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A Reasonably Priced Good Motorcycle

I was not able to go for the first ride of the Aprilia RS 457 organised in January this year at the Kari Motorway racetrack in Coimbatore, but I had an opportunity to ride it last month. It may be recalled that the RS 457 was unveiled just before the Indian MotoGP race in September last year and it was not possible for us to bring you an in-depth report at that time.

The twin-spar pivot-less chassis of this motorcycle is made of cast aluminium and it is a two-piece unit split in half at the headstock and bolted together where the steering column is mounted. The cast aluminium construction is extremely strong and this gives the chassis a lot of strength and rigidity, besides making it less prone to flexing. The solid frame and good suspension make it handle very well too.

The 270-degree firing order parallel-twin motor produces good power and torque throughout the rev-range and that makes the motorcycle easy to ride both in the city and on the highway. The only drawback is that there is considerable mechanical noise and that adversely affects the refinement aspect.

There is a good amount of kit on the bike such as an upside-down (USD) fork and radial disc brake calliper at the front. On the whole, the Aprilia RS 457 is a good bike at that price.

The most frequent question that I am asked by first-time-buyer parents concerns the best motorcycle for their son. My suggestion is to start with a 125-cc bike. After a year, one may consider upgrading to a 250-cc bike and so on. It is not advisable to buy your son/daughter a superbike as his/her first motorcycle even if you can afford to buy one; it will only land him/her in trouble and, worse still, it will be too late by then. Therefore, please avoid high-powered bikes for you kids until they gain enough riding experience and are capable of handling a powerful motorcycle.


Aspi Bhathena
Editor