THE supersport motorcycle segment is one that has seen a seismic change in the last five years. The first of the traditional in-line four-cylinder 600cc sports bikes to fall from the dealership roster was the Honda CBR600RR, and the much-loved (but not purchased enough) Honda was just the beginning.
In the years that followed the story didn’t get any better for supersports fans, as we went on to lose the much-loved and greatly missed Triumph Daytona 675 (and the limited-run Daytona 765 Moto2 was wonderful but scant consolation), the Kawasaki ZX-6R Ninja, and more latterly the Yamaha R6.
With gaping holes left in the ranges of pretty much every global motorcycle manufacturer, bikes makers needed to do something to fill the void, and join ranges back together again.
One of the reasons for the steady decline is that the price gap between the flagship 1,000cc plus machines and the supersports bikes that chase them was simply too small. Why buy a 600cc when for a few grand more you could bag yourself the 1,000cc version, and all the goodies and kudos that comes with it?
With that in mind, a new breed of supersports bikes was dreamt up, with more road-focused dynamics, more usable power, yet still dressed in bodywork that wouldn’t look out of place on a racing grid.
Aprilia RS660 vs Yamaha R7 | Head to Head video review
Two of the most eagerly awaited protagonists of this new-dawn are the Aprilia RS660 and the newly launched Yamaha R7. Both bikes are going at the job in totally different ways, and with two different price points, massively differing spec levels, and performance statistics. To help you split the pair and figure out which would be best for you, check out the video above for our definitive verdict on the pair.
