Aprilia RS457 (2024) - Review

Technical Review: Ben Purvis
Riding Review: Adam ‘Chad’ Child

Price: £6500 | Power: 47bhp | Weight: 175kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: 5/5

Coming less than a week after the company’s first ever 1-2 finish in the top MotoGP class, the launch of Aprilia’s all-new RS457 A2-legal sports bike couldn’t be better timed – with the unveiling taking place at the Misano circuit in the run-up to the Italian brand’s home Grand Prix.

Despite a family look that could fool you into thinking it’s nothing more than a sleeved-down version of the RS660, the RS457 is actually a completely different bike, with its own engine, chassis and bodywork, designed to compete in a burgeoning class for 47hp sports bikes that can be ridden by restricted A2 licence holders. And it absolutely maximizes its potential under those rules, hitting both the 35kW (47hp) power limit and the 0.2kW-per-kilogramme maximum power-to-weight that’s allowed under those regulations.

We were invited by Aprilia to be the first to ride the all-new RS457 on the road. Would the new RS go as well as it looks?

Review – In Detail

2024 APRILIA RS457 Price

Prices have been confirmed at £6500 in the UK, positioning it between the RS125, now discounted from £5100 to £4800, and the RS660 at £9550. Compared to the competition, the Aprilia is on the money and very price competitive considering its high level of tech. The closest competitor is Kawasaki’s new twin cylinder Ninja 500, which is priced between £5999 and £6499 but relatively unsophisticated compared to the Aprilia. Honda’s CBR500R is a fraction more expensive at £6699, while KTM’s RC390, which is a single, not a twin, is just under £6000 at £5899.

Three colour options are coming: Aprilia’s usual race-replica scheme is one of them, with black wheels and red graphics, or you can opt for a black and grey version or a white/black model, each with red highlight and red wheels.

2024 Aprilia RS457 Engine & Performance

While it might have been an easy option to simply sleeve-down the RS660’s parallel twin to reduce its capacity and power, that’s not the route Aprilia has taken – it probably would have resulted in a bike with too high a price tag, since the 660’s engine is essentially one cylinder bank of the firm’s V4 superbike motor. Instead the company has developed a new parallel twin for the RS457. It hasn’t announce in-depth technical information yet, but the motor is liquid-cooled and peaks at exactly 35kW/47hp to meet the limit imposed by the A2 licence class. Some rivals in the class, like Kawasaki’s Ninja 400, opt for less power (45hp) to be able to take advantage of a reduced weight – in the Kawasaki’s case, 168kg ready-to-ride, which again puts it exactly on the limit of the A2 power-to-weight ratio.

As has become the norm, the Aprilia’s throttle is a ride-by-wire setup, allowing three riding modes as well as traction control with three levels of intervention as well as an ‘off’ setting if you’re feeling brave. A quickshifter for the six-speed box can be added as an official accessory.

We had the opportunity to ride the new RS457 on track in Italy but instead opted to test this new A2-friendly Aprilia on the road around Riccione on the east coast of Italy. As tempting as it was to thrash the racy-looking twin around a racetrack, I was pleased we opted for a real-world road test, as its low-to-mid-range performance is truly impressive for a bike in this class.

After seeing the promotional images and footage on track, I was anticipating a peaky, high-revving engine, but it’s not like that at all. In fact, as I left the picturesque coastal resort on the east side of Italy not far from the Misano racetrack, a generous spread of usable torque was immediately apparent. At slow speeds, notably below 60kph/37mph, the fuelling is as smooth and soft as you would expect for a premium A2 bike, with the pick-up and drive from low rpm were far perkier than I was expecting.

Once away from the congestion and crazy Italian traffic, the RS continued to impress. That surging drive through the mid-range made me feel like I was riding something closer to a middleweight, while the hard-pulsing soundtrack from the 270-degree crank twin is as racy as it is sweet. Overtakes are anything but painful, with enough power in reserve to rescue any slight miscalculation.

Aprilia have promoted the RS's racing DNA but have in reality built an engine that works effectively on the road. You don’t have to spend your life near the rev limiter with your chin on the fuel cap. It has enough power to sit comfortably at motorway speeds and there is enough accessible grunt to have a fun and spirited ride in the countryside, with that adrenalin-stirring exhaust note urging you on. (I would love to hear an RS457 with a race exhaust fitted.)

Aprilia equipped our test RS bike with the optional bidirectional quickshifter, which works perfectly in both directions at low and high speeds. It's seamlessly slick around town; superlight and super-quick in the hills – and certainly worth discussing with your dealer when the numbers are being crunched.

Top speed is estimated to be around 120mph. For an A2-compliant machine that is quick and potentially class leading, and also suggests the RS's bodywork is as slippery through the air as it is beautiful. We didn’t get the opportunity to try any prolonged high-speed riding, but the well-balanced twin feels smooth in most riding scenarios, although we'll have to wait and see what the vibes are like at sustained higher speeds.

2024 Aprilia RS457 Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)

The other element of the A2 category’s performance restriction is its strict power-to-weight limit of 0.2kW/kg, which means a 35kW bike can’t weigh less than 175kg. To ensure the most possible performance, the RS457 tips the scales at 159kg dry, which means it just nudges that 175kg mark when all liquids are added – absolutely maximising both the allowed power and the allowed power-to-weight.

The chassis is very similar to the design used on the RS660. It’s an aluminium half-frame, arching over the engine but stopping short of the swingarm pivot point. The engine itself acts as the final part of the structure to bridge that gap, with the swingarm pivot cast into the engine cases themselves.

At the front you’ll find 41mm upside-down forks, adjustable for preload only and offering 120mm of travel. At the back there’s a monoshock, again preload-adjustable, with 130mm of wheel movement.

The brakes come from Brembo’s lower-cost ByBre brand, with dual 320mm discs at the front gripped by four-pot radial calipers, aided by a small 220mm disc at the back. There’s two-channel ABS as standard but the rear wheel’s anti-lock can be turned off for sliding heroics.

The wheels are lightweight alloys, 17-inches in diameter, of course, with a 150/60 tyre at the rear and 110/70 at the front.

The badge reads ‘Aprilia’ so it’s guaranteed the RS will find its way to an apex without too much of a problem. The MotoGP winning manufacturer does not make poor-handling sports bikes. But what was unusual on test was the Aprilia-branded 'Eurogrip' tyres fitted instead of the usual Pirellis. I can’t remember last time I rode a sporty Aprilia without Italian rubber, but the tyres on the RS457 are made by TVS in India and highlight which market, or even price point, the bike is primarily aimed at.

When you jump on a bike shod with familiar tyre brands you have an idea of what to expect. But on unfamiliar Indian-made rubber I was a little tentative for the first few miles, with the traction control and ABS active just in case. However, in perfect riding conditions I soon clicked with the unusual rubber and started to trust its grip and feel. This was a road test, not a track performance test, and in this context the tyres are not bad. They don’t have the one-to-one, rider-to-bike feel of, say, a sporty Pirelli, and I doubt they have the performance when pushed hard, but I didn’t have a slide or tuck all day, while grip levels were high enough to invite knee-down levels of lean in longer corners.  

On the downside, the TVS Eurogrips didn’t give me the confidence to attack and throw the light and agile RS on its side. They felt a little hard and lacked the feel I needed to flick it through lefts-rights like the featherweight acrobat it is. But I guess it all depends on where and how you ride. Inexperienced owners who aren't so likely to push the RS's handling limits will find them faultless, while experienced riders might feel inclined to change them pronto, especially for trackdays, which, to be fair, is true for other bikes in this category.

The suspension setup, meanwhile, is hard to fault. There is adjustment for spring pre-load only, but the RS took a wide spectrum of Italian road imperfections in its stride while also offering enough support and control for a spirited ride. The ride quality is compliant and plush without being overly soft, and for a relatively light bike the RS feels stable, secure and sure footed, again adopting the dynamic feel of a bigger machine.

Braking power is provided by single discs and ByBre calipers front and rear. With just 175kg plus rider to stop, they are more than up to the job on the road but do lack the bite you might expect from an Aprilia from the RS stable. On track, or when pushed hard on the road, some riders may require a little more, something I’m sure different pads would provide. The two-channel ABS isn’t lean sensitive but works well without being intrusive; you can sometimes feel the rear ABS working, which is just an indication of the rear brake's limitations and will be welcomed by new riders. You can remove the ABS from the rear and have front only, but it can’t be removed entirely.

2024 Aprilia RS457 Comfort & Economy

Despite the aggressive looks, the clip-on bars are mounted above the top yoke to make sure the riding position isn’t too extreme – after all, most buyers will, by definition of their A2 licences, be relatively inexperienced and the RS457 will almost certainly be their only bike, used for day-to-day chores rather than on trackdays.

Aprilia has yet to announce economy figures, but as a 47hp, lightweight twin, you can be sure it’s not going to be a gas-guzzler.

Again, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the new RS is roomy for a bike in this class and feels more like a 600 than a lightweight. At 5ft 7ins I am on the short side but anyone under 6ft tall will slot in just fine. I felt balanced and sportily poised on board without too much weight on my wrists. I expected a seat with all the comfort of a wooden bench but found instead an agreeably soft perch on which I was happy throughout our ride. Ok, you’re probably not going to be doing too much long-distance touring on the RS457, especially as the screen is on the low side, but it is genuinely accommodating for such a racy looking bike. Our RS averaged close to 70mpg despite being ridden hard at times. With a 13-litre petrol tank that equates to close to 200 miles between fuel stops.

2024 Aprilia RS457 Equipment

Standard kit on the RS457 includes a 5-inch colour TFT dash, controlled via backlit bar pods and giving access to the traction control, riding modes and ABS settings. There’s also LED lighting, with the indicators integrated into the headlights rather than sprouting on stalks from the fairing sides, but more in-depth details of the bike’s standard kit have yet to be announced.

From a distance this A2-comliant Aprilia could easily be mistaken for its larger sibling, the RS660. It’s an attractive and desirable bike, one that also has the kudos of carrying the name of a MotoGP-winning manufacturer on the side of its fuel tank.

Up close the ByBre callipers and the unfamiliar rubber are giveaways of the bike's entry-level class and £6500 price tag, but onboard the sense of the RS punching above its weight continues. A 5-inch TFT dash is clear, easy to navigate and use. The switchgear is simple and straight forward. You can turn the TC up and down, as well as disengage it altogether, and do so on the move. Riding modes are also easy to change via the starter button on the right cluster. There isn’t a vast amount of difference between them as you only have 47bhp to play with.

There is a sizeable catalogue of accessories to help turn your RS into a wicked track tool or super-efficient commuter. From a front brake lever guard (something most trackday organisers now insist on) to a USB charger, comfort seat and high screen, it's all there, along with the slick bidirectional quickshifter that we had fitted to our test bike.  

2024 Aprilia RS457 Rivals

The A2 class is understandably competitive, with a strict limit on power and power-to-weight, but the clearest rivals to the RS457 being the Kawasaki Ninja 400, Yamaha’s R3 and Honda’s CBR500R. However, the relatively new CFMoto 450SR is also a potential rival, with a particularly attractive price.

Kawasaki Ninja 500 | Price: £5999

Power/Torque: 45bhp/27lb-ft | Weight: 168kg

Yamaha R3 | Price: £6405

Power/Torque: 42bhp/22lb-ft | Weight: 169kg

CFMoto 450SR | Price: £5599

Power/Torque: 46bhp/29lb-ft | Weight: 179kg

2024 Aprilia RS457 Verdict

Aprilia hasn't just produced an excellent A2-compliant bike, the Noale-based manufacturer has produced an excellent bike, full stop. It might look like a tightly focused mini racer but on the road we discovered that it’s versatile and accommodating and delivers an excellent sporty ride. Its all-new engine is smooth and torquey for this class and possesses enough kick at the top end to make the ride exciting. The riding position is reasonably roomy and the bike's aggressive styling looks great. As you’d expect from Aprilia, the handling is sporty (and stable) and you only need to change the tyres and, possibly, the brake pads for some serious track action.

Aprilia has hit the mark with the RS457. Younger riders are going to be drawn to the glamour of the MotoGP winning brand, especially as the visual connection with the RS-GP bikes raced by Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales is so strong. Tuck in behind the minimal screen and you too are part of the Aprilia story.

But it’s not just a race replica for A2 licence holders; it’s a usable, everyday bike too, which will be as happy commuting to work as tearing round a twisty race track (once you’ve changed the rubber...). Furthermore, it’s on the money price wise, which, given that it is perhaps the best sporty A2 machine on the market, is quite an achievement.

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2024 Aprilia RS457 Technical Specification

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