P134
RIDE REVIEW I 2024 APRILIA RS 457
In relation to the sharpness
and preciseness of the rest of
the chassis, however, the front
brake felt amiss.
EVERYTHING
ELSE
As far as ergonomics go, Aprilia
set out to find a middle ground
between what they felt was the
too-relaxed neutral position of the
Ninja series and the hyper-aggres
-
sive rider triangle of the KTM RC
390.
Their experimenting resulted
in a sporty riding position I found
comfortable for my small frame
of five foot, four inches.
effortless. On the side of the
tires in the longer sweepers, the
RS also maintained its compo
-
sure, and mid-corner corrections
(of
which there were a few)
were drama-free.
The only component that
disrupts the spell of the RS 457
chassis is the front brake. It has
a curiously long pull before it be
-
gins to engage, which did cause
some
panic grabs in the first
few laps. Once my right hand
recalibrated itself to the slack of
the lever, the brake was predict-
ably smooth and modulated
well with incremental pressure.
The entry-level
RS is outfit
-
ted with a 41mm fork (preload
adjustable) and
a monoshock
at the rear (also with adjust
-
able preload). For stopping
power,
an ABS-equipped ByBre
four-piston caliper and 320mm
floating disc up front with metal
braided brake hose and a single
piston caliper with a 220mm at
the rear. There aren't any flashy
brand-name components here
but for the price point and appli
-
cation, they meet expectations.
The frame
is a twin-spar
aluminum layout as per most
sportbikes out there. In the
pursuit of shaving pounds, the
engine is used as a stressed
member of the chassis and the
steel swingarm pivot is mounted
directly to the engine.
It's an elegant ensemble to
look at and it produces a sporty
sensation in motion.
The fast-switching esses at
Modena require serious agility,
and the baby RS has been honed
to this craft. With the lightest
inputs, it would switch direction,
and because it's so narrow and
light, the quick transitions felt
(Left) Now, that's a pretty face for a bike aimed at teenagers. (Right) The seat is fine
for track days, but it'll probably get a bit uncomfortable during longer rides.
