Photo: Aprilia
Only two days separate us from the official start of the 2023 EICMA, possibly the largest motorcycle show dedicated to new production bikes (and more) in the world. Being held in Milan, it is also the perfect opportunity for Italian bike makers to show off, and Aprilia plans to do that with its full force.
It was back in September that the bike maker gave us the first details on the RS 457, a brand new motorcycle meant to take on a segment Aprilia, known for its racing exploits, is not necessarily a force to be reckoned with: young riders who hold an A2 license. Now, as EIMCA approaches, we are learning a little more about it.
The bike makes use of the lessons Aprilia learned with the bikes sporting 125cc engines, but also tries to reach the same level of thrill as the RS 660, which is Europe's best-selling sports bike. On top of that, it brings to the table the best power-to-weight ratio of any bike designed for the A2 segment.
That's because the bike's engine, a liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder unit, delivers 47 horsepower. That may not seem like much, but it's the most you are legally allowed to have on an A2 bike. When pairing that number with the 175 kg wet (386 pounds) weight of the ride, it becomes clear why Aprilia is making this bold statement.
The engine breathes through a 2-in-1 exhaust system and it's held in check by Brembo-supplied braking hardware. A fully electronic management system with ride-by-wire is also in place, as are three different riding modes and ABS.
The engine is held inside a rigid aluminum frame which makes contact with the ground thanks to 17-inch wheels. They in turn as supported by a 41 mm fork up front (with 120 mm of travel) and a combination of a monoshock and a swingarm at the rear (this one with 130 mm of travel).
Design-wise, the RS 457 has been built to mimic the excitement one gets when looking at a fully-fledged MotoGP ride, or the RS range it is part of. The bike's defining design elements are the double front fairing that holds a full LED headlight, the extensive bodywork wrapping around frame and engine, and, of course, the liveries it comes in.
There will be three colors to choose from for the RS 457, namely Racing Stripes, Prismatic Dark and Opalescent Light.
The Aprilia RS 457 has been up on the bike maker's website ever since its first unveiling in September, and we were kind of hoping the bike's first public appearance in Milan would be the perfect opportunity for us to learn the price of the ride. Sadly, at the time of writing Aprilia makes no mention of that little detail.
The bike makes use of the lessons Aprilia learned with the bikes sporting 125cc engines, but also tries to reach the same level of thrill as the RS 660, which is Europe's best-selling sports bike. On top of that, it brings to the table the best power-to-weight ratio of any bike designed for the A2 segment.
That's because the bike's engine, a liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder unit, delivers 47 horsepower. That may not seem like much, but it's the most you are legally allowed to have on an A2 bike. When pairing that number with the 175 kg wet (386 pounds) weight of the ride, it becomes clear why Aprilia is making this bold statement.
The engine breathes through a 2-in-1 exhaust system and it's held in check by Brembo-supplied braking hardware. A fully electronic management system with ride-by-wire is also in place, as are three different riding modes and ABS.
The engine is held inside a rigid aluminum frame which makes contact with the ground thanks to 17-inch wheels. They in turn as supported by a 41 mm fork up front (with 120 mm of travel) and a combination of a monoshock and a swingarm at the rear (this one with 130 mm of travel).
Design-wise, the RS 457 has been built to mimic the excitement one gets when looking at a fully-fledged MotoGP ride, or the RS range it is part of. The bike's defining design elements are the double front fairing that holds a full LED headlight, the extensive bodywork wrapping around frame and engine, and, of course, the liveries it comes in.
There will be three colors to choose from for the RS 457, namely Racing Stripes, Prismatic Dark and Opalescent Light.
The Aprilia RS 457 has been up on the bike maker's website ever since its first unveiling in September, and we were kind of hoping the bike's first public appearance in Milan would be the perfect opportunity for us to learn the price of the ride. Sadly, at the time of writing Aprilia makes no mention of that little detail.
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