Medium displacement sports cars are a sector that has been somewhat neglected in recent years, but that is slowly being fed by new motorcycles, something that also seems to be the case. Pushing this category into emerging markets has helped and the arrival of oriental products with better features and quality.
Nowadays it is not possible only for the European market, and Aprilia understands this perfectly with the new RS 457, a motorcycle with an engine falling into category A2 with limited power, but it is designed to be a motorcycle as effective in the field of sport as its brothers with the same initials.
Family brand
You don’t have to look too hard to see that the Aprilia RS 457 is a motorcycle that seeks to assimilate with the rest of the RS family, since its body follows the same line. Its concept remains unchanged, be a sportswoman without concessions with equipment at the same level as the big superbikes fitted in its category.
The engine is completely new, a twin-cylinder in-line as usual in this segment, with a distribution with two camshafts and four valves per cylinder, and has a displacement of 457 cc. Some details have not yet been made public, such as the dimensions of its cylinders or if the crankshaft is set at 180° or the more common 270°.
Power A2
The stated power is 35 kW at 10,500 rpm with a par of 48.8 Nm @ 8,500 rpm,. This is the maximum performance allowed for a motorcycle that can be driven with an A2 license. It has a state-of-the-art electronic system that includes an electronic throttle, three driving modes and ABS assistance and traction control that can be adjusted to three levels and overridden. The exhaust system is a 2 in 1 type.
The chassis, for its part, is made up of a double aluminum beam like its 660 cc siblings It does not reach the swingarm pivot, which is directly anchored to the engine’s crankcase. It consists of two pieces that are cast and screwed in place on the steering head. For its part, the double-arm swingarm is shaped like a boomerang to allow better exit of the exhaust silencer.
Sports equipment
The 41 mm diameter inverted front fork has a travel of 120 mm and has spring preload adjustment. On the rear axle, the shock absorber that gives the wheel a travel of 130 mm, It is directly anchored to the swingarm in an inclined position and has the same adjustment as the fork.
It has two discs, a large 320 mm front wheel, which is bitten by four-piston radially mounted pistons and 220 nm pistons at the rear, this time with a single-piston floating caliper. Both are signed by ByBre. The wheels mount on tires measuring 110/70-17” at the front and 150/60-17” at the rear.
Superbike look
The style of the new Aprilia RS 457 following the line of the rest of the RS range, and integrates a complete fairing with LED optics similar to its brothers and integrated front indicators. An instrument panel consisting of a 5″ TFT color screen was also installed and the pinecones were also backlit.
One of the key aspects of the new motorcycle is its lightness, because Its weight is 159 kg dry, which increases to 175 kg full of fuel in his 15 liter tank. It is also very compact, with a seat that can be converted into a single-seater located 810 mm from the ground and a raised driving position thanks to the low handlebars and equal footpegs.
