Parallel-twin-powered sportbikes are all the rage these days, and nearly all manufacturers—save for a few purist brands—have at least one sporty machine, either fully faired or naked, rocking this compact powerplant. Out of all the possible configurations of the good old P-twin, the 270-degree crankshaft iteration has always been a favorite of sporty riders thanks to its power delivery, sound, and character that mimics that of a 90-degree V-twin.
Having said that, there are quite a number of bikes available in the market sporting a 270-degree parallel-twin engine, with the Aprilia RS 660 being one of the bikes at the top of the performance food chain. Designed by the Noale company from the ground up as a middleweight supersport, Aprilia pretty much rewrote the rule book in the 600cc class of sportbikes, and continues to enjoy success with the 660 platform, which has since expanded to include the Tuono and Tuareg naked and adventure bikes.
