It’s Thursday, the dog days of summer are making way for our Autumnal Equinox, and Aprilia’s just plonked into our laps the answer to Kawasaki’s ZX-4RR.
Meet the all-new Aprilia RS 457, the final puzzle piece to Aprilia’s RS family. This junior supersport features the brand’s hallmark stiff frame, a rigid aluminum chassis design that complements the liquid-cooled parallel twin-cylinder – in other words, the same load-bearing engine concept as the RS 660, Europe’s best-selling sport bike.
The addition of a double overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder translates to a package deal of 47hp, the best power-to-weight ratio for A2 compatibility.
Not sure about the power displacement?
For reference, the RS 457 weighs in at a scant 350lbs – 385lbs wet; by contrast, Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-4RR weighs 414.5lbs wet.
Aprilia will be just fine.
For suspension, Aprilia’s blessed the RS 457 with 41mm front forks capable of 120mm of travel; the rear monoshock has been hiked up to 130mm of wheel travel, and both feature preload adjustability.
Brakes are nearly as impressive; we’ve got a 320mm disc complete with a ByBre radial-mount 4-piston caliper at the front, while the back holds a 220mm steel disc (also working with a ByBre caliper). Both align with dual-channel ABS AND dual-map settings for the front and rear tyres, which measure out to 110/70 front and 150/60 rear units, respectively.
Y’all know that Aprilia doesn’t play games when it comes to electronics, and the RS 457’s package is no different. For this debut, Noale has given us a Ride by Wire system that controls the engine mapping. Three distinct riding modes “modulate power, torque delivery, and traction control” – aspects of the system that are adjustable across three levels, by the way.
If you really want to crush the competition, be sure to let Aprilia fit you with their up/down quickshifter, “available as an accessory for enhanced performance.”
Here’s a run-down of further perks for the Aprilia RS 457:
- Three fully adjustable Ride Modes
- Clip-on handlebars mounted above an upper triple clamp
- Race-happy aesthetics derived from the RS family
- Underbelly silencer with a 2-in-1 exhaust
- Full LED front headlamp
- 5-inch TFT dash, complete with black-lit handlebar control
- Steel swingarm
- 17” rubber rolling duty complete with 110/70 front and 150/60 rear
According to Aprilia’s recent press release, the RS 457 cinches the previous power gap between the brand’s 125 engines and their iconic supersport, the RS 660 – and nobody is more proud of what the RS 457 represents than parent company Piaggio’s CEO, Michele Colaninno:
“We are now ready to take another step towards the future with an astonishing bike developed entirely in Noale, capable of stimulating and thrilling young people and opening up huge potential in new markets, near and far.”
“[The RS 457 represents] a step closer to the globalization of a brand that has always had the perfect combination of technology, fun, and looking to the future in its DNA.”
– Michele Colaninno, CEO, Piaggio Group
What do you think of the all-new RS 457?