It goes without saying that today’s beginner riders are spoiled for choice.
Ages ago, riders pretty much only had the ubiquitous Honda Rebel or Kawasaki Ninja 250 to choose from. But today, there’s a beginner-friendly version of pretty much any motorcycle you can think of. There are even some beginner bikes from the big dog nameplates.
And so you could probably guess my excitement when the new Aprilia RS 457 came into my possession. In case you weren’t aware, the Aprilia RS 457 has always been touted as the best in its segment, supposedly putting bikes like the Kawasaki Ninja 500 and KTM RC 390 to shame.
But how would I feel after putting some miles onto it? This might be perfect.
Swinging a leg over the machine for the first time, I immediately noticed how light it was, as it brought back memories of my first real street bike, a KTM 390 Duke. On paper, Aprilia claims a wet weight of 385 pounds, which isn’t really all that light when compared to its competition. But it carries its weight really well, which makes sense as though it's a great beginner bike, it's designed for riders that sit on both ends of the spectrum.
On the one hand, first-timers looking for a sporty machine that looks the part don’t need to worry about yeeting themselves into oblivion with this thing. It already looks like it's going 100 miles per hour sitting still. But on the other hand, seasoned riders looking to grow their skills on track, and maybe even kickstart their racing career, I can’t think of a better platform to start on.
Perhaps this is exactly why the Aprilia RS 457 Trophy in Italy is getting quite a lot of hype.
This Aprilia is one of those bikes that you can just forget about the spec sheet and focus on the enjoyment of riding, as its 47 horsepower or skinny 150 rear tire don't matter. In fact, in the tight city streets of Manila, it might as well have been the fastest vehicle on the road. And this is where the Aprilia RS 457 really shines.
It’s a sportbike you can use every day.
Because of how light and nimble it is, how linear it accelerates, and how light the clutch pull is, you can be equally comfortable ripping this thing out on track or on a twisty road as you would be sitting in traffic on the morning commute. That is, provided you don’t mind the slightly aggressive ergonomics.
And to me, it gamifies your riding experience thanks to all the features it brings to the table.
If you’re feeling sporty, you can stiffen the suspension, stick it on Sport mode, and heck, you can even disable traction control to pop wheelies here and there. But if you just want to putter around town or go on longer trips out of town, sticking it on Eco mode and dialing up the TC makes things pretty chill.
I spent the entire day riding this thing around town, along with a few spirited blasts down the freeway and a quick session on a nice set of twisty roads. All the while, I couldn’t stop thinking how awesome beginner bikes have become.
Indeed, bikes like the Aprilia RS 457 are living proof of the trickle-down effect, where all the fancy tech that was once found exclusively on top-tier machines gradually makes its way down to more affordable machines. Less than a decade or so ago, having a bike with all this tech at this price bracket was basically unheard of.
But now, you can actually buy this thing as your first bike and know you’re not buying too much bike for your skill level. Imagine what beginner riders will be riding in ten, twenty, or even thirty years.
