In summary, did I relish every minute that I spent on the Aprilia RS 457? The answer is a resounding yes!
BHPian neil.jericho recently shared this with other enthusiasts:
A really long overdue ride with some old friends who have dived into the enticing world of Aprilia RS 457 ownership, was the perfect opportunity for me to spend quite a bit of time with this twin cylindered masterpiece.
A few thoughts on the exciting Aprilia RS 457
– You can watch all the Youtube videos that you want and / or read all the owner reviews that you stumble upon, but nothing can really prepare you for the silky smooth brilliance of that engine! There is so much torque, just about everywhere that you care to look, that you will stop bothering about which gear you are in. Simply twist and go!
– The more I rode the RS 457 on wide, empty highways, the more I loved that engine. This twin cylindered engine is meant for endless hours of highway usage without breaking into the thought of breaking into a sweat. I will go so far as to say that it is probably the best engine, in any configuration, that you can get on a motorcycle below Rs 10L.
– Frequent highway tourers who own the RS 457, must get the taller visor from Aprilia (Rs 2,200 or so) as it really helps with controlling wind blast. One of the bikes in this trio had it installed and the difference was instantly noticeable!
– The gear shifter is a few millimeters higher than where you would naturally expect to find it. It doesnt take too long to get accustomed to it but yes, you will notice the odd placement, at first.
– Its hard to make a definitive statement on the brakes, as the bite on the front brake of one of the bikes was far stronger than the others. Im not sure why that was the case but overall, I had no complaints on the braking.
– The suspension on the bikes which I rode were setup slightly differently to each other. Thanks to the adjustable suspension, Im sure that I would be able to find the perfect setup without too much difficulty.
– Once you cross 100 kmph, the RS 457 deceptively piles on speed like an artful magician pulling a bemused rabbit out of a hat. The way the motorcycle disguises speeds is quite something else. You might think that you are doing a safe 110 kmph, when in reality you are well above that! The RS 457 is just the opposite of the latest generation of the KTM Duke 390, which makes you think that you are hell raising down the highway at 150 kmph when in reality you are cruising at a safe 110 kmph.
– The Aprilia RS 457 gives you so much of the hardcore sports bike experience that you might prefer the all roundedness of a less aggressive faired motorcycle from the competition. The sportier than it looks handlebar position stretched out the upper part of my back in so many ways that I discovered muscles which I didnt know that I possessed. That said, everything else was perfect. The lower half of my body was extremely comfortable, while the seat was generously padded and so spacious that I found 4 different seating positions by moving front and back from my natural posture. Yet again, the latest generation of the KTM Duke 390 is exactly the opposite of this, as the upper half of your body is incredibly relaxed, with the wide handlebars and lack of pressure on your wrists. That said, if you are a taller than average rider like I am, there is exactly 1 seating position on the rock solid seat and your legs are going to feel cramped within 35 minutes of setting off.
– If I had to compare the extended riding experiences of the two motorcycles, the Aprilia RS 457 is the Pierce Brosnan version of James Bond as compared to the newer, more smash mouth Daniel Craig version that is the third generation KTM Duke 390.
– We didnt really corner aggressively on our ride but the bike was so naturally flickable, that it makes you feel like you are ready to sign up for track days. However, when it comes to taking really slow speed u-turns (think cramped office parking lot / roadside parking for grocery shopping etc), you will realize that this sports bike life isnt really conducive for daily use. Your wrists are going to foul with that fabulously shaped tank, so much so that you will have to either go the long way round to avoid taking a sharp u-turn or you will have to stick your inner elbow outwards (its as unnatural as what you imagine it to be), if you have to squeeze your wrist in, to take the turn or you will resort to waddling back and forth while perched on the bike, until you find enough space to take a turn.
– The Aprilia RS 457 service experience isnt anywhere as bad as what conservative motorcyclists like me, feared it would be.
In summary, did I relish every minute that I spent on the Aprilia RS 457? The answer is a resounding yes! For someone like me, who really cut his motorcycling teeth on the first generation Yamaha R15, this is it. The Aprilia RS 457 is the perfect, relatively affordable, faired motorcycle upgrade that a sports bike enthusiast dreams of.
That said, with the 3rd generation KTM Duke 390 and Suzuki GSXRRRRR 250 in my garage, would I be tempted to sell the Suzuki and get a low run Aprilia RS 457 in the pre-owned market? Maybe, but if I really think about it, I would probably be better off selling both motorcycles and getting myself a brand spanking new Puma Grey Tuono 457 instead!
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