a bit of binary throttle on/off sorta feel. Additonally, a bit of a stumble right off idle, a place I visit frequently offroad. The Taureg can go 10mph in 2nd gear, and accelerate smoothly. There is zero jerkiness or odd fueling, the bike just feels right, and its a lovely thing in this day and age. My Africa Twin suffered from this also. Albeit, not nearly as bad as the T7, but the AT is not Taureg smooth either.

80 horses at 450 pounds feels a bit like riding a unicorn on/offroad. You can hear the honk of the intake as you tug the throttle, and actually go thru several gears before you hit 100mph. It just feels fun! Power is fairly linear, with a bit of a hit around 6500, though I haven’t spent much time up there during break in. The overall engine characteristic is simply fun, it wants to be ridden hard. The electronics are much more intuitive than the AT. No electronic suspension with the 660. You get 4 basic riders mode, individual (fully customizable), urban, explore and offroad. You have 5 settings for most functions like traction control, engine breaking, and power delivery. It is not intrusive, can be done while moving, and the ABS settings stay with the machine, regardless if its been turned on/off. Big win here with Aprillia. Fuel economy is not great tho, and with this machine requiring premium, expect to spend some doe at the pumps. Light cruising with speeds below 60, I am getting around 50. Anything higher and you can expect mid to even low 40’s if you’re on a fast highway.

Suspension/Handling

Eeh. Well, this is complicated. A primary reason I purchased this bike was due to everyone claiming how much better the suspension is on the 660 vs the T7. I haven’t ridden a T7 in technical off road, mostly gravel/sand forest service roads. But compared to the AT, the 660 is harsh! I have played around with sag, and to get approximately 30% of the travel for sag (around 80mm for the 660), I practically max out both front/rear at 215 pounds. I have played with both compression and rebound, yet still I am not that satisfied with its legs. I am hoping that this is due to break in, and I will happily report back when/if that does happen. But for now, I don’t see where the magic is. The clickers also don’t seem to influence suspension action that much on this machine either. Time will tell! On the road, this thing rips! You will want to make sure sag is set properly (as you should any bike!), and when it is. Wow! The level of front end grip on this bike is incredible. It will smoke the T7 and AT on the hard pack stuff. Another thing to note is the 660’s wheel base. It is nearly 3″ longer than the T7. It is very stable, and LOVES to drift off road. Getting the rear out, and chopping throttle on many bikes will cause a lot of headshake as the bike corrects itself. But the long lever the 660 has to play with, again, makes it playful, fun, and safe to ride. I won’t comment on how turn in feels on the road, as I feel its hugely subject to tires being ran, but the front end grip and feel is spectacular. This bike is very communicative on the tarmac.

Fit/Finish

Its great, and I’m a bit suprised. At my heart, I am a Japanese fan. I have ridden Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki all of my life growing up in the dirt. However, the fit and finish on this bike is on par with the africa twin, tenere 700 and other japanese steeds i’ve boarded. It is better than the KTM’s I have had. The feeling of the plastic turn signal actuator, the kill switch, key and a few bolts i’ve interacted with have all been up to snuff with the Japanese gang so far. But, it is early in my life with the Aprillia, we will see how it fares in terms of reliability. I have seen many complaints of owners with dirt in air box, failed suspension components and many oil leaks. Based off my conversation with Chris at GPmotorycles, a lot of these issues have worked themselves out; manufacturing woahs. This is Aprillia’s first attempt at ADV in many many years. I believe they have a solid recipe for success here both on and off road.