Great video, very informative. The RS660 is such a joy to ride in any situation. It was also awesome seeing this beauty on all these familiar roads. Hope to see you out there sometime.
Thanks, man. I agree it's such a great combination of comfort and quick. I try to make it out to bike night at Daddy Macs during the summers. There are a couple of much larger youtubers that also swing by from time to time. If you see me out and about, definitely make sure to say hi!
As a mature rider, I started on an 07 Ducati Monster 695 and I would definitely make the same decision. I learned a lot very quickly and was able to grow into it without outgrowing it too quickly. I bought a ‘21 Ninja 650 soon after that for more reliability. Had them both for 3 years and in a few months I will be bringing home my very own RS660! Can’t wait!
I'm really interested to hear what you think when you get the RS660. I'd love to hear how it compares to the monster. They always looked like a ton of fun to me.
Just started riding July 10th of this year, after riding my Honda Xr150L for 5 months this is the bike I'm gearing towards getting as my long term bike. I'm surprised how much I've learned about riding, all models of bikes. I'm currently learning clutching up balance point wheelies on this low powered bike. motorcycling has changed my life and after 300 Hrs (or more) of RUclips videos on motorcycles since getting my bike I decided this is the perfect motorcycle, and type of bike for me.
That's awesome to hear, man. If you're at a point where you can do clutch up wheelies, your way better off than I was when I first bought this bike. I think the RS 660 sounds like it would be a good fit for your skill level. I've just kinda thrown myself into the deep end. I find that's how I learn best. Let me know if you end up going with the RS and how you like it.
No way dude me too! I been riding my XR150L for 10 months now. RS660 seems like the option. A bit pricey though. The R7 looks a bit more appealing for the price, but I don’t want to wheelie all the time. 😂
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm a new rider who is also "experienced" and has driven quick cars in the past. My other bike is an Audi Quattro 🤣 Anyway i went for the RS660 for the same reasons you did so im glad you love it as much as I do. Question - what are the Rizoma mirrors like? Whats the field of vision like? Do they become useless due to vibration above 6000 rpm? Thanks. Keep up the good work and ride safe.
That's awesome to hear you're loving your RS660 too! I'm probably going to do a seperate video on the modifications I've made to the RS, but I'll be honest, I'm not really in love with the rizoma mirrors. I bought them after seeing so many positive reviews on youtube but a lot of those channels gloss over the negatives. The rizomas aren't as wide as the factory mirrors. I can see why people in California, or states where you can lane filter is legal, would appreciate them. The downside of this is that, you really can't see anything at all with them unless you take your hands off the grips. Usually I just take my left hand off and put it on the tank if I want to see a car behind me. I end up relying on turning my body and doing head checks more. It takes a lot of getting used to. On the plus side, they don't vibrate at all. They are rock solid. I've honestly considered going back to stock.
Cool to see this from a fellow East Tennessean! I'm looking at the Tuono 660 Factory for my second bike. Coming from the KLX230S dual sport the past two years. One thing I'm a little anxious about is the difference in throttle response and more aggressive body position. In your opinion, do you think it will be a difficult transition or something I'll get used to with time and practice?
Thanks man. It's good to be an east tennessean! My wife and I love it here. I can't really attest to the difference in throttle response between the 660 and a dual sport because I have very little experience on them. That being said I do know that dual sports and dirt bikes are often geared differently than road bikes which makes let's them put down a fair amount of torque even with less power so you have that working for you. The only things I had ever ridden before I bought my RS660 were a 125 dirt bike for 2 days and an MT-03 during the MSF course. If I can do it, I'm certain you can. What I did was just keep it in the lowest engine setting for a month or so and then turn it up one level. I stayed there for a few months and then went up again. Then, I started to experiment with traction and wheelie control. Take it nice and easy and I'm confident you will do just fine. Also, as far as riding position goes, it's really not bad at all. It took me a day or so to get used to it, but now it's downright comfortable compared to a traditional inline 4 600 class or 1000 class. I've never ridden a tuono, but from everything I've seen, it's more upright than the RS, so I really think you'll be fine.
I would generally agree. But a stoppy is one thing, a mouse trap is another, and the statistics are fairly clear that there are more fatal accidents without ABS than with, and by a reasonable margin.
@@Knoxvillemoto im just repeating what i saw in a video i just wanted to get your take on it, cause gsxr 600 apparently doesnt have abs or traction control if im not mistaken, but they say its the most comfortablefor street riding. Whatdo you think about that?
Dude I am sorry, that's so stupid. ABS should be standard for every vehicle that can get to highway speeds. If you rear end someone because you're so incompetent at riding, maybe let go of the hobby before you kill yourself, seriously.
Agreed. Aprilia really knocked it out of the park with the RS660. Plus I think the build quality is really comparable with more expensive bikes. Honestly it gets more attention when I roll up to a meet than my panigale.
@@Knoxvillemoto I mean I'd trade for the Panigale obviously but my RS gets tons of attention and people are always blown away by all the features and build quality.
@BryByWire I'm not gonna lie, the panigale is my favorite bike, but there are plenty of times when I choose the RS660 instead. Anytime I'm going on a pretty long ride, the cruise control and fuel gage a pretty handy. It feels like a true sport bike that you can still really get out and ride.
started on a ninja 250 and now have the rs. one bad habit I had with the smaller bikes, you kind of touched on, is that you dont learn any throttle control, or at least dont need to. I could turn that thing wide open in corners and not even think about losing the back tire. They are super forgiving and it's very fun to ride any sized bike at its limit, but they don't prepare you for bigger bikes that will get away from you with a small flick of the wrist
I wouldn’t have this as a first bike due to the cost of upkeep (it’s Italian after all) and the torque can really catch you off guard. I went from an R3 to this and I love it but definitely don’t think I woulda been ready for this out the gate
To be honest so far the upkeep has been too terribly bad. It is a bit rough to fix things when you brake them but otherwise not too bad. As far as regular maintenance I've really only spent about $450 on it over the last year and a half. You are right, the torque can catch you off guard at times. When I took it to the track I had wheelie control off and TC turned down quite a bit. It wheelie'd unexpectedly coming out of a corner once, and that was a bit unnerving. Ultimately I just turned TC up a bit and it wasn't an issue anymore.
It's closer to a 600 than a traditional 650, which a 650 is def a perfect first bike for a mature rider... a 600 def not. This is somewhere in between and actually a bike a very skilled rider can appreciate even more. This thing is a monster at the track or in the canyons because it puts power exactly where needed and handles so great.
I would for sure that it definitely sits somewhere between a traditional 650 and a 600. I was at barber motorsports park a few weekends ago and it could absolutely put up a good fight against a lot of the 600s on the straights. I'm sure it could do amazing things in the corners (with a more talented rider lol). It definitely does not have the 600 ergos which can be nice depending on what you're doing. The riding position on my panigale is much more uncomfortable for even medium duration rides.
Thank you for your reply to my original message and query regarding the mirrors. Appreciate your time. I tried replying to it directly but came up with an error 😢
You bet, man. The motorcycling community has been so good to me over the last year and a half. Part of my reason for starting this channel was to try and give back to the community that has given me so much. That's weird about the error. Hopefully, it was just a one-time thing.
I bought the rizomas from AF1 racing out in Austin, texas. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the turn signals in it. In european versions of the rs660, the turn signals are in the headlights. The US version still has the turn signals in the headlights, but they are just programmed not to work. When I upmap tuned the bike, it actually activated the in headlight turn signals.
What you're talking about is the quick shifter. There are several bikes these days that come with quick shifters, but not that many in the mid range class. Pretty much any of the top end liter bikes will come with them these days, and more and more 600 class bikes. What you want to look for is a bike that says it has a quick shifter for up and down shifts. It's not uncommon to find bikes that have quick shifters that only shift up, but you have to manually rev match to down shift.
I would add, having just bought a ‘23 Tuono, it’s also the perfect bike for a mature (59) rider who has owned 1000 and 1100cc Aprilias and Ducatis in the past and is quite content to accept that he has absolutely no need for 175-217 horsepower these days, and just wants to enjoy a lightweight Italian beauty. 👍
That's a great point. In most situations you can't really use most of the power of the super bikes anyway, so functionally, there is not much difference between 100 and 217 horse power (most of the time). Plus, you're not really giving up much in the sound dept.
The beginner bikes that people seem to recomend must be for brand new people with no conception of speed. My frist street bike was a 600 and i got board of that relitivly quickly. Then i put my wife on a 400cc as her frist bike and she struggled change it over to an indian scout and omfg she just clicked with that bike is doing amazing. Im really on the train of get what your comfortable on and you wand and save your self the money that you wasted on a bike for a year or less.
Yeah I would agree. I think if most people are honest with themselves, if they do the MSF course, you will have a pretty good inclination of how much bike you can handle after that. If you were blowing through it no problem, you can probably learn on a 600. If you were really struggling and almost dropping the bike, ehh maybe something else. No one knows your ability to pick up new concepts and skills better than you do so. I totally agree.
I recommend getting a cheap bike that you don't have to worry about crashing like an sv650 so your can properly learn and fix your mistakes, a rs660 is a pretty penny to fix up
Yeah I agree. It seems like it is affected by the wind more than my other bike. I have really only ridden in the damp a few times but In general I'm not a fan lol. It did start snowing on me one time. That sucked pretty bad.
@@Knoxvillemoto I’m in the Smyrna Murfreesboro area so our weather’s pretty much the same. I don’t mind riding in cold from time to time but think I’m going to hold off this winter
Perfect 2nd bike… the rs660 is not a bike you want to ‘fumble’… For a 1st bike, get a bike you don’t mind dropping… a bike that can be easily taken to multiple local dealers, fixed relatively cheaply, etc…
Honestly. I've dropped it twice. It took me about two weeks to get replacement parts in and to have it back to 100 percent. I've not really found it very difficult to repair. But like I said earlier, I have a lot of experience working on and fixing cars. If you don't have the means or experience to do the work yourself, I would probably agree that it might not be as good of a bike to start on. But thanks for giving your perspective!!!
@@Knoxvillemoto - Yeah, it would take a particular type of ‘new rider’ for the rs660 to make true sense for… but performance-wise, I think it is within manageable for a responsible/mature new rider to learn on, I guess… just gotta be careful of getting ‘caught’ in that power-flush around 7-8k I’m roughly 3k miles into ownership, and I’m still learning how to smooth that out with my right wrist and brain power… can’t wait until I can afford a tune and exhaust
@SongJLikes agreed. I don't think the RS660 is the most beginner friendly bike for sure, but for the right rider, I think it's just right. Yeah that power dip is a bit tricky. Before I got the SC project exhaust, I actually upmap tuned the bike using gabro "stock bike" tune. That alone made a huge difference and basically eliminated the 7-8k dip.
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Great vid man. Hit every detail you needed to, proper full review great work
Thanks so much! I really appreciate the feedback!
Great video, very informative. The RS660 is such a joy to ride in any situation. It was also awesome seeing this beauty on all these familiar roads. Hope to see you out there sometime.
Thanks, man. I agree it's such a great combination of comfort and quick. I try to make it out to bike night at Daddy Macs during the summers. There are a couple of much larger youtubers that also swing by from time to time. If you see me out and about, definitely make sure to say hi!
As a mature rider, I started on an 07 Ducati Monster 695 and I would definitely make the same decision. I learned a lot very quickly and was able to grow into it without outgrowing it too quickly. I bought a ‘21 Ninja 650 soon after that for more reliability. Had them both for 3 years and in a few months I will be bringing home my very own RS660! Can’t wait!
I'm really interested to hear what you think when you get the RS660. I'd love to hear how it compares to the monster. They always looked like a ton of fun to me.
Also love the camera angle
Thanks man. I really appreciate the feedback
Great video, subscribed
Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. Hopefully, the videos will keep getting a little better each time.
Just started riding July 10th of this year, after riding my Honda Xr150L for 5 months this is the bike I'm gearing towards getting as my long term bike.
I'm surprised how much I've learned about riding, all models of bikes. I'm currently learning clutching up balance point wheelies on this low powered bike.
motorcycling has changed my life and after 300 Hrs (or more) of RUclips videos on motorcycles since getting my bike I decided this is the perfect motorcycle, and type of bike for me.
That's awesome to hear, man. If you're at a point where you can do clutch up wheelies, your way better off than I was when I first bought this bike. I think the RS 660 sounds like it would be a good fit for your skill level.
I've just kinda thrown myself into the deep end. I find that's how I learn best.
Let me know if you end up going with the RS and how you like it.
No way dude me too! I been riding my XR150L for 10 months now. RS660 seems like the option. A bit pricey though. The R7 looks a bit more appealing for the price, but I don’t want to wheelie all the time. 😂
I agree with everything you said.
Thanks man. I really appreciate it!
Great video. Thanks for sharing. I'm a new rider who is also "experienced" and has driven quick cars in the past. My other bike is an Audi Quattro 🤣 Anyway i went for the RS660 for the same reasons you did so im glad you love it as much as I do. Question - what are the Rizoma mirrors like? Whats the field of vision like? Do they become useless due to vibration above 6000 rpm? Thanks. Keep up the good work and ride safe.
That's awesome to hear you're loving your RS660 too!
I'm probably going to do a seperate video on the modifications I've made to the RS, but I'll be honest, I'm not really in love with the rizoma mirrors. I bought them after seeing so many positive reviews on youtube but a lot of those channels gloss over the negatives. The rizomas aren't as wide as the factory mirrors. I can see why people in California, or states where you can lane filter is legal, would appreciate them. The downside of this is that, you really can't see anything at all with them unless you take your hands off the grips. Usually I just take my left hand off and put it on the tank if I want to see a car behind me. I end up relying on turning my body and doing head checks more. It takes a lot of getting used to. On the plus side, they don't vibrate at all. They are rock solid. I've honestly considered going back to stock.
Cool to see this from a fellow East Tennessean! I'm looking at the Tuono 660 Factory for my second bike. Coming from the KLX230S dual sport the past two years. One thing I'm a little anxious about is the difference in throttle response and more aggressive body position. In your opinion, do you think it will be a difficult transition or something I'll get used to with time and practice?
Thanks man. It's good to be an east tennessean! My wife and I love it here. I can't really attest to the difference in throttle response between the 660 and a dual sport because I have very little experience on them. That being said I do know that dual sports and dirt bikes are often geared differently than road bikes which makes let's them put down a fair amount of torque even with less power so you have that working for you. The only things I had ever ridden before I bought my RS660 were a 125 dirt bike for 2 days and an MT-03 during the MSF course. If I can do it, I'm certain you can. What I did was just keep it in the lowest engine setting for a month or so and then turn it up one level. I stayed there for a few months and then went up again. Then, I started to experiment with traction and wheelie control. Take it nice and easy and I'm confident you will do just fine.
Also, as far as riding position goes, it's really not bad at all. It took me a day or so to get used to it, but now it's downright comfortable compared to a traditional inline 4 600 class or 1000 class. I've never ridden a tuono, but from everything I've seen, it's more upright than the RS, so I really think you'll be fine.
a stoppy that prevents you from hitting the car is better than no stoppy but abs letting the wheel spin further and actually hitting the car
I would generally agree. But a stoppy is one thing, a mouse trap is another, and the statistics are fairly clear that there are more fatal accidents without ABS than with, and by a reasonable margin.
@@Knoxvillemoto im just repeating what i saw in a video i just wanted to get your take on it, cause gsxr 600 apparently doesnt have abs or traction control if im not mistaken, but they say its the most comfortablefor street riding. Whatdo you think about that?
Dude I am sorry, that's so stupid. ABS should be standard for every vehicle that can get to highway speeds. If you rear end someone because you're so incompetent at riding, maybe let go of the hobby before you kill yourself, seriously.
Got back into riding after many years away, and my RS 660 has been perfect. Comfortable. Lots of safety features. Plenty fast.
Agreed. Aprilia really knocked it out of the park with the RS660. Plus I think the build quality is really comparable with more expensive bikes. Honestly it gets more attention when I roll up to a meet than my panigale.
@@Knoxvillemoto I mean I'd trade for the Panigale obviously but my RS gets tons of attention and people are always blown away by all the features and build quality.
@BryByWire I'm not gonna lie, the panigale is my favorite bike, but there are plenty of times when I choose the RS660 instead. Anytime I'm going on a pretty long ride, the cruise control and fuel gage a pretty handy. It feels like a true sport bike that you can still really get out and ride.
started on a ninja 250 and now have the rs. one bad habit I had with the smaller bikes, you kind of touched on, is that you dont learn any throttle control, or at least dont need to. I could turn that thing wide open in corners and not even think about losing the back tire. They are super forgiving and it's very fun to ride any sized bike at its limit, but they don't prepare you for bigger bikes that will get away from you with a small flick of the wrist
That's a very interesting point. I'm sure there were some sketchy moments during the transition between the bikes. How are you liking the RS?
I wouldn’t have this as a first bike due to the cost of upkeep (it’s Italian after all) and the torque can really catch you off guard.
I went from an R3 to this and I love it but definitely don’t think I woulda been ready for this out the gate
To be honest so far the upkeep has been too terribly bad. It is a bit rough to fix things when you brake them but otherwise not too bad. As far as regular maintenance I've really only spent about $450 on it over the last year and a half.
You are right, the torque can catch you off guard at times. When I took it to the track I had wheelie control off and TC turned down quite a bit. It wheelie'd unexpectedly coming out of a corner once, and that was a bit unnerving. Ultimately I just turned TC up a bit and it wasn't an issue anymore.
It's closer to a 600 than a traditional 650, which a 650 is def a perfect first bike for a mature rider... a 600 def not. This is somewhere in between and actually a bike a very skilled rider can appreciate even more.
This thing is a monster at the track or in the canyons because it puts power exactly where needed and handles so great.
I would for sure that it definitely sits somewhere between a traditional 650 and a 600. I was at barber motorsports park a few weekends ago and it could absolutely put up a good fight against a lot of the 600s on the straights. I'm sure it could do amazing things in the corners (with a more talented rider lol). It definitely does not have the 600 ergos which can be nice depending on what you're doing. The riding position on my panigale is much more uncomfortable for even medium duration rides.
Thank you for your reply to my original message and query regarding the mirrors. Appreciate your time. I tried replying to it directly but came up with an error 😢
You bet, man. The motorcycling community has been so good to me over the last year and a half. Part of my reason for starting this channel was to try and give back to the community that has given me so much.
That's weird about the error. Hopefully, it was just a one-time thing.
@@Knoxvillemoto thats awesome. Good for you!
Where to buy the side mirrors? Does it have the signal lights too?
I bought the rizomas from AF1 racing out in Austin, texas. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the turn signals in it. In european versions of the rs660, the turn signals are in the headlights. The US version still has the turn signals in the headlights, but they are just programmed not to work. When I upmap tuned the bike, it actually activated the in headlight turn signals.
So is it only with this bike specifically where you only have to hit the clutch on first gear start/stop?
What you're talking about is the quick shifter. There are several bikes these days that come with quick shifters, but not that many in the mid range class. Pretty much any of the top end liter bikes will come with them these days, and more and more 600 class bikes. What you want to look for is a bike that says it has a quick shifter for up and down shifts. It's not uncommon to find bikes that have quick shifters that only shift up, but you have to manually rev match to down shift.
Wow I didn't know that, I appreciate the knowledge man thanks! @@Knoxvillemoto
I would say this bike is too good for a first starter bike!!
It certainly is on the expensive side to fix, when you inevitably drop it. That much is for sure.
I would add, having just bought a ‘23 Tuono, it’s also the perfect bike for a mature (59) rider who has owned 1000 and 1100cc Aprilias and Ducatis in the past and is quite content to accept that he has absolutely no need for 175-217 horsepower these days, and just wants to enjoy a lightweight Italian beauty. 👍
That's a great point. In most situations you can't really use most of the power of the super bikes anyway, so functionally, there is not much difference between 100 and 217 horse power (most of the time). Plus, you're not really giving up much in the sound dept.
The beginner bikes that people seem to recomend must be for brand new people with no conception of speed. My frist street bike was a 600 and i got board of that relitivly quickly. Then i put my wife on a 400cc as her frist bike and she struggled change it over to an indian scout and omfg she just clicked with that bike is doing amazing. Im really on the train of get what your comfortable on and you wand and save your self the money that you wasted on a bike for a year or less.
Yeah I would agree. I think if most people are honest with themselves, if they do the MSF course, you will have a pretty good inclination of how much bike you can handle after that. If you were blowing through it no problem, you can probably learn on a 600. If you were really struggling and almost dropping the bike, ehh maybe something else. No one knows your ability to pick up new concepts and skills better than you do so. I totally agree.
I recommend getting a cheap bike that you don't have to worry about crashing like an sv650 so your can properly learn and fix your mistakes, a rs660 is a pretty penny to fix up
It definitely can be. I definitely wouldn't recommend it to someone without the ability to fix it themselves and the money to buy the parts.
I’ll say this, if you haven’t already experienced it. Turbulent winds riding on highway around other vehicles. Don’t get caught in the rain
Yeah I agree. It seems like it is affected by the wind more than my other bike. I have really only ridden in the damp a few times but In general I'm not a fan lol. It did start snowing on me one time. That sucked pretty bad.
@@Knoxvillemoto I’m in the Smyrna Murfreesboro area so our weather’s pretty much the same. I don’t mind riding in cold from time to time but think I’m going to hold off this winter
Perfect 2nd bike… the rs660 is not a bike you want to ‘fumble’…
For a 1st bike, get a bike you don’t mind dropping… a bike that can be easily taken to multiple local dealers, fixed relatively cheaply, etc…
Honestly. I've dropped it twice. It took me about two weeks to get replacement parts in and to have it back to 100 percent. I've not really found it very difficult to repair. But like I said earlier, I have a lot of experience working on and fixing cars. If you don't have the means or experience to do the work yourself, I would probably agree that it might not be as good of a bike to start on.
But thanks for giving your perspective!!!
@@Knoxvillemoto - Yeah, it would take a particular type of ‘new rider’ for the rs660 to make true sense for… but performance-wise, I think it is within manageable for a responsible/mature new rider to learn on, I guess… just gotta be careful of getting ‘caught’ in that power-flush around 7-8k
I’m roughly 3k miles into ownership, and I’m still learning how to smooth that out with my right wrist and brain power… can’t wait until I can afford a tune and exhaust
@SongJLikes agreed. I don't think the RS660 is the most beginner friendly bike for sure, but for the right rider, I think it's just right.
Yeah that power dip is a bit tricky. Before I got the SC project exhaust, I actually upmap tuned the bike using gabro "stock bike" tune. That alone made a huge difference and basically eliminated the 7-8k dip.
@@Knoxvillemoto - great to know the Gabro stock tune is worth it… I may just pull the trigger on the upmap t800 in the meantime … thx for the advice!
@@SongJLikes I would say it is the single best upgrade I've done to the bike so far.