There’s something quite alluring about the Aprilia RS 457. The Noale brand has always had an aura surrounding it thanks to its racing image, and production bikes which have constantly been at the sportiest end of the market, and the 457 carries on this tradition, having that little bit more spec and desirability than its many rivals.

At first glance you’d never know it was a bike designed specifically for A2 licence riders. The styling is typically Aprilia and the hard to describe ‘Prismatic Dark’ paint scheme is really beautiful to the naked eye. It has a flip effect, giving the impression of changing colour as the light changes, and it looks stunning. If it wasn’t for the giveaway single front disc and the subtle ‘457’ stickers, you’d be forgiven for confusing the latest Aprilia for a bigger and more expensive model.

It enters a hotly contested sector that includes the likes of the KTM RC 390, Kawasaki Ninja 500 and Yamaha’s R3, not to mention the ever popular Honda CBR500R, the bike which kickstarted the trend for A2 class sportsbikes. With its more premium touches, the RS 457 is technically the most expensive bike in the category, with an official price tag of £6630, but a quick web search at the time of writing (February 2025) shows there are deals to be done and dealers are retailing them closer to £6k. At that price, the RS 457 feels like a steal – and that’s before I’ve even put the key in the ignition.

Thankfully the RS 457 rides as good as it looks. All the aforementioned rivals have something about them but the Aprilia feels a cut above in many ways, with only the KTM really having that same premium feel to it.

The good looks continue as you climb aboard. The lovely machined top clamp and 5” TFT dashboard, again, look a division or two above what you’d expect from a ‘mere’ A2 bike. It’s a physically small machine which urges the rider to adopt a racing crouch, without placing too much weight on the wrists. Aprilia has always made bikes at the sportiest end of the spectrum; I used to lust after an RS 250 when I first got my licence, and the RS 457 is as high performing as an A2 bike can get.

As Aprilia themselves say, if it made any more power it would be illegal. To qualify for A2 status, motorcycles must fulfil two criteria: they can’t make more than 35kw (47bhp) and they need to have a power-to-weight ratio of no more than 0.2kw/kg. Aprilia have gone down the same route as Honda, building a brand new engine right to the A2 power limit. The 457cc parallel twin delivers every single one of those 47 horses at 9400rpm and comes in at 175kg ready to ride, making it right on the maximum permissible power-to-weight ratio.

Our test of the Aprilia took place in February, on cold and damp roads, and while we couldn’t fully exploit the RS 457’s performance potential, it gave us enough of an insight to know that this is as good an A2 sportsbike as you’ll find. The engine is characterful, delivers a sweet exhaust note and is super easy to ride. There are three engine maps: Sport, Eco and Rain, and you can adjust the traction control settings and even switch it off. It’s not like a 200bhp superbike, where changing mode can make a massive difference and really tame the beast and, to be honest, I didn’t notice huge variance between the various modes. I left it in Sport for the majority of the test and couldn’t fault the throttle response.

Suspension isn’t particularly sophisticated but more than adequate, being adjustable for preload only, and it’s the same with the brakes. The radially mounted four-piston ByBre front caliper is mated to a single 320mm floating disc and works well enough, even if it’s not the sexiest set-up. Tyres are unbranded but feature the Aprilia logo. To be honest, I was really not looking forward to riding the RS 457 on ‘cheap’ tyres in such rubbish conditions, having been caught out on a ‘mere’ 125 on no-marque tyres a few years ago. I needn’t have worried though, as they worked well enough and gave decent feedback on the slippery roads.

Even in these sub-optimal conditions the RS 457 was a lot of fun to ride. It is light, flickable and has a very flexible engine which doesn’t need to have its neck wrung out to be enjoyed.

The RS 457 has been built to a price, for sure, but it doesn’t really feel that way – at least not as much as similarly priced A2 contenders. As we mentioned at the top of the article, it’s got a lot of spec for the category and all the touch points feel quality. Part of the reason it carries off the big bike look is the high specification chassis. In a world where most A2 bikes run basic steel frames, the RS 457 gets the same style of aluminium twin beam set-up as the bigger capacity Aprilias, which is mated to a neat looking steel swingarm which is clear for all to see thanks to a neatly packaged underslung exhaust.

Aprilia have made some legendary sports motorcycles over the years and although the RS 457 doesn’t quite warrant iconic status, it’s a very, very good machine which knows it’s target audience and hits it right on the bullseye. My only real (personal) criticisms are not really criticisms as much as they are points of vanity.

If I owned one, I think I’d like to see a twin front disc arrangement up front, not so much to improve the braking but simply because the single disc gives away the RS 457’s entry level status. Same goes for the fairing, where I think the 20-year-old me would like to see some MotoGP style aerodynamic wings to give me some bragging rights down the local bike meet. Give me those and I’ll overlook the minimal suspension adjustability and the basic OE tyres…

The RS 457 feels like a step up from the other A2 sports bikes on sale today. If I owned one, I’d be keen to see what some really sporty tyres could do, and I’d like to add the accessory quickshifter (which wasn’t fitted to our test bike) too. There are loads of official Aprilia accessories, incidentally, including a USB charging port, anti-theft alarm and alternative high and low seat options.

It’s a bike any rider would be proud to own and the 20-something me would almost certainly have this down as my A2 bike of choice. If a pure race replica isn’t your thing, there’s also a Tuono version, which has more upright ergonomics and more minimal bodywork.

Aprilia might be a bit late to the A2 party, but they’ve certainly set a new benchmark in the class with their 457. It’s a bike which does nothing but enhance the Italian company’s reputation for building great small capacity sports bikes and, if you’re in the market for this kind of bike is well worth consideration.

Aprilia RS 457 specification

Price:                                           £6,630

Engine:                                      457cc parallel-twin, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooled

Power:                                          47bhp (35kW) @ 9,400rpm

Torque:                                         43.5Nm @ 6,700rpm

Transmission:                    Six-speed manual, chain drive

Frame:                                          Dual beam aluminium frame

Suspension:                                 (F) 41mm USD forks with preload adjustment (R) Preload adjustable rear shock absorber.

Wheels:                                        Cast aluminium, (F) 17” x 3”/ (R) 17” x 4.5”

Tyres:                                        (F) 110/70 x 17, (R) 150/60 x 17

Brakes:                                         (F) 320mm disc, ByBre four-piston radial caliper, (R) 220mm disc, ByBre single-piston caliper. Two-channel ABS

Weight:                                     175kg (wet, 90% fuel)

Wheelbase:                                  1,350mm

Seat height:                               800mm

Fuel tank:                                     13 litres

Fuel consumption:                     68.9mpg (claimed)

Warranty:                                      24 months unlimited mileage

Contact:                                    www.aprilia.com