I was never a fan of sport bikes. They were too…sporty for my liking. Too powerful, too fast, and too uncomfortable to ride. If I didn’t have my sights set on hitting the track, anyway, I thought I had no business riding one.
The time finally came, though, that I had to pick between getting a sport bike as a tester or just spend the weekend without a two-wheeler to review. I had to settle with the former. Bikerbox offered me an Aprilia Tuono 660—a bike that’s been here for a few years now—and I opted to take it. In my years riding and reviewing bikes, this was my first go at a sport bike. Well, kind of, because Aprilia does call this a ‘naked sport bike,’ so it’s not the full-on experience.
So anyhoo, did the Tuono turn me into a believer, or did it make a bigger naysayer out of me? Read on to find out. As we get into this, I’d also like to point out that the Tuono 660 already had more than 18,000km on the odometer when I got it. It’s more than what demo bikes usually clock in, but that also meant this one’s been broken in big time.
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Styling
I may not be a sport-bike enthusiast, but I acknowledge a beautiful and well-designed bike when I see one. The Tuono is exactly that. It has that signature Aprilia flare—you know it means business, but the design doesn’t scream at you like a typical sport bike does. It looks aggressive but it’s also quite elegant at the same time.
Naturally, it seems flashy thanks to its sporty physique, but I like how the headlamps and the fairings and even the colorway appear a bit subtle. Maybe that’s why they call it a naked sport bike, too, because the fairings and everything else aren’t too over the top. I suppose it’s a good fit for someone like me who’s skeptical about these types of bikes.
The saddle
Perhaps this is where most of my skepticism stems from. Sport bikes aren’t meant to be comfortable, and for an overweight rider with a big gut like mine, I knew it would be even worse than I imagined.
To my surprise…it wasn’t that bad. Probably still not up to the level of comfort I want in a bike, but it was way better than I anticipated. Thank the wide handlebars for that, because it would’ve been a totally different story had this bike been fitted with clip-ons.
The seat is at 820mm and it’s also a bit wide, so I found myself tiptoeing here a bit—for reference, I’m 5’5”. Straddling the Tuono still isn’t hard, though, as it only weighs 184kg. The cushion here is also decent, and it’s also better than I thought it would be.
The pillion seat, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The seat narrows towards the rear, making it uncomfortable for backrides. The riding position of the sport bike also makes life all the more difficult for passengers. My girlfriend, who’s tested out several pillion seats over the years, said this was the first bike where she actually got scared to ride pillion.
All that being said, that isn’t that big of a deal breaker, I reckon. You don’t usually buy sport bikes for touring or with the intent to have a pillion rider all the time, do you?
Engine performance
The Aprilia Tuono 660 is powered by a 659cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine that’s easily one of the best in its segment. It’s punchier than many powertrains this size—you’ll really feel those 95 horses and 67Nm of torque when you twist that throttle.
This thing is mated to a six-speed manual transmission that I just wish came with a quickshifter. This bike’s too fast and too fun to not have one, and I’m sure riders who like carving mountain roads regularly would agree with my sentiment.
What I really like about this engine is that it’s well-balanced in a sense that it can cater to both newbies and advanced riders. It doesn’t feel like it’s got too much power to handle, but it’s got oomph that’ll satisfy those with a need for speed. When your bike revs high enough that you can get to 100kph at just second gear, you know you’ve got a beast underneath you.
Where the Tuono 660 will have a hard time keeping up with the competition would be in the fuel economy department. While you can get 20km/L when cruising on the expressway, when I mixed it all up with city and some spirited riding, I got 16-17km/L tops. Not that it matters that much when you’re riding a bike like this, of course.
Ride and handling
I talked about the wide handlebar earlier—that actually does wonders for slow-speed maneuvers. Making U-turns was surprisingly a cinch with this bike, and it really does feel more like a standard naked than a sport bike through these kinds of movements.
That comes at the cost of some cornering ability, of course, but I don’t mind at all, because it’s not like there’s little left here. In fact, the Tuono 660 is pretty easy to lean and bank through twisties, and I kinda understood the brand slogan “be a racer” after a few days with the bike. You really will want to race this two-wheeler.
That also says a lot about how much fun I had with the bike. While I’m no speed demon or track junkie, I enjoyed riding the Tuono 660 both on wide open expressways and winding roads. There’s also so much confidence when braking, as those dual disc brakes and the single disc out back with the Brembo calipers provide excellent stopping power.
Of note here as well is that the tires are no longer stock—the unit I got already rode on Mitas rubber. While I couldn’t compare these with the tires the Tuono is sold with, what I can say is that I never felt like I lost grip at any point during my time with the bike. I can’t say the same for the other bikes with different tires that I’ve tested in the past.
The suspension, by the way, is unsurprisingly stiff, but you won’t mind it that much when you’re having fun. You’ll start complaining about it when you’ve been on the saddle for hours, when you’re in traffic, or the moment you get on EDSA. Your back (and your butt) will appreciate it when you plan your long rides accordingly. And you might want to avoid commuting around the metro on this one.
But speaking of commute…
Extra features
There’s a ride mode available that’s tailored specifically for that. Commute mode suppresses the power by a bit to ensure a smoother ride around the city—with heavy traffic and all that. There’s also Normal mode and Dynamic mode available, with the latter being the one that turns everything up a notch. Both throttle response and power delivery feel quicker with that mode selected.
For the more advanced and/or meticulous riders, you can customize the settings to your liking with Individual mode.
Apart from the different ride modes, the Aprilia Tuono 660 also gets dual ABS for added safety. The digital panel—whose casing, unfortunately, was damaged when I got the bike—provides all the tons of information for the rider as well.
Just in the default home screen alone, you have gauges for the engine temperature, fuel, and RPM. You get actual figures for speed, and there’s also a gear indicator available. Multiple trip meters, a clock, and a side-stand warning light are also included in the panel.
Last but definitely not least, the Tuono 660 also gets cruise control. Imagine that? It may not have been placed in the most ergonomic position possible, but it’s still fairly easy to use. This is a game-changer for those who like taking long rides up the northern tollways.
Verdict
If you’ve read this far enough, then you should already know that I was quite impressed with the Tuono 660. I expected the ride to be terrible and its handling in the city to be bad, but they weren’t. I also expected to have fun with, yet I didn’t—I had too much fun with it.
So, will my experence with the Tuono 660 actually push me to get a sport bike? Heavens, no. The sportbike life still doesn’t appeal to me. But if, for whatever reason, the time comes that I do buy a sportbike, this ‘naked sport bike’ will definitely be one of the first options. It’ll also be a top-of-mind suggestion whenever someone asks me about good options in this category and in this segment.
SPECS: 2024 Aprilia Tuono 660
Price: P860,000
Engine: 659cc liquid-cooled, parallel-twin
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Power: 95hp
Torque: 67Nm
Seat height: 820mm or 32.2 inches
Score: 9/10
More photos of the 2024 Aprilia Tuono 660:
