Aprilia Brings Uniqueness and Exotica to the Sub-500cc Category

Aprilia RS 457: The Italian bike maker's first parallel twin-powered motorcycle in the sub-500cc category

The entry of Aprilia RS 457 and now the Tuono 457 in the sub-500cc segment, especially in the Indian market, can be best described as a feeling when you’re simultaneously surprised and not surprised by their arrival.

Let me explain the not-surprised part first; that’s because it is not uncommon for any renowned motorcycle company today to enter the 250-500cc segment. This is an extremely competitive, lucrative, and a very high-value category to be in. Regardless of wherever you live on this planet, motorcycles in this segment can more or less satisfy your riding needs entirely. You might want to explore the wilderness, have fun commuting, hone your skills on a race track, or go mile-munching on highways; there are motorcycles that can do these things for you while keeping your expenses well under control.

And then, bikes in this segment are desirable enough for you to really want one. They are selling like hot cakes and allowing companies to use those earnings into developing new motorcycles and improve what they already have. So, not surprised at all to see Aprilia making its entry here.

Now, the surprising part…

I wasn’t entirely confident that Aprilia would build a parallel twin engine for this category (before I knew anything about these motorcycles prior to their reveal). I just thought they would launch something like the RS 125 and the Tuono 125; their single-cylinder sport bikes.

However, building a parallel twin shouldn’t really be surprising simply because it’s not a big deal for Aprilia to build one, especially after the RS 660. But Aprilia didn’t stop there. They not only made a parallel twin motor, they made the only parallel twin motor in the sub-500cc category with a 270-degree crank, instantly making it special and unique.

Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki already have an array of motorcycles below 500cc that sport a parallel twin motor, but none like Aprilia’s newest 457cc and that’s only because of its 270-degree crank. Although the 270-degree crank doesn’t give any performance advantage over other parallel twins as such, it could make the engine sound more characterful. It could also make the engine more tractable and flexible, but not necessarily. Basically, parallel twin engines with the 270-degree crank tend to sound and feel nicer as the exhaust note mimics a v-twin engine. That makes the two new Aprilias unique and a more exciting proposition in the sub-500cc category.

Also, for the first time in Aprilia’s history, two of its motorcycles are being made in India. The RS 457 and the Tuono 457 are made in India and will be exported to other markets, including Europe. And that gives these bikes a price benefit here. The RS 457 costs INR 4,20,000 ex-showroom and the Tuono 457 costs INR 3,95,000 ex-showroom, which is pretty good considering how exclusive Aprilia’s are generally.

How significant are these two launches? Well that can be seen in the fact that Yamaha has recently reduced the prices of its R3 and MT-03 by a lakh; the R3 and the MT-03 now cost INR 3,59,900 and INR 3,49,900 respectively. It is possible that Aprilia’s competitive pricing has made Yamaha reconsider.

However, engine aside, the RS 457 and the Tuono 457 are proper sport bikes in typical Aprilia fashion. They have a competitive chassis and suspension package such as the aluminium twin spar frame, a nice steel swing-arm, upside-down front forks, and a rear monoshock, all are fine tuned to deliver a fun and engaging ride in day-to-day conditions.

The styling is quintessential Aprilia. The RS 457 has a substantial front fairing sporting the recognizable twin headlight setup. But the Italian company, for the first time probably, has broken the norm while designing the Tuono 457. It has a smaller handlebar-mounted headlight assembly instead of the usual large semi-fairing that resembles the full fairing of the RS model. Still looks good though.

What Aprilia needs to worry about now is their sales and service network across the country. Even with their mass market scooters for quite some time now, their presence is hardly there. But the RS 457 and the Tuono 457 present a unique opportunity for Aprilia to finally make an impact where they truly belong; in the performance space.

Aprilia will have to be aggressive in their marketing as well as proactive in establishing a solid sales and service network, especially for their latest launches. And it does seem they’re on the right path.