I’m really hoping I end up being the exception here and that once this is resolved, I won’t have any more issues.
I’ve been following the RS 660 since it was first released. I intentionally waited a few years for Aprilia to work out the early model issues before buying. Based on what I saw, most of those early problems seemed resolved, and the bike had a strong reputation for reliability.
The closest Aprilia dealer to me is about three hours away, so reliability was a big factor in my decision. I purchased a brand new 2026 RS 660 on March 3, 2026. Within a couple of weekends, I had it just about to the 600 mile break in service mark.
About 6 miles before hitting 600 miles, the bike developed a coolant leak. It dumped a significant amount of coolant and began overheating, so I shut it off immediately and took it to the dealership on April 3 for warranty service. I also asked them to complete the break in service while it was there.
After a week with no updates, I called for a status check. They told me they had diagnosed the issue and submitted a warranty claim to the Piaggio Group, but later realized their initial diagnosis was incorrect. They had to withdraw the claim, redo the diagnosis, and resubmit it for approval.
Two weeks later, I followed up again and was told they were waiting on parts. About another week later, I called again expecting the parts to have arrived by then. That is when they told me I should have already been contacted. Apparently the Piaggio Group had instructed them to remove the cylinder head to inspect for internal damage before releasing it back to me, even though the dealership had indicated the bike had not completely run out of coolant.
Now the dealership is saying they are backed up and will try to get to it as soon as possible, but their schedule is unpredictable.
At this point, the situation is pretty frustrating. I am trying to stay positive and hope this is just a one off issue, but I am concerned about losing a big part of the riding season waiting on repairs, especially living in Tennessee.
I do not regret buying the Aprilia (yet), but I did not buy a brand new bike just to have it sit in a shop for months. Part of me cannot help but wonder if I would have avoided this by going with a more traditionally reliable Japanese bike.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with the later year models?