Sport nakeds and streetbikes have always been right up my alley to say so. I mean I’ve always been enamoured by faired sportsbikes – their purity of intent in terms of being engineered with sole focus on going fast, typically around racetracks, is what makes them special. But when you take the fairing off of a sportsbike, put on a taller handlebar, what you get is a sure-shot recipe for fun on the street. And for long, Aprilia has done exactly that – crafted an awe-inspiring faired machine in the form of its RSV4, then dropped the fairing on it and given it a taller, one-piece handlebar to create the Tuono V4. So it was pretty much a given that the follow-up act to the hugely impressive (and IMOTY 2025 winner!) RS457 would be the Tuono 457.
The bike broke cover at EICMA last year, and seeing it in the flesh there got me thinking about its design. That’s because the Tuono 457 breaks tradition by not using a quarter fairing like the bigger Tuonos, the 660 and V4 both do. Closer inspection at the first ride allowed me to assess the design better. The design of the headlamp is a little polarising, but it pays homage to the RSV4’s triple tri-headlamp design. The headlamp unit also sports a nice-looking, spoiler-like duct underneath. We’re told the fuel tank had to be redesigned, and this one is not the same as the RS457 sportsbike, to accommodate the one-piece handlebar. More importantly, the bike has the distinct visual identity of being an Aprilia, and the tank certainly has a role to play in that.
Being a naked motorcycle, the Tuono 457 also shows off its cast aluminium frame that uses the engine as a stressed member, with the swingarm bolted onto the engine directly. The underslung exhaust is identical to the RS 457 and so is the Batman logo shaped tail lamp, which add a sense of familiarity. The seats though are different, and at 800mm, the Tuono’s saddle should be accessible for shorter riders too. The front mudguard is a short one, while the radiator and engine sit tightly packaged, helping the Tuono look muscular, especially in conjunction with the short exhaust. Aprilia has also carried over the RS457’s electronics meaning you get the same three riding modes, switchable traction control, dual channel ABS and a 5-inch TFT display for the instrument cluster.
So there isn’t anything that you’d be left wanting for, and the rider aids package is also very comprehensive for a middleweight naked. Rain mode makes throttle response very gentle along with maximum intervention from the traction control system, while Eco makes power delivery more progressive besides also reducing traction control intervention. Sport mode is where power delivery is the most aggressive, along with the least electronic intervention, though you can customise settings individually for each mode, or even turn traction control off. And just like on the RS 457, you can switch rear ABS off here too.
The liquid-cooled parallel twin engine borrowed from the RS457 is in the same state of tune as the sportsbike, so you get 47.6PS, produced at 9,400rpm and 43.5Nm produced at 6,700rpm. Gear ratios are slightly different though, in keeping with this one’s positioning as a streetbike, and the consequent need for more grunt at lower revs and slower speeds than the track-focused RS457. The difference made by the shorter gearing can be felt right from the word go as the engine offers stronger grunt at lower revs. Aprilia also claims the Tuono 457 will be quicker than the RS457 when taking off from standstill, for the first 50 metres, thanks to its shorter gearing and resultant stronger performance at slow speeds. This has been done keeping in mind that the Tuono 457 will spend more time in traffic and to suit its character as a fun to ride everyday motorcycle.
While this is impressive, what impressed me even more was the precise fueling, as it makes for throttle responses that very crisp and very smooth. The engine has a very playful character with its kind of power delivery and performance, besides which, adding to the joy of giving the Tuono 457 the stick was its excellent transmission. Clutch action at the lever is light and gears slot in precisely with a
reassuring click, making for a very satisfying feel. But this is a sport naked, and an Italian one at that – so how can I not talk about pulling wheelies! Besides being immensely enjoyable for everyday riding and around twisties, the Tuono 457’s crisp throttle responses, strong bottom end grunt and ability to let you switch traction control off mean one more thing: the smallest Tuono is a proper wheelie machine.
What’s also worth noting is that while clutch and power wheelies are both easy courtesy the engine performance, it’s the Tuono 457’s precise fuelling that helps in a bigger way when it comes to carrying wheelies and riding the bike on one wheel by affording excellent throttle control. And besides feeling stable on one wheel, the Tuono 457 impresses with its dynamics on both wheels too, especially around corners. The 41mm upside-down forks are the same as the RS457 and so is the
monoshock – both are preload adjustable – though the setup is a wee bit softer. The suspension offers excellent control and offer lots of feedback when changing direction quickly, leaning into corners or even when riding on undulated surfaces. The chassis borrowed from the well-acclaimed RS457 sportsbike does its part in helping the Tuono impress on the handling front too, along with the Eurogrip tyres the bike is shod with, which offer excellent grip. And given its kerb weight of just 175kg, the Tuono is also fairly light for a twin-cylinder machine, which further helps it in terms of agility. Add to that the suspension’s ability to soak up most undulations and ruts well, and you’re talking a machine that ticks the right boxes on the dynamics front.
My seat time on the Tuono 457 was shorter than I would have liked, and we’re awaiting a test bike for a longer road test, but my initial impressions about this naked Italian are very good. I’ve ridden its faired sibling extensively on track and thus knew what to expect, and I’m happy to report, the Tuono 457 impresses as a sport naked. Aprilia has done a good job of using the RS457 to create a fun everyday machine that’s more comfortable and easier to ride while feeling as potent, as is the recipe for sport nakeds. And priced at ₹ 3.99 lakh ex-showroom, the Tuono 457 is also the most affordable way to have an Italian motorcycle in your garage now, and an Aprilia at that!
