Aprilia RS 660 Factory
Aprilia are the masters of the lightweight sportsbike. Nineties two-strokes like the RS125 and RS250 were pocket racers for the road and the RS 660 is a motorcycle in a similar vein.
The 660cc twin-cylinder engine is an evolution of the V4 from the RSV4 superbike, essentially being one bank of cylinders from its bigger brother. It’s essentially a scaled down superbike and full of the very latest technology. Now it’s been updated for 2025, and has a more upmarket version too.
The big news for 2025 is the introduction of a new ‘Factory’ version of the RS 660, which is based on an updated version of the standard model. The base version gets new bodywork, complete with the seemingly now obligatory aerodynamic wings, and there’s a 5bhp power boost too, up to 105bhp, thanks to bigger throttle bodies. The APRC electronics package has always been off the scale for a ‘small’ bike but that too has been upgraded, with launch control added to an already comprehensive list of aids, which includes,
The Factory version additionally benefits from some high quality Ohlins forks and. if the racy style of the RS isn’t to your taste, there’s also a streetfighter style Tuono available.
Bimota KB998 Rimini
Another historic brand, Bimota started life as a boutique frame builder in the 1970s. After making some of the most stunning superbikes of the 1980s, putting bought in engines in their own high quality chassis, the company entered rocky waters and these days is 49% owned by Kawasaki – which is really important in understanding the KB998’s back story.
It’s been built to race in world superbikes, where the Kawasaki Racing Team will rebrand and run it in a high profile effort. It’s powered by an engine from the Kawasaki ZX-10RR Ninja but the frame is a real work of art and packed full of high end stuff. Components like the dashboard and switchgear also come from the Ninja, but the steel trellis chassis and gorgeous bodywork are unique and typically Bimota.
It will be raced by Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani in WorldSBK, and it has already shown well in initial testing. Expect just 500 road bikes to be made, the minimum required to homologate it for the race track, with a price right on the 44,000 Euro cap set as part of the homologation process.
Ducati Panigale V2
One of the most significant new sportsbikes this year is the Ducati Panigale V2. It joins the equally new Yamaha R9 in the Next Generation Supersport category, essentially a series of bikes replacing the beloved old 600cc fours in both the showrooms and on the racetracks.
Like the R9, it packs an 890cc engine delivering around 120bhp. Unlike the Yamaha this is a ground up ‘all-new’ design, rather than a development of another model.
It’s a good chunk less powerful than the 955cc Panigale V2 it replaces, but the lighter and more modern design promises to make it a more civilised and better motorcycle all-round. It looks stunning, has a thoroughly modern electronics package and should succeed again on the racetrack, where its predecessor won the last two Supersport World Championships. This one too is expected to do well in the series, with its smaller capacity meaning it is likely to be less heavily restricted than the outgoing machine.
And if it all sounds good but you’d rather not have a race replica, Ducati also make the Streetfighter V2, which dumps the Panigale’s fairings and gains high streetfighter style ‘bars to create a naked middleweight with plenty of attitude.
Fantic Imola
Fantic was a famous Italian name which strikes a particular chord with children of the 1970s thanks to the small off-roaders for kids.
The brand has been revived in recent years and their Caballero scrambler range has impressed us in the past. They’ve also been active in Moto2 racing, albeit using a German made Kalex chassis, and now that’s being used as a springboard in the launch of their first sports bike, the Imola.
Named after the famous race track, the Imola is a single-cylinder motorbike which comes in 125 and 500 versions. The 125 is learner legal while the 500 utilises a new 460cc engine developed in conjunction with Motori Minarelli. The lightweight engine, which will also be utilised in the Caballero, makes just over 44bhp. The bike sports a steel trellis frame, TFT dashboard and electronic aids including traction control and cornering ABS.
We think it looks great, with even the obligatory aerodynamic wings looking quite discreet, but if you prefer a more upright naked motorcycle, Fantic has you covered with the streetfighter styled Stealth – essentially an unfaired version of the Imola.
MV Agusta F3 Competizione
Once the most prestigious motorcycle brand in the world, MV Agusta is once again ploughing its own furrow under the ownership of Pierer Mobility, the company behind KTM.
Unlike most other Pierer brands, MV’s bikes still utilise their own platform. The F3 Competizione is a modified version of the already high-end F3 RR, with the 800cc three-cylinder engine pumping out almost 160bhp. Staggering…
In an era where sportsbikes are moving away from 200bhp superbikes, and heading towards lighter and more manageable middleweights, the F3 Competizione is probably the pinnacle of the breed.
Power gains and weight losses come courtesy of titanium valves and a full titanium exhaust system from Akrapovic, while carbon fibre wheels and lightweight Ohlins suspension also contribute to the F3’s diet.
Electronics and styling, as always with MV Agusta, is on point and it really is a work of art. As with all works of art, it won’t be cheap – but you probably won’t see another one at your local bike meet.
