The Modena racetrack, this is the hunting ground chosen by Aprilia to let us test the sporting qualities of the “little” RS 457, a motorbike that in person appears truly compact, streamlined, but with a mature design that closely resembles its bigger sisters, especially the 660. A project born from a blank sheet of paper, the frame and engine were developed specifically for this motorbike, with the intention of achieving the best weight/power ratio granted to A2 license holders, giving life to a motorbike capable of give a lot of confidence without sacrificing performance.
Goal achieved? Absolutely yes, starting from the riding position. This is compact, precisely due to its small dimensions, but thanks to a spacious saddle which allows you to move backwards with your pelvis, you feel well inserted into the motorbike, even on the straights when you have to get “in the fairing”. The clip-on handlebars are low, but the curvature is wide and this allows you to have full control over the front wheel. If we had to choose two aspects that most impressed us, in a positive sense, the first would concern the chassis: the RS 457 is quick, well balanced and pleasantly responsive to the rider's commands. He descends into the fold in a lightning-fast manner, and makes changes of direction just as quickly, suggesting a calibrated use of the body, with gentle and non-forced commands. Stable and fast when travelling, the front end proved to be really quick when engaging, also thanks to the choice of the 110 tire on the front, which still offers decent support when travelling. The suspensions are well-promoted, they are smooth but work well and tolerate driving between curbs without major problems. Furthermore, both fork and mono offer the possibility of acting on the preload. The second most commendable aspect of the little RS is the engine. The Noale twin-cylinder offers a lot of torque at low and medium revs, without giving up a substantial acceleration up to 10,500 rpm, with a linear delivery arc and vibrations, which become incisive on the footpegs and handlebars from the second half of the rev counter. Between the bends this translates into an always ready response from the engine, even when the revs are lowered and you would like to downshift a gear, the Aprilia twin responds with a clean and progressive delivery, also thanks to the ride by wire control which electronically manages the opening of the throttle bodies.
On the subject of electronics, the three maps can be “switched” using the handlebar controls, and the sport map allows you to exclude traction control and rear ABS, an operation which for safety reasons we recommend carrying out only on the track.
Brakes: both work well, offer a lot of modulation and especially the front has a very progressive control, perfect for newbies, whose sweetness in the response of the first half of the lever's travel prevents involuntary closing of the front if you were to accidentally pinch it with the bike at an angle . However, if strained the front brake shows some limits, it is therefore better to opt for an aftermarket master cylinder with a more incisive response.
During the test, our RS 457s were shod with Pirelli Supercorsa SP tires suitable for the track but also approved for road use, which replaced the standard covers, as well as the brake pads, which were also approved for road use and available in the Aprilia accessories catalogue. Options also include the excellent bidirectional electronic gear shift and the cover for the rear pillion.