Aprilia RS 660 to get LAMS edition

Thursday, 5 March 2020

Good news, learner riders: Aprilia has confirmed the upcoming RS 660 sports bike will be detuned to comply with LAMS regulations.

That means the machine will produce around 40kW to keep the power-to-weight ratio below 150kW per tonne. Final specs are yet to be confirmed but we wouldn't be surprised to see the figures rivalling the 40kW/55Nm of the Triumph Street Triple 660.

Aprilia will apparently restrict the power via the ECU which means it shouldn't be too hard for those graduating to a full licence to uncork the extra ponies.

The RS 660 is headed to New Zealand shores in both full-fat and LAMS trim, it has been confirmed.

The full-fat RS 660 will make around 75kW from its 660cc parallel twin, derived from the front bank of the new RSV4 1100 V4 engine.

**READ MORE:

Under LAMS regulations, the RS 660 will be electronically restricted to keep power below 150kW per tonne.

* Speeding motorcyclist's actions 'disgusting'

* Middleweight motorcycles get meaner as they get cleaner

Aprilia will reportedly give the LAMS 660 all the bells and whistles, including the lovely TFT dash, a six-axis IMU

* Aprilia refine and improve their thunder-bike

* Triumph's LAMS triple is no joke**

Full details are yet to be confirmed for the LAMS version but European publications reckon the kit on the learner bike will rival that of the full power version.

That means premium gear like a TFT dashboard, rider modes, an up/down quickshifter, traction control, cruise control and a six-axis IMU (intertial measurement unit, a device that more accurately measures velocity and orientation and allows for more sophisticated traction control and ABS functions).

However, expect the RS 660 LAMS will be priced to reflect those additions.

For reference, Triumph's Street Triple 660 retails for around $15k and doesn't have quite the level of tech the RS 660 will bring.

That said, learner buyers could pick up Aprilia's LAMS machine and simply unlock it when they get the green licence, negating the need to buy a whole new motorbike, something the Street Triple cannot offer.

New Zealand will be one of the first countries in the world to sample the RS 660, due towards the end of this year.