Last night, Aprilia India brought some dreams to reality, but also shattered some. In a previous news piece that I had covered, I had put forth an argument that India is not a price-sensitive market, it is a value-sensitive country when it comes to two-wheelers. The case of big Aprilias that landed on our shores last night sort of falls along the similar argument. As much as we love the Italian bikemaker, choosing the CBU route and their exorbitant pricing might turn away many potential customers. Nevertheless, the entire motorcycling sphere is familiar with the prowess of Aprilias that were launched yesterday in India so let’s just get down to the usual business. All the motorcycles listed below can be experienced at Aprilia’s Motoplex dealerships. Also, John Abraham made an appearance too at the launch event. The reason? He’s now the brand ambassador for Aprilia India. Exciting stuff, eh?
What if we told you that despite carrying the highest sticker price in its family (INR 31.26 Lakhs), the RSV4 Factory still made more sense than the 660s? It has been ruling the superbike rooster since the time it was born. Helping it do the same is a fire-breathing 1099cc, V4 engine that makes 214 bhp and 125 Nm of torque. Being one of the top dogs amidst extremely ferocious competition requires top-shelf equipment and the RSV4 Factory comes loaded to the T in that department. Electronic Ohlins front forks, Ohlins rear monoshock, Brembo monobloc callipers, a quickshifter, and a long list of electronic nannies. You name it, and it will have it! The RSV4 Factory can only be had in Ultra Gold shade.
Both the motorcycles, the RS660 and Tuono 660 have come out all guns blazing on the competition overseas but here in India, the chances of them achieving the same feat looks rather bleak. The reason being their pricing. The RS660 can be yours for ‘just’ INR 17.74 Lakhs while its naked, streetfighter counterpart Tuono 660 will set you back by ‘just’ INR 17.44 Lakhs.
Apart from the fairing, the RS660 also boasts of clip-on handlebar and rearset footpegs. Powering both the motorcycles is a 659cc, twin-cylinder engine. However, it is offered in slightly different tunes because in the RS660, the engine makes 98.5 bhp and 67 Nm of torque, while in the Tuono 660, the engine is tuned to make 94 bhp. One of the most notable things that these middleweights apart is their sophisticated electronics suite. Typical Aprilia.
ADVs are the order of the day and we knew Aprilia had a very capable one its stable - the Tuareg 660. We were eagerly anticipating its arrival on our shores but enthusiasts were taken slightly aback by its INR 18.85 Lakhs price tag, which goes up till INR 19.16 Lakhs for the Dakar Podium paint shade.
It is powered by the same powertrain as its more civilized cousins but in the Tuareg’s tune, the acclaimed twin-cylinder engine puts down 80bhp and 79Nm. The Tuareg 660 rides on a 21-inch front and 18-inch rear spoke wheel combination, gets a 43mm USD front fork and a progressive linkage rear monoshock. Again, the list of electronic nannies is rather long as it gets four ride modes, multi-level traction control, switchable ABS, cruise control, engine brake control, and more.
