We’ve seen it before, we know the important details, and we even know how much it costs. A lot of people became very interested in the Aprilia RS 457 after Aprilia announced at IBW 2023 that it would cost Rs 4.10 lakh (ex-showroom, Maharashtra). It also helped Aprilia that Yamaha announced the R3’s terrible price just a week later, but I’m getting off track… A lot of people are happy about this bike, and I can say that there’s good reason to be excited because I rode it at the race track.
The Aprilia RS 457 engine and exhaust sound
The engine is the first thing you want to hear about. You’ll know right away that this motor feels different from others in the sub-500cc class as soon as you press the starting button. A big part of that is because the 270-degree firing order makes the sound of the exhaust from the bottom of the engine louder and rougher. This can be found on a lot of bigger parallel twins, like Aprilia’s 660s. It gives the motor more personality.
One nice thing about the RS 457 is that it has a nice sound and a mild tremor that you can feel through the motorbike when it’s moving slowly. Even though it’s small, it’s something you’d expect from a bigger bike, and it sticks with you as a unique feeling.
When you slowly leave the Kari Motor Speedway pit lane for the first time, you can see that the engine is also easy to control. It’s easy to go 40kph in fourth gear, and if you twist the accelerator open even more, you’ll see the power. Around 4,000rpm, there’s a strong pull, and the midrange was meaty enough that I could easily lap the whole circle without having to drop below third gear. The power and the ability to turn should work well together on the street.
On the track, though, the engine was happy to rev much higher than that. It makes a lot of power up to about 9,500rpm, but then it starts to slow down just before the redline at 10,500rpm. It has 47.6hp and 43.5Nm of power, which is a lot. I saw it go just over 165kph down the main straight. It’s possible for the bike to go faster than 180kph if the road is long enough. This could very well be the fastest motorbike ever made in India. We’ll find out for sure as soon as we get the chance to test it on the road.
When it came to performance, the only thing I missed was a quickshifter. The gearbox worked well and was smooth. Aprilia does offer a quickshifter as an add-on, but at that price, it would be nice to have it as standard.
Aprilia RS 457 balance and comfort of seats
The RS 457 sounds good and feels fast, but the good news is that it rides just as well. The first thing you’ll like about the bike is how it feels and how you sit on it. The RS 457 feels bigger than any of its competitors. This is especially true of the fuel tank, which makes the bike look like a big machine. Then there are features that are very well thought out.
The seat height is only 800 mm, which is pretty low. However, the seat is roomy enough for tall users to slide back and crouch down. Even more amazing is that the footpegs are placed in a way that feels sporty but not squished, and even at high lean, the pegs don’t seem to bother the pavement. You’ll be riding in a fast way because the clip-on handlebars are pretty high up, but it’s more of a sport tourer than a pure sportbike.
Parts for Aprilia RS 457 bikes
With the first metal perimeter frame in its class, the RS 457 has a history that goes back to the bigger bikes that the Italian company makes. However, the stylish swingarm is made of steel, even though it looks like it’s made of metal. You can change the preload on both ends of the suspension, but not the damper. The bike weighs 175 kg, which is a little more than the most heavy bike in its class. Like, the KTM RC 390 with a single cylinder weighs 172 kg.
On the track, the bike doesn’t feel either very light and quick or very big and bulky. It has the same wheel sizes as most of its competitors, so even though it has a big body between your legs, it feels light and quick to drive. Also, these are the first tyres that came on this bike from the factory that are TVS Eurogrip Protorq Extremes. They were great for the speed we were going at. All day, we only had one problem with the bike, and that was brake fade.
Apria RS 457 problems on the track
It took a few laps of hard stopping before the lever became less stiff. It never got to the point where I thought the bike might not stop for me, but it was a letdown on a machine that was otherwise fun to ride on the race track. I think this problem can be fixed with better brake pads, different brake fluid, and maybe an aftermarket brake master cylinder. The RS 457 already has steel braided lines. I don’t think this will be a problem on the street either, but it was still weird.
Thank goodness, the 457 was fun to ride at Kari in almost every other way. It felt pretty fast to drive, and the suspension was soft but controlled. In general, the bike seems both strong and nice, and the front end feels good, especially when you’re stopping close to a corner. We only got to ride for one session, but I was able to get in a few laps after that, and I was having so much fun on the bike that I’d love to do a full track day weekend on it someday, once I fix the brakes.
Design of the Aprilia RS 457
Even though it’s fun to ride on the track, a big part of why people will want to buy this bike is that it looks new, fast, and exciting in a market full of old or strange bikes. This bike really looks great. It has the face of a real Aprilia superbike, a very stylish tail, and aerodynamics that look like they came from MotoGP. You can see this in the front spoiler, the layered fairing, and even the grab handles that are shaped like wings.
The only thing I would change about this bike is the window. I think it would look better with a bigger screen, and it would also protect you better from the wind at the track. But Aprilia will make a higher windscreen that you can add on, and I’m sure there will be a lot of other options soon as well. All in all, this motorbike is big and intimidating, and it looks like it fits right in with Aprilia’s other big bikes.
But there are some things about it that make it clear that it was built on a budget. The side stand is made of simple steel, the hand levers can’t be adjusted, and there is a lot of plastic that could be of higher quality or better finished. The bike comes in three colours, one of which is a unique matt iridescent colour that looks different based on how you look at it.
Electronics for Aprilia RS 457
On the plus side, the 5-inch TFT screen is very clear and easy to read, and the layout is similar to Aprilia’s bigger bikes. Right now, this bike’s electronics are the best in its class. It has two levels of ABS and four levels of stability control, one of which is off. The normal setting for ABS was too annoying on the track, but Level 2 turned off the rear and worked great. I left the traction control on Level 1, which is the least annoying setting, and it never got in the way.
There are also three ride modes, but they only change how sensitive the throttle is and how the ABS is set. They don’t change the power level. Aprilia has also added a lap timer and Bluetooth to the bike.
Review of the Aprilia RS 457
That’s all we learned in this setting. You can now book, and supplies should start in March. As for the price, I believe it is a bit high for a bike that is made entirely in India. A price below 4 lakh would have been ideal. What about the bike? It’s pretty cool, and even though the price is a bit high, it’s not too much.
Of course, there are still a lot of questions about how it will work in real life. We’ll get answers to those questions when we get the bike for a full road test review in a month or two. But for now, the Aprilia RS 457 looks more like a big bike that has been shrunk than a small motorbike that has been shrunk. That’s a really nice thing to do.
