Hello world. I’m the Aprilia Tuono 457, and I’m absolutely excited to be here. You may be familiar with my older sibling, the RS 457, a razor-sharp, entry-level sportbike the writer of this article had tons of praises for.
Well, I’m essentially the same, except for the fact that I ditched the full-fairing and aggressive riding position in favor of an exposed engine and a more upright seating position.
My parents have long been keeping an eye on the entry-level segment, and after the success of the RS 457 in the sportbike segment, well, they decided that now would be the best time to reign terror upon the naked bike segment. So yeah, that’s essentially my job. To show bikes like the KTM 390 Duke, Kawasaki Z500, CFMoto 450NK, and Honda CB500F who’s boss, and absolutely decimate the competition.
So, how am I gonna do that?
Well, it’s simple really. I’ve taken everything that’s great about the RS 457 and repurposed them all in a package that’s more practical on the street, as well as more comfortable for all-around riders. But make no mistake, I’m no softy—I’m as sharp as it gets, perhaps the sharpest in the entire 400cc to 500cc naked bike segment.
You see, my siblings have always been about performance, and I’m no different. And the performance I bring to the table is tailored to be as accessible as possible. You can adjust my ride modes on the fly, all with the flip of one switch. You can switch traction control on and off—on the fly, as well—so you can do wheelies to your heart’s content.
But the best part just has to be the fact that I’m unmistakably an Aprilia. Yes, thankfully, I inherited my lineage’s good looks, and you’ll know that I’m a serious naked sportbike hurtling towards you the moment you catch a glimpse of my menacing DRLs. Oh, and wait ‘til you hear my growl. It’ll be sure to turn heads, be it on your daily commute to work, or on your weekend blast up and down your favorite set of twisty roads.
Now all this performance may seem like a lot, and indeed, I bring a lot of bike to the table. But that doesn’t mean it all has to cost you. Remember, the RS 457 retails for $6,899 USD, and you can bet that once I begin making my way to showroom floors, I’ll be priced even lower than that.
So yeah, come at me and show me what you’ve got.
*Please note that the above article does not necessarily represent Aprilia’s sentiment towards its imminent domination of the entry-level naked bike segment. Rather, the above article is EJ’s ADHD-fueled creative interpretation of the same.
Source: Aprilia
