It’s a pleasantly nippy morning, and I’ve just set off on a flashy red/black Aprilia Tuono 457. I’m in Sport mode with traction control switched off before I get going because it’s been a long time since I’ve been aboard an Aprilia Tuono, and I’m itching to have some fun. I stop at the side of the road as the convoy of Tuono 457s being piloted by other journalists passes me by, and I find myself smiling ear-to-ear as that lovely twin-cylinder soundtrack reverberates through the area. With the road empty and visor down, I plonk the Tuono in first and give it a prodigious handful of throttle, and immediately, the front wheel comes up! I almost run into the rev limiter as I shift into second, and again, the Tuono points skyward – we’re in for a thrilling day!
Aprilia Tuono 457 design, differences from RS 457
To create the Tuono, Aprilia ditched the RS 457’s fairing, clip-ons and signature tri-lamp headlight setup in favour of a small new headlight and a handlebar. While the Tuono’s LED headlight isn’t as pretty as that of the RS, I do find it growing on me the more I look at it.
Aprilia’s technical team has also reprofiled the tank slightly for a little more lock-to-lock clearance and to accommodate the new handlebar, thereby reducing the fuel capacity by a marginal 300ml to 12.7 litres.
The company has also shortened the final drive gearing with a one-tooth larger rear sprocket on the Tuono and given the bike rubber-mounted footpegs (in the same position as the RS), both of which are helpful when riding on the road.
Rubber-mounted footpegs are new here.
Since the Tuono’s chassis is the same as the RS, you may wonder why it weighs the exact same 175 kilos when it has a lot less bodywork. Aprilia engineers informed me that the Tuono’s smaller headlight actually weighs a fair deal more than the RS’ larger (but sleeker) unit, and the handlebar and its accoutrements make up for the RS’ fairing, which weighs just 3 kilos.
Aprilia Tuono 457 comfort, handling, city usability
On the road, especially our far-from-ideal ones, the Tuono is a much better place to be than the RS because you sit almost upright with a slight bend toward the handlebar. Since the suspension travel and tuning are exactly the same as the RS – which means this is a stiffly sprung bike – the upright riding position makes road imperfections much more bearable. And that added comfort hasn’t come at the expense of the RS’ sublime handling. I’ll wager that, on the road, you’ll not miss the more focused ergonomics of the RS because this Tuono felt just as eager and composed as its faired sibling when attacking corners.
The cherry on top is that the Tuono is also an absolute peach when handling the rigours of the concrete jungle. The parallel-twin engine that powers this bike was already very smooth with gobs of low and mid-range grunt, and with the shorter gearing, things only got better. You can pull away from a dead stop in second gear without protestation, and 45kph in sixth is devoid of any knocking. And despite the shorter gearing, you can comfortably cruise at 120kph (even 140 isn’t too bad except for the windblast) in top gear. And as I’ve said before, the Tuono is more than happy if you want to travel everywhere on just one wheel! So, is this a perfect bike?
Aprilia Tuono 457 areas of improvement
The Tuono 457 comes very close to being perfect but stops a few yards short. For one, at this price, the exclusion of adjustable levers and sintered brake pads seems like an avoidable oversight, although both are easy fixes for not a lot more money. And – we’ve said this for the RS 457, too – the quickshifter (sets you back a cool Rs 20,050) should be standard on the Tuono at its Rs 3.95 lakh sticker price. It’s also sad that this new naked design doesn’t offer the same looks and wind protection as the traditional semi-faired design theme seen on other Tuonos, setting it apart from most naked bikes.
Aprilia Tuono 457 price and verdict
But, in the grand scheme of things, these are but minor niggles which should tell you how good and rounded a package the Tuono 457 is. It can handle anything you throw at it on the road, whether you’re carving corners, touring the country or just commuting to work, while keeping you reasonably comfortable and engaged. For what it packs, its Rs 3.95 lakh price (Rs 25,000 less than the RS) is also reasonable and the Tuono has no real direct rival.
As I’m sure is clearly evident by now, this bike has me smitten, just like my own previous Tuono V4, and I’m seriously considering spending my money on it. If, like me, you enjoy fast and sporty yet reasonably comfortable machines, then the Tuono 457 warrants serious consideration.
Also See: Aprilia Tuono 457 video review