Photo: Aprilia
It's not every day we get news for Italian bike maker Aprilia, but every time we do hear something from them, these guys seem hell-bent on making us feel the wait was worth it. I mean, just look at the brand new and shiny RS 457 that's ready to take the sports bike segment by storm.
Aprilia pulled the wraps off the new two-wheeler this week, and introduced it to the world as the "new technological and stylistic benchmark" for young riders, but also a machine with the best power-to-weight ratio in its class. The details you'll learn about below kind of make that crystal clear.
First, let's see where the RS 457 is supposed to fit. Back in 2020 the Italian bike maker released the RS 660, a powerful entry in the mid-range sports bikes segment. A segment, Aprilia likes to say, the RS 660 created on its own, before becoming Europe's best-selling sports bike.
The lessons learned with the RS 660 have contributed to the creation of the RS 457 as well. Aimed squarely at new targets (read young riders) and new markets, the bike fills a gap between the company's 125cc-engined two-wheelers and the RS 600.
From a development standpoint, the bike draws from Aprilia's experience in the toughest motorcycling competitions in the world, the SBK and MotoGP.
The motorcycle was built around an aluminum frame that holds a liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine that can spit out 47 hp, the most power you're legally allowed to have in an A2 license two-wheeler. It may not seem much, but for a bike weighing just 175 kg wet (386 pounds) and for A2 riders, that's more than enough.
The engine breaths out through a 2-in-1 exhaust system and spins 17-inch wheels. There is a fully electronic management system with ride-by-wire in place, and that allows for the use of three different riding modes, depending on needs and preferences.
Suspension-wise the Aprilia RS 457 is equipped with a 41 mm fork up front with 120 mm of travel, and a monoshock-swingarm combo at the rear with 130 mm of travel. Braking power comes courtesy of Brembo hardware.
From a visual standpoint, we get everything we were expecting from an Aprilia, especially an RS. The aggressive body of the ride includes a double front fairing, panels pulled over the engine and most of the frame, and a suitable color scheme.
There is a full LED headlamp fitted up front, offering the usual Aprilia light signature, but also integrated turn signals. Ahead of the fuel tank and facing the rider is a 5-inch TFT screen.
The bike is already up on Aprilia's website, enjoying the hype created around it, but at the time of writing we don't have any info on availability and pricing.
First, let's see where the RS 457 is supposed to fit. Back in 2020 the Italian bike maker released the RS 660, a powerful entry in the mid-range sports bikes segment. A segment, Aprilia likes to say, the RS 660 created on its own, before becoming Europe's best-selling sports bike.
The lessons learned with the RS 660 have contributed to the creation of the RS 457 as well. Aimed squarely at new targets (read young riders) and new markets, the bike fills a gap between the company's 125cc-engined two-wheelers and the RS 600.
From a development standpoint, the bike draws from Aprilia's experience in the toughest motorcycling competitions in the world, the SBK and MotoGP.
The motorcycle was built around an aluminum frame that holds a liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder engine that can spit out 47 hp, the most power you're legally allowed to have in an A2 license two-wheeler. It may not seem much, but for a bike weighing just 175 kg wet (386 pounds) and for A2 riders, that's more than enough.
The engine breaths out through a 2-in-1 exhaust system and spins 17-inch wheels. There is a fully electronic management system with ride-by-wire in place, and that allows for the use of three different riding modes, depending on needs and preferences.
Suspension-wise the Aprilia RS 457 is equipped with a 41 mm fork up front with 120 mm of travel, and a monoshock-swingarm combo at the rear with 130 mm of travel. Braking power comes courtesy of Brembo hardware.
From a visual standpoint, we get everything we were expecting from an Aprilia, especially an RS. The aggressive body of the ride includes a double front fairing, panels pulled over the engine and most of the frame, and a suitable color scheme.
There is a full LED headlamp fitted up front, offering the usual Aprilia light signature, but also integrated turn signals. Ahead of the fuel tank and facing the rider is a 5-inch TFT screen.
The bike is already up on Aprilia's website, enjoying the hype created around it, but at the time of writing we don't have any info on availability and pricing.
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