With local manufacturing of RS 457 at its Baramati plant, Aprilia will be able to avoid high costs associated with CBU / CKD route
Multi-cylinder motorcycles in 300cc to 500cc segment are gaining traction and OEMs are lining their products to cater this new-found demand. Aprilia is among those OEMs, launching RS 457 at the 10th Anniversary of India Bike Week, scheduled to happen between 8th and 9th of December, 2023 at Vagator, Goa.
Aprilia RS457 Price To Be Announced At India Bike Week
Just like various other OEMs, Aprilia is looking at India as a retail market as well as a manufacturing hub for exports. Domestic buyers will benefit, as they will be able to access Aprilia products at relatively lower rates. A relevant example is upcoming RS 457, which will be launched at India Bike Week between 8th and 9th December, 2023.
Prices of Aprilia RS 457 were recently announced for international markets such as USA and Canada. Aprilia’s Diego Arioli – head of product marketing, motorcycles, Piaggio Group, has provided an approximate price range for RS 457 in India. He said that they are looking at a price of around Rs 3.75 lakh to Rs 4 lakh.
In comparison, price in the USA is USD 6,799 (approx. Rs 5.65 lakh) for Opalescent Light and Prismatic Dark colours and USD 6,899 (approx. Rs 5.75 lakh) for Racing Stripes colourway. Canada looks relatively affordable, with prices at CAD 7,799 (approx. Rs. 4.7 lakh) and CAD 7,999 (approx. Rs. 4.84 lakh), respectively.
The bike certainly commands ambitious pricing, as it packs an aluminium chassis, a parallel-twin motor and a comprehensive range of electronic gizmos.
Additional cost overheads for RS 457
As RS 457 is an advanced racing machine, Aprilia has to invest resources in expanding dealer network and training their staff. This will be an additional cost for the company. In the future, more premium Motoplex showrooms will be opened across large cities. This will be helpful for Aprilia’s other big bikes as well.
Made in India RS 457 will be sold across Europe and other markets. It will be largely the same across most international markets. As of now, India is the only production base for RS 457. The company can consider CKD opportunities at a later date for exports. Aprilia has manufacturing presence in Indonesia, Vietnam and three plants in Italy.
Aprilia RS 457 has a 457cc, parallel-twin motor that generates 47 bhp of max power. It is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. Torque output and other key details such as top speed and time taken to reach 0 to 60 kmph are yet to be revealed.
Weighing just 170 kg, Aprilia RS 457 has the best power to weight ratio in its class. It will compete with the likes of Kawasaki Ninja 400, KTM RC 390 and upcoming Yamaha R3. With a price range between Rs 3.75 lakh to Rs 4 lakh, Aprilia RS 457 will be cheaper than Ninja 400. Yamaha R3 is expected to be priced at around Rs 4 lakh. R3 will initially be a CBU import from Indonesia. KTM RC 390 will be the most affordable in the group, priced at Rs 3.18 lakh.
