At EICMA 2023, Aprilia unveiled its smallest performance-oriented model to date, the RS 457. Following in the footsteps of its bigger sibling, the RS 660, the RS 457 caters to sporty riders looking to enter the grassroots of motorcycle racing, or simply looking for a practical and tractable sportbike for both the street and the track.
That being said, we’re already starting to see the small-displacement sportbike roll into multiple markets. Interestingly, pricing info in the US was one of the first to be announced, with the RS 457 starting at a rather attractive $6,799 for the Prismatic Dark and Opalescent Light colorways, and $6,899 fo the more premium, racing-inspired Racing Stripes livery. Now, the sportbike has just been launched in India at the recently concluded India Bike Week, and its super affordable price tag could make folks from other markets a bit jealous.
In the Indian market, where the RS 457 is produced, it carries a price tag of just Rs 410,000, translating to about $4,918 USD. This makes it an even more affordable option than the Kawasaki Ninja 400, a beginner-friendly sportbike which, quite frankly, is looking a bit long in the tooth when compared to the cutting-edge tech and performance features the Aprilia brings to the table. Could the new Aprilia RS 457 raise the bar when it comes to small displacement sportbikes? Only time will tell, but on paper, it sure seems like this is the case.
From a performance standpoint, we get a brand spanking new 457cc, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, parallel-twin engine with a 270-degree crankshaft. Although it boils down to personal preference, it’s generally agreed upon that a 270-crank parallel-twin delivers better torque – not to mention sound and character – than that of a 180-degree twin. It’s no surprise that other manufacturers like CFMoto and even Honda are going for this configuration. In the case of the RS 457, it dishes out a respectable 47 horsepower at 9,400 rpm and 43.5 Nm or about 32 pound-feet of torque at 6,700 rpm.
In terms of technology is where the Aprilia RS 457 really shines. The Noale brand has always been associated with cutting-edge tech, so it’s fitting that its entry-level premium model should come out of the factory decked out in all sorts of techie goodies.
Here, we find a five-inch, full-color TFT display that keeps tabs on all pertinent ride stats. A throttle-by-wire system offers three ride modes, as well as three levels of traction control. Meanwhile, suspension consists of a 41-millimeter inverted fork and monoshock combo. As for the brakes, it gets a single 320-millimeter disc up front and a single 220-millimeter disc at the back.
