Press Release | February 26, 2021
The Italian Company’s Middleweight Class Entry Meets Homologation Requirements And Will Join The Grid In 2021.
This is a press release from MotoAmerica…
Irvine, CA (February 26, 2021) – MotoAmerica, the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America, is pleased to announce that the 2021 Aprilia RS 660 has met the AMA’s homologation requirements and is approved to compete in the 2021 MotoAmerica Twins Cup Championship.
“We are excited to have Aprilia race in our Twins Cup series with its new RS 660,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “Our tech department has worked hard with Aprilia to make this happen while ensuring that the Twins Cup class continues to have parity between the manufacturers. We can’t wait to get to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and see how it all stacks up on the racetrack. This is going to be an exciting season in all our classes and the addition of the Aprilia in Twins Cup will be fun to watch.”
Of the 32 MotoAmerica Twins Cup races held in the three-year history of the class, Suzuki has won 20, Yamaha 10 and Ducati two. Suzuki has captured the title in all three seasons with Chris Parrish (2018), Alex Dumas (2019) and Rocco Landers (2020).
The Aprilia RS 660 will be required to meet balancing requirements set forth by MotoAmerica and the AMA from and including the opening round of the series at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 30-May 2. Those requirements are as follows:
- Cylinders must be the originally fitted and homologated part with no modification
- Pistons must be the originally fitted and homologated part with no modification
- Piston Rings must be the originally fitted and homologated part with no modification. All piston rings must be fitted
- Piston Pins and Clips must be the originally fitted and homologated part with no modification
- Connecting Rods must be the originally fitted and homologated part with no modification. Rod bolts are free
- Cylinder Liner is free
“The RS 660 represents a new era of motorcycles for us at Aprilia,” said Mario Di Maria, President and CEO of Piaggio Group Americas. “Today, we are very happy to offer the opportunity to American teams to race in the MotoAmerica Twins Cup with this incredible machine. The racetrack is and always will be the home of Aprilia, and the RS 660 reflects very well the origins of the brand, capable of winning 54 World titles while building motorcycles for very passionate riders. We look forward to starting this new adventure, giving a unique opportunity to a new generation of racers and hopefully champions too.”
2021 MotoAmerica Series Schedule
*March 30-31 |
Circuit of The Americas |
Austin, Texas |
#April 30-May 2 |
Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta |
Braselton, Georgia |
May 21-23 |
Virginia International Raceway |
Danville, Virginia |
#June 11-13 |
Road America |
Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin |
June 25-27 |
Ridge Motorsports Park |
Shelton, Washington |
#July 9-11 |
WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca |
Monterey, California |
July 30-August 1 |
Brainerd International Raceway |
Brainerd, Minnesota |
August 13-15 |
Pittsburgh Int’l Race Complex |
Wampum, Pennsylvania |
**September 10-12 |
New Jersey Motorsports Park |
Millville, New Jersey |
**September 17-19 |
Barber Motorsports Park |
Birmingham, Alabama |
*Dunlop Tire Test (all classes)
#King of the Baggers Race
**Will Feature 3 Superbike Races
For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com
The following is the press release from Piaggio…
New York, NY ( February 26, 2021) – Piaggio Group Americas is pleased to confirm the approval of the 2021 Aprilia RS 660 to race in the Twins Cup Championship in MotoAmerica, North America’s premiere road racing series.
The RS 660 offers a brand-new 100-bhp 660cc parallel-twin engine, which launches a new generation of lightweight, performance-dedicated motorcycles, featuring sophisticated design, with modern technology. Aprilia’s competition experience provides an exceptional chassis and rider geometry, as well as leading electronics for the twins-class category. Aimed to provide the perfect blend of performance and pleasure on the street for owners, the RS 660 is now ready to compete with MotoAmerica’s best racers.
Mario Di Maria, President and CEO, Piaggio Group Americas: “The RS 660 represents a new era of motorcycles for us at Aprilia. Today, we are very happy to offer the opportunity to American teams to race MotoAmerica’s Twins Cup with this incredible machine. The racetrack is and always will be the home of Aprilia, and the RS 660 reflects very well the origins of the brand, capable of winning 54 World Titles while building motorcycles for very passionate riders. We look forward to starting this new adventure, giving a unique opportunity to a new generation of racers and hopefully champions too.”
Wayne Rainey, MotoAmerica President: “We are excited to have Aprilia race in our Twins Cup series with its new RS 660. Our tech department has worked hard with Aprilia to make this happen while ensuring that the Twins Cup class continues to have parity between the manufacturers. We can’t wait to get to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and see how it all stacks up on the racetrack. This is going to be an exciting season in all our classes and the addition of the Aprilia in Twins Cup will be fun to watch.”
Aprilia RS 660 Specifications
MSRP: |
$11,299 Apex Black, Lava Red |
|
$11,499 Acid Gold |
Engine: |
Aprilia forward-facing parallel twin, 4-stroke, liquid-cooled with radiator and water-oil heat exchanger, double overhead camshaft (DOHC) with silent chain drive on the right side, four valves per cylinder. |
Bore and stroke: |
81 x 63.93mm |
Displacement: |
659cc |
Compression ratio: |
13.5: 1 |
Max power at crankshaft: |
(Claimed) 100 hp (73.5 kW) at 10,500 rpm |
Max torque at crankshaft: |
(Claimed) 67.0 Nm (6.83 kgm) at 8,500 rpm |
Fuel system: |
Airbox with front air intake. Dual ∅48 mm throttle bodies, Ride-By-Wire management |
Ignition: |
Electric |
Lubrication: |
Wet sump |
Gears: |
6 gears with Aprilia Quick Shift (AQS) up-and-down system |
Clutch: |
Oil bath multi-disc with anti-hopping system |
Final drive: |
Chain, 17/43 transmission ratio |
Electronic management: |
6-axis inertial platform, APRC suite which includes ATC (traction control, AWC (wheelie control), AEB (engine brake), AEM (engine map), ACC (cruise control) |
|
5 Riding modes (Road and Track, 3 fixed and 2 customizable) |
Frame: |
Double beam aluminum frame with detachable rear seat |
Front suspension: |
Kayaba upside down fork ∅ 41 mm with counter spring, aluminum feet for fixing radial calipers. Adjustable for rebound, and spring preload. Wheel travel 120mm |
Rear suspension: |
Aluminum swingarm with asymmetrical trusses. Monoshock with adjustable counter spring: rebound and spring preload. Wheel travel: 130mm |
Front brake: |
Double disc diameter 320mm |
|
Brembo radial calipers with 4 ∅ 32mm opposing pistons. |
|
Radial pump and metal braided brake hose |
Rear brake: |
220mm diameter disc; Brembo caliper with 2 isolated ∅ 34mm pistons. Pump with integrated tank and metal braided hose |
ABS: |
ABS Cornering multimap |
Wheels: |
In aluminum alloy Front: 3.5 “X17” Rear: 5.5 “X17” |
Tires: |
Tubeless radials, front: 120/70 ZR 17 rear: 180/55 ZR 17 (alternatively 180/60 ZR17) |
Wheelbase: |
1370mm (53.94”) |
Length: |
1995mm (78.54”) |
Width: |
745mm (29.33”) |
Seat height: |
820mm (32.28”) |
Rake/Trail: |
24.1°/104.6mm (4.1”) |
Weight: |
183 kg curb weight (169 kg dry) / 403 lbs curb weight (372 lbs dry) |
Homologation: |
Euro 5 |
Tank capacity: |
15 liters (including 4-liter reserve) / 3.96 gallons (including 1.05 gallon reserve) |
Color range: |
Apex Black, Lava Red, Acid Gold |
Find out more about the Aprilia RS 660, as well as other Aprilia models, Dealer locations, and Test Ride opportunities at Aprilia.com