Aprilia RS457: 5 points that make it an ideal upgrade for my CBR250R

It is substantially bigger than my CBR250R and slightly bigger than Apache RR310 too.

BHPian Ratan Prabhu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My friend wanted to take a test ride. I was free today; so tagged along with him.

Showroom : Sumukha Italia (Bhandup, Mumbai)

As per the showroom person, this is the only showroom in the entire Mumbai to have the Aprilia RS457.

He said they have so far received over 100 bookings. Deliveries will start in mid-April as per the salesperson.

The all-inclusive on-road price in Mumbai is 4.91L

The test ride was only allowed with the showroom salesperson sitting as a pillion. No solo test ride allowed sadly.

The bike looks amazing and has a big bike feel. It is substantially bigger than my CBR250R and slightly bigger than Apache RR310 too but weight is not felt at all while moving the bike or even while riding in traffic.

5 Positives :

• Very well built. Fairings and every panel is fitting and felt solid. Nothing feels flimsy. No rattles at all.
• Amazing power delivery. Did not push beyond 6k RPM due to some traffic. Pulls well even at 4k RPM.+Very smooth engine. No vibrations till 6k RPM. But not as smooth as the Ninja400
• Good suspension. Less travel in the front (evident from very little gap between bottom of number plate and the mudguard) but it didn't feel stiff going over potholes.
• Comfortable. The bike looks like a proper sports bike but is as comfortable as a sports tourer. The riding position is slightly committed but not too aggressive. The bike is big but is nimble to ride even in traffic. Should be no problem for anyone between 5'3 and 6'3. The seating and ergos felt that accommodating. The seat cushion is also perfect. Neither too soft nor too hard.

2 Negatives :

• The front brake felt weak. This was mentioned in the track ride reviews but we expected it to be fine in regular riding conditions. But no, the front brake isn't powerful enough. Considering the test ride bike had only 90 km on the odo, the front brake pads would still be brand new and would need some run-in. So maybe it will be better after a while? Don't know.
• The engine runs hot. It won't burn your thighs but even with jeans on, the heat is felt. This was after ~3 KMs of test ride in moderate traffic. There was another test ride taken before my friend so it is possible that he would have ridden harshly and it was more heated than we expected.

Final thoughts :

Awesome bike.

4.91L on the road is a great value for money. No reason to go for a decade-old Ninja300 with Aprilia costing just 55k more and offering so many features and being much more powerful. This should trigger Kawasaki to manufacture Ninja400 in India instead of 300 and price it close to RS457.

I am too much in love with my bike so I don't feel like upgrading. But if I happen to upgrade in the next 2 years, this bike would be on top of my list.

My humble 12 year old CBR250R with RS457 test ride bike :

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