Aprilia RS 457 Road Test Review: Italian Finesse

With all of the hype and excitement around ADVs these days, it's surely exciting to see a new sportsbike launched in our market. The Aprilia RS 457 had made a lot of heads turn because of its aggressive Rs 4.10 lakh (ex-showroom) price tag when it was launched in December last year. It is the first motorcycle to be manufactured in Aprilia’s Baramati plant in Maharashtra and we recently spent a week with the motorcycle to bring you a review after properly testing it in real-world conditions.

Aprilia RS 457: Design

The RS 457 is a gorgeous motorcycle to stare at for hours on end. Inspired from its larger siblings, the RSV4 and RS 660, it has a proper sportsbike design and this Italian stallion catches a ton of attention on the streets. It gets the iconic Aprilia LED headlights, a well-sculpted tank, and a sleek rear end. There are three colour options on offer; Prismatic Dark, Opalescent White, and Racing Stripes and all of them are really appealing. For this review, we have the MotoGP-inspired colour scheme, Racing Stripes. The overall fit and finish of the bike is really good for the price point at which it is being offered.

Aprilia RS 457: Engine & Performance

On paper, the RS 457 is the most powerful motorcycle in the sub-500cc sportsbike segment in India. The acceleration is smooth, with a strong mid-range after which it flattens out as it revs to the 10,500 rpm redline. In the city, this motor is extremely usable and can easily do speeds of 30kmph in fourth gear without any juddering. Riding around in third gear in the city, a rider wouldn’t even need to shift a gear down to make quick overtakes as the bike has a lot of low-down torque and pulls forward quickly. The clutch action is extremely light, although the gear shifts tend to feel slightly clunky with a loud thud under shifting. With all of the available torque, the RS 457 also greets you with the front wheel in the air as it launches off the line. In our tests, we were able to get a time of 5.39 seconds in the 0-100kmph sprint. 

Very few vibes are felt when the bike is being revved above the 7,500rpm mark, but nothing that will bother you too much. Out on the highway, it is easily able to maintain speeds of 120kmph without breaking a sweat. Adding to the whole experience is that sweet exhaust note that gives it a lot of character, thanks to the 270-degree crankshaft. The only thing that would have sweetened the whole deal is if Aprilia had offered the quickshifter as standard. It is part of the official accessories but costs a hefty Rs 27,799. Overall, I had really enjoyed this motor for how powerful but friendly it was out on track and now for how fun and usable it is in the real world. 

Aprilia RS 457: Handling and Ride Quality

A combination of the twin-spar aluminium frame and the TVS Eurogrip ProTorq Extreme tyres make the RS 457 a really nimble and confidence-inspiring machine to ride. It tips in quickly, allows you to lean further and power out of corners with ease. The suspension is on the stiffer side so potholes and sections of bad roads are going to be felt by you while riding through the city. But then again, everyone who buys a sportbike is not really looking for practicality. Out on the highway, the RS 457 feels stable at high speeds. While we tested the motorcycle during the first ride event, there was noticeable brake fade a few laps into the experience. Now that we got to ride the bike in the city, I felt like the brakes are more than adequate for commuting as well as weekend rides to the twisties. Aprilia also offers better brake pads as part of the accessories which I would surely recommend if the bike is going to be used at the race track.

Aprilia RS 457: Comfort

The Aprilia RS 457 is a compact and lightweight bike with a kerb weight of 175kg. The seat height stands at 800 mm which is slightly tall but was fairly accessible with my 5’7 foot frame. The riding position is aggressive with a rider leaning forward to the clip-on handlebars and the footpegs set higher up and towards the rear. I would say that it is not as aggressive as something like the first-gen KTM RC 390, but a rider's upper body will be more forward set compared to bikes like the Yamaha R3 or the Kawasaki Ninja 500. With the well-sculpted tank, it is easy to lock your leg before leaning into corners.

Aprilia RS 457: Features

It gets a 5-inch TFT that has a similar layout to their larger models. This screen has all the necessary information, the switchgear is user-friendly to operate and has good tactile feedback. There are three ride modes which can be switched on the go and three levels of traction control with the option to completely disable it. The bike obviously features dual-channel ABS and there is an option to disable ABS at the rear and reduce ABS intervention at the front. Additionally, the bike also gets Bluetooth connectivity. 

Aprilia RS 457: Verdict

Priced at Rs 4.10 lakh, the Aprilia RS 457 seems to be the most value-for-money twin-cylinder sportbike one can currently buy in India. The reason for this aggressive price tag is the localization of this product. Considering the hefty prices of its Japanese competitors, the RS 457 truly makes a good case for itself to a rider who is looking to upgrade to a twin-cylinder sportsbike. Now the only thing left to be seen is the reliability of the bike and how Aprilia handles their service network. That being said, the RS 457 is an extremely fun motorcycle with a ton of character and with those stunning Italian looks, stands apart like nothing else on the streets.