Aprilia RS 457 long-term review, 1,600km report

I’ve always liked faired motorcycles and, having owned a Suzuki Gixxer SF 250, the Aprilia seemed like the next good upgrade ever since it entered the Indian market. Initially, a lot of the bikes did face reliability issues, so I waited for around 2 years, after which I was comfortable with making the purchase, knowing the issues were resolved. 

There are just 3 dealers in Mumbai that retail this bike, and all of them are a good one hour from where I live. The buying process was fairly straightforward. I did select a few accessories like the USB charger, extended windshield and the seat cowl, considering the GP Replica Edition already came standard with the quickshifter, sintered race pads and adjustable brake lever. Delivery of the bike took approximately a month.

The bike is a hoot to ride, irrespective of it being a short or long one. That engine, when paired with the quickshifter, really makes the entire experience very engaging. The suspension setup is on the stiffer side, so riding on Mumbai’s uneven and bouncy roads takes away some of the fun of riding this bike. The 457 comes factory-fitted with Eurogrip Protorq Extreme tyres, which do the job well. I also got tank pads and thigh grips, along with fork seal covers fitted soon after purchase.

The first service was scheduled at 1,000km, which was completed after some late-night city rides and a few weekend rides to Lonavala. With there being only two service centres – one in Chembur and the other in Thane, getting an appointment was a task, and had to be taken a week in advance, or you would just have to leave the bike overnight, which is something I'm not comfortable doing. The first service was done at Chembur, which is closer to me, and it consisted of the usual oil and oil filter change. However, while riding back from the service centre itself, the bike’s display randomly rebooted mid-ride. I pulled over to the side, cycled the ignition, and the bike ran perfectly with no issues at all. However, I noticed that the shift light was stuck at 3,870rpm and couldn’t be adjusted. The bike ran perfectly fine, but that light kept blinking at said RPM. 

Another journey back to the service centre had the bike plugged into a diagnostic tool that revealed that the tip-over sensor was somehow triggered. Steps were taken to rectify it, and the sensor issue was sorted, but the shift light remained stuck. I was told that I would have to make another trip to the Thane service centre (which is much further away) for them to inspect it. I was also told that the display might have to be replaced under warranty.

Apart from these hassles, the RS 457 continues to put a huge smile on my face every time I swing a leg over it. Even when it’s parked, it’s hard not to glance back at it. After spending over a month with it, it remains something I look forward to riding at every opportunity I get. 

REUBEN FERNANDES