The production of Aprilia RS457 has started at Piaggio’s Baramati plant. The motorcycle was launched in India on 8 December during the India Bike Week and the deliveries are scheduled to begin from 1 March.
The RS457 is priced at Rs. 4.10 lakh which places it in between its closest rivals in the pricing spectrum. It goes up against the KTM RC 390, Kawasaki Ninja 400, and the Yamaha YZF-R3 which are priced at Rs. 3.18 lakh, Rs. 5.24 lakh, and Rs. 4.66 lakh, respectively (all prices are ex-showroom, Delhi). Notably, the RS457 is Aprilia’s first-ever made-in-India motorcycle which will be exported as well.
The motorcycle is powered a 457cc, parallel-twin cylinder engine with liquid cooling and a six-speed gearbox accompanied an assist and slipper clutch. The engine produces 46.9bhp and 43.5Nm of peak torque while a bi-directional is available as an option. There are 17-inch wheels that are suspended upside-down forks and a monoshock with preload adjustability at both ends. Braking is handled a single disc front and back with dual-channel ABS.
The design of the motorcycle is inspired the bigger RS offerings in Aprilia’s line-up. The front gets a sinister-looking, split-LED headlamp housed in a beautifully crafted angular and layered fairing. Sitting on top of the exposed aluminium chassis is a sculpted fuel tank and a sharp tail accommodating a split-type seat. Further, the feature list includes full LED illumination, a five-inch TFT to toggle through rider aids like engine maps, traction control, ABS, anti-roll system, and three riding modes.