First Ride: 2024 Aprilia RS 457

Our first always leaves a lasting impression. It’s all so new at the beginning when our emotions are running in the redline, cementing those memories for a lifetime. Every waking moment is spent thinking about our infatuation, to the point that the conversation always steers in their direction. What a time it is for puppy love, with the 2024 Aprilia RS 457 joining the lightweight sportbike ranks, rekindling those feelings we all had with our first flings—though none were as good as this.

The Noale-based brand’s hot-blooded Italian machine is bold with its pickup lines, quickly piquing our interest at the tight and technical Autodromo di Modena, where our first encounter was scheduled. The aggressive styling caught my eye in the paddock, but its all-new and decidedly fiery 457cc liquid-cooled DOHC parallel-twin whippersnapper continued to charm the olfactory senses. The littlest ape in North America offers a searing bark, brought to us by its 270-degree crank design, which will surely make the competition weak in the knees.

Engineers can cite a myriad of dlc-coated internals, fractured connecting rods, and other nerdy delights rarely seen in the segment, adding top-tier pedigree to an ape with an MSRP kept in check by being manufactured in Piaggio’s Indian plants. What we care about is the 47.6 horsepower and 32 pound-feet of torque this parallel-twin lays down with authority, welcoming newcomers with an exciting experience that won’t shock, while those with a few notches on their garage posts will still find it engaging. It’s bright, too, with three well-tuned ride-by-wire modes and an excellent quickshifter allowing riders to make quick work of its tidy six-speed gearbox.

A high-spec aluminum twin-spar frame and steel swingarm use the p-twin whippersnapper as a stressed member, helping shed weight and adding chassis stiffness, netting an alluring 175kg. Those figures are enough to blow your hair back in a segment littered with flexy, bottom-line-conscious tubular steel frames. The RS 457’s chassis shows maturity beyond its years, as its firm feel and agility pair well with its planted nature, inspiring confidence whether or not you’re new to the saddle.

Meanwhile, the athletic ergonomics aren’t overbearing, with riser clip-on style handlebars allowing elbows-out aggression without becoming too taxing on our wrists, and neither is an adult’s knees folded too acutely. Is it on the smaller side? Sure, but that’s an observation that can be aimed at every lightweight bike.

Following suit is the preload-adjustable inverted fork and mono shock that do well to hold up well-fed North American journalists. These are the usual lightly sprung and damped suspenders, and in that sense, the exceedingly nimble RS 457 doesn’t just draw thinly veiled visual connections to its RS 660 and RSV4 siblings—it puts those teachings into practice on the racetrack.

A single radial-mounted four-piston caliper and 320mm rotor will haul the wee ape to a stop. Meanwhile, niceties such as steel-braided lines are hooked up to the axial master-cylinder. There’s too much initial sweep and limited feel, though they’ll never catch a newbie out. The RS offers on-the-fly adjustable traction control and two-channel ABS, none of which genuinely get in the way on a circuit.

Rose-tinted glasses can come in handy when looking fondly at our firsts. Entry-level sportbikes are built to a price point, making us look past soft suspension, weak brakes, or simplistic features. However, the Aprilia RS 457 is setting a new high bar in the class with a feisty powerplant and stout chassis that has few challengers in the lightweight segment. Couple those facts with a list of helpful electronic rider aids, and it won’t surprise us if a new champion is born in 2024.