When my local Aprilia dealer asked if I would like to have the Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory for a few days, it didn’t take long for me to say ‘Absolutely’!!!
So, come on, is it just me, but when the word ‘Factory’ is used on a bike, especially an Italian bike at that, does it conjure up images of something very special that you just know will be soooo much fun to ride!
The Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory is a very pretty bike made especially so by the colors in which it comes in – Factory Dark and Too Fast. I’ve never heard of a color ‘Too Fast’ before but I want it before I’ve even seen it!
Review Summary
- With a starting price of $12,350 USD / $16,788 CAD / £10,000 this is at the upper end of the price range for a 660cc bike.
- 5 Rider Modes – road and track (3 pre-set and 2 customisable) with adjustable levels of traction control, engine braking, engine mapping and wheelie control.
- Two color options available – Factory Dark and Too Fast.
- At 181 kg, this is a light bike.
- A seat height of 820 mm makes this on the taller side for those of us who are vertically challenged!
In 2021 Aprilia launched the Tuono 660 which is an upright, shorter geared version of the 659 cc parallel twin RS 660 sportsbike and in 2022 the Tuono 660 Factory was launched.
The Tuono 660 Factory comes from the Tuono V4 Factory along with set-up and performance derived from this bike.
Compared to the Tuono 660, which is already well known and appreciated for its chassis qualities, the Tuono 660 Factory has a more refined and sport-friendly suspension which is adjustable both front and rear.
Built around the new Aprilia parallel twin-cylinder engine, the 660 Factory features a great power to weight ratio with the use of a light lithium battery reducing the weight by approx. 2kg bringing the weight down to 181 kg.
Let’s take a closer look at the Tuono 660 Factory.
Specifications
- Weight: 181 kg
- 660 cc parallel twin, 4 stroke liquid cooled engine
- 73.5 kW @ peak with 67 Nm of torque, 100 bhp
- TFT color screen
- Five riding modes: road and track, 2 customisable and 3 pre-set
- 820 mm seat height
- Aprilia up and down quick shifter
- Selectable torque control, engine brake, engine mapping and Wheelie control with 3 levels of intervention
- Color Options: Factory Dark and Too Fast
- Price: $12,350 USD / $16,788 CAD / £10,000
First Impressions
What a beautiful sportbike!
You have to admit that Italian bikes definitely have something about them. They are beautiful, sexy, stylish and everyone wants one in their garage. I know I do.
The new 660 Factory is no exception and the bike knows this, it certainly draws attention when parked up.
When I first rode the bike, I was surprised at its seating position. I had in my mind that it would be more lent over but it was fairly upright.
With a seat height of 820 mm, it is a fairly tall bike for me (I’m 5’6”), but I was really comfortable on the bike and my legs were not too scrunched up. On one of my rides, I did 320 kilometers but it did not feel like I had done that many miles at all, I could quite happily ride this bike all day.
Because the 660 Factory has a great power-to-weight ratio, it feels light when you are riding and handles very nicely in the twisties, in fact it soaks them up beautifully.
The 660 Factory has that distinctive Aprilia sound and combined with the twin of the engine and the exhaust note, you just can’t help but keep taking it out for another ride.
Engine
The 660 Factory has a parallel twin, four stroke, liquid cooled engine giving out 73.5 kW peak power and 67 Nm torque.
With a weight of 181 kg, it has a great power-to-weight ratio making this a light, fun bike to ride.
Compared to the Tuono 660 which has 95 bhp, this has been upped to 100 bhp on the 660 Factory with the engine having more drive during acceleration with the use of a shorter final drive with a 16 tooth pinion gear, one less than the Tuono 660.
Chassis
With an aluminum dual beam chassis with a removable seat-supporting subframe and the use of the new lightweight lithium battery, the 660 Factory has an improved power-to-weight ratio with a kerb weight of 181 kg.
The front and rear suspension is fully adjustable – the Sachs shock absorber with its separate reservoir is adjustable in its compression, rebound and spring preload. Likewise, the Kayaba fork is fully adjustable in the same way.
Ride by Wire Throttle & Modes
The 660 Factory has throttle by wire engine control meaning there is no physical connection between the twist grip and the throttle butterflies, it is controlled electronically.
Mode button on the right bar
There are five riding modes for the road and track, 3 of which are preset and 2 customisable so you can adjust the engine’s delivery and feel to suit the road (or track) conditions and your riding style.
The modes can easily be changed by pressing the mode button on the right bar and then using the arrow keys on the left bar to navigate the different options available.
You can adjust the traction and wheelie control, engine braking and engine mapping and ABS of which there are three levels to choose from. You can also turn the ABS off.
Quick Shifter
The AQS (Aprilia Quick Shift) comes as standard on the 660 Factory and is equipped with both up and downshift function, allowing you to up and downshift without touching the clutch.
With the quickshift, I normally use the clutch when going from first to second gear or from second to first but otherwise I use the quick shift. Having said that, my personal bikes do not have a quick shift and so when I had the Aprilia, on one ride I rode for about twenty miles before remembering I had this.
I can definitely see why people like this feature, I would definitely consider this as an optional extra on my future bikes.
Instrument Display
The TFT color instrument display is a nice bit of kit and really suits the styling of the sportbike. When you switch the ignition on, an array of lights appear with the words ‘#be a racer’ in the center of the screen.
The screen is clear and easy to read and says what I need it to say – my revs, speed, gear I am in, mode, fuel gauge, time and temperature.
To navigate around the screen, you press the mode button on the right bar and then use the arrow keys on the left bar to change the modes, settings, adjust the wheelie and traction controls, abs, engine braking and engine mapping.
Bearing in mind how in depth the modes are, I found navigating my way around surprisingly easy which is amazing for me as I am somewhat technically challenged 😆
When the stand is down, an icon with a bike and a side stand appear in yellow on the bottom right, serving
Tires
On my personal bikes, I ride with the Michelin Road 6’s which I have found to be a great all round, all year tire which work well in all conditions be it hot, cold, wet or dry.
The tires on the 660 Tuono are Pirelli Diablo Rosso IV. I have ridden with this model of tires before but not the IV, so I was interested to see how I would find them.
Pirelli describe these tires as “As hot As hell. The supersport tyre for road use. The latest chapter of the DIABLO ROSSO™ family: the state of the art of sport tire for road use with brilliant performance also on wet.”
During the time I had the bike, the weather was mid to late teens in temperature, around 15 – 18 degrees, with no rain. I was impressed with these tires in these conditions, they did what they are designed to do and the bike felt firmly planted on the ground. I would be interested to see what they are like in the wet.
The bike handled really nicely, felt stable and solid and I certainly had the confidence on the bike that I crave from a tire.
LED Lights
As with most new bikes, the lights on the 660 Factory are LED and come equipped with DRL (daytime running lights).
The DRL on the front – do you agree that looks cool?
I thought the lights on this bike were extremely stylish and very in keeping with the bike. The DRL on the front lights looks incredibly cool especially from the rear view mirror.
Just when you think it couldn’t get any cooler, when you turn the front headlights on, the cool level goes up another notch.
The lights are not just there to make the bike look cool of course, they are indeed very effective and give plenty of illumination especially when riding in the dark.
The rear of the bike has not been forgotten either. The rear light is housed neatly under the rear seat and is a unique design and suits the bike to a tee.
To finish up the rear end, I would put a tail tidy on. It is a legal requirement on all new bikes that the number plate has to be the rear most part of the bike. I think it is standard practice now for all new owners to replace the OEM number plate housing with a tail tidy.
As I do not take pillions, I would put a seat cowl over the rear seat and remove the rear footpegs. I think once you have done this, the rear end would look perfect.
What’s The Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory Like To Ride?
So, what is the 660 Factory like to ride?
When I went to pick up the 660 Factory, the bike was sitting there sparkling in the beautiful sunshine and I’m sure I could hear it calling me. It was just asking me to take it for a ride and I was just as eager as the bike was to get out for a ride.
I had a look around the bike first to familiarize myself with the settings and set up the traction control, wheelie control (very important as I am not a fan of wheelies!), engine braking and abs. Okay, when I first set the bike up, I may have had a bit of a hand with this. I am not very techy but watching how it was done and having it explained to me, I then had a go myself and actually found it quite easy to navigate the set up – I know, I am as surprised as you are about this too!
The seat height on this bike is 820 mm. Being 5’6” I was on the balls of my feet sitting on the bike but because the bike only weighs in at 181 kg I had no problem getting the bike off the stand, it does actually feel light.
When I first started the bike up, I immediately had that unmistakable sound of an Aprilia, and with the 660 Factory being a twin as well, the grin began to spread across my face.
As I rode off on the bike, I immediately felt at home. I settled into the bike quickly and knew within a mile or two that I was going to get on well with the 660 Factory.
The front and rear suspension is adjustable, but I had not adjusted this. I felt it was set up on the hard side and I would personally have to adjust this so it was a bit softer as I did feel quite a lot of the bumps in the roads but, in all honesty, this could be just the state of the roads.
The 660 Factory has 100 bhp (5 bhp more than the Tuono 660) with, according to Aprilia, even more drive during acceleration with the use of a shorter final drive with 16 tooth pinion gear. It also has an improved power to weight ratio. Having previously ridden the Tuono 660, the 660 Factory does seem a lot quicker and is fun to ride right from the offset.
I personally do not take pillions so I would replace the rear seat with a seat cowl and remove the rear pegs. I would also fit a tail tidy which would, in my opinion, finish the rear of the bike perfectly.
The lights on the 660 Factory are LED as with most new bikes now. The rear light is a cool piece of design and this fits neatly under the rear seat housing, apparently it looks really good when you’re following the bike.
The front of the bike has not been forgotten either – the DRL (daytime running lights) on the 660 Factory are super cool and I can just imagine what these look like in the rear view mirror. You can tell time and effort has gone into the design of this bike.
The 660 Factory is a torquey bike and while it was okay at low speeds in built up areas, you could tell it was a lot happier to be on an open road being ridden how it was designed to be ridden. The bike comes alive riding the twisties and the grin factor this bike gives you is second to none.
You do get a lot of engine braking with this bike (or at least on the setting I had this on – number 3) but having said that, the brakes are very responsive. On one of the individual settings, you can turn off the ABS but personally I like to have this on for those ‘just in case moments’!
On one of the days I had the bike, I went out for a ride with some mates and we rode about 320 kilometers that day. You can easily do this kind of mileage on the 660 Factory, it is a very comfortable bike to ride. In fact, the more I rode the bike, the more I wanted to ride the bike.
This sure is one bike that likes to be ridden and I was glad I had the opportunity to do this. In fact, when I took the bike back, I went the really, really long way to get there.
Thank you to OnYerBike for the loan of the Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory, I had an absolute blast 🤩
2023 Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory Video Review
Pros:
- A very light bike which is easy to ride
- Five riding modes: road and track (3 preset and 2 customisable)
- TFT color screen which is clear and easy to read
- 100 bhp with improved power to weight ratio
- Fully adjustable front and rear suspension
Cons:
- No radiator guard
- Seat height of 820 mm which is a little on the tall side for me (I’m 5’6”)
- Standard exhaust looks a little on the bland side, needs to be more stylish for the type of bike