When Aprilia launched the much-anticipated RS 660 in 2021 it was a breath of fresh air in the mid-size sportbike segment. The 660 line-up also helped Aprilia get in the spotlight after a long time. And now, the new and more aggressive Aprilia RS 660 Extrema plans to take things further. It is technically a more violent RS 660 with loads of weight-saving decisions and cool graphics.
This motorcycle also makes the return of the “Extrema” nameplate from the 1990s. Aprilia has added loads of carbon fiber replacement components to save weight and look cooler. It gets a new SC-Project exhaust system which helps the 659cc parallel-twin have a more excited character. While the changes are subtle, they all come together to bring about a notable upgrade and come wrapped in a cool livery that is exclusive to the RS 660 Extrema.
The standard RS 660 has already managed to stir up the mid-size madmen’s beehive. But the Extrema fists it out more aggressively with the likes of the Ducati Supersport 950, the MV Agusta F3 RR, and the Japanese gang of Kawasaki ZX-6R, Yamaha R6, and the very similar Honda CBR650R.
The Aprilia RS 660 Extrema with carbon fiber icing and a sportier exhaust shows us that “less” is fierce!
Bringing Back The 90s “Extrema” Nameplate In Style
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema gets a cool aesthetic makeoverAprilia
The Extrema nameplate was used by Aprilia back in the 1990s on their 125cc racebike. Called the Aprilia 125 Extrema, this was the automaker’s most aggressive 125cc motorcycle of the time. And now, the moniker is back in a much more powerful and modern package. The 90s Extrema was known for its insane power-to-weight ratio. And that is precisely what the Italian marque has strived to achieve with the RS 660 Extrema as well.
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema Loses A Few Pounds To Be Sportier
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema aggressive styling gets elevatedAprilia
Aprilia has managed to shave of 37 pounds from the RS 660. And that has been achieved by swapping a bunch of parts with carbon fiber. The front fender and belly pan gets redesigned and molded in carbon fiber. Also, the RS 660 Extrema comes with a single-seat tail fairing from the factory. This is actually an optional feature for the standard RS 660 model.
But this wild Italian is also offered with a pillion seat if you need to carry a passenger around. Aprilia has dwelled deeper into shaving off pounds as it provides an aluminum mounting bracket for the muffler. This allows the rider to remove the passenger footpegs easily and trim down more on this Italian’s diet!
Related: Here’s Why The 230-HP RSV4 XTrenta Is The Most Extreme Aprilia Superbike Ever
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema Gets A Raspier Roar Courtesy Of SC-Project
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema gets a performance exhaust upgradeAprilia
But the major chunk of the 37-pound weight saving comes from the aftermarket exhaust system. Aprilia has given the RS 660 Extrema a street-legal SC-Project full system with a carbon fiber muffler. This is sure to sound raspier than the stock setup and will also help its parallel-twin engine to flex its muscle a bit better.
Don’t expect any change in performance figures though. The RS 660 Extrema continues to churn out 100 hp and 49 lb-ft of torque. But with the notable weight savings, we can expect this special Aprilia to do the 0-60 runs a tenth-of-a-second faster.
The RS 660 Extrema Gets A Set Of Cool Software Features
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema looks radAprilia
The feature list is quite rich on the standard RS 600 with an IMU-assisted rider aid suite that packs multiple riding modes, lean angle detecting traction control, cornering ABS, engine braking, various engine maps, and wheelie control to name a few. But to make things even more special, Aprilia has tweaked the powertrain software on the RS 660 Extrema, specifically the up/down quickshifter.
The new tweak allows the rider to swap the shifting layout to that of a race configuration, also known as a GP shift. In this layout, the rider up-shifts by pushing the level down and pulls up to downshift, just like those MotoGP machines. This helps drastically when you want to be in the zone while on the racetracks. The interesting part is that no components were modified to bring about this change.
Related: Here’s Why The Aprilia Tuareg 660 Is The Most Exciting New Adventure Bike For 2022
The Aggressive Aprilia RS 660 Design Gets A Unique Extrema Twist
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema has a lot of carbon fiber elementsAprilia
To make the RS 660 Extrema stand out, Aprilia wrapped this aggressive-looking sportbike in a distinctive Italian checkered flag livery. The cool visual treatment in red, green, black, and gray is exclusive to this model. The rims painted in red give a very bold and sinister vibe to the overall setup. Apart from the livery, the Extrema doesn’t get any other major visual tweaks and is identical to the standard offering.
Will The Aprilia RS 660 Extrema Come To The US?
Aprilia RS 660 Extrema is an aggressive sports bikeAprilia
Aprilia hasn’t disclosed that, and neither has the automaker mentioned the pricing, availability, and exclusivity. We just hope that they price it sanely and don’t put a heavy premium over the standard 2022 Aprilia RS 660 which starts with an MSRP of $11,399.
Sources: Aprilia, Piaggio Group
Dining and Cooking