Aprilia aim at the youth market with striking RS 457 twin cylinder sportsbike

Noale firm Aprilia are muscling into the A2 compliant sportsbike space with their new RS457, revealed at the Italian Misano MotoGP round and aimed squarely at the young end of the market.

• We’ve ridden it! Read our full Aprilia RS457 review

The DOHC parallel twin sportsbike produces the class maximum 47bhp and was spotted out in testing back in July alongside a returning Moto Guzzi Stelvio adventure bike.

Now here as a fully-fledged production bike, the 457 sports looks reminiscent of the larger RS 660 that arrived in 2020, with the motor housed in an aluminium alloy frame as a stressed member.

Although prices remain unclear at this time, the bike will go up against the £6599 Honda CBR500R, £6099 Kawasaki Ninja 400, and £6405 Yamaha R3 when it goes on sale.

“In recent years, the Aprilia brand has seen an intense burst of renewal, also supported by continued progress in the racing world,” Piaggio Group CEO, Michele Colaninno said. “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.

“It is a step closer to the globalisation of a brand that has always had the perfect combination of technology, fun, and looking to the future in its DNA,” he continued.

Going back to the engine, the liquid-cooled unit features a two into one exhaust with an underslung exit. At 175kg wet, Aprilia claim the 457 produces the best power to weight ratio in its class – with the motor further controlled via switchable traction control and three riding modes, thanks in part to a ride by wire throttle.

This is altered via back lit switches, with a five inch TFT display up front for an added touch of class. From there, you get LED lighting in the nose, with the shortened rear section housing a light that appears to have been borrowed from the 660.  

Elsewhere, both the front end and side profile have clearly been influenced by the larger road bike, as well as the firm’s successful MotoGP racers.

It’s hardly a fully focussed sports machine though, with the ergonomics designed for daily riding meaning relatively low pegs and gently set clip-ons.

There’s also only a single 320mm front brake disc and four-piston ByBre radial caliper up front – again helping to distinguish the bike from the 660’s twin rotor set-up.

Aprilia RS 457 in detail:

• Road-friendly The RS 457 may have clip on bars, but they’ve been mounted above the top yoke for plenty of on-road comfort
• Name change Following the initial spyshots reported by MCN, it was originally thought the bike would be called the RS440
• Shift change For faster progress through the gearbox, a quickshifter can be installed as an optional extra
• Filling the gap The new bike fills the space between the A1 licence Aprilia RS 125 and larger capacity RS 660
• Stopping power For additional control, the bike uses two channel ABS as standard