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During the last event at Palmer I was lucky enough to get a session on TTD instructor Joshua Cuppek's New Aprilia 660. This is the bike taking the MotoAmerica Twins cup by storm this year, so I was excited to see what it can do.
Answer: It can rip! At first I found the seating position a bit awkward as the tank rises high in front of the rider and I felt a bit locked in behind it. That sensation went away a bit as the laps ticked on.
The bike felt light and immediately quick. Like R6 quick. The motor is torquey, but it really comes alive with a distinct top end hit from 9-11k. Notably different from my 959 ducati, I found myself rowing through the gears to feel that addictive hit of acceleration. I think the fast way on this bike is to shift a lot and keep it on the boil.
The chassis was a bit of a surprise. The bike was very hard to knock off center. I had to countersteer with muscle to get it leaning. Once halfway over, it got easier and the bike was confidence inspiring in the corners.
The gearbox was smooth and autoblipped downshifts leaned over felt like cheating. It does not make a lot of backtorque to begin with, so downshifts were a non issue. Trailing some brake helped it hold a line on entry.
I'm not sure how ANY built SV can stay in a race against these bikes even in stock form. Change is coming to the twins world, and it is a blast to ride!
https://zenfolio.page.link/xKraq