Few motorcycle manufacturers have been busier in recent months than the Piaggio Group. The owner of Italian brands Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Vespa, as well as the line of Piaggio scooters and three-wheelers, pulled out all the stops with more than a dozen new or updated models unveiled at this week’s EICMA motorcycle show in Milan.
Aprilia, the group’s sporting brand, has given its ground-breaking middleweight sports bike, the RS 660, a serious makeover – with the standard model joined by a more premium RS 660 Factory.
‘Factory’ is Aprilia’s designation for its higher specified sportsbikes, usually featuring uprated suspension, and the RS 660 Factory is no different. Both standard and Factory versions get completely new bodywork, now with MotoGP style aerodynamic winglets, better electronics and more power from the parallel-twin engine. With bigger throttle bodies, the 660cc motor now pumps out 105bhp – despite now meeting the more stringent Euro5+ emissions regulations.
Electronics are far beyond what we’ve come to expect from a light/middle weight machine and the staggering spec sheet now includes launch control alongside wheelie control, adjustable traction control, quickshifter, customisable engine braking and multiple engine maps. Add in sophisticated cornering ABS and you’ve got a bike which is far beyond what we’d expect from a ‘mere’ 660cc twin. Add in Öhlins suspension and some more premium finishes (such as a fancier saddle) and the Factory version really does add a cherry on top.
For those who prefer a more upright riding position, the semi-faired Tuono 660 also gains a Factory variant for the first time, while a Tuono 457 joins the RS 457 in the A2 licence category.
The RS 660’s engine is developed from Aprilia’s RSV4 superbike and the range topper also gains new styling and more power. At 220bhp, Aprilia are claiming the 2025 RSV4 is the most powerful road going superbike you can buy.
Aprilia might be best known as a brand who races on asphalt, but they’ve also enjoyed a fair amount of success in rally raids in recent years too. Their Tuareg based desert racers have led to the development of the Tuareg Rally, which will go on sale as a 2025 model. Taller, lighter and boasting some clever suspension, the Tuareg Rally is based on the standard 660cc Tuareg but appears to have genuine off-road chops. With Yamaha also announcing a Rally version of its Tenere 700, 2025 could well be the year of the pumped up middleweight adventure bike.
When it comes to bigger adventure bikes, Piaggio unveiled a smart ‘Duecento Tributo’ version of its latest Moto Guzzi Stelvio, complete with radar controlled safety aids and a cool red, white and blue livery.
Guzzi has also taken the need to adopt Euro5+ as an opportunity to give the classic V7 a major revamp.
Despite meeting the tighter emissions restrictions, the V7 engine remains fully air-cooled and even gains a 4% power boost – peaking at just over 67bhp at 6,900rpm. The V7 range remains one of the most traditional designs on the market, with Moto Guzzi’s transversely mounted 853cc 90° V-twin, air-cooled with pushrod and rocker arm distribution operating two valves per cylinder. Ride-by-wire throttle and modifiable maps add to the modernity, but shouldn’t detract from the retro riding experience we’ve always loved.
Three models of the new V7 will be sold, with the classically styled Special joined again with the more blacked out and stripped back Stone. New for 2025 is the V7 Sport, which has upgraded chassis components – addressing one of the main areas of weakness we identified when we rode the previous V7 a few years ago. The Sport replaces the basic telescopic forks with more modern upside down units. It also gets a twin disc front brake arrangement utilising radially mounted Brembo calipers. The Sport also benefits from some upgraded electronics, with a ‘Sport’ riding mode and cornering ABS and traction control facilitated by a six-axis IMU.
The Moto Guzzi V7 Sport also gets a bunch of more premium parts, including lighter wheels, bar end mirrors, a different seat and other small trim changes, like aluminium headlight brackets and a new handlebar top clamp. We think it looks great and can’t wait to take one for a spin.
Piaggio have also been busy with its scooter range. The Vespa GTS 310 replaces the GTS 300 as the company’s top-of-the-line retro scooter, with the Piaggio Beverly 310 gaining the same 25bhp single-cylinder motor.
Overall, it’s one of the most adventurous new model line ups from the Piaggio Group and it will be interesting to see how the new motorcycles are received by British riders when they arrive in the new year.
