Comparison: Aprilia RS 660 & Yamaha R7 ridden and reviewed

Lightweight twins are emerging as the natural successors to the now extinct 600cc Supersport class.
Yamaha's new-for-2022 R7 is the Iwata company's sportiest offering yet on the MT-07 platform and offers a budget alternative to Aprilia's class defining RS 660.
To find out how the pair stack up, Insidebikes sent Carl Stevens and Andrew Luckie to ride the two back to back. Here's his full report.
Read our review at: www.carolenash.com/tips-guide...
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[@benmaisano4484]

The Aprilia is the best sounding parrellel twin on the market by far and and one on the best sounding twin cylinder bikes,awesome!

[@vtranmoto]

You should have a listen to my RC8C :)

[@austinkaufman9402]

except for the Norton domiracer

[@trotskiftw]

@@austinkaufman9402 Not a fan of the Norton - too loud and tinny. I'd take this over that, and I don't particularly like the stock exhaust on the 660 to begin with.

[@ayasakikazuma3015]

Cf moto 450 sr with aftermarket exhaust enter the chat

[@chrisdavis7533]

Ive got a limited ed rs 660: lovely bike, and a joy to ride.....when its not in the f'ing shop. If you have to order anything for repairs in the states, be prepared to wait a month or two for it to arrive. Aprilia customer serive is apparently run by the same people that "fix" mcdonalds ice cream machines.

[@ll.7927]

Still having issues on the bike? Also I would make the dealer pay my bike note til I get it back.

[@chrisdavis7533]

@ll.7927 I traded it in for an rsv4, have had less issues now though. After the oil leak it ran great until I traded it in.

[@ll.7927]

@@chrisdavis7533 thanks. Might pic one up

[@patrickmba7638]

😂

[@pmacc3557]

Just broke the first 1000km on my R7. Its a beauty

[@leanit5756]

Wish they would have put even a rudimentary TC system on the R7. The lack of this pretty much takes it off the table for me. After having TC save my bacon on a few slick spots I did not see (getting old) during the last 4 or 5 years, I am a believer - on a bike that is primarily aimed at the less experienced. I view it as an essential safety feature just like ABS in this day and age, even on a bike with only 70 horsepower.

[@chilledmotochannel5608]

Completely agree on your point about the little things adding up to make a huge difference. The cruise control alone wins me over. Also, fingers crossed on the R9. "I'd give Yamaha my money right now" 👍

[@jacob_1866]

Like an R1? But with the cp3?

[@bella_testastretta]

I don't understand the point of killing the R6 just to replace it with R9

[@KellerFkinRyan]

@@bella_testastretta nobody was buying r6's. an r9 would sell much better.

[@ryndrssn]

I like Aprilia for having a consistent look throughout their bikes

[@Trelock30]

Excellent, informative video chaps, really enjoyed that. I ride a 2018 MT-10 which I love, but buying this bike 2 years ago to 'slow things down' after years chasing 5 year old 1000cc used superbikes (3 Gixxer thous, 2 R1s, a ZX10R) hasn't really worked, and the arrival of both these bikes genuinely has me thinking 100bhp is perfect for the road, and make things less warp speed. Like it can also bring back the halcyon days of the 350LC when 50bhp from a 2-banger was life, and powerbands ruled (I've been riding 32 years). The Ape has more of a pull, I guess because of the kit and extra power over the R7, but like you said, for fun on the roads and the occasional trackday maybe the R7 is worth considering. For me it's a wallet over heart kinda scenario. Need to organise some test rides 👍🏻

[@russellcrane7871]

Thanks for the review on these 2 bikes. As you can see from my picture I own an RS660. The only thing I'd like from Carole Nash is a vaguely competitive insurance quote 😂😂

[@pauly1k]

These are the two bikes I’m stuck between. I wanted a fun, light, toned down bit torque rich twin sports bike, but I wanted it to be comfortable and without electronics. I wanted a compliment to my Speed Triple RS. I wish the R7 had better ergonomics.

[@pablon7465]

I got an rs660 two days ago loving it its very beginning friendly motocycle fun to ride i am 6'2 tall and 180 pounds there is plenty room to sit its not super comfortable but better than my 750 gixxee i had

[@silent_fluo6917]

You can raise the handlebars on the R7 with a mod tho

[@labasrytas2876]

@@pablon7465 wow- a iam gixxer owner too- K7 600; test drived rs and disapointed- bike felt loose, steering so light its felt loose, so much street bike compared to gixer- day and night - my gixxer stays solid on the road, when rs felt like riding scooter.... also sitting to high from the road feeling put me off of rs... lovely looks, but moped feeling ride...

[@xinyuzhang]

RS660 so much better

[@winner1338]

I tested R7 and 2 hrs later a BMW R9T. Here is my thought about it. R7 build quality is no where near the R9T. R7 never scared me in any gears. R9T way too smooth in comparison with R7. R9T scared the shit out of me!!!! Since then I found the price of the R7 way too much. It should be around 8k

[@xti3938]

Better reliability in R7.

[@folieadeux5463]

The problem for me is that in norway the r7 cost 12k and a barely used rs660 cost 13k. it just makes it impossible to go r7 because the rs660 has the electronics, brembos and double the power. The r7 is way overpriced

[@chrissager2577]

The r7 is 9,000 not 12,000

[@folieadeux5463]

@@chrissager2577 not in norway

[@Modelo408]

Problemet med aprilia er jo at det fins bare forhandlere i Oslo området nesten

[@rajeshbedi]

Double the power. Its 74 vs 100 bhp mate

[@y1m1tf]

Had the joy of test riding the Aprilia last year, ended up getting the 2022 Kawasaki Z650 as it was my first bike, already bored of it though. I’m leaning towards the Aprilia for my next but also contemplating the ZX6R, although haven’t sat on one so don’t know how extreme the riding position etc will be. Plus the Aprilia can get a bit vibey through the foot pegs as it’s a twin. I suppose the tough bit is don’t want to get the Aprilia for me to get bored of it a few months down the line

[@GyroPyro121212]

My opinion is you may as well go with a 600 at this point. The 660 is very quick and is the leader of its class, but a 600 is a bit faster and will take some time for you to tire of. My friend’s 2021 Tuono 660 (403 lbs wet/100 hp) keeps up with my 1995 Honda CBR1000F with a full exhaust (~560 lbs wet/132 hp) until 120+ mph. He hasn’t yet had his first service which will unlock the full 100 hp (95 currently). I think once he has we will be even until 130 mph or so. He will also be installing a quickshifter. I’m putting a quickshifter and new chain and sprockets on my bike so I will make up a bit for his improvements.

[@trsskater]

I went from a ninja 400 to 2021 zx6r. 10 grand for the power was just too good of a deal in my eyes pass up compared to both of the bikes in this video. Now have done 2000 miles on it I would say great bike because I like a more aggressive stance and with grips I don't lean on my arms unless I'm riding slow but I don't do that much since my commute is mostly on the highway. Dispite it being an excellent bike and have no regrets. But if I had the Aprilia I think some aspects of the ride would be easier. Going down in horse power wouldn't really wouldn't be a deal breaker since you would get more torque. Which is arguably better. People say sport bikes are more bike than you need but so are most cars as well to be honest. So you will honestly be happy with whatever you get and you won't get bored of either. If you do it's not because the bike isn't good enough anymore. It's more the fact that you just want something new. Zx6r goes 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds, who needs a bike faster than that. If anything you will want a new bike when your needs change or just because like most of us you just want another bike.

[@trsskater]

Also know if you do get a zx6r everyone says the power doesn't come in until you wind it out. That is true but it still has a lot of power as soon as you twist the throttle, which feels super powerful for a beginner rider.

[@deliciousdeviant5333]

@@trsskater hehe my Zx25r is amazingggggg! I wonder if it'd be better to get the Zx6r or pick another manufacturer like the 660

[@JeremiahHartmanPhotography]

Might be even cooler if Aprilia released a "Factory" model with adjustable rearsets and clipon's for those that want a more sportbike feel.

[@user_yt17]

Do the drag race please...

[@victoratkins9456]

The RS 660 mirrors are different in the states. Not sure if that's the difference between your regulations and ours. Also, it has a petrol gage which is nice for daily riding and commuting

[@Cam_Wight]

Think it is, but I've seen people in the states complain the mirrors vibrate at speed because of the extra weight, making them a bit useless.

[@brianburkhard5209]

I'm torn between the RS 660 and the Ducati Supersport 950S

[@furzekake1]

aprilia is great value if there wasnt the big elephant in the room. terrible reliability. aprilia has a lot of issues and will make you regret buying it. whereas the yamaha is one of the most reliable motorcycle brands ever.

[@wwfww]

People don’t understand how good the rs660 looks in real life on that vomit green, it’s crazyyy

[@verdeboyo]

Both bikes would be great on track too, but if I had to choose one it'd have to be the RS all day every day cos I absolutely love Aprilia, it's a much better machine and it has Brembos too. £2k more it may be but you get more extras inside that £2k.

[@MotorcycLee-pb1hi]

Both beasts IMO

[@Eli_From_LA]

You guys mentioned youd rather have rs660 components in an R7 chassis but the Aprilia has a way better swing arm and frame, you can also change the ergonomics by rising the pegs and change the clip ons, so therefore the rs660 still technically wins all around.

[@Eli_From_LA]

10:38 also trust youd rather spend a couple grand more on changing these things mentioned above for a track day lol.

[@trsskater]

If the R7 costs as much as the MT07 or even just a little more they would have won me over.

[@Jason.1999]

in Germany R7 is the same price as the RS660

[@DR61411]

Aprilias beautiful with good power

[@kirkdunn1379]

Aprilia fir sure......it was between Aprilia and KTM duke and went with KTM....can get parts and service easier/quicker....slightly bigger torquier motor, handling, brakes, and have IMU....more money But only deal was a 2021 and reliability was concern plus didn't have color I wanted.....if they had FACTORY EDTN and 2022 model and for good price with no markups I probably would have chosen Aprilia.....KTM is solid tho just expensive and they make you pay extra for tech pack....got good deal but still......Aprilia is sweet ass bike.......Yamaha was never even a consideration for me

[@johnhhu2804]

John...Shu 🙂🙂👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@Jason.1999]

in Germany they are the same Price

[@ShomariDeluccio]

The Aprilia is ok, but needs a tube type frame to be a better handling bike? What?? Talk about the components, electronics package, and torque curves. The RS660 is almost fully upgraded. The R7 doesn't even have steel brake lines. RS660 takes it in every category except 1st gear by a slight margin. I would sink $6k in to the R7 to get the set up right. R7 for something cheap to get a drink at a bike meet, RS660 for track and going hard in the canyons. No question.

[@mrgrey9584]

Aprillia there is no comparison here

[@teamtempest844]

Kawasaki Ninja 650 💚

[@youarenotsafe2215]

Rs660 front facia looks weird though

[@mattiasamiolo5277]

Aprilia forever 🥸

[@dwcubatch83]

if you are soft and have more bucks, go for the aprilla

[@alexandroskyr4342]

Rs 660 is amazing bike R7 is bullshits not worth to buy it

[@Josephfanai72]

I have own r7 baby r15v4 check it out the r15v4

[@nessuno7071]

yamaha r7 is a beautifull bike aprilia rs660 a overpriced crap

[@RicoRico1982]

R7 sounds aweful as its power! no way I'm going to buy that one. It would have been better if it got MT09's engine.

[@davmanlop333]

🤣 mt07 is better. R7 is crap

[@stuartstogdill2406]

The R7 is hideous and you really get nothing compared to the RS 660. Yamaha makes nothing exciting at this point in time.

[@Errol.C-nz]

FFS these AREN'T Super Sport bikes.. not even really Super Twins.. put them up against Honda's 2000 vtr1000sp or Aprilia rs1000 20yrs out of date.. Super Sport pffftt get real