Rode my friend's Aprilia RS 457: How does it compare with my 390 Duke?

The engine. Sweet. I am out of words for the engine. 5 lacs can be spent for the engine alone.

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I finally got a chance to ride the Aprilia RS457. I wanted to ride this bike for a long time but I somehow couldn't get hold of a showroom that offers test rides. A friend of mine picked up one and I got a chance to ride it when we went for a ride.

Here are my thoughts in no specific order. I ride a 2021 390 Duke, so most of my comparison would be with that bike since I ride and live with it every day.

The engine. Sweet. I am out of words for the engine. 5 lacs can be spent for the engine alone. I haven't observed the powerband and all of that but the only thing it knows is to pull strongly from whichever gear it is in. I absolutely fell in love with the engine.

Sweet-sounding exhaust.

The bike looks like a whale from the front but amongst those of the nicer-looking whales.

I was surprised with the handling. First I rode the bike for a short distance, maybe 5kms. When I switched from my Duke to this, the bike felt like a sloth. I mean, it responds to inputs but in a slow manner. It isn't like the Duke. The Duke is sharp, even this is sharp. The Duke is fast, but this isn't fast. The RS doesn't feel like a scalpel and it shouldn't be. I was surprised how this outhandled the RC390 in some Autocar track tests and managed a better time than the RC390. And then I rode the bike for the second time, for a good 50-60kms. This was when I understood that the RS is sharp as well, but it isn't as rapid and fast as the Duke when it comes to responding to the inputs given by the rider. I will end this here, trying to explain it in the best way possible. If the Duke is a scalpel, then the RS is a knife but a very sharp one.

The riding modes are well differentiated and create a noticeable difference between how the throttle responds. There are 3 modes IIRC, eco, sport, and rain.

The tyres(TVS Eurogrip) were surprisingly good. I would rate them very highly. Very confidence inspiring.

The brakes were very punchy. I didn't understand what the fuss was all about brake fading etc on this bike. This could also be due to the fact that my Duke had completely worn out front brake pads and almost worn out rear brake pads, so the switch made them feel even better. Nevertheless, the brakes on the RS were strong.

The front indicators can get confusing when viewed by someone from a rearview mirror. They are not legible enough.

I could spot some cheap bits. For instance, the partially exposed nuts and bolts holding the mirror assembly which will be visible inside the cockpit or above the speedometer.

Excessive chain noise. This will not be evident to the rider but can be heard by someone riding behind the RS.

Heating. Guess I don't need to elaborate further. It is an Italian motorcycle. Good luck riding this bike in jam-packed traffic(if at all a situation arises).

I somehow found the mirrors to be useless. No matter how much I adjusted them all I could see were my shoulders.

Slick shifting gearbox. Very precise. Nice clutch action too. No adjustable levers are a big miss IMO.

The riding position definitely mimics that of a sports tourer, but a little more on the aggressive side.

The seat was softer than my Duke's seat. Surprising.

I also found the suspension to be softer than my Duke. The owner told me he adjusted the front suspension with one click and the rear was untouched. This too was surprising.

Overall, I am impressed by the RS457. This is a very likable motorcycle.

But, I am kinda waiting for the new RC390 now. Riding that and the RS457 will allow me to find words to explain how the missing sharpness I was talking about above. Yeah and also, it's sad to see how Indian journos are simping left right and center for this motorcycle, but international journos are cursing this instead.

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