At present, it is fair to say that there is a motorcycle for every conceivable shape, size, and budget. No matter what your particular set of needs, there is something out there for you. Middleweight naked bikes are arguably the middle ground of the entire motorcycle industry, offering riders a practical everyday motorcycle.
One way or another, every kind of motorcycle offers some sort of compromise. With naked bikes, that compromise usually comes in the form of sporting pretensions. They offer neutral, comfortable ergonomics which don’t allow the rider to get into the full tuck position, and don’t have any aerodynamic fairings. They are still fun to ride, and some add a healthy dose of performance to the mix.
Some Enticing Naked Alternatives
Of all the sporty naked bikes currently on the market, none offer more value than the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP. In fact, it isn’t much of a reach to say that it offers more bang for the buck than just about any other motorcycle on the market. What it is not, is nimble. It will be a blast to ride on any canyon road, but other lighter machines will also blast past you.
Kawasaki, on the other hand, offers the Z900 SE. Much like the Hornet, it has a fancy Swedish rear shock, but the difference here is that it already has a pretty decent steel trellis chassis. Suffice to say, it will handle well, and just like the Honda, it is also more powerful than the bike in question. But neither has enough power to offset their added weight.
The Kawasaki Z900 Is The Most Powerful Naked Bike Under $10,000 In 2025
It’s also the most powerful motorcycle under $10,000
The Aprilia Tuono 660 Factory Balances Power, Handling, And Everyday Practicality
MSRP: $11,599
The Tuono 660 Factory version adds high-end suspension to what is already a very well-balanced chassis. This is, indeed, a model you will buy for its chassis as opposed to its engine. Its parallel-twin is actually what makes the bike a more practical, real-world choice when compared to the inline-four competition. It is significantly more efficient, and with it being so light, it will make for a pretty effective commuter, but that certainly won’t be its main purpose.
The Sports Bike That Delivers Both Raw Performance And Daily Usability Is The Aprilia RS 660
The RS 660 proves that you can have your sports bike cake and eat it too!
The Tuono 660 Factory Has Half A V4
Power: 105 Horsepower
Ever since the Piaggio Group took full control of Aprilia, the company has gone from strength to strength. Previously hyper-focused on small-displacement racing, Aprilia motorcycles were always known for being extremely effective track toys, but certainly were not known for offering much in the way of reliability. For larger four-stroke bikes, Rotax was used as a supplier for several years, but once Piaggio funded the development of the now iconic V4, Aprilia has never looked back. The 660 is effectively that illustrious V4 cut in half, not literally, but it shares several design principles and is a thoroughly modern lump.
A Proven Powertrain
After experiencing a pretty serious wobble in the first batch of RS 660 sports bikes, Aprilia rectified the issues associated with those early models, and the powertrain has since proven to be as reliable as any comparable parallel-twin. This configuration has proven to be an attractive one for manufacturers thanks to its efficiency, not only in terms of emissions but also in terms of manufacturing costs. While 105 horsepower might not seem like much compared to some of the bikes competing in this space, it is more than enough for a bike this light.
naked
The Naked Bike That Blends Performance, Comfort, And Everyday Fun
With a V4 engine, comfortable ergonomics, and oodles of punch, this naked bike is hard to beat
The Tuono 660 Factory Is An Electronics Tour De Force
Even though the Tuono 660 Factory remains extremely light for a middleweight, it still packs an impressive array of electronic features. Aprilia is one of the brands that welcomed technology at a very early stage, and it is for that reason why the a-PRC electronics suite is so highly regarded. Standard features include lean-sensitive traction control, cornering ABS, ride modes, a quickshifter, and cruise control.
Several years of minor alterations and tweaks have gone into the calibration of all the ride modes, and the system is also intuitive and easy to navigate compared to some of the competition. Unlike those bikes that have had tech added over time, the 660 platform was always designed to have these features, and it has been integrated into the design of the bike. That said, all these features are to be expected at this price point, but what is not expected at this price point is race-spec suspension.
The City Bike That Rides Like A Premium Commuter Without The Price Tag Is The Aprilia Tuono
This motorcycle punches above its weight in urban commutes.
A Razor-Sharp Chassis Promises Unrivaled Handling
It beggars belief that the Tuono only weighs 400 pounds. While its lightweight aluminum twin-spar chassis certainly helped, other manufacturers are not able to come close to this weight figure without discarding tech features. Aprilia was even able to accommodate an IMU! But, that is not the only thing on offer with the Factory version.
The very reason you would be looking at this bike is for its fully adjustable Öhlins suspension, both front and rear. Most of the competition in this space only offer an Öhlins shock at the rear, but Aprilia went the extra mile here to ensure track riders would not be disappointed. It has one of the best power-to-weight ratios in its class and will make several more powerful bikes look pretty silly around a track.
Unfortunately, Aprilia does expect you to pay for this level of dynamism. At this price point, you will be saying no to a lot of bikes that offer significantly more bang for the buck. But, this is not just a one-trick pony, and is comfortable enough to use every day. It will also put a great big smile on your face every day.
Chassis Specifications
|
Chassis |
Twin-spar aluminum |
|
Front Suspension |
43 mm Öhlins USD fork, fully adjustable (4.3-in travel) |
|
Rear Suspension |
Öhlins monoshock, fully adjustable (5.1-in travel) |
|
Weight |
399 lbs |
Source: Aprilia