Italian bikemaker Aprilia has launched the RS 457 at the India Bike Week, Goa for Rs 4.10 lakh ex-showroom. The bookings for the motorcycle will begin on December 15, at Rs. 10,000. The bike looks race-ready, with little winglets under the full-LED headlamps and the underbelly exhaust. The RS 457 sits below the RS 660 in Aprilia’s India lineup and resembles its bigger sibling. The RS 457 is designed in Noale, Italy in conjunction with the test team in Baramati, Maharashtra. The motorcycle will also be made in India, making it Aprilia’s first Made-In-India bike.
Behind the RS 457’s visor, sits a 5-inch colour TFT display. The display can be connected via Bluetooth to the rider’s mobile phone to convey navigation details and data on the bike’s performance. Below the screen feature clip-on handles which have back-lit switchgear. The bike gets MotoGP-inspired ride-by-wire with three riding modes for power and torque. The traction control also has three stages with the option to disable as well. Bringing the bike to a stop is a 320mm front disk with a radially mounted 4-piston calliper and a 220mm disk at the rear with dual-channel ABS.
The bike rides on an aluminium frame cradling a 457cc liquid-cooled parallel-twin engine pushing 47.6PS @ 9400rpm and 43.5Nm @ 6,700rpm. The engine’s crankcase also acts as a load-bearing element in the bike’s chassis. A 6-speed gearbox with an optional quickshifter puts down the power to the ground. The bikemaker has focused on lightness and has achieved a kerb weight of 179kg. The suspension duties are handled by a front USD fork with 120mm travel and a rear monoshock with 130mm of travel. Both have preload adjustability.
The RS 457 costs nearly a lakh more than the KTM RC 390 but is cheaper by a lakh than the Kawasaki Ninja 400. The upcoming Yamaha R3 will also compete in the same segment.
