Aprilia Tuono Special Edition review: the new standard

When you hear the words Special Edition, the natural assumption is that this is the special version of a normal bike. Aprilia thinks otherwise, and unlike what the name suggests, the new Special Edition is the only Tuono 457 you can buy in India today.

Tuono 457 Special Edition Comfort - 7/10

The changes are all aimed at making the Tuono a little easier to live with. When first launched, the Tuono was quite literally the naked version of the racy RS 457 with the only differences being in how it looked and the fact that it had a flat handlebar instead of clip-ons. The result was a high capable bike but one that was unforgiving in terms of comfort.

Fly screen is now standard fit

The Special Edition aims to make the Tuono more inviting with tweaks made to the riding position as well as the suspension. The handlebar is the same, but a new riser raises it by about 10mm. While the Tuono used to have the same seats as the RS 457, the rider seat now has additional padding which again raises the seat height by about 10mm.

Same handlebar as before but with taller risers

These two changes may sound marginal, but they have a noticeable effect. At 6’1”, I used to find the Tuono uncomfortably cramped, with my knees feeling locked in place by the tank and the handlebar aggressively low. The new setup improves things and while this is still a compact riding position with high-set footpegs, it’s not punishingly so - I do appreciate the difference it makes to comfort after an hour of riding.

Tuono 457 Special Edition Suspension and Handling - 9/10

The other change comes in the form of retuned suspension with a focus on comfort. Wheel travel is unchanged, but the compression/rebound damping and spring rates have been reduced a little at the front while the rear gets reduced spring rates as well as a little less compression damping - rebound damping is similar to before. Aprilia stresses that while the suspension is softer, it will not bottom out under hard riding conditions.

The riding position is still sporty but now noticeably more comfortable

From what I could tell, the bike does feel a little softer and more absorptive in the initial travel, but we faced an unusual difficulty in making a clear verdict - the roads around Baramati where we were riding it were shockingly good! You could tell that this was still a very agile and reactive motorcycle with a taut feel. I’m quite confident that its superb handling skills are still intact and the only difference may be seen when being pushed to the limit at the race track - something we look forward to evaluating soon. At the same time, I don’t expect this to be a plush and comfortable bike over Mumbai’s bumpy concrete roads, but it should be a little less harsh than before.

Rider seat gets more padding for better comfort

The other changes on the Tuono are largely visual. It now gets a fly screen as standard which adds to the look but doesn’t transform its wind protection capabilities in any significant way. There’s also a new adjustable brake lever and a smart shade of black that I think makes the Tuono 457 a better looking bike.

Tuono 457 Special Edition Engine and performance - 9/10

The 457cc twin cylinder engine has strong performance and makes a great sound

The rest remains the same, including the absolutely delectable 457cc parallel twin engine that makes a superb sound and has solid punch. The engine doesn’t have a great top end, but the mid range is strong enough to pull clutch up wheelies in second gear in a way that no other locally manufactured bike can match. Highway speeds are smooth and effortless and the bike can sit at 130 or higher without stress. This really would make for a great engine in a Tuareg 457 ADV whenever that finally becomes a reality. The company also seems to be ironing out the significant reliability concerns that plagued the first RS 457 models and the number of customer complaints has reduced.

Suspension is now a little softer while the braking set up is the same

Braking hardware is the same as well and it is good enough for road use. It's only under repeated hard braking conditions that you will want to upgrade to better brake pads at the very least. The one missing feature is a bi-directional quickshifter which can be bought for an additional Rs 21,000.

Tuono 457 Special Edition Price and Conclusion8

The Aprilia Tuono 457’s Rs 4 lakh ex-showroom price is suddenly a lot more appealing than it used to be. That’s not because Aprilia lowered it in any way, but simply because they haven’t raised it after the GST rate hike. While its chief rival the KTM 390 Duke used to cost around Rs 1 lakh less, that difference is now just Rs 50,000 and that suddenly puts the Tuono in a new light.

It is still a more expensive bike - both to buy and run - and the dealer network is far more limited as well. However, as far as riding thrills go, no rival comes close to the ‘scaled down big bike’ feel this bike offers and with these changes, it makes for a much more appealing package at this price.