Here is the number that makes this comparison uncomfortable for Ducati: the Aprilia RS 660 costs Rs 13,99,000. The Ducati SuperSport 950 costs Rs 17,16,100. That's Rs 3.17 lakh more for the Ducati - and the Aprilia gives you a quickshifter, cruise control, six riding modes, and a 41 kg weight advantage as standard. On paper, the RS 660 looks like the obvious choice. And yet, the SuperSport 950 keeps selling. The question is whether that's brand loyalty or genuine value - and the answer is more nuanced than the spec sheet suggests.
Specs at a Glance
| Spec | Ducati SuperSport 950 | Aprilia RS 660 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 937cc Testastretta L-twin | 659cc parallel-twin |
| Max Power | 110.1 PS @ 9,000 rpm | 100 PS @ 10,500 rpm |
| Max Torque | 93 Nm @ 6,500 rpm | 67 Nm @ 8,500 rpm |
| Mileage (ARAI) | 17 kmpl | 20 kmpl |
| Kerb Weight | 210 kg | 169 kg |
| Seat Height | 810 mm | 820 mm |
| Fuel Tank | 16 L | 15 L |
| Quickshifter | S variant only (DQS) | Standard |
| Riding Modes | 3 (Sport, Touring, Urban) | 6 (Commute, Urban, Sport, Track, Individual, Rain) |
| Cruise Control | No | Yes (standard) |
| Suspension | 43mm Marzocchi (Standard) / Öhlins (S) | Standard / Öhlins Extrema |
| Brakes | Brembo M4-32, 320mm semi-floating | Brembo radial, 320mm dual front |
| Ex-showroom | Rs 17,16,100 | Rs 13,99,000 |
The Engine: Character vs Capability
The Ducati's 937cc Testastretta 11° L-twin is a 90° V-twin with Desmodromic valve actuation - the same fundamental architecture that's been in Ducati's performance lineup for two decades. It produces 110.1 PS at 9,000 rpm but the number that defines the riding experience is the 93 Nm at 6,500 rpm. That torque arrives early and builds with a pulsating, vocal urgency that no parallel twin - at any price - replicates. Pull onto the Pune-Mumbai expressway on the SuperSport and crack open the throttle from 4,000 rpm. The engine surges forward with a sound that comes up through the seat and the bars simultaneously. It is an experience that is genuinely Italian and genuinely different from anything else in this price bracket.
The Aprilia's 659cc parallel-twin is derived from the RSV4's V4 architecture - half the cylinders, same engineering DNA. It makes 100 PS at 10,500 rpm with 67 Nm at 8,500 rpm. Those numbers mean the RS 660 rewards high-rev commitment in a way the Ducati doesn't ask for - it's a revvier, more fizzy engine character. The 26 Nm torque disadvantage against the Ducati is real and felt in real-world overtaking: from 60 kmph, you feel the SuperSport's torque more readily than you feel the Aprilia's power.
Neither engine is better in absolute terms. They are fundamentally different in what they reward. If you want tractable mid-range authority with character, the Ducati. If you want a high-revving, lighter-feeling machine that works harder for its power, the Aprilia.
Weight and Ergonomics: Where the RS 660 Wins Convincingly
The 41 kg weight gap is the most significant performance difference between these two motorcycles. At 169 kg, the Aprilia RS 660 is one of the lightest motorcycles in the middleweight performance segment globally. At 210 kg, the Ducati SuperSport 950 is the heaviest in its class.
In Mumbai traffic - stop-start, slow-speed, constant balance work - 41 kg is felt constantly. The RS 660 flicks through gaps and recovers from slow-speed wobbles with the lightness of a 400cc motorcycle. The SuperSport 950 requires deliberate management. It is not unmanageable, but it is work in a way the Aprilia simply is not.
Seat heights are close - the Ducati at 810 mm is actually 10 mm lower than the RS 660's 820 mm. The Ducati's lower seat, combined with its sport-touring ergonomic brief (the adjustable windscreen, slightly more upright position), makes it more accessible for shorter riders despite the extra mass.
For purely urban riders who park in tight spaces and sit in Bangalore traffic every evening, the RS 660's weight advantage matters more than the 10 mm seat height difference. For riders who are mostly on open roads with urban use as the exception, the weight gap matters significantly less.
Electronics: The RS 660's Strongest Argument
Six riding modes against three. Cruise control. Launch control. Both have cornering ABS, traction control, and wheelie control - but the Aprilia packages more of it, more thoughtfully, at Rs 3.17 lakh less.
Cruise control on a sport bike feels like a category error until you've done a 600 km day on NH48 and your right wrist is aching at Chitradurga. The RS 660's cruise control is genuine and works reliably at highway speeds. The SuperSport 950 has nothing equivalent.
The bigger gap is the quickshifter. The DQS bi-directional quickshifter is only on the S variant of the SuperSport 950 - the Standard at Rs 17.16 lakh requires the clutch for every gear change. The RS 660 includes clutchless up and downshifts as standard on both variants. For a Rs 17 lakh motorcycle, asking for the clutch on every gear change while the Rs 14 lakh competitor includes a bi-directional quickshifter is a difficult position to defend.
Service and Ownership
Both bikes share a meaningful limitation for Indian buyers: thin service networks outside the top metros. Ducati has eight authorised centres in India. Piaggio India's RS 660 service network is similar in coverage - approximately 8-10 cities. For buyers in Tier-1 metros, both are accessible. For buyers in Coimbatore, Nagpur, or Jaipur, both present logistical challenges.
Service costs diverge significantly. The RS 660's parallel-twin follows conventional service intervals without special valve servicing requirements. The Ducati's Desmodromic engine has its valve clearance check due every 24,000 km - a Rs 40,000-50,000 service that has no equivalent on the Aprilia. Over a 72,000 km ownership period, Desmo services alone add Rs 1.2-1.5 lakh in periodic costs beyond standard oil services.
The RS 660 is also a CBU import, which means parts lead times from Italy can extend repair windows. The Ducati SuperSport 950 is similarly positioned. Neither has the parts availability advantage of a locally assembled motorcycle.
Price and the Real Decision
The Aprilia RS 660 Standard at Rs 13,99,000 is Rs 3.17 lakh less than the SuperSport 950 Standard. The RS 660 Extrema at Rs 15,50,000 - with Öhlins fully-adjustable suspension and all the electronics - is still Rs 1.66 lakh less than the base SuperSport 950. That money buys years of running costs, a quality riding jacket, or a set of track tyres. The RS 660 Extrema gives you the Öhlins suspension that the SuperSport S offers at Rs 20.10 lakh - and does it at Rs 15.50 lakh.
Who Should Buy Which Bike?
Buy the Ducati SuperSport 950 if:
- The 937cc Testastretta L-twin character - the sound, the torque, the Desmodromic engine - is specifically what you're buying
- You do long highway touring runs (the adjustable windscreen and Touring mode earn their keep over 500+ km days)
- The 810 mm seat height suits you better than the RS 660's 820 mm
- Ducati brand ownership is part of what you're paying for - and that's a legitimate reason
- You accept the Desmo service cost as a known cost of L-twin ownership
Buy the Aprilia RS 660 if:
- Rs 3.17 lakh is a meaningful sum to you - because it genuinely is, at this price point
- City riding is a significant part of your use
- 41 kg lighter is transformatively better in urban conditions
- Six riding modes, quickshifter, and cruise control as standard features matter for how you actually ride
- You want the RS 660 Extrema's Öhlins suspension for Rs 15.50 lakh instead of Rs 20.10 lakh
- Track days are in your plans - the RS 660 is genuinely lighter and more track-oriented
The Verdict
The Aprilia RS 660 is the more rational motorcycle by most measurable criteria - lighter, cheaper, better equipped, and less expensive to maintain. The Ducati SuperSport 950 wins on engine character, torque delivery, touring capability, and the irreducible appeal of a V-twin that sounds like nothing else at Rs 17 lakh.
The choice between them is not really about which is better. It's about what you're buying a motorcycle for. If you want to feel something specific every time you open the throttle - that Testastretta pulse, that L-twin sound - the Ducati earns its Rs 3.17 lakh premium. If you want the most capable, best-equipped middleweight performance motorcycle for the money, the Aprilia RS 660 Extrema at Rs 15.50 lakh is a very difficult case to argue against.
Rs 3 lakh more for the Ducati's L-twin character and touring brief - or the lighter, better-equipped Aprilia? Tell us where you'd put the money in the comments.
