The new RS 457 makes its Indian début following its design and development at Aprilia’s headquarters in Italy, at the same technical HQ that produces superbikes and MotoGP bikes. And it is no coincidence that the new bike arrives alongside India’s first MotoGP race. Indeed, the new RS 457 is the fruit of the racing experience and wins that have made Aprilia the most successful European manufacturer in the Grand Prix World Championship with 297 triumphs. This is a proper rival to the KTM. Enthusiast know, it is only Aprilia who has offered hardcore dynamics and powerful engines after the KTM brand. Aprilia has come late, but its good then never! This is going to be the most interesting fight we have ever seen on the world stage!
Since 2020, the tremendous success of the Aprilia RS 660 (Europe’s best-selling sports bike) has revolutionised the sports bike segment, creating a new segment. The same winning formula now goes into the RS 457, which exploits this immense know-how and features exclusive technical choices placing it at the top end of the sports market.
A motorbike whose strengths lie in its lightness, ease of handling, and technological equipment, assists the rider on the road and the track. The ergonomics feature clip-on handlebars mounted above the upper steering plate, a road sports solution that provides the perfect balance between sportiness and riding comfort.
Michele Colaninno – Piaggio Group CEO said – “In recent years, the Aprilia brand has seen an intense burst of renewal, also supported by continued progress in the racing world. The recent introduction of the 660 family, with RS and Tuono first and Tuareg later, has expanded its target, creating a full and competitive range. We are now ready to take another step towards the future with an astonishing bike developed entirely in Noale, capable of stimulating and thrilling young people and opening up huge potential in new markets, near and far. It is a step closer to the globalisation of a brand that has always had the perfect combination of technology, fun, and looking to the future in its DNA.”
The first real, exclusive feature of the Aprilia RS 457 is the engine, a state-of-the-art, liquid-cooled, parallel twin-cylinder with double camshaft timing and four valves per cylinder, delivering 35 kW (48 hp) of power. The twin-cylinder engine’s design features offer much more power than single-cylinder engines, with a 48hp maximum output, while keeping vibrations to a minimum. In addition, its 270-degree connecting rod assembly produces a unique and exciting sound that reflects its level of performance. Besides the pure power figure, there is also the motorbike’s weight: 159 kg dry, rising to 175 kg wet.
The Aprilia RS 457’s power-to-weight ratio is thus the best on the market because that is what Aprilia’s designers targeted and achieved. This translated into pure performance, handling and riding joy during the road development at Aprilia’s headquarters in Noale and, in parallel, by the test team in Baramati, in the state of Maharashtra. A stiff frame and suspension match the new powertrain, another point of technical excellence. Aprilia tradition becomes technology with the exclusive refined and practical aluminium frame, a solution honed over decades of victories on all the world’s racetracks, making the RS 457 unique in its segment. The crankcase functions as a load-bearing element, a solution borrowed from the RS 660, which ensures the low weight, dynamic qualities and riding pleasure that have made Aprilia famous.
The ø41 mm fork features 120 mm travel and preload adjustability. Ditto for the monoshock, which works on the steel swingarm, adjustable in preload, for 130mm wheel travel. The braking system features a 320 mm front disc with a ByBre radial-mount 4-piston caliper. At the rear, the ByBre caliper brakes a 220 mm steel disc. All this is assisted by a two-channel ABS system with dual map of use, on both wheels or only on the front. The 17-inch sports rims mount 110/70 tyres at the front and 150/60 at the rear, perfect sizes for excellent grip while maintaining agility, the true strength of the new Aprilia.
The Aprilia RS 457’s electronic equipment is of a true superbike, confirming a design conceived for maximum performance and entirely faithful to Aprilia tradition. The Ride by Wire system – which Aprilia was the first to introduce both in MotoGP with the futuristic RS Cube and in production – manages the engine with three riding modes that intervene on power and torque delivery and traction control, adjustable to three levels and that can also be disabled. The quickshifter comes as an accessory.
The full LED front headlamp incorporates the light signature typical of Aprilia’s larger super sports bikes, while the front turn signals are integrated into the front headlamp’s light signature. The dashboard uses an elegant and practical 5-inch TFT colour instrument cluster, while the handlebar controls are backlit.
The new RS 457’s styling follows the legendary RS range, the supersport bikes that made motorbike history, starting with the double front fairing through to the underbelly silencer, integrated with the toe line, with a 2-in-1 exhaust.
Aprilia has dominated the junior MotoGP classes, winning 38 world titles and raising an extraordinary generation of legendary riders: Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi, Valentino Rossi, Casey Stoner, Jorge Lorenzo… these are just a few of the Aprilia-schooled world champion riders. After reaffirming its technological supremacy, dominating 4-stroke big bike racing with the RSV4’s seven WSBK world championships, Aprilia has become a significant player in MotoGP.
Aprilia has applied all the technical innovations pioneered in racing and the knowledge of its extraordinary technicians to road sports bikes, bringing motorcyclists the highest levels of performance and riding pleasure. Hence the Aprilia RS family, the acronym representing Aprilia’s take on sportiness. These are bikes designed to amaze with innovations drawn from the long and successful racing history that has shaped Aprilia’s unique motorbike culture. Thus, Aprilia became the dream object of entire generations, indulging the passion of younger riders with extraordinary motorbikes.
