2021 Aprilia RS660 Vs. Ducati Supersport 950S

Brothers from other mothers

There’s a certain romance in having a sporty motorcycle comfortable enough to ride the long way to a racetrack, participate in a trackday, then bee-line back home on after (or continue taking the long way, if you’re hardy). In reality, true sportbikes are terrible streetbikes – and even worse touring bikes. Conversely, a sport-touring bike is great at taking the long way to the track – and some are even respectable on said track – but ultimately leave something to be desired when the pace wicks up.

Splitting those differences are the motorcycles we have here: the 2021 Aprilia RS660 and Ducati Supersport 950 S. Sporty in nature and design but with a nod towards creature comforts, both Aprilia and Ducati are rethinking sportbikes for the more sensible among us. Outward appearances would tell you both bikes are in for a good time carving corners, but when you peel back the curtains (or fairings in this case), what lies underneath is what happens when people who don’t have professional racing contracts realize piloting 200-plus horsepower superbikes is downright scary and exhausting.

The point is, we tend to come back to a zone we call The Sweet Spot – roughly 100 horsepower, raised bars, less committed pegs, and a cushy seat. As the saying goes, though, the devil’s in the details, and here we have a look at how two storied cross-town rivals are approaching The Sweet Spot.

So, let’s take a quick moment to break down each motorcycle and where this test is headed.

The Break Down

Starting with the Aprilia RS660, it’s been a hotly anticipated model since it was announced. After riding it both on the street and at the track, I can attest that it is every bit a fun motorcycle belonging in The Sweet Spot. This was Aprilia’s intent, too – to create a sportbike that was actually rideable and not intimidating.

Based on the new, modular, 660 platform, the RS660 is the first in a line of models that will share this basic architecture, with the Tuono 660 also available and a more adventure-focused version called the Touareg 660 on the way (there are likely more models we don’t even know about yet also in the pipeline).

What we have with the RS660 is a fully-faired machine with rider comfort taking center stage ahead of outright performance. To that end, the “wings” integrated into the RS’s design aren’t meant for downforce, but rather to channel the engine’s heat away from the rider. Raised clip-ons are just high enough to be (relatively) comfortable on the street. But the biggest surprise is its seat. While not outwardly comfortable, sitting on it through an entire tank of gas is really not that bad – it’s incredibly well padded. Then, of course, we have the very feature no touring bike can be without: cruise control.

Power comes from a 660cc parallel Twin that’s essentially the front half of an RSV4 engine. Purists and nitpickers will say this is wholly inaccurate, but that’s why we used the word “essentially.” Nonetheless, it’s a cool engine with a 270-degree firing order giving it an even cooler sound. Rated at 100 horses at the crank, running it on the MotoGP Werks dyno shows 88 of those horses actually make it to the rear wheel, which sounds about right once you account for parasitic losses. Torque is right around 45 lb-ft, which is also on par with others in this displacement range. With a wet weight of 398 lbs on the MO scales, that comes out to one horsepower for every 4.5 pounds. A very respectable combo.

Over in the Ducati camp, the Supersport got some changes for 2021 to keep up with Euro 5 regs. Key among them is a six-axis IMU which, granted, doesn’t do anything to bring the bike up to snuff with Euro 5, but is important because it makes the traction and wheelie controls more sophisticated. Visually, the styling was brought more in line with the Panigale V4, too. Interestingly, while it’s common for bikes like the Supersport to be styled after a company flagship like the Panigale V4, Aprilia has turned the tables and restyled the new RSV4 after the RS660. Nonetheless, fancy electronics and styling aside, you’ll find a lot of similarities between the Ducati and Aprilia.

From the cockpit, the Supersport has a similar feel to the Aprilia. The 31.9-inch seat height is a tiny bit shorter than the 32.3-inch seat on the RS660, and its narrowness helps the rider plant a foot on the ground easily. Likewise, the bars feel higher than the Aprilia, giving an overall feeling of comfort over sport, especially in comparison to the RS660. A full-color TFT display greets both riders, and while their menus take a little fumbling to navigate, once you learn the button presses on both, things start to make sense.

At the heart of the Supersport is the 937cc Testastretta 11º V-Twin carried over from the previous Supersport (which also powers the new Monster). Emitting that familiar V-Twin rumble, it’s a thoroughly modern engine with that 11º valve overlap giving it excellent torque characteristics. Ducati claims about 110 hp at the crank, which sounds about right, as running it on the MotoGP Werks dyno revealed 102 horses (and change) getting to the ground. Torque was a healthy 65 lb-ft. On paper, the power discrepancy seems huge, but the Ducati also tips the scales at 469 lbs with a full tank of gas. Doing the math, and rounding up a tenth of a pound, this means the Supersport is using one horse for every 4.6 pounds. So, we’ve got a close matchup after all.

Despite our request otherwise, Ducati sent us the more up-spec Supersport 950 S model. The main difference being the Öhlins fork and shock compared to the standard model’s Marzocchi fork and Sachs shock. Of course, with the better suspension comes a bigger price tag – $15,795 as-tested ($13,495 for the base model). Compare that with the Aprilia’s $11,499 as-tested price, itself incurring a $200 premium because of the Acid Gold color we have, and the delta is pretty big.

Going Riding

Here’s what we’re doing with these things. This isn’t really a head-to-head comparison test in the truest sense. Both bikes are billed as ones you wouldn’t mind being on for a few tanks of gas, while at the same time, being true to their respective Italian sporting roots, are machines you can also have a ton of fun with at the track. So, Burnsie and I did exactly that. We explore the sporty side of the sport-touring spectrum with two motorcycles that exercise different means to the same goal.

This is apparent the moment you sit on both bikes. As mentioned before, the RS660 feels tall and compact compared to the low, long Ducati. Ridden on its own, the Aprilia feels every bit the comfortable sporty bike it’s claimed to be. Even the boring slogs down the freeway, which is usually the worst place to ride a sportbike as the uncompromising position just eats away at you, is really not so bad on the RS660. Wind protection is decent, and once the slight buzz in the bars starts getting annoying, a simple flick of the cruise control will give you a chance to shake off the hands a little.

Our particular test bike was a pre-production unit – and actually the same bike I rode during the First Ride review – which might explain why the toggle switch to incrementally increase or decrease the cruise control speed stopped working. It worked when I first rode it all those many weeks (and miles) ago, so we’ll chalk this one up to being an anomaly.

But when it comes to comfort, the Supersport is where it’s at. We already mentioned the comfortable, relaxed seating position, but the wind protection is also better thanks to the adjustable windscreen. As a street bike, the Supersport’s bigger engine lets the rider be lazy with their shifts, which you really don’t need to be since it has a quickshifter in both directions (as does the Aprilia).

JB even rode the Ducati from San Francisco to SoCal, before turning around and going to Buttonwillow to join me for a romp with our friends at Trackdaz (someone had to bring all the trackday extras, so I drove). Then he hopped on the RS660 and rode it back home. John being the kind of guy to tell you what’s on his mind, after his successful journey, he really didn’t mind being on either bike for either leg of the trip. Oddly enough, he really liked the Ducati – despite its lack of cruise control! (Reader, if you didn’t know, John Burns has spent the last, oh, decade, championing cruise control on every motorcycle. It’s often the deciding factor for him when wrapping up a motorcycle review. The fact the Ducati Supersport resonates so much with him, despite its lack of cruise control, is a big deal.)

Personally, I dig the Supersport on the street, too, for all the reasons already mentioned. However, the lack of cruise control really does bother me in this case. Thankfully, the aftermarket can easily solve that problem (granted, I’m talking about a simple device like a throttle lock, not real cruise control). What it might have a tougher time solving is the Ducati’s trademark rear cylinder exhaust heat wafting its way up to the rider. At anything short of highway speeds, the heat radiating from the engine starts to get annoying. Not Panigale-levels of hot or uncomfortable, mind you, but definitely noticeable. It would border on uncomfortable in the summer.

Twisty Stuff

The plot changes once the boring roads turn into good ones. It’s here the Aprilia’s playful nature comes through, and the power difference isn’t as important. The main attribute in the RS660’s favor? A substantially shorter wheelbase. Measuring 54.4 inches, the Aprila is nearly four inches shorter than the Ducati’s 58.3-inch wheelbase. Nevermind the fact the RS660’s 24.3º rake and 4.1 inches of trail are slightly lazier than the Supersport’s 24º rake and 3.6-inch trail, that difference in wheelbase translates into a swift and agile canyon carver the Ducati simply can’t match. Scribbling in his notes, Burns comments, “[the RS660] is obviously quicker-reacting when it’s time to change directions, and with no loss of stability compared to the Duc in the fast bends.”

It’s not like the Supersport is a pig, but side-to-side transitions are noticeably slower compared to the RS660. As with most things in life, the Supersport has to compromise somewhere: a 90º V-Twin is a long engine, and when you place the lower cylinder nearly horizontal, it pushes the rest of the bike back to accommodate. This is partially why the compactness of parallel-Twins is so popular these days. To Ducati’s credit, this length results in supreme stability once over on its side.

Further differences make themselves known in how each bike prefers to get through a set of curves. The Aprilia is perfectly happy being tossed from side to side, especially if its rider is deft with the quickshifter to make sure the RS stays relatively high in the revs. It’s a nice place to be, too, as the intake snarl and exhaust growl is auditory bliss. Get it wrong, however, and you’ll get caught in the RS660’s giant flat spot in the midrange – a similar phenomenon Ryan Adams first experienced aboard the Tuono 660.

For its part, the Supersport is much more deserving of the term “gentleman’s sportbike.” Brute force that’s rewarded on the Aprilia isn’t a benefit on the Ducati, as smoothness wins the day here. Part of this comes down to the longer wheelbase mentioned earlier. Part of it also comes down to seating position. You’re sitting more “inside” the Ducati instead of atop like on the Aprilia, and with this relaxed seating position it encourages the rider not to force anything.

If smoothness and laziness appeals to you, then the engine will be a real highlight. As the saying goes, there really is no replacement for displacement, and the big torque advantage the Ducati enjoys allows the rider to be less concerned about the gear they’re in. Once they’re ready, simply twisting the throttle will scoot them along – it doesn’t matter much if you’re a gear high.

Track

If both bikes come alive when the roads turn twisty, then the racetrack should be very telling indeed – and it is – as all of the attributes above for both bikes get ramped up another notch.

It shouldn’t be surprising, then, to discover the Aprilia’s playful nature on windy roads shines even brighter on a racetrack. With its short wheelbase and only 398lbs to throw around, the RS660 is seemingly toyish on track. It steers considerably faster without giving up much, if any, in terms of stability. The lull in the midrange is a non-issue with the high-rpm nature of the track and the smooth up/down quickshifter never misses a beat.