Aprilia RS 457

Aprilia recently increased the price of the RS 457 in India. The ex-showroom price now starts from Rs 4.26 lakhs in Delhi. Here is how much this twin-cylinder bike costs now.

• Aprilia launched the RS 457, a bike designed with inspiration from the bigger Aprilias. It has been on sale in India for some time now and promises its buyer a lot of power and advancements. Can the European find its place in the Indian market? 

• The Aprilia RS 457 is available in a choice of six colours: Coral Blue Snake, Arsenic Yellow, Replica Black, Racing Tripes, Opalescent White, and Prismatic Dark.

• The RS 457 has a modern and stylish appearance, with Aprilia’s iconic design elements such as the twin DRLs at the front and a sleek-looking tail section. 

• Along with this, the Replica Black also gets a rear seat cowl that gives it a race bike stance. It truly is a big bike with superbike looks.

• It gets three colour schemes with aggressive styling and graphic elements that will appeal to a wide range of potential buyers. It is a good-looking machine and will stand out easily on the road.

Safety

• The Aprilia RS 457 is very well-equipped in safety features and gets dual-channel ABS, traction control, cornering ABS, ride-by-wire system along with riding modes too. This advanced technology helps the rider have better control of the motorcycle.

Convenience

•  It gets a 5-inch TFT instrument console with smartphone connectivity, an all-LED lighting setup and backlit switches, and a kill switch for increased convenience.

Rider comfort

• The bike gets an accommodating seat with enough space for taller riders although the riding position is committed.

• The tank design is sleek and it was easy to place my knees to grip the tank while riding spiritedly.

• Due to the stiff suspension setup, it is not the most comfortable while riding through broken roads.

Pillion comfort

• The seat is a bit smaller for a pillion without room to move around. The seat provides decent cushioning for the pillion though.

• The grab rails are hidden in the bike’s design and are set at a good position and are very easy to grab for support.

• The bike gets a 457cc, liquid-cooled, parallel twin engine producing 48PS and 44Nm, and comes paired to a 6-speed gearbox with a slipper clutch to make the aggressive downshifts easier. We got to experience the limits of the engine on the Kari Motor Speedway.

• The RS 457's lightweight platform is designed for both track and urban riding. The bike weighs 175 kg, enhancing its agility. The Aprilia RS 457 accelerates from 0-100 kmph in 5.39 seconds.

Here are the performance figures of the bike from our real-world tests:

City Performance

• The Aprilia RS 457 with its tractable engine is very easy to ride in the city. You will have to make very few gear changes due to the sheer amount of torque it produces and its power delivery. It offers a balance between sporty ergonomics and daily usability.

Highway Performance

• The bike can cruise on the highway at 100-120kmph without breaking a sweat.

• RS 457 does handle highways well and has enough grunt available for quick overtakes throughout its rev range.

• The bike has very good agility, cornering composure, and stability. It feels very stable when riding enthusiastically.

• It gets 320mm front disc and 220mm rear disc brake with dual-channel ABS as standard but we experienced that the brakes fade when ridden hard for some time.

• The RS 457 gets an inverted telescopic fork and a monoshock with preload adjustability that absorbs smaller bumps on the road well but can be a bit of an issue when larger bumps appear.

• The suspension setup is tuned towards the stiffer side and will feel very good as long as the roads are smooth.

• The bike is a perfect pick if you are looking for a powerful machine without spending an outrageous amount of money. 

• If you are looking for a bike with excellent dynamics, character, and ease of riding, the RS 457 is the perfect pick

• We do recommend getting the accessory bi-directional quickshifter for increased performance and convenience, but if you are on a tight budget, you can still enjoy the bike with standard equipment too.

Yamaha R3

Reasons to consider

• Excellent riding dynamics 

• Japanese reliability

Reasons to ignore

• Expensively priced for the equipment it offers

• Basic features

KTM RC 390

Reasons to consider

• Sporty looks

• Much affordable price

Reasons to ignore

• RC’s single-cylinder is not as refined as the parallel-twin from the RS 457

• Build quality could have been a bit better