Medium-displacement sports cars are a sector that has been somewhat neglected in recent years but is gradually being nourished by new motorcycles, which is also the case The rise of this category in emerging markets has helped, as has the arrival of oriental products with ever-better characteristics and quality.
Nowadays, it cannot be made only for the European market, and Aprilia has understood this perfectly with its new RS 457. a motorcycle equipped with a class A2 engine with limited power, but was conceived as a motorcycle as effective in the sporting field as its sisters that bear the same initials.
Family brand
You don’t have to look closely to see that the Aprilia RS 457 is a motorcycle that wants to assimilate with the rest of the RS family, as its bodywork follows the same lines. The concept remains unchanged: Be an athlete without concessions with equipment at the same level as that of the large superbikes adapted to its category.
The engine is completely new, an in-line two-cylinder with a transfer case, which is common in this segment It has two camshafts and four valves per cylinder and a displacement of 457 cm3. Some specifications have not yet been published, such as the dimensions of its cylinders or whether the crankshaft is set at 180° or the increasingly common 270°.
Power A2
The declared performance is 35 kW at 10,500 rpm with a torque of 48.8 Nm at 8,500 rpm. This is the maximum permissible power for a motorcycle that can be driven with an A2 driving license. It features a state-of-the-art electronic system that includes an electronic throttle, three riding modes, and three levels of adjustable and overridable ABS support and traction control. The exhaust system is type 2 in 1.
The chassis, for its part, consists of a double aluminum beam like its 660 cc sisters It does not reach the swingarm pivot, which is anchored directly to the engine crankcase. It is cast in two parts and screwed into the area of ​​the steering head. The two-arm swing arm, in turn, has the shape of a boomerang to allow the exhaust silencer to exit better.
The 41mm diameter inverted front fork has 120mm of travel and features spring preload adjustment. The shock absorber on the rear axle, which gives the bike a suspension travel of 130 mm, ensures It is anchored directly to the swing arm in an inclined position and has the same adjustment as the fork.
It has two discs, a huge 320mm disc on the front wheel, which is bitten by a four-piston radial piston and a 220 NM piston at the rear, this time with a single-piston floating caliper. Both are signed by ByBre. The wheels are equipped with tires measuring 110/70-17 inches at the front and 150/60-17 inches at the rear.
Superbike appearance
The style of the new Aprilia RS 457 follows the line of the rest of the RS range and integrates a complete fairing with LED optics similar to its sisters and integrated front indicators. An instrument panel consisting of a 5-inch TFT color screen was also installed, and the pine cones are also backlit.
Since then, one of the key aspects of the new motorcycle has been its lightness Its weight is 159 kg dry and 175 kg when filled with gasoline in its 15-liter tank. It is also very compact, with a single-seater convertible seat 810mm above the ground and an elevated riding position thanks to low handlebars and fairly adjusted footrests.
